Lighting apparatus

• US 6,286,969 B1
• Filed: 07/12/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lintec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lintec Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kenji, Kurokawa, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S.
• Application Number:
  US09/352,324
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 362/11, 362/18, 362/236
• US Class Current: 362/11
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features

Abstract

A lighting apparatus 1 has a convex lens 11 arranged so that its optical axis is at an angle θ with respect to the normal of an observation portion 3a (e.g., a semiconductor substrate or the like), with a camera 5 arranged in the path of the reflected light rays. When a light-emitting portion 13 is arranged along the optical axis of the lens 11, a bright field illumination takes place. If a knob 29 is turned, the light-emitting portion 13 moves along a ball screw 25, thereby changing the illumination from a bright field illumination to a dark field illumination. When a knob 37 is turned, the light exiting the lens 11 will diverge if the light-emitting portion 13 is moved close to the lens 11, converge if the light-emitting portion 13 is moved far away from the lens 11, and be parallel if the light-emitting portion 13 is positioned at the focal point of the lens 11. By changing the position of the light-emitting portion 13 in this way, it is possible to change the illuminating angle and the illuminating angle distribution, and by adjusting the position of the light-emitting portion 13 in accordance with the optical characteristics of the object 3, it is possible to obtain a high contrast image. It is also possible for these adjustments to be carried out automatically by using an actuator, microcomputer or the like.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus for illuminating an object so as to achieve an optimum degree of contrast comprising:

a plurality of light emitting elements located at different positions for emitting light to be directed toward said object;

optical means, disposed between said plurality of light emitting elements and said object, for directing the light toward said object in substantially parallel beams of light; and

activating means for selectively activating said light emitting elements to emit light.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of light emitting elements comprises light emitting end portions of light guiding elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of light emitting elements is arranged in the vicinity of a front focal plane of said optical means.

4. A method for illuminating an object so as to achieve an optimum degree of contrast, comprising the steps of:

emitting light to be directed toward said object;

directing said light through an optical element toward said object; and

altering said light as it is directed toward said object so as to produce light having various illuminating angles and various illuminating angle distributions, whereby to illuminate said object at at least one illumination angle which achieves the optimum degree of contrast.