Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Kohei Hashimoto

Byeong-hwan Jeon

Wook-rae Kim

Nobuyuki Kimura

Chang-Hoon Choi

Provided are a plasma light source capable of solving a problem occurring when an arc discharge lamp is used and an inspection apparatus capable of providing uniform and high-brightness plasma light. The plasma light source includes a pulse laser generator configured to generate a pulse laser beam, a continuous wave (CW) laser generator configured to generate an infrared ray (IR) CW laser beam, a first dichroic mirror configured to transmit or reflect the pulse laser beam and reflect or transmit the IR CW laser beam, a chamber configured to receive the pulse laser beam to ignite plasma and the IR CW laser beam to maintain the plasma in an ignited state, and discharge plasma light generated by the plasma, and a second dichroic mirror configured to transmit the pulse laser beam and the IR CW laser beam and reflect the plasma light.

Plasma light source and inspection apparatus including the same

A method of inspecting a surface of an object includes providing a laser beam irradiated in a first direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object, adjusting a diameter of the annular laser beam, reflecting the annular laser beam toward the surface of the object in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, in a primary reflection, and reflecting the primarily reflected laser toward an inspection region of the object, in a secondary reflection. An incident angle of the annular laser beam with respect to the surface of the object may be determined by the diameter of the annular laser beam.

Growing community of inventors

Suwon-si, South Korea

Kohei Hashimoto