Abstract: In spectral detection for detecting the shape of repeating pattern structures uniformly formed on a surface of a test object, it is advantageous to use light having a wide wavelength range in a short wavelength region. However, it is not easy to realize a relatively simple optical system capable of spectral detection of light having a wide wavelength range in a short wavelength region, namely in ultraviolet region. The present invention provides an inspection apparatus for detecting pattern defects. The inspection apparatus includes a spectral detection optical system capable of spectral detection of light in a wavelength range from deep ultraviolet to near infrared. The spectral detection optical system includes a spatially partial mirror serving as a half mirror and a reflecting objective provided with an aperture stop for limiting the angle and direction of light to be applied to and reflected by a test object.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a defect inspection system which can perform inspection condition setting easily in a relatively short period of time, can examine the inspection condition setting even when there is no sample, and further can provide an inspection condition and a defect signal intensity to a person, who sets the inspection condition, to assist the inspection condition setting. In the defect inspection system, a defective image, which is an inspection image, and a reference image corresponding thereto and a mismatched portion of the defective image and the reference image are digitalized as a defect signal intensity and accumulated in association with the inspection condition, and the inspection conditions are changed to repeat evaluations while repeating accumulating works until the evaluation of all the inspection conditions in a set range is completed.

Abstract: To provide a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting defects of a specimen without lowering resolution of a lens, without depending on a polarization characteristic of a defect scattered light, and with high detection sensitivity that is realized by the following. A detection optical path is branched by at least one of spectral splitting and polarization splitting, a spatial filter in the form of a two-dimensional array is disposed after the branch, and only diffracted light is shielded by the spatial filter in the form of a two-dimensional array.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide patterned media in which the center and the direction of the disk can be detected. According to one embodiment, patterned media has a bit pattern including convex portions of a magnetic material on one surface or both surfaces of a nonmagnetic substrate having a central hole. A diffraction grating pattern is formed as an alignment pattern in the inner circumference (or outer circumference) of the patterned media. The diffraction grating pattern is a pattern having a repetitive configuration, and includes a pattern with a repetitive pitch different from that in other portions, or a portion having no pattern, at least one region on a circumference. The diffraction grating pattern is irradiated with detection light and diffracted light is detected, thereby a center and a direction of the disk can be detected.

Abstract: A method of measuring a pattern shape of performing a shape measurement of a semiconductor pattern at a high accuracy even when a process margin is narrow with respect to miniaturization of a semiconductor device is provided. In the method of measuring a pattern shape, when a best-match calculated waveform cannot be selected, at least one parameter among shape parameters is set as a fixed value based on information obtained by another measurement apparatus that uses a measurement method independent to the pattern shape measurement, a matching of a library and a detected waveform is performed again, a best-match calculated waveform is selected, and shape information of an object pattern is obtained from the best-match calculated waveform.

Abstract: To provide a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting defects of a specimen without lowering resolution of a lens, without depending on a polarization characteristic of a defect scattered light, and with high detection sensitivity that is realized by the following. A detection optical path is branched by at least one of spectral splitting and polarization splitting, a spatial filter in the form of a two-dimensional array is disposed after the branch, and only diffracted light is shielded by the spatial filter in the form of a two-dimensional array.

Abstract: If an inspection method for inspecting a patterned medium is intended for the nanoimprint process control, it is necessary to measure a correct shape of each pattern element. On the other hand, if the inspection method is intended for the quality control of products, it is necessary to inspect the products on a I00 percent basis. However, the conventional method which uses SEM or AFM could not satisfy these requirements. According to the present invention, IO0-percent inspection of products becomes possible by a method including the steps of: irradiating a surface of a hard disk medium, on which a magnetic material pattern is formed, with a light beam including a plurality of wavelengths; detecting the intensity of a reflected light beam from the hard disk medium on a wavelength basis; calculating a spectral reflectance from the detected intensity of the reflected light beam; and detecting a shape of each pattern element formed on the hard disk medium on the basis of the calculated spectral reflectance.

