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. 13, 2008
Filed:
May. 31, 2005
Yukihiro Shibata, Fujisawa, JP;
Shunji Maeda, Yokohama, JP;
Takafumi Okabe, Yokohama, JP;
Yoichi Takahara, Tokyo, JP;
Yukihiro Shibata, Fujisawa, JP;
Shunji Maeda, Yokohama, JP;
Takafumi Okabe, Yokohama, JP;
Yoichi Takahara, Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a high-sensitivity defect inspection method, apparatus, and system adapted for the fine-structuring of patterns; wherein, in addition to a cleaning tank which chemically cleans a sample and rinses the sample, a defect inspection apparatus having a liquid-immersion element by which the interspace between the sample and the objective lens of an optical system is filled with a liquid, and a drying tank which dries the sample, the invention uses liquid-immersion transfer means from said cleaning tank through said liquid-immersion means of said defect inspection apparatus to said drying tank so that the sample is transferred in a liquid-immersed state from said cleaning tank to said liquid-immersion means.