Surface inspecting apparatus and method

• US 6,611,328 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Isozaki, Hisashi, Shida, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US09/785,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 356/237--23
• US Class Current: 356/237.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10

Abstract

The surface inspection apparatus comprises a light source section for emitting a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux; a first irradiation optical system in which the first luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a first irradiation angle; a second irradiation optical system in which the second luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle; a displacement section for relatively displacing an inspected object and an irradiation luminous flux of the irradiation optical system; a light receiving optical system for receiving scattered light of the first luminous flux irradiated by the first irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object and scattered light of the second luminous flux irradiated by the second irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object; a first light receiving section for converting scattered light of the first luminous flux received by the light receiving optical system into a first light receiving signal; a second light receiving section for converting scattered light received by the light receiving optical system into a second light receiving signal; an inspection object distribution data forming section for forming inspection object distribution data on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the second light receiving signal; and a scratch processing section for scratch-processing inspection object distribution data.

Claims

1. A surface inspection apparatus comprising:

a light source section for emitting a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux irradiated on the surface of an inspected object;

a first irradiation optical system in which the first luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a first irradiation angle;

a second irradiation optical system in which the second luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle;

a displacement section for relatively displacing an inspected object and an irradiation luminous flux of the irradiation optical system;

a light receiving optical system for receiving scattered light of the first luminous flux irradiated by the first irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object and scattered light of the second luminous flux irradiated by the second irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object;

a first light receiving section for converting scattered light of the first luminous flux received by the light receiving optical system into a first light receiving signal;

a second light receiving section for converting scattered light of the second luminous flux received by the light receiving optical system into a second light receiving signal;

an inspection object distribution data forming section for forming inspection object distribution data on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the second light receiving signal; and

a scratch processing section for scratch-processing inspection object distribution data,

wherein the scratch processing section processes a false scratch or a genuine scratch of an inspection object as fictitious scratch whereby inspection object distribution data is subjected to scratch processing to form scratch distribution data.

2. A surface inspection apparatus comprising:

a light source section for emitting a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux irradiated on the surface of an inspected object;

a first irradiation optical system in which the first luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a first irradiation angle;

a second irradiation optical system in which the second luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle;

a displacement section for relatively displacing an inspected object and an irradiation luminous flux of the irradiation optical system;

a light receiving optical system for receiving scattered light of the first luminous flux irradiated by the first irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object and scattered light of the second luminous flux irradiated by the second irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object;

a first light receiving section for converting scattered light of the first luminous flux received by the light receiving optical system into a first light receiving signal;

a second light receiving section for converting scattered light of the second luminous flux received by the light receiving optical system into a second light receiving signal;

an inspection object distribution data forming section for forming inspection object distribution data on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the second light receiving signal; and

a scratch processing section for scratch-processing inspection object distribution data,

wherein the scratch processing section removes data of inspection object processed as fictitious scratch from data of inspection object obtained from the first light receiving signal or the second light receiving signal to thereby form foreign matter distribution data.

3. A surface inspection apparatus comprising:

a light emitting means for emitting a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux irradiated on the surface of an inspected object;

a first irradiation means in which the first luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a first irradiation angle;

a second irradiation means in which the second luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle;

a displacement means for relatively displacing an inspected object and an irradiation luminous flux;

a light receiving means for receiving scattered light of the first luminous flux irradiated by the first irradiation means and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object and scattered light of the second luminous flux irradiated by the second irradiation means and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object;

a first conversion means for converting scattered light of the first luminous flux received by the light receiving means into a first light receiving signal;

a second conversion means for converting scattered light of the second luminous flux received by the light receiving means into a second light receiving signal;

a data forming means for forming inspection object distribution data on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the second light receiving signal; and

a scratch processing means for scratch-processing inspection object distribution data,

wherein the scratch processing means processes a false scratch or a genuine scratch of an inspection object as fictitious scratch whereby inspection object distribution data is subjected to scratch processing to form scratch distribution data.

4. A surface inspection apparatus comprising:

a light emitting means for emitting a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux irradiated on the surface of an inspected object;

a first irradiation means in which the first luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a first irradiation angle;

a second irradiation means in which the second luminous flux is irradiated on the surface of an inspected object at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle;

a displacement means for relatively displacing an inspected object and an irradiation luminous flux;

a light receiving means for receiving scattered light of the first luminous flux irradiated by the first irradiation means and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object and scattered light of the second luminous flux irradiated by the second irradiation means and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object;

a first conversion means for converting scattered light of the first luminous flux received by the light receiving means into a first light receiving signal;

a second conversion means for converting scattered light of the second luminous flux received by the light receiving means into a second light receiving signal;

a data forming means for forming inspection object distribution data on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the second light receiving signal; and

a scratch processing means for scratch-processing inspection object distribution data,

wherein the scratch processing means removes data of inspection object processed as fictitious scratch from data of inspection object obtained from the first light receiving signal or the second light receiving signal to thereby form foreign matter distribution data.

5. A surface inspection method comprising:

a step of emitting a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux irradiated on the surface of an inspected object;

a step of irradiating the first luminous flux on the surface of an inspected object at a first irradiation angle;

a step of irradiating the second luminous flux on the surface of an inspected object at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle;

a step of relatively displacing an inspected object and an irradiation luminous flux;

a step of receiving scattered light of the first luminous flux produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object, and scattered light of the second luminous flux irradiated by the second irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object;

a step of converting scattered light of the first luminous flux into a first light receiving signal;

a step of converting scattered light of the second luminous flux into a second light receiving signal;

a step of forming inspection object distribution data on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the second light receiving signal; and

a step of scratch-processing inspection object distribution data,

wherein the scratch processing step processes a false scratch or a genuine scratch of an inspection object as fictitious scratch whereby inspection object distribution data is subjected to scratch processing to form scratch distribution data.

6. A surface inspection method comprising:

a step of emitting a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux irradiated on the surface of an inspected object;

a step of irradiating the first luminous flux on the surface of an inspected object at a first irradiation angle;

a step of irradiating the second luminous flux on the surface of an inspected object at a second irradiation angle different from the first irradiation angle;

a step of relatively displacing an inspected object and an irradiation luminous flux;

a step of receiving scattered light of the first luminous flux produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object, and scattered light of the second luminous flux irradiated by the second irradiation optical system and produced from an inspection object on the surface of an inspected object;

a step of converting scattered light of the first luminous flux into a first light receiving signal;

a step of converting scattered light of the second luminous flux into a second light receiving signal;

a step of forming inspection object distribution data on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the second light receiving signal; and

a step of scratch-processing inspection object distribution data,

wherein the scratch processing step removes data of inspection object processed as fictitious scratch from data of inspection object obtained from the first light receiving signal or the second light receiving signal to thereby from foreign matter distribution date.