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.

Date of Patent:
Oct. 13, 2015

Filed:

Mar. 04, 2014
Applicant:

Hitachi High-technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;

Inventors:

Shigeru Matsui, Hitachinaka, JP;

Mizuki Oku, Hitachinaka, JP;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/93 (2006.01); G01N 21/95 (2006.01); G01N 21/94 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/93 (2013.01); G01N 21/9501 (2013.01); G01N 21/94 (2013.01);
Abstract

A surface inspecting apparatus can inspect a smaller defect by using a PSL of a smaller particle size. However, the particle size of the PSL is restricted. In the conventional surface inspecting apparatus, therefore, no consideration has been taken as to how to inspect the defect of such a small particle size as is not set in the PSL which will be needed in the near future in an inspection of a semiconductor manufacturing step. The invention has a light source device for generating light which simulated at least one of a wavelength, a light intensity, a time-dependent change of the light intensity, and a polarization of light which was scattered, diffracted, or reflected by an inspection object, and the light is inputted to a photodetector of the surface inspecting apparatus. The smaller defect can be inspected.


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