The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2026
Filed:
Jan. 10, 2023
Hitachi High-tech Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Naoaki Kondo, Tokyo, JP;
Yuki Doi, Tokyo, JP;
Atsushi Miyamoto, Tokyo, JP;
Hideki Nakayama, Tokyo, JP;
Hirohiko Kitsuki, Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A defect observation method includes, as steps executed by a computer system, a first step of acquiring, as a bevel image, an image captured using defect candidate coordinates in a bevel portion as an imaging position by using a microscope or an imaging apparatus; and a second step of detecting a defect in the bevel image. The second step includes a step of determining whether there is at least one portion among a wafer edge, a wafer notch, and an orientation flat in the bevel image, a step of switching and selectively applying a defect detection scheme of detecting the defect from the bevel image from a plurality of schemes which are candidates based on a determination result, and a step of executing a process of detecting the defect from the bevel image in conformity with the switched scheme.