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:
Aug. 12, 2014
Filed:
Oct. 19, 2012
Hitachi High-technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Aiko, Hitachinaka, JP;
Shuichi Chikamatsu, Kounosu, JP;
Minori Noguchi, Joso, JP;
Hisafumi Iwata, Hayama, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A defect inspection system can suppress an effect of light from a rough surface or a circuit pattern and increasing a gain of light from a defect to detect the defect with high sensitivity. When a lens with a large NA value is used, the diameter is, an angle between the sample surface and a traveling direction of the light from a defect being α. A system receives the light from the defect at a reduced elevation angle αwith respect to the sample surface to reduce the scattered light, and to increase the light from the defect. The diameteris smaller than the diameter, resulting in a reduction in the ability to focus the scattered light. When a lens having a diameteris used, the lens interferes with the sample. To avoid the interference, a portion of the lens interfering with the sample is removed.