Abstract: Disclosed are an illumination device and an inspection device of a tire that can easily detect abnormality of the shape of the manufactured tire. A photographing portion 18,19 photographs a inner peripheral surface of a tire T, while a driving portion 12 relatively rotates the tire T and a inspection portion 20 around an axis of the tire T, in the state of irradiating a light from a light source unit 36 disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the tire T toward the circumferential direction of the tire T.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inspection apparatus having a high throughput and high sensitivity with respect to a number of various manufacturing processes and defects of interest in inspection of a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer on which a pattern is formed. The apparatus illuminates with light the specimen having the pattern formed thereon, forms an image of the specimen on an image sensor through a reflective optics, and determines the existence/nonexistence of a defect. The reflective optics has a conjugate pair of Fourier transform optics. An aberration of the reflective optics is corrected off-axis. The reflective optics has a field of view in non-straight-line slit form on the specimen surface. Also, the optics is of a reflection type, includes a conjugate pair of Fourier transform optics and has a field of view in non-straight-line slit form. An optimum wavelength band is selected according to the specimen (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Device for inspecting defects in semiconductor wafers, comprising a member for detecting surface defects using variations in the slope of a surface of the wafer, a member for detecting surface defects using variations in the light intensity reflected by a surface of the wafer, at a plurality of points, a member for detecting light intensity scattered by the surface of the wafer, a light source, and a detecting and classifying mechanism connected upstream of said detecting members.

Abstract: A compact and versatile multi-spot inspection imaging system employs an objective for focusing an array of radiation beams to a surface and a second reflective or refractive objective having a large numerical aperture for collecting scattered radiation from the array of illuminated spots. The scattered radiation from each illuminated spot is focused to a corresponding receiver or detector so that information about a scattering may be conveyed to a corresponding detector in a remote detector array for processing. Radiation reflected from the spots is imaged into a first array of receivers or detectors so that each receiver in the first array receives radiation from a corresponding spot in the array of spots; and scattered radiation from the spots is imaged onto a second array of receivers or detectors in a dark field imaging scheme so that each receiver or detector in the second array receives radiation from a corresponding spot.

Abstract: A mask inspecting method includes the following steps. A processing parameter is defined. An incident light is decided by the processing parameter. At least a portion of the incident light is emitted to and passes through a first position and a second position of a first area of a mask, to detect a first parameter and a second parameter respectively corresponding to the first position and the second position, and then the variation of the first parameter and the second parameter is compared. Additionally, at least a portion of the incident light is emitted to and passes through a third position and a fourth position of a second area of a mask, to detect a third parameter and a fourth parameter respectively corresponding to the third position and the fourth position, and then the variation of the third parameter and the fourth parameter is also compared.

Abstract: Proposed is a defect inspection method whereby: illuminating light having a substantially uniform illumination intensity distribution in one direction of a sample surface irradiated on the sample surface; multiple scattered light components, which are output in multiple independent directions, are detected among the scattered light from the sample surface and multiple corresponding scattered light detection signals are obtained; at least one of the multiple scattered light detection signals is processed and the presence of defects is determined; at least one of the multiple scattered light detection signals that correspond to each of the points determined by the processing as a defect is processed and the dimensions of the defect are determined; and the position and dimensions of the defect on the sample surface, at each of the points determined as a defect, are displayed.

