Nec Corporation

Takeshi Bashomatsu

Yasuo Nishijima

Hideyuki Moribe

Takashi Yoshimura

Hiroyuki Nagahori

An inspected object (e.g., a reticle) is stored in an immersion cassette filled with a liquid having a specific refraction factor. An inspection beam is irradiated toward the inspected object, which is subjected to precise positioning, via an objective lens while being refracted by the liquid, thus producing a reflected inspection beam reflected by the inspected object and a transmitted inspection beam transmitted through the inspected object. Image processing is performed based on at least one of the reflected inspection beam and the transmitted inspection beam, thus producing an inspected image of the inspected object. The inspected image is compared with a prescribed circuit pattern so as to inspect the existence and nonexistence of foreign matter or structural defects on the exterior of the inspected object. Thus, it is possible to secure an adequate focal depth of the objective lens while achieving a high resolution in imaging the inspected object.

Optical exterior inspection apparatus and method

CAD (Computer Aided Design) data which is reticle design data is input to first and second data conversion devices which respectively convert the CAD data to electron beam (EB) write data and inspection data. The EB write data and inspection data output are input to a data verification device to verify whether or not there is a data conversion error. If no data conversion error is detected by the data verification device, an EB writing device writes a pattern on an unwritten reticle with an electron beam based on the EB write data and develops the reticle, after which the fabricated developed reticle is inspected by a reticle inspection device. As a defect, such as a data conversion error contained in EB write data is detected before fabrication of a reticle, the reticle inspection process is simplified, the effective availability factors of the EB writing device and reticle inspection device and the time needed to fabricate a reticle is made shorter, thereby reducing the fabrication cost.

Reticle fabrication method

A full address reading apparatus includes a Japanese full address reader, an English full address reader, and a selector. The Japanese full address reader reads a full address under an assumption that a postal code and address are written on a mail item as a read target in a format using Japanese language. The English full address reader reads a full address under an assumption that a postal code and address are written on a mail item as a read target in a format using English Language. The selector determines reliability levels of read results for the same read target from the Japanese and English full address readers and selects and outputs a read result having a higher reliability level from the read results from the Japanese and English full address readers.

Full address reading apparatus

In an optical character reading apparatus for optically reading a character image to produce a character signal representative of the character image, a collation and judgement circuit (22) compares a modified image with each of predetermined reference images memorized in a dictionary (21). A character detecting arrangement (11, 12) detects the character image to produce a detected image. A deleting arrangement (15, 16) partially deletes the detected image to produce a partially deleted image. A modifying arrangement (17, 18) modifies the partially deleted image into the modified image by the use of a reference signal produced in a reference signal producing arrangement (13, 14). It is preferable that the reference signal producing arrangement produces the reference signal in accordance with the detected image.

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Tokyo, Japan

Takeshi Bashomatsu