Visual inspection apparatus, visual inspection method, and peripheral edge inspection unit that can be mounted on visual inspection apparatus

• US 7,684,031 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hebiishi, Hiroyasu, Dosaka, Shinichi, Yokota, Atsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr.; Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton; Tri T
• Application Number:
  US11/977,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2375, 738658-8659, 41422601-22605, 382/145, 250/548
• US Class Current: 356/237.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9503 Wafer edge inspection

Abstract

This visual inspection apparatus has a macro-inspection section and a micro-inspection section. In the micro-inspection section, a inspection stage and a microscope are loaded into a loading plate. The inspection stage can be moved in any directions of the X, Y, and Z directions, and can also be rotated in the θ direction. Moreover, a peripheral edge inspection section that acquires an enlarged image of a peripheral edge of wafer W is fixed to the loading plate. The peripheral edge inspection section is arranged so as to image the peripheral edge of wafer W held by the inspection stage.

Claims

1. A visual inspection apparatus comprising:

a visual inspection section for performing visual inspection of a surface of a workpiece, and

a peripheral edge inspection section that acquires an enlarged image of a peripheral edge of the workpiece,

wherein the workpiece is a flat plate-like test body, and

wherein the peripheral edge inspection section is a variable direction-of-view observation apparatus including;

a base part that is fixed in a position where a peripheral end face of the flat plate-like test body can be observed;

an observation optical system that has an optical axis orthogonal to the surface of the test body;

a biaxial stage that supports the observation optical system, and that is movable in directions orthogonal and parallel to the surface of the test body;

a mirror part that is rotatably supported by the biaxial stage to deflect the optical axis in the observation optical system, to make the optical axis reach the peripheral end face of the test body; and

a rotation guide part that is provided in the base part, that abuts and biases the mirror part so as to allow sliding of the mirror part, and that rotates the mirror part so that the optical axis in the observation optical system may be deflected and may be made to reach the peripheral end face of the test body at a time of movement of the biaxial stage in the orthogonal direction,

wherein, while a direction of view is changed by the rotation of the mirror part, a distance between the observation optical system and the peripheral end face of the test body is kept substantially constant, and the peripheral end face of the test body is observed.

2. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base part of the variable direction-of-view observation apparatus is adapted to hold the test body, and is disposed in a vicinity of a stage of a microscope apparatus that is movable and rotatable in triaxial directions orthogonal to one another.

3. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation guide part of the variable direction-of-view observation apparatus comprises:

a first cam that is provided in the base part, and has a cam surface that is curved so that the mirror part may have a substantially fixed spacing from the peripheral end face of the test body during the movement of the biaxial stage in the orthogonal direction; and

a first cam roller that slides along the curve of the cam surface during the movement of the biaxial stage in the orthogonal direction, and that rotates the mirror part so that the optical axis of the observation optical system may reach the peripheral end face of the test body.

4. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the variable direction-of-view observation apparatus further includes a stage guide part comprising:

a second cam that is provided in the base part, and has a cam surface that is curved so that the optical axis in the observation optical system may be maintained in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the test body with a parallel movement in the rotation guide part during the movement of the biaxial stage in the orthogonal direction; and

a second cam roller that is provided in the biaxial stage and that slides along the curve of the cam surface at the time of the movement in the orthogonal direction.

5. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the variable direction-of-view observation apparatus further comprises two fixed mirrors that:

(i) are fixed to the base part so as to be arranged above and below facing front and back surfaces of the test body, and (ii) bend the optical axis of the observation optical system in the direction of the peripheral end face of the test body.

6. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the variable direction-of-view observation apparatus further comprises two rotary mirrors that:

(i) are fixed to the base part so as to be arranged above and below the surface of the test body, (ii) bend the optical axis of the observation optical system in the direction of the peripheral end face of the test body, and (iii) are set at a predetermined angle during observation from above or below.

7. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the variable direction-of-view observation apparatus further comprises two rotary mirrors that are rotatably arranged in the base part so as to be arranged above and below the test body,

wherein, when an upper surface or a lower surface of the test body is observed, one of the rotary mirrors is rotated, and an observed image of the test body enters the observation optical system via the mirror part, and when the peripheral end face of the test body is observed, a mirror surface of each of the rotary mirrors is set to have an angle of depression with respect to the mirror part, and is removed from a field of view of observation in the observation optical system.

8. A visual inspection apparatus comprising:

a visual inspection section for performing visual inspection of a surface of a workpiece; and

a peripheral edge inspection section that acquires an enlarged image of a peripheral edge of the workpiece;

wherein the workpiece is a flat plate-like test body, and the peripheral edge inspection section is an observation apparatus loaded into a microscope apparatus that observes the surface of the flat plate-like test body,

wherein the observation apparatus comprises;

a biaxial stage that is movable in a Z direction orthogonal to the surface of the test body, and in an X direction parallel thereto;

a base comprising a driving unit that moves the biaxial stage in the Z direction;

a parallel movable plate of a stage comprising;

(i) a first cam fixed to the base, (ii) a roller that is attached to an X-direction movable plate of the biaxial stage, and that moves along the first cam, and (iii) a tension spring that acts in a direction in which the base and the X-direction movable plate are brought close to each other;

an observation optical system that is of the microscope apparatus and that is on the biaxial stage, and whose optical axis is orthogonal to the surface of the test body;

a mirror part that is arranged between an objective lens within the observation optical system and a focusing position of the objective lens, and that is able to arbitrarily deflect the optical axis;

a second cam fixed to the base;

a second roller that is attached to a rotary arm protruding from a rotary shaft of the mirror part, and that moves along the second cam; and

a tension spring that is hooked between the rotary arm and the biaxial stage, and that acts in a direction in which the second roller is pushed against the second cam,

wherein, even if a position of the observation optical system and an angle of the mirror part are changed according to the first and second cams with the movement of the biaxial stage in the Z direction, thereby arbitrarily changing a direction of view, a distance between the objective lens and the peripheral end face of the test body is kept constant while the direction of view is changed with respect to the peripheral end face of the test body and the front and back surfaces following the peripheral end face.