Nikon Corporation

Yumi Nakagawa

Kinya Kato

Koichiro Komatsu

A surface inspection apparatus is provided which uses at least two sets of surface inspection systems each comprising with a paired surface illumination device (A,B,) and detection device (A,B,), with each set of illumination devices and detection devices creating their own irradiation regions (,A,,B) and detection regions (,A,,B), in which the irradiation and detection regions of one pair of illumination and detection devices does not over lap the illumination and detection regions of the adjacent pair of illumination and detection devices. The surface illumination devices preferably project light at an angle of 80&deg; or more with respect to a normal to the surface being inspected (,). The detection devices detect light scattered by dust or defects on the surface to be inspected. The surface to be inspected can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the illumination and detection regions on the surface being inspected. Thus, the entire surface can be inspected. The inspection device and method can also be adapted for use in a liquid crystal display manufacturing operation.

Surface inspection apparatus and method

A foreign substance inspecting apparatus and method for detecting a foreign substance on a surface, includes a light source for providing light; a plurality of condensing optical systems for collecting the light from the light source and for forming a plurality of light spots on the surface; a scanning system for scanning the surface using the light spots formed by the condensing optical systems; a detecting optical system for detecting light scattered from at least one of the light spots by the foreign substance on the surface; and a surface shape measuring system for measuring a shape of the surface, wherein a focus of each one of the condensing optical systems is individually adjusted according to the surface shape measured by the surface shape measuring system.

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Kowasaki, Japan

Yumi Nakagawa