Abstract: A defect inspection system can suppress an effect of light from a rough surface or a circuit pattern and increasing a gain of light from a defect to detect the defect with high sensitivity. When a lens with a large NA value is used, the diameter is 10a, an angle between the sample surface and a traveling direction of the light from a defect being ?1. A system receives the light from the defect at a reduced elevation angle ?2 with respect to the sample surface to reduce the scattered light, and to increase the light from the defect. The diameter 10a is smaller than the diameter 10b, resulting in a reduction in the ability to focus the scattered light. When a lens having a diameter 10c is used, the lens interferes with the sample. To avoid the interference, a portion of the lens interfering with the sample is removed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a surface inspection system comprises a radiation source that emits a broadband radiation beam, a radiation directing assembly to target radiation onto a surface of an object, the radiation directing assembly comprising a radiation collection assembly to collect radiation reflected from the surface of the object, the radiation collection assembly comprising at least one multi-chip detector array assembly positioned within a field of view of the inspection system.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus including: a first illumination optical system which is configured to illuminate the inspection area on a sample surface from a normal line direction or a direction near thereof with respect to said sample surface; a second illumination optical system which is configured to illuminate said inspection area from a slant direction with respect to said sample surface; a detection optical system having a plurality of first detectors which are located, in front of, on the sides of, and behind said inspection area, respectively, with respect to the illumination direction of said second illumination optical system, and where the regular reflected light component, from said sample surface, by illumination light of said second illumination optical system, is not converged; and a signal processing system which is configured to inspect a defect, upon basis of signals obtained from said plurality of first detectors.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus in accordance with one aspect of the present invention includes a laser light source configured to emit a laser light, an integrator lens configured to input the laser light, and form a light source group by dividing the laser light inputted, a scattering plate, arranged at a front side of an incident surface of the integrator lens, configured to scatter the laser light which is to enter the integrator lens, and an inspection unit configured to inspect a defect of a pattern on an inspection target object where a plurality of figure patterns are formed, by using the laser light having passed through the integrator lens as an illumination light.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting defects of elements to be subjected to examination, particularly metallic lids, with means for lighting an element to be subjected to examination, an image acquisition unit, and a unit for processing images acquired by said image acquisition unit is described.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical inspection method capable of detecting a finer defect in the surface of a substrate, including the steps of: irradiating a surface of a sample which is rotating and continuously moving in one direction with illumination light which is incident in a direction obliquely to the sample surface; detecting an image of light formed by a forward scattering light around an optical axis of regular-reflection light while excluding the regular-reflection light from the sample surface irradiated with the illumination light; condensing and detecting lateral scattering light which scatters laterally from the sample surface with respect to an incidence direction of the illumination light; and processing a signal obtained by detecting the image of light formed by the forward scattering light and a signal obtained by condensing and detecting the lateral scattering light to extract a defect including a scratch defect.

Abstract: A wafer inspection method comprises imaging a full surface of the wafer at an imaging resolution insufficient to resolve individual microstructures which are repetitively arranged on the wafer. A mask 109 is applied to the recorded image and unmasked portions 111 of the image are further processed by averaging. The unmasked portions 111 are selected such that they include memory portions of the wafer.

Abstract: A system for differentiating between oil spots and non-oil spots in a wrapped article comprising a web and a wrapped material. The system includes a heat source that applies heat to a wrapped article for a predetermined amount of time when the wrapped article is placed in a sample area on a surface that is arranged at a predetermined distance away from a heating element of the heat source; and a light source that provides backlighting to the web of the wrapped article when the web has been separated from the wrapped material and placed on a viewing surface of the light source. A method for differentiating between oil spots and non-oil spots in wrapped articles and a field test kit are also provided.

Abstract: An inspection system including a lens. In one instance, the lens is a solid immersion lens. The inspection system includes a component or components for providing a self aligning solid immersion lens arrangement in order to allow at most a small distance between the solid immersion lens and a device under test and components or components for constraining a force exerted on the device under test. The inspection system may include a “purge” port, or a thermal isolation configuration or an anti-contamination component. The inspection system may include software and hardware to prevent crashing of the lens. The inspection system may also include a method for ensuring that various objective lenses can be replaced while maintaining the intended spacing between lenses.

Abstract: An inspection system and associated method are provided for inspecting a smoking article having a smokable rod and a filter element serially secured together by a tipping material circumscribing a longitudinal periphery of the filter element and a portion of a longitudinal periphery of the smokable rod adjacent to the filter element. A transport device is configured to transport individual as-formed smoking articles from a first to a second position such that the tipping material associated with each smoking article is accessible at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article. An inspection device is configured to optically inspect each smoking article, at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article having the tipping material, as the smoking article is transported between the first and second positions, and to automatically determine from the optical inspection whether the inspected smoking article is defective.

