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:
Mar. 02, 2010
Filed:
Aug. 29, 2007
Kei Shimura, Mito, JP;
Minori Noguchi, Joso, JP;
Masaaki Ito, Hitachinaka, JP;
Kenji Aiko, Hitachinaka, JP;
Shuichi Chikamatsu, Konosu, JP;
Shigeo Otsuki, Kasama, JP;
Shigeru Abe, Kodama, JP;
Masayuki Ochi, Kodama, JP;
Takuaki Sekiguchi, Honjo, JP;
Hiroyuki Yamashita, Fujioka, JP;
Kei Shimura, Mito, JP;
Minori Noguchi, Joso, JP;
Masaaki Ito, Hitachinaka, JP;
Kenji Aiko, Hitachinaka, JP;
Shuichi Chikamatsu, Konosu, JP;
Shigeo Otsuki, Kasama, JP;
Shigeru Abe, Kodama, JP;
Masayuki Ochi, Kodama, JP;
Takuaki Sekiguchi, Honjo, JP;
Hiroyuki Yamashita, Fujioka, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors. Moreover, the illumination optical system illuminates the inspecting object with another slit beam from a direction opposite to an incident direction of the slit beam on a plane.