Patent ID: 7817261
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting a defect by inspecting a specimen including the steps of: illuminating a surface of a specimen on which plural patterns are formed with an elongated shape light flux from a first elevation angle, said specimen being set on a stage which is continuously moving in one direction; capturing an image of the specimen illuminated by the elongated shape light flux with a linear image sensor of an optical detecting unit installed in a second elevation angle direction; and detecting a defect on the specimen by processing a signal output from the linear image sensor, wherein in the step of illuminating, said elongated shape light flux is formed from a pulsed ultraviolet laser emitted from a pulsed ultraviolet laser source, said elongated shape light flux illuminates the specimen more than 10 pulses in acquiring data of one pixel in the continuously moving direction in the detected image, a longitudinal direction of said elongated shape light flux is perpendicular to a direction along which said stage is continuously moving, and said elongated shape light flux is shaped to have a width on said specimen in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the elongated shape light flux corresponding to a magnification of the optical detecting unit and a size in a short axis direction of a light receiving elements array of linear image sensor, and wherein the stage moves within a plane defined by two axes of a Cartesian coordinate system and the elongated shape light flux is directed along a third axis of the Cartesian coordinate system.