Abstract: Substrate inspection apparatus, in which the acquisition of the inspection data for a defect and the acquisition of the focus data of the objective lens are performed in parallel, includes an autofocus apparatus for controlling position of the objective lens along its optical axis. The autofocus apparatus includes a focus error detection unit and a focus control signal generation unit for generating a focus control signal for controlling the position of the objective lens for each scan line using a focus data signal composed of an objective position signal or the objective position signal to which a focus error signal is added. When “i” is assumed as a positive integer and “m” is as a natural number, the focus data signal which was acquired during the scanning period of i-th scan line is used to produce the focus control signal used to scan the (i+2m)-th scan line.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for detecting design defects is provided. The method includes receiving design data of an integrated circuit (IC) on a wafer, measuring wafer topography across the wafer to obtain topography data, calculating a scanner moving average from the topography data and the design data to provide a scanner defocus map across the wafer, and determining a hotspot design defect from the scanner defocus map. A computer readable storage medium, and a system for detecting design defects are also provided.

Abstract: A shape-measuring method accurately performs fitting between measured data of a surface to be measured, which is formed based on a design shape having multiple periodical design-level differences, and a design shape. A level-difference region and a level-difference height are specified from a measured point sequence of the surface to be measured. A point sequence is moved by a level-difference height. In other words, a process for eliminating the level difference is performed, and fitting target data without a level difference is obtained. On the other hand, a reference shape without multiple design-level differences is obtained from the design shape. Fitting between the fitting target data and the reference shape is performed by the least square method or the like.

Abstract: An illuminating apparatus includes a rotating phase plate having a height equal to or less than a wavelength of light from a light source and including a plurality of randomly arranged step regions so as to change a phase of light from the light source by allowing the light beam to pass therethrough; and a fly's eye lens including an array of a plurality of lenses configured to pass the light beam passed through the rotating phase plate, wherein a portion in which a product of a maximum size of the plurality of step regions and an optical magnification from the rotating phase plate to a plane of incidence of the fly's eye lens is equal to or less than an arrangement pitch of the plurality of lenses and a portion in which the product is larger than the arrangement pitch of the plurality of lenses are mixed.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for inspecting matter and the use thereof for sorting recyclable material including transparent material are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a lighting unit for projecting a concentrated diffused lighting onto the matter to generate a specular reflected light beam representative of the inspected matter. The apparatus comprises an imaging unit mounted according to a given imaging angle with respect to the projected concentrated diffused lighting for imaging the specular reflected light beam to provide image data representative of the inspected matter. The apparatus comprises an analyzing unit for analyzing the image data and providing matter characterization data based on the specular reflected light beam representative of the inspected matter.

Abstract: When using a CCD sensor as a photo-detector in a device for inspecting foreign matters and defects, it has a problem of causing electric noise while converting the signal charge, produced inside by photoelectric conversion, into voltage and reading it. Therefore, the weak detected signal obtained by detecting reflected and scattered light from small foreign matters and defects is buried in the electric noise, which has been an obstacle in detecting small foreign matters and defects. In order to solve the above problem, according to the present invention, an electron multiplying CCD sensor is used as a photo-detector. The electron multiplying CCD sensor is capable of enlarging signals brought about by inputted light relatively to the electric noise by multiplying the electrons produced through photoelectric conversion and reading them. Accordingly, compared to a conventional CCD sensor, it can detect weaker light and, therefore, smaller foreign matters and defects.

Abstract: The present invention provides a detection method which allows specific defects that would occur on a wafer surface to be detected more reliably. A method of detecting a specific defect of the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring a light point map which is in-plane position information of a light point detected in a position corresponding to a defect on a surface of a wafer by irradiating the surface of the wafer with light (S101); specifying a determination region where a specific defect is expected to be formed and a reference region which is a given region other than the determination region in the light point map, and calculating a ratio of a light point density of the determination region to a light point density of the reference region (S102); and determining whether or not the specific defect is formed based on the calculated ratio (S103).

