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. 06, 2004
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2000
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 pattern inspection method and apparatus in which an image of a first pattern formed on a sample and an image of a second pattern formed on the sample is detected. At least one of the first pattern image and the second pattern image is converted to a gray level so as to be substantially the same with each other by linear combination including a gain and offset. A defect of the sample is detected by using the first pattern image and the second pattern image at least one of which has been converted to the gray level and a result of the detection is outputted to an external storage or processor by a communication arrangement.