Surface inspection apparatus
US7697139B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 20, 2008 |
| Grant date | Apr 13, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 20, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/21
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A surface inspection apparatus includes units illuminating repetitive patterns formed on a surface of a suspected substance and measuring a variation in an intensity of regular reflection light caused by a change in shapes of the repetitive patterns, units illuminating the repetitive patterns with linearly polarized light, setting an angle formed between a repetitive direction of the repetitive patterns and a direction of a plane of vibration of the linearly polarized light at a tilt angle, and measuring a variation in a polarized state of the regular reflection light caused by the change in the shapes of the repetitive patterns, and a unit detecting a defect of the repetitive patterns based on the variation in the intensity and the variation in the polarized state of the regular reflection light.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.