Surface inspection apparatus

• US 20020017620A1
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Fukazawa, Kazuhiko, Oomori, Takeo
• Granted Patent: US 6,693,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/559.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/9513 Liquid crystal panels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10

Abstract

A surface inspection apparatus is constructed of an illumination unit for irradiating a wafer with illumination radiation for inspection, and a radiation receiving unit having a CCD imaging device for detecting an image of the wafer by converging regularly reflected radiation from the wafer. The wafer surface is inspected based on the image detected by the CCD imaging device. An incident angle i and a wavelength λ of the use-for-inspection illumination radiation with which the illumination unit irradiates the wafer, are set to satisfy the following conditional formula:

λ/(sin i+1)≦p  (1)

where p is a pattern repetitive pitch.

Claims

1. A surface inspection apparatus comprising:

an illumination optical system for irradiating an inspection target object having its surface formed with a periodically repeated pattern with radiation for inspection;

a converging optical system for converging regularly reflected radiation from said inspection target object; and

an imaging device for detecting an image of said inspection target object by receiving the regularly reflected radiation converged by said converging optical system,

wherein said surface inspection apparatus inspects the surface of said inspection target object on the basis of the image of said inspection target object that is detected by said imaging device, and

an incident angle i and a wavelength λ

of the use-for-inspection illumination radiation with which said illumination optical system irradiates said inspection target object, are set to satisfy the following formula;

λ

/(sin i+1)≦

p

where p is a pattern repetitive pitch.

2. A surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wavelength selection unit for restricting a wavelength band of the use-for-inspection illumination radiation.

3. A surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said illumination optical system has a discharge radiation source for emitting line spectrums.

4. A surface inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said illumination optical system has a radiation source for supplying ultraviolet rays of which a wavelength is equal to 400 nm or smaller, and

at least said illumination optical system is disposed in an inert gas atmosphere or in a vacuum.

5. A surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image processing inspection device for obtaining an image of the surface of said inspection target object by processing an image signal given from said imaging device, and inspecting the surface of said inspection target object for its defect on the basis of the surface image.

6. A surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

illumination unit driving means for driving said illumination unit constituting said illumination optical system;

radiation receiving unit driving means for driving said radiation receiving unit constructed of said converging optical system and said imaging device; and

control means for controlling said illumination unit driving means and said radiation receiving unit driving means, and controlling said radiation receiving unit so that said radiation receiving unit is positioned in an outgoing direction of the regularly reflected radiation that changes corresponding to a change in the incident angle of the use-for-inspection illumination radiation emitted from said illumination unit.

7. A surface inspection method used for a surface inspection apparatus comprising:

at least two pieces of first and second use-for-inspection radiation sources each having a different wavelength of illumination radiation;

a converging optical system for converging regularly reflected radiation from an inspection target object having its surface irradiated with said use-for-inspection radiation source and formed with a periodically repeated pattern; and

an imaging device for detecting an image of said inspection target object by receiving the regularly reflected radiation converged by said converging optical system, said surface inspection apparatus inspecting the surface of said inspection target object on the basis of the image of said inspection target object which is detected by said imaging device,

said method comprising;

a first imaging step of executing an imaging process based on the regularly reflected radiation by said imaging device in a way that sequentially changes an angle of said first use-for-inspection radiation source within a predetermined incident angle range;

a first storing step of storing such an angular position as to obtain a first predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity by receiving the regularly reflected radiation in said first imaging step;

a second imaging step of executing the imaging process based on the regularly reflected radiation by said imaging device in a way that sequentially changes an angle of said second use-for-inspection radiation source within a predetermined incident angle range;

a second storing step of storing such an angular position as to obtain a second predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity by receiving the regularly reflected radiation in said second imaging step;

a comparing step of comparing the first predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity in said first storing step with the second predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity in said second storing step; and

a selecting step of selecting, based on a compared result in said comparing step, one of the angular positions stored in said first and second storing steps, and selecting one of said first and second use-for-inspection radiation sources used for obtaining the selected angular position.

8. A surface inspection method according to claim 7, wherein the first and second regularly reflected radiation quantities are minimum regularly reflected radiation quantities, and

the angular position corresponding to the smaller of the first and second regularly reflected radiation quantities, is selected in said selecting step.

9. A surface inspection method used for a surface inspection apparatus comprising:

at least two pieces of first and second use-for-inspection radiation sources each having a different wavelength of illumination radiation;

a converging optical system for converging regularly reflected radiation from an inspection target object having its surface irradiated with said use-for-inspection radiation source and formed with a periodically repeated pattern; and

an imaging device for detecting an image of said inspection target object by receiving the regularly reflected radiation converged by said converging optical system, said surface inspection apparatus inspecting the surface of said inspection target object on the basis of the image of said inspection target object which is detected by said imaging device,

said method comprising;

an inputting step of inputting a pitch of the periodic pattern;

a first imaging step of executing an imaging process based on the regularly reflected radiation by said imaging device in a way that sequentially changes an angle within such a range that an incident angle i of said first use-for-inspection radiation source satisfies the formula such as λ

1/(sin i+1)≦

P on the basis of the pitch P inputted in said inputting step and a wavelength λ

1 of said first use-for-inspection radiation source;

a first storing step of storing such an angular position as to obtain a first predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity by receiving the regularly reflected radiation in said first imaging step;

a second imaging step of executing an imaging process based on the regularly reflected radiation by said imaging device in a way that sequentially changes an angle within such a range that an incident angle i of said second use-for-inspection radiation source satisfies the formula such as λ

2/(sin i+1)≦

P on the basis of the pitch P inputted in said inputting step and a wavelength λ

2 of said second use-for-inspection radiation source;

a second storing step of storing such an angular position as to obtain a second predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity by receiving the regularly reflected radiation in said second imaging step;

a comparing step of comparing the first predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity in said first storing step with the second predetermined regularly reflected radiation quantity in said second storing step; and

a selecting step of selecting, based on a compared result in said comparing step, one of the angular positions stored in said first and second storing steps, and selecting one of said first and second use-for-inspection radiation sources used for obtaining the selected angular position.

10. A surface inspection method according to claim 9, wherein the first and second regularly reflected radiation quantities are minimum regularly reflected radiation quantities, and

the angular position corresponding to the smaller of the first and second regularly reflected radiation quantities, is selected in said selecting step.