A defect inspecting apparatus inspects defects of a sample having a pattern formed on the surface. The defect inspecting apparatus is provided with a stage which has a sample placed thereon and linearly moves and turns; a light source; an illuminating optical system, which selects a discretionary wavelength region from the light source and epi-illuminates the sample surface through a polarizer and an objective lens; a detecting optical system, which obtains a pupil image, by passing through reflection light applied by the illuminating optical system from the surface of the sample through the objective lens and an analyzer which satisfies the cross-nichols conditions with the polarizer; and a detecting section which detects defects of the sample by comparing the obtained pupil image with a previously stored pupil image. Conformity of the pattern on a substrate to be inspected can be judged in a short time.

Claims

19 · 4 independent · depth 3

19 granted claims

›1.independentAn apparatus which detects a defect of a repeated pattern formed on a substrate surface of a substrate, the apparatus comprising:na stage on which the…+6

›3.↳ 1The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical system includes:nan illuminance homogenizing unit;a plurality of interference fil…d2

›4.↳ 1The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein defect detection of the substrate is performed using an area of the detected pupil image where sensitivity…d2

›5.↳ 1The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of kinds of aperture stops are provided in the illumination optical system such that one of th…d2

›11.↳ 1The defect detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:na pupil imaging optical system which forms the pupil image of the objective l…d2

›13.↳ 1The defect detecting apparatus according to claim 1, whereinnthe illumination system is configured such that a pupil plane of the objective lens is po…d2

›14.↳ 1The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:na polarizer which transmits light from the light source and changes the light into the linearl…d2

›2.independentAn apparatus which detects a defect of a repeated pattern formed on a substrate surface of a substrate, the apparatus comprising:na stage on which the…+2

›6.independentA defect detecting method for detecting a defect of a repeated pattern formed on a substrate surface of a substrate, the defect detecting method compr…+6

›7.↳ 6The defect detecting method according to claim 6, wherein the comparison of the pupil images is a comparison of a luminance distribution in a radial s…d2

›8.↳ 6The defect detecting method according to claim 6, wherein detection of the defect is performed based on a threshold and a difference between a luminan…d2

›10.↳ 6The defect detecting method according to claim 6, wherein detection of the defect of the substrate is performed using an area of the obtained pupil im…d2

›16.↳ 6The defect detecting method according to claim 6, further comprising:ntransmitting light from the light source through a polarizer to change the light…d2+2

›9.independentA defect detecting method for detecting a defect on a sample, a repeated pattern formed on a sample surface of the sample, the defect detecting method…+1

Classifications

4 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G01N21/88

USPC · US Patent Classification

356/237.4356/369356/426

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Gregory J Toatley

art unit 2877 · TC 2800

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Type	Document	Date
related publication	US 20090147247 A1	11 Jun 2009

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