Abstract: In a displacement measurement apparatus using light interference, a probe light path is spatially separated from a reference light path. Therefore, when a temperature or refractive index distribution by a fluctuation of air or the like, or a mechanical vibration is generated, an optical path difference fluctuates between both of the optical paths, and a measurement error is generated. In the solution, an optical axis of probe light is brought close to that of reference light by a distance which is not influenced by any disturbance, a sample is irradiated with the probe light, a reference surface is irradiated with the reference light, reflected light beams are allowed to interfere with each other, and a displacement of the sample is obtained from the resultant interference light to thereby prevent the measurement error from being generated by the fluctuation of the optical path difference.

Abstract: A two-dimensional sensor is installed inclining at a predetermined angle to a moving direction of a stage on which an object to be inspected is mounted and, in synchronism with the movement of the stage, a picked up image is rearranged so that there can be obtained an image in high-density sampling with a picture-element size or less of the two-dimensional sensor with respect to a wafer. Thus, interpolation calculation during position alignment becomes unnecessary, and size calculation and classification of a defect can be performed with high accuracy.

Abstract: Measurement cannot be made when trying to measure a wavefront aberration of a wide-angle lens, being wide in a field of view, comparing to a focus distance, by a Shack-Hartmann sensor, since an inclination of the wavefront exceeds an allowable value of inclination of the Shack-Hartmann sensor. The Shack-Hartmann sensor is inclined at a position of a pupil of a lens, and is controlled so that it lies within the allowable value mentioned above. Photographing is made through step & repeat while overlapping at the same position, to compose in such a manner that overlapping spots are piled up, and thereby measuring the wavefront aberration of the lens having a large pupil diameter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spatial filtering technology for exposing a defect image independently of polarization properties of defect scattered light, a defect inspection method for increasing a defect capture rate by suppressing the brightness saturation of a normal pattern, and a defect inspection apparatus that uses the defect inspection method. An array of spatial filters is disposed in one or more optical paths, which are obtained by polarizing and splitting a detection optical path, to filter diffracted light and scattered light emitted from the normal pattern. An image whose brightness saturation is suppressed is obtained by controlling an illumination light amount and/or detection efficiency during image detection in accordance with the amount of scattered light from the normal pattern.

Abstract: There is provided a pattern inspection device for a substrate surface which can inspect a substrate including a pattern whose size is equal to or smaller than light resolution limit at high speed. The pattern inspection device for the substrate surface includes: a near-field optical head 101 having a fine repetitive pattern; a ? driving unit 311 of scanning an inspected substrate 900 relatively to the near-field optical head 101; a space holding mechanism of holding a space between the near-field optical head 101 and the inspected substrate 900 constant; alight source 110 of irradiating light to the near-field optical head 101; a detection system 201 of detecting an intensity of scattered light generated by interaction between the fine repetitive pattern on the near-field optical head 101 and a fine pattern on a surface of the inspected substrate 900; and a signal processing unit 321 of inspecting the fine pattern on the inspected substrate 900 based on an output of the detection system 201.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for reviewing a defect with high throughput by detecting the defect to be reviewed with high sensitivity, comprising: an optical microscope; a correction means; and a scanning electron microscope which reviews the existing defect on the sample; wherein the optical microscope has: an optical height detection system which optically detects a vertical position of an upper surface of the sample placed on the stage; an illumination optical system which illuminates the defect with light; an image detection optical system which converges and detects reflected light or scattered light generated from the defect illuminated by the illumination optical system to obtain an image signal; and a focus adjusting means which adjusts a focus position of the optical microscope based on the vertical position of the upper surface of the sample, which is detected by the optical height detection system.

Abstract: In a displacement measurement apparatus using light interference, a probe light path is spatially separated from a reference light path. Therefore, when a temperature or refractive index distribution by a fluctuation of air or the like, or a mechanical vibration is generated, an optical path difference fluctuates between both of the optical paths, and a measurement error is generated. In the solution, an optical axis of probe light is brought close to that of reference light by a distance which is not influenced by any disturbance, a sample is irradiated with the probe light, a reference surface is irradiated with the reference light, reflected light beams are allowed to interfere with each other, and a displacement of the sample is obtained from the resultant interference light to thereby prevent the measurement error from being generated by the fluctuation of the optical path difference.

