Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes an illumination optical unit for obliquely illuminating an object with a slit-like shaped laser, a first detection optical unit for detecting a first image formed by light reflected from the object by the illumination of the slit-like shaped laser and reflected in a first direction substantially normal to a surface of the object, a second detection optical unit for detecting a second image formed by light reflected from the object by the illumination of the slit-like shaped laser and reflected in a second direction inclined to the normal direction to the surface of the object, an image signal processing unit which processes a signal outputted from the first detection optical unit and a signal outputted from the second detection optical unit, and an output unit which outputs information processed by the image signal processing unit.

Abstract: A method for detecting defects on a specimen includes mounting a specimen on a table with which is movable, obliquely projecting a laser as a line onto a surface of the specimen, detecting with an image sensor an image of light formed by light reflected from the specimen and passed through a filter which blocks scattered light resulting from repetitive patterns formed on the specimen, processing a signal outputted from the image sensor to extract defects of the specimen, and a displaying information of defects extracted by the signal processor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of inspecting a sample, in which the sample is inspected under a plurality of inspection conditions, and inspection data obtained by inspecting the sample under each of the plurality of inspection conditions and position information on the sample of the inspection date in correspondence with the respective inspection conditions, are stored. The inspection data for each of the plurality of inspection conditions is against each other by the use of the position information on the sample to determine a position to be inspected in detail, and an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail is obtained. The obtained image is classified, the inspection condition of the sample by the use of information of classification of the image is determined.

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes radiating an illumination slit-shaped beam having lights substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction to a substrate having circuit patterns in a direction inclined at a predetermined gradient relative to the direction of a line normal to the substrate and inclined at a predetermined gradient on a surface with respect to a group of main straight lines of the circuit patterns with its longitudinal direction oriented almost perpendicularly to a direction of a movement of the substrate. Scattered light reflected by a defect such as a foreign particle existing on the illuminated substrate is received and converted into a detection signal by using an image sensor, and defect judging is effected of an extracted a signal indicating a defect such as a foreign particle on the basis of the detection signal output.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a sample in which the sample is inspected under a plurality of inspection conditions and inspection data obtained by inspecting the sample under each of the plurality of inspection conditions and position information on the sample of the inspection date in correspondence with the respective inspection conditions are stored. The inspection data for each of the plurality of inspection conditions is against each other by the use of the position information on the sample to determine a position to be inspected in detail, and an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail is obtained. The obtained image is classified, the inspection condition of the sample by the use of information of classification of the image is determined.

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes radiating an illumination slit-shaped beam having lights substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction to a substrate having circuit patterns in a direction inclined at a predetermined gradient relative to the direction of a line normal to the substrate and inclined at a predetermined gradient on a surface with respect to a group of main straight lines of the circuit patterns with its longitudinal direction oriented almost perpendicularly to a direction of a movement of the substrate. Scattered light reflected by a defect such as a foreign particle existing on the illuminated substrate is received and converted into a detection signal by using an image sensor, and defect judging is effected of an extracted a signal indicating a defect such as a foreign particle on the basis of the detection signal output.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting defects on a specimen including am illumination optical unit which obliquely projects a laser onto a region which is longer in one direction than in a direction transverse to said one direction on a surface of a specimen, a table unit which mounts said specimen and which is movable, a detection optical unit which detects with an image sensor an image of light formed by light reflected from said specimen in both directions of the one direction and the direction transverse and which reflected light in both directions is formed on said image sensor while said table is moving, a signal processor which processes a signal outputted from said image sensor of said detection optical unit to extract defects of said specimen. A display unit which displays information of defects extracted by said signal processor.

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes radiating an illumination slit-shaped beam having lights substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction to a substrate having circuit patterns in a direction inclined at a predetermined gradient relative to the direction of a line normal to the substrate and inclined at a predetermined gradient on a surface with respect to a group of main straight lines of the circuit patterns with its longitudinal direction oriented almost perpendicularly to a direction of a movement of the substrate. Scattered light reflected by a defect such as a foreign particle existing on the illuminated substrate is received and converted into a detection signal by using an image sensor, and defect judging is effected of an extracted a signal indicating a defect such as a foreign particle on the basis of the detection signal output.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a sample in which the sample is inspected under a plurality of inspection conditions and inspection data obtained by inspecting the sample under each of the plurality of inspection conditions and position information on the sample of the inspection date in correspondence with the respective inspection conditions are stored. The inspection data for each of the plurality of inspection conditions is against each other by the use of the position information on the sample to determine a position to be inspected in detail, and an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail is obtained. The obtained image is classified, the inspection condition of the sample by the use of information of classification of the image is determined.