Abstract: Various embodiments for substrate inspection are provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting an article includes a laser assembly which is operable to direct a laser beam against a series of locations disposed along a line which extends across discontinuities in a surface of the article. The position of at least of one location against which the laser beam is directed is detected. The at least one location is spaced from discontinuities in the surface of the article.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a substrate is disclosed. The method of inspecting a substrate, comprises: obtaining phase data per projecting part with regard to a substrate, by projecting pattern beam onto the substrate having a target object formed thereon through a plurality of projecting parts in sequence; obtaining height data per projecting part with regard to the substrate by using the phase data per the projecting part; setting up a projecting part with highest reliability in the a plurality of projecting parts to be a reference projecting part; modifying height data of remaining projecting part, referenced by height data of the reference projecting part; and obtaining integrated height data by using the modified height data.

Abstract: This application relates to systems and methods for the detection of orientation features on a material web.

Abstract: Provided are novel inspection methods and systems for inspecting unpatterned objects, such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, for surface defects, including extremely small defects. Defects may include various phase objects, such as bumps and pits that are only about 1 nanometer in height, and small particles. Inspection is performed at wavelengths less than about 250 nanometers, such as a reconfigured deep UV inspection system. A partial coherence sigma is set to between about 0.15 and 0.5. Phase defects can be found by using one or more defocused inspection passes, for example at one positive depth of focus (DOF) and one negative DOF. In certain embodiments, DOF is between about ?1 to ?3 and/or +1 to +3. The results of multiple inspection passes can be combined to differentiate defect types. Inspection methods may involve applying matched filters, thresholds, and/or correction factors in order to improve a signal to noise ratio.

Abstract: Disclosed is a defect inspection method which makes it possible to scan the entire surface of a sample and detect minute defects without causing thermal damage to the sample. A defect inspection method in which a pulse laser emitted from a light source is subjected to pulse division and irradiated on the surface of a sample which moves in one direction while the divided-pulse pulse laser is rotated, reflection light from the sample irradiated by the divided-pulse pulse laser is detected, the signal of the detected reflection light is processed to detect defects on the sample, and information regarding a detected defect is output to a display screen, wherein the barycentric position of the light intensity of the divided-pulse pulse laser is monitored and adjusted.

Abstract: An in-line laser beam waist analyzer system includes an optical prism that picks off a portion of a second surface reflection from either a laser processing focus lens or a protective debris shield for the processing lens and directs that focused light to a pixelated detector. This provides real time monitoring of the focused laser beam while it is processing material by welding, cutting, drilling, scribing or marking, without disrupting the process.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus for detecting defects or haze of a sample, includes illuminating light to the sample from an oblique direction relative to a surface of the sample with an illuminator, detecting first scattered light at a forward position relative to an illuminating direction from the sample with a first detector, detecting sec and scattered light at a sideward or backward position relative to the illuminating direction from the sample with a second detection, and processing a first signal of the first scattered light and a second signal of the second scattered light with different weighting for the first signal and for the second signal with a processor.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting surface features is disclosed. The apparatus may include a plurality of strands configured to contain light and further configured to transmit light from a light source to a surface of an article. The apparatus may also include a detector configured to receive light reflected from the surface of the article via the plurality of strands, wherein the detector is further configured to detect features associated with the article.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring a thickness of a silicon wafer with a highly-doped layer at least at a backside of the silicon wafer is provided. The apparatus has a source configured to emit coherent light of multiple, wavelengths. Moreover, the apparatus comprises a measuring head configured to be contactlessly positioned adjacent the silicon wafer and configured to illuminate at least a portion of the silicon wafer with the coherent light and to receive at least a portion of radiation reflected by the silicon wafer. Additionally, the apparatus comprises a spectrometer, a beam splitter and an evaluation device. The evaluation device is configured to determine a thickness of the silicon wafer by analyzing the radiation reflected by the silicon wafer by an optical coherence tomography process. The coherent light is emitted multiple wavelengths in a bandwidth b around a central wavelength wc.

Abstract: An appearance inspection apparatus analyzes a difference in detection characteristics of detection signals obtained by detectors to flexibly meet various inspection purposes without changing a circuit or software. The apparatus includes a signal synthesizing section that synthesizes detection signals from the detectors in accordance with a set condition. An input operating section sets a synthesizing condition of the detection signal by the signal synthesizing section, and an information display section displays a synthesizing map structured based on a synthesized signal which is synthesized by the signal synthesizing section in accordance with a condition set by the input operating section.

Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a reflective surface configured to reflect photons onto a surface of an article, a stage configured to support the article, and an assembly. In some embodiments, the assembly configured to radiate photons through the article to the reflective surface. The assembly is further configured to image the article with irradiance of the photons.

Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured to emit photons onto a surface of an article, a photon detector array configured to receive photons from surface features of the article; and a processing means configured for processing photon-detector-array signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features and photons fluoresced from the surface features, wherein the processing means is further configured for classifying the surface features of the article.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus and a surface inspection method aim to securely deal with finer repetition pitch without shortening the wavelength of illumination light. To this end, the apparatus includes a unit illuminating repetitive pattern(s) formed on the substrate surface to be inspected with linearly polarized light, a unit setting to an oblique angle an angle between the direction of an intersecting line of a vibration plane of the linearly polarized light on the substrate surface and the repetition direction of repetitive pattern(s), a unit extracting a polarized light component perpendicular to the vibration plane of the linearly polarized light, from light having been emitted from the repetitive pattern(s) in a specular direction, and a unit detecting a defect of the repetitive pattern(s) according to the light intensity of the polarized light component.

Abstract: By including an illumination system and a detection system, an information collecting function of monitoring an environment, such as temperature and atmospheric pressure, and an apparatus state managing function having a feedback function of comparing the monitoring result and a design value, a theoretical calculation value or an ideal value derived from simulation results and calibrating an apparatus so that the monitoring result is brought close to the ideal value, a unit for keeping the apparatus state and apparatus sensitivity constant is provided. A control unit 800 is configured to include a recording unit 801, a comparing unit 802, a sensitivity predicting unit 803, and a feedback control unit 804. In the comparing unit 802, the monitoring result transmitted from the recording unit 801 and an ideal value stored in a database 805 are compared with each other.

Abstract: A reflection type optical sensor that detect a surface condition of a moving body and that is used for an image generation apparatus which forms images on a recording media includes a light-emitting device which has a plurality of light emitter systems including at least two light-emitting members and a light-emitting optical system having a plurality of light-emitting lenses corresponding to a plurality of the light emitter systems and guiding light emitted from the light emitter systems to the moving body and a light-receiving device which has a light receiver system including at least two light-receiving members and a light-receiving optical system having light-receiving lenses corresponding to the at least two light-receiving members and guiding light reflected by the moving body to the light receiver system. The image generation apparatus has further a surface condition judging device in addition to the reflection type optical sensor.

Abstract: Arrangements classifying or inspecting finely classified defects. When irradiating a subject with light; focusing a scattered light from a subject surface onto plural optical receivers; and inspecting for a defect based on outputs from the optical receivers. Performed are: creating a reference matrix recipe with respect to each defect, the recipe provided with plural feature items indicative of features of the defect on one axis of the matrix and optical items including a range of detected value levels of plural detecting optical systems with respect to the feature items on the other axis, and the recipe having information defining the defect at a plurality of points in the matrix; and determining a type of the defect by creating a work matrix recipe corresponding to the reference matrix recipe based on the output from the plurality of detectors and comparing the work matrix recipe with the reference matrix recipe.

Abstract: A defect inspecting method is provided which comprises a pre-scan defect inspecting process including a pre-scan irradiating step for casting irradiation light onto the surface of a sample, a pre-scan detecting step for detecting the scattered lights, and a pre-scan defect information collecting step for obtaining information on preselected defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the scattered lights; a near-field defect inspecting process including a near-field irradiating step in which the distance between the sample surface and a near-field head is adjusted so that the sample surface is irradiated, a near-field detecting step for detecting near-field light response, and a near-field defect information collecting step for obtaining information on the preselected defects on the basis of the near-field light response; and a merging process for inspecting defects present on the sample surface by merging the pieces of information on the preselected defects.

