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:
Jul. 10, 2007
Filed:
Apr. 13, 2005
Ichiro Ishimaru, Mure, JP;
Minori Noguchi, Mitsukaidou, JP;
Ichiro Moriyama, Hamura, JP;
Yoshikazu Tanabe, Irima, JP;
Yasuo Yatsugake, Kamisato, JP;
Yukio Kenbou, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Watanabe, Oume, JP;
Hirofumi Tsuchiyama, Hitachinaka, JP;
Ichiro Ishimaru, Mure, JP;
Minori Noguchi, Mitsukaidou, JP;
Ichiro Moriyama, Hamura, JP;
Yoshikazu Tanabe, Irima, JP;
Yasuo Yatsugake, Kamisato, JP;
Yukio Kenbou, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Watanabe, Oume, JP;
Hirofumi Tsuchiyama, Hitachinaka, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A surface inspection apparatus and a method for inspecting the surface of a sample are capable of inspecting discriminatingly between scratches of various configuration and adhered foreign objects that occur on the surface of a work target when the work target (for example, an insulating film on a semiconductor substrate) is subjected to a polishing process such as CMP or a grinding process, in semiconductor manufacturing process or magnetic head manufacturing process. In the invention, the scratch and foreign object that occur on the polished or ground surface of the sample is epi-illuminated and slant-illuminated by use of approximately same light flux, the difference between the scattered light intensity from the shallow scratch and from the foreign object is applied to thereby discriminate between the shallow scratch and the foreign object, and the directionality of the scattered light is detected to discriminate between the linear scratch and the foreign object.