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:
May. 06, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 23, 2005
Akira Hamamatsu, Yokohama, JP;
Minori Noguchi, Hitachinaka, JP;
Yoshimasa Ohshima, Yokohama, JP;
Sachio Uto, Yokohama, JP;
Taketo Ueno, Fujisawa, JP;
Hiroyuki Nakano, Yokohama, JP;
Takahiro Jingu, Takasaki, JP;
Hisashi Hatano, Kamisato, JP;
Yukihisa Mohara, Kamisato, JP;
Seiji Otani, Kamisato, JP;
Takahiro Togashi, Kamisato, JP;
Akira Hamamatsu, Yokohama, JP;
Minori Noguchi, Hitachinaka, JP;
Yoshimasa Ohshima, Yokohama, JP;
Sachio Uto, Yokohama, JP;
Taketo Ueno, Fujisawa, JP;
Hiroyuki Nakano, Yokohama, JP;
Takahiro Jingu, Takasaki, JP;
Hisashi Hatano, Kamisato, JP;
Yukihisa Mohara, Kamisato, JP;
Seiji Otani, Kamisato, JP;
Takahiro Togashi, Kamisato, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for inspecting a pattern to detect a small pattern defect has an illuminating light source, as illuminating optical system having a plurality of illuminating portions for switching an optical path of illuminating light flux to a surface of board constituting the inspected object from a plurality of directions different from each other, a detecting optical system having a variable magnification using an object lens for condensing reflected diffracted light from the illuminated board, a focusing optical system having a variable magnification capable of focusing an optical image by converged reflected diffracted light with a desired focusing magnification and an optical detector for detecting the optical image focused by the focusing optical system to convert it into an image signal, an A/D converter for converting the image signal into a digital image signal, and an image signal processor for processing the digital image signal to detect the defect.