Abstract: There is provided an exposure condition determining method for determining an exposure condition for an exposure-objective substrate having a plurality of semiconductor pattern features formed by predetermined exposure on a surface thereon, the method including, irradiating an illumination light onto a surface of a substrate, which has the pattern features, detecting a diffracted light from the plurality of semiconductor pattern features of the substrate irradiated with the illumination light, and determining the exposure condition based on a variation in brightness of the detected diffracted light.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a first focusing unit configured to perform fast focus changes to a first focusing function applied to an incident light beam. A traveling lens acousto-optic device is arranged to receive the light beam focused by the first focusing function and produce focused spots using a plurality of traveling lenses generated in response to radio frequency signals. The traveling lenses apply a second focusing function and the traveling lens acousto-optic device is arranged to alter the second focusing function at a fast rate. The inspection system also includes optics arranged to direct the focused spots onto an inspected object and to direct radiation from the inspected object to a sensor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for inspecting the edge of semiconductor wafers, including a chromatic confocal microscope with a lighting pathway and an analysis pathway, the lighting pathway including a polychromatic light source, a slot and an axial chromatism objective lens comprising a lens at least made of a material having an Abbe number lower than 50, and the analysis pathway includes said objective lens, a chromatic filtering slot with a light intensity sensor in that order, the slot of the lighting pathway and the slot of the analysis pathway being provided at substantially the same optical distance from the edge of the wafer to be inspected.

Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a placement table on which a substrate is disposed; a light source configured to irradiate light on the surface of the substrate on the placement unit; a detector configured to detect the light amount reflected from the substrate; and a control unit configured to perform a determination process of determining whether a detection value of the light amount is smaller than a predetermined value at a plurality of positions, and to determine that a holding state of the substrate is abnormal when the total number of times of determination in which it is determined that the detection value is smaller than the predetermined value reaches a predetermined number of times.

Abstract: A method and system for optically inspecting parts are provided wherein the system includes a part transfer subsystem including a transfer mechanism adapted to receive and support a part at a loading station and to transfer the supported part so that the part travels along a first path which extends from the loading station to an inspection station at which the part has a predetermined position and orientation for inspection. An illumination assembly simultaneously illuminates a plurality of exterior side surfaces of the part with a plurality of separate beams of radiation. A telecentric lens and detector assembly forms an optical image of at least a portion of each of the illuminated side surfaces of the part and detects the optical images. A processor processes the detected optical images to obtain a plurality of views of the part which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part.

Abstract: An inspection system and method for inspecting the surface defects of the specimen is provided. The inspection system includes a laser focus module, a microscope objective module, an image pick-up module, and a process module. The laser focus module configured to emit laser beam on the specimen by a predetermined angle relative to a surface of the specimen, and to generate scattered light and reflected light when the laser beam irradiates on the surface defects of the specimen. The process module can calculate the real size of the defects by using the intensity information obtained from the image pick-up module and the microscope objective module or using the diameter information obtained from the reflected light image while the reflected light projects on a screen.

Abstract: When size of a defect on an increasingly miniaturized pattern is obtained by defect inspection apparatus in the related art, a value is inconveniently given, which is different from a measured value of the same defect by SEM. Thus, a dimension value of a defect detected by defect inspection apparatus needs to be accurately calculated to be approximated to a value measured by SEM. To this end, size of the defect detected by the defect inspection apparatus is corrected depending on feature quantity or type of the defect, thereby defect size can be accurately calculated.

Abstract: A method and equipment which includes an illustrated-spot illumination-distribution data table for storing an illumination distribution within an illustrated spot and which calculates a coordinate position for a particle or a defect and the diameter of the particle on the basis of detection light intensity data about the particle or defect and the illustrated-spot illumination-distribution data table. Thus, even when the illumination distribution within the illustrated spot based on an actual illumination optical system is not a Gaussian distribution, the calculation of the particle diameter of the detected particle or defect and the calculation of a coordinate position on the surface of an object to be inspected can be attained with an increased accuracy.

Abstract: A method and equipment which includes an illustrated-spot illumination-distribution data table for storing an illumination distribution within an illustrated spot and which calculates a coordinate position for a particle or a defect and the diameter of the particle on the basis of detection light intensity data about the particle or defect and the illustrated-spot illumination-distribution data table. Thus, even when the illumination distribution within the illustrated spot based on an actual illumination optical system is not a Gaussian distribution, the calculation of the particle diameter of the detected particle or defect and the calculation of a coordinate position on the surface of an object to be inspected can be attained with an increased accuracy.