Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Seongsil Lee

Jeongho Ahn

Yusin Yang

Dongchul Ihm

Hyungsuk Cho

Jae-Man Oh

A substrate inspection system includes a substrate support, optics configured to irradiate a patterned structure on the substrate and capture images of the patterned structure from light reflected from the patterned structure, a focus adjustment operative to adjust a focal position of the incident light on the patterned structure, and an image processor configured to calculate an optimal value of a focus offset used to establish focal points of the light for defect detection in the patterned structure. The patterned structure may include a first pattern having an opening and a second pattern having top surfaces located at different heights relative to the substrate. The value of the focus offset is determined using images of the top surfaces of the second pattern obtained while changing the focal position of the incident light.

System and method of inspecting substrate and method of fabricating semiconductor device using the same

A substrate inspection apparatus may include a light source, which is configured to emit an incident light. The substrate inspection apparatus may further include a support, a detector, and a light adjuster. The supporting base configured to support a substrate, the detector configured to detect a defect on the substrate, and the light adjuster configured to allow the incident light to be reflected. The detector may be configured to collect a scattering signal. The scattering signal is generated from an optical interaction between an evanescent wave and the defect on the substrate, and to detect the defect. The evanescent wave may be generated when the incident light is totally and/or substantially reflected by the light adjuster.

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Hwaseong-si, South Korea

Seongsil Lee