Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for detecting surface flaws

US5835220A · kind A · utility

74Cited by
5References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 1995
Grant dateNov 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J4/04
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for detecting a surface flaw which includes the steps of (i) irradiating polarized light to a surface of a sample to be inspected and determining ellipso-parameters (.PSI., .DELTA.) of reflected light from the surface of the sample; (ii) irradiating light to a same position as irradiated by the polarized light and determining the intensity (I) of reflected light from the surface of the sample; and (iii) determining a type and grade of a flaw on the surface of the sample based on the ellipso-parameters (.PSI.,.DELTA.) and the reflected light intensity (I). A surface flaw detecting apparatus includes (i) a first measuring device for irradiating polarized light to a surface to be inspected and measuring ellipso-parameters (.PSI.,.DELTA.) of reflected light from the surface; (ii) a second measuring device for irradiating light to a same position as irradiated by the polarized light and measuring the intensity (I) of reflected light from that position; and (iii) an output device for outputting a three-dimensional coordinate position of .PSI., .DELTA., I representing the reflected light from the surface, while sorting the position into a preset zone.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.