Abstract: Disclosed are a spectroscopic optical system and a spectrometer both enabling vertical illumination by means of an optical system using only refractive lenses and enabling wide-band color correction in the DUV-UV (190 to 400 nm) range. The spectroscopic optical system and spectrometer each comprise a light source (100), a folding mirror (110), a field stop (120), an object-side focusing lens system (130) for focusing light onto a sample, an image-side focusing lens (140) disposed on the image forming plane of the object-side focusing lens system, and a spectroscope (150) for dispersing regularly reflected light from the sample. The object-side focusing lens system (130) and the image-side focusing lens system (140) are each a spectroscopic optical system corrected with respect to color in a broad band of wavelength from 190 to 400 nm and configured from only refractive lenses enabling vertical illumination.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for reviewing a defect with high throughput by detecting the defect to be reviewed with high sensitivity, comprising: an optical microscope; a correction means; and a scanning electron microscope which reviews the existing defect on the sample; wherein the optical microscope has: an optical height detection system which optically detects a vertical position of an upper surface of the sample placed on the stage; an illumination optical system which illuminates the defect with light; an image detection optical system which converges and detects reflected light or scattered light generated from the defect illuminated by the illumination optical system to obtain an image signal; and a focus adjusting means which adjusts a focus position of the optical microscope based on the vertical position of the upper surface of the sample, which is detected by the optical height detection system.

Abstract: An adjustable beam size illumination optical apparatus includes a beam size adjusting optical system which includes groups of cylindrical array lenses disposed correspondingly to the long and short axis directions respectively and having variable intervals among the lenses, and a group of cylindrical telescope lenses disposed correspondingly to one of the long and short axis directions and having variable intervals among the lenses, and adjusts parallel light from a light source in size in accordance with the two axis directions orthogonal to each other. The lens interval of one of the cylindrical array lens groups and the cylindrical telescope lens group is changed to adjust a beam size on a projection surface in accordance with the long axis direction or the short axis direction. Thus, it is possible to adjust the beam size in accordance with the long axis direction and the short axis direction individually, and it is possible to make irradiation with the beam with uniform intensity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a defect inspection system which can perform inspection condition setting easily in a relatively short period of time, can examine the inspection condition setting even when there is no sample, and further can provide an inspection condition and a defect signal intensity to a person, who sets the inspection condition, to assist the inspection condition setting. In the defect inspection system, a defective image, which is an inspection image, and a reference image corresponding thereto and a mismatched portion of the defective image and the reference image are digitalized as a defect signal intensity and accumulated in association with the inspection condition, and the inspection conditions are changed to repeat evaluations while repeating accumulating works until the evaluation of all the inspection conditions in a set range is completed.

Abstract: Work is irradiated with polarized light generated by configuring in such a manner as to have a polarizer using a grating that separates polarized light from non-polarized light, a lamp and a condenser mirror that allow light to fall on the polarizer, a collimator lens that converts the incoming light into parallel beams, an integrator lens that uniformizes intensity distribution of light radiated from the polarizer, and a diffusion lens with functions to enlarge or contract the irradiated range to the work size, and by forming protrusions and recesses of the shape, material, and size that fit to the desired wavelength on a substrate such as quartz, etc. that transmit ultraviolet light, and by providing the light-polarizing performance by appropriately providing an incident angle. By carrying out this processing, the alignment film in the liquid crystal display element can be photo-aligned at high accuracy and uniformly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a defect inspection system which can perform inspection condition setting easily in a relatively short period of time, can examine the inspection condition setting even when there is no sample, and further can provide an inspection condition and a defect signal intensity to a person, who sets the inspection condition, to assist the inspection condition setting. In the defect inspection system, a defective image, which is an inspection image, and a reference image corresponding thereto and a mismatched portion of the defective image and the reference image are digitalized as a defect signal intensity and accumulated in association with the inspection condition, and the inspection conditions are changed to repeat evaluations while repeating accumulating works until the evaluation of all the inspection conditions in a set range is completed.