Abstract: In order to inspect a substance to be detected such as a foreign substance in accordance with the condition of the surface of a sample to be inspected such as a semiconductor substrate manufactured in various manufacturing processes under a suitable inspection condition, this method includes the steps of: inspecting a substance to be detected on a sample to be inspected under a plurality inspection conditions, which are previously set, as a single unit to detect at least the data of a detected substance for each of the plurality of inspection conditions; checking the data of the detected substance for the respective inspection conditions against each other to make check data; analyzing the detected substance based on the check data of the detected substance to classify the detected substance; adding the data of classified detected substance to the coordinate data of the detected substance for the respective inspection conditions to make data relating to the classified detected substance for the respective ins

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes radiating an illumination slit-shaped beam having lights substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction to a substrate having circuit patterns in a direction inclined at a predetermined gradient relative to the direction of a line normal to the substrate and inclined at a predetermined gradient on a surface with respect to a group of main straight lines of the circuit patterns with its longitudinal direction oriented almost perpendicularly to a direction of a movement of the substrate. Scattered light reflected by a defect such as a foreign particle existing on the illuminated substrate is received and converted into a detection signal by using an image sensor, and defect judging is effected of an extracted a signal indicating a defect such as a foreign particle on the basis of the detection signal output.

Abstract: The present invention provides a defect inspecting apparatus and a defect inspection method for inspecting an object of inspection for a defect such as a foreign particle existing on the object wherein, by using a high-efficiency illumination optical system for radiating an illumination beam to the object of inspection from a direction to reduce the intensity of a scattered light generated by a pattern on the object of inspection, it is possible to decrease the intensity of the scattered light from the pattern which causes a variation of a signal and, in addition, by using a means for setting a detection threshold value based on a variation of a signal computed for each area in a chip on the object of inspection, the detection threshold value can be made small and, thus, the sensitivity as well as the throughput can be raised.

Abstract: In order to inspect a substance to be detected such as a foreign substance in accordance with the condition of the surface of a sample to be inspected such as a semiconductor substrate manufactured in various manufacturing processes under a suitable inspection condition, this method includes the steps of: inspecting a substance to be detected on a sample to be inspected under a plurality inspection conditions, which are previously set, as a single unit to detect at least the data of a detected substance for each of the plurality of inspection conditions; checking the data of the detected substance for the respective inspection conditions against each other to make check data; analyzing the detected substance based on the check data of the detected substance to classify the detected substance; adding the data of classified detected substance to the coordinate data of the detected substance for the respective inspection conditions to make data relating to the classified detected substance for the respective ins

Abstract: A surface defect inspection device according to the present invention is provided with an average value calculating means in which an article corresponding to an object to be inspected having a multiplicity of substantially uniformly distributed standard particles deposited thereon is scanned in a main scanning direction as a defect inspection object, detection values of the standard particles at every detecting pixel are obtained based on detection signals obtained from an optical sensor at respective scanning positions while assuming the standard particles as being defects and average values of every detecting pixel with regard to the detection values obtained at the respective scanning positions are calculated, and a shading correction means in which detection values of every detecting pixel obtained when the object to be inspected is inspected are subjected to shading correction for every detecting pixel based on the calculated average values of every detecting pixel.

Abstract: An extraneous substance inspection apparatus for a patterned wafer, according to the present invention, comprises an optical sensor having a plurality of detecting portions arranged to receive the scattering light corresponding to pixels and produce the detection signal corresponding to the respective pixels, a delay circuit responsive to the detection signal from the optical sensor for delaying the detection signal by a predetermined time and a judging circuit for judging an absence or presence of contaminant by comparing an output of the delay circuit with the detection signal from said optical sensor, wherein the wafer is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to a direction parallel to the arranging direction of the detecting portions of the optical sensor and the predetermined time corresponds to a difference in scan time between a position of one pixel and substantially the same position as that of the one pixel in one chip of another pixel in another chip adjacent to that chip, the another pixe

Abstract: An extraneous substance inspection apparatus includes a level conversion circuit for converting a level of an extraneous substance detection signal obtained from a position in a first chip into one of multi-valued levels. A judging circuit determines the existence or absence of an extraneous substance by comparing a signal indicative of one of the multi-valued levels with another signal indicative of a converted level obtained by converting a detection signal detected at a similar position in another chip adjacent to the first chip.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus of the present invention comprises an optical sensor having a plurality of detecting portions arranged in a sub-scan direction, the detecting portions being responsive to the scattering light for producing the detection signals correspondingly to respective pixels, a detection optical system including an objective lens and disposed between the optical sensor and the thing to be inspected, a projection optical system for irradiating the thing to be inspected with the laser beam having a cross sectional area large enough to cover the scattering light to be received by the plurality of the detecting portions through the detection optical system and an inspection device responsive to the detection signals for inspecting the surface of the thing to be inspected, wherein one of the detection optical system lens and the optical sensor is mounted such that a setting axis thereof is aligned in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the detection optical system lens with a light rece

Abstract: In the present invention, an extraneous substance inspection optical system having an extraneous inspection area of a predetermined scanning width in subscanning direction of a matter to be inspected is positioned in such a manner that the extraneous substance inspection area at a moment when the matter to be inspected is started to move in main scanning direction is arranged at a position in the main scanning direction corresponding to a head portion of the matter to be inspected; the matter to be inspected is moved in the main scanning direction to be subjected to a forward scanning for the matter to be inspected to thereby detect possible extraneous substances in the extraneous inspection area; and the matter to be inspected is rotated by 180.degree.