Patent ID: 6597448
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A system of inspecting a foreign particle or a defect, comprising:illuminating means for irradiating light onto an object to be inspected; light detecting means for detecting reflected light or scattered light from the object to be inspected by the light irradiated by the illuminating means; defect detecting means for detecting the foreign particle or the defect by processing a detection signal detected by the light detecting means; size information acquiring means for acquiring information of a size of the foreign particle or the defect by processing a signal of the foreign particle or the defect detected by the defect detecting means; and outputting means for outputting information of a time-sequential transitional change in numbers of each of the size of the foreign particle or defect for a visual display on a display screen, by receiving respective outputs from the defect detecting means and the size information acquiring means.