Surface inspection apparatus and method thereof
US7242016B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 13, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jul 10, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 13, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/8854
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A surface inspection apparatus and a method for inspecting the surface of a sample are capable of inspecting discriminatingly between scratches of various configuration and adhered foreign objects that occur on the surface of a work target when the work target (for example, an insulating film on a semiconductor substrate) is subjected to a polishing process such as CMP or a grinding process, in semiconductor manufacturing process or magnetic head manufacturing process. In the invention, the scratch and foreign object that occur on the polished or ground surface of the sample is epi-illuminated and slant-illuminated by use of approximately same light flux, the difference between the scattered light intensity from the shallow scratch and from the foreign object is applied to thereby discriminate between the shallow scratch and the foreign object, and the directionality of the scattered light is detected to discriminate between the linear scratch and the foreign object.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.