Patent · US Active

Surface state detecting apparatus

US7990535B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
3References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 3, 2010
Grant dateAug 2, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 3, 2030

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.