Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Tadashi Suga

Shuichi Chikamatsu

Masayuki Ochi

Seiji Otani

Takahiko Suzuki

A defect inspection apparatus emits light to a test object, detects reflected of scattered light from the test object and detects a defect in the test object The apparatus comprises a temperature-controlled part accommodating section that accommodates parts having a need for controlling a temperature, which is out of a plurality of parts in the defect inspection apparatus. A first temperature measuring instrument measures a temperature in the temperature-controlled part accommodating section; and a temperature control unit controls a temperature of the interior of the temperature-controlled part accommodating section at a prescribed temperature according to the temperature measured by the first temperature measuring instrument. Accordingly, a defect inspection apparatus can efficiently perform temperature control without involving an enlarged size can be achieved.

Inspection apparatus and inspection method

A defect inspection apparatus enable to efficiently perform a temperature control without involving an enlarged size can be achieved. The parts constituting the defect inspection apparatus are classified into parts need temperature control and parts not to need temperature control; all the parts need temperature control are accommodated together into a temperature-controlled part accommodating section, and the parts not to need temperature control are arranged in a heat radiating unit. The temperature in the temperature-controlled part accommodating sectionis measured by a temperature measuring instrumentand a control CPUin a temperature control unitcarries out control according to the measured temperature so that the interior of the temperature-controlled part accommodating sectionis kept at a fixed temperature. Therefore, it becomes easy to keep the fixed temperature, when compared with a case in which individual parts are temperature-controlled separately by being heated or cooled, yielding an energy saving effect.

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Tadashi Suga