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:
Jan. 02, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 29, 1998
Shunji Maeda, Yokohama, JP;
Kenji Oka, Yokohama, JP;
Hiroshi Makihira, Yokohama, JP;
Yasuhiko Nakayama, Yokohama, JP;
Minoru Yoshida, Yokohama, JP;
Yukihiro Shibata, Fujisawa, JP;
Chie Shishido, Yokohama, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A defect inspection method and apparatus therefor for a pattern to be inspected having a plurality of chips formed so as to be identical detect an image signal of a pattern to be inspected and when the image signal is to be compared with a detected image signal of an adjacent or separated pattern to be inspected on the substrate, convert the gray level so that the brightness of each of two image signals for comparing one or both of the detected image signals is almost identical in the local region by linear conversion having a gain and offset, and when a pattern is inspected using it, highly sensitive defect inspection for a pattern to be inspected for detecting a defect of a semiconductor wafer can be realized.