Surface inspection apparatus and surface inspection method

• US 20080024773A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ono, Takayuki, Komeda, Kenichiro, Jingu, Takahiro, Zama, Kazuhiro, Miyazaki, Yusuke
• Application Number:
  US11/711,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024773A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/237.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4738 Diffuse reflection precedence is given to G01N21/55 - G01N21/57 if specular component is taken into consideration, e.g. also for testing fluids, fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9503 Wafer edge inspection

Abstract

A surface inspection apparatus comprises a radiation mechanism for radiating a light beam to the surface of an object having an edge of a non-flat surface (for example, a rounded edge) or an edge of an inclined surface, a scanning mechanism for moving the object relative to a radiation position of the light beam for scanning, and a detector for detecting light scattered from the object, and further includes the following characteristic. The scanning mechanism, when the light beam for scanning is radiated to the edge of the object, is configured to move the object in the direction that increases an incident angle of the light beam with a normal to the surface of the edge as the objection moves relative to a radiation position of the light beam.

Claims

1. A surface inspection apparatus comprising:

a radiation mechanism for radiating a light beam to a surface of an object having an edge of a non-flat surface or an edge of an inclined surface,

a scanning mechanism for moving the object relative to the radiation position of the light beam for scanning, and

a detector for detecting light scattered from the object,

wherein the scanning mechanism, when the light beam for scanning is radiated to the edge of the object, is configured to move the object in the direction that increases an incident angle of the light beam with a normal to the surface of the edge as the objection moves relative to a radiation position of the light beam.

3. The surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the scanning mechanism is composed of a mechanism for relatively moving the object to the light beam, and

the scanning mechanism is set to start scanning from an inside of an inspected surface of the object and to scan by moving the object toward an emission unit of the light beam.

4. The surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the scanning mechanism is composed of a mechanism for relatively moving the object to the light beam, and,

the scanning mechanism is set to start scanning from an outside of an inspected surface of the object and to scan by moving the object in the same direction as a radiation direction of the light beam.

2. A surface inspection apparatus comprising

a radiation mechanism for radiating a light beam to a surface of an object to be inspected,

a scanning mechanism for moving the object relative to a radiation position of the light beam for scanning, and

a detector for detecting light scattered from the object,

wherein the scanning mechanism, when the light beam for scanning is radiated to the edge of the object, is configured to move the object in the direction that does not increase the scattered light beam toward the detector as the objection moves relative to a radiation position of the light beam.

5. A surface inspection method comprising steps of:

scanning a surface of an object having an edge of a non-flat surface or an inclined surface by radiating a light beam to the surface, and

detecting light scattered from the object,

wherein, when the light beam for scanning is radiated to the edge of the object, the scanning is executed so as to move the object in the direction that increases an incident angle of the light beam with a normal to the surface of the edge as the objection moves relative to a radiation position of the light beam.

6. A surface inspection method comprising steps of:

scanning a surface of an object by radiating a light beam to the surface, and

detecting light scattered from the object,

wherein the scanning is executed by moving relatively the object to a radiation position of the light beam, and

wherein a movement direction of the object is set to a direction that does not increase the scattered light beam toward the detector as the objection moves relative to a radiation position of the light beam when the light beam for scanning is radiated to the edge of the object.

7. A surface inspection apparatus which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising:

a holder for holding the object;

a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the holder;

a linear driving mechanism for linearly moving the holder for scanning of the light beam;

a position recognition device for recognizing a relative radiation position of the light beam to movement of the holder, and

a light stopping device for stopping radiation of the light beam in accordance with a predetermined relative position of the light beam to the holder.

8. A surface inspection method which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising steps of:

recognizing a movement position of the object relative to an radiation position of the light beam, and

stopping radiation of the light beam before the radiation position of the light beam reaches an edge portion of the object.

9. A surface inspection apparatus which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising:

a holder for holding the object;

a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the holder;

a linear driving mechanism for linearly moving the holder for scanning of the light beam;

a position recognition device for recognizing a movement position of the object relative to an radiation position of the light beam, and

a block device for blocking entry of scattered light into a detector for detecting the scattered light in accordance with a predetermined relative position of the light beam to the holder.

10. A surface inspection method which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising steps of:

recognizing a movement position of the object relative to an radiation position of the light beam, and

blocking entry of scattered light into a detector for detecting the scattered light in accordance with a predetermined relative position of the light beam to the holder.

11. A surface inspection apparatus which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising:

a holder for holding the object;

a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the holder;

a linear driving mechanism for linearly moving the holder for scanning of the light beam;

a position recognition device for recognizing a movement position of the object relative to an radiation position of the light beam, and a relative radiation position of the light beam to movement of the holder, and

an optical path cut of-device for cutting off an optical path of the light beam in accordance with a predetermined relative position of a radiation position of the light beam relative to the holder.

12. A surface inspection method which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising steps of:

recognizing a movement position of the object relative to an radiation position of the light beam, and

cutting off an optical path of the light beam before the relative radiation position of the light beam reached an edge portion of the object.

13. A surface inspection apparatus which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising:

a holder for holding the object;

a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the holder;

a linear driving mechanism for linearly moving the holder for scanning of the light beam;

a position recognition device for recognizing a movement position of the object relative to an radiation position of the light beam, and

a detector control device for stopping a function of a detector for detecting scattered light in accordance with a predetermined relative position of the light beam to the holder.

14. A surface check method for scanning and radiating a light beam on a surface of an object to be checked and detecting scattered light from said checked object, comprising the steps of:

A surface inspection method which scans a surface of an objection with radiation of a light beam and detects light scattered from the object, comprising steps of;

recognizing a movement position of the object relative to an radiation position of the light beam, and

stopping a function of a detector for detecting scattered light in accordance with a predetermined relative position of the light beam to the holder.