Patent ID: 6396579
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
An inspection system for a pellicle membrane comprising:(a) an inspection apparatus section comprising: (i) a moving mechanism for moving the pellicle membrane to an inspection position and for fixing the pellicle membrane in the inspection position; (ii) a single light source disposed on one side of the pellicle membrane so as to irradiate light onto the pellicle membrane fixed in the inspection position by said moving mechanism; and (iii) a detection device located on the side of the pellicle membrane opposite the single light source in a position that is not directly irradiated with a bundle of rays from the single light source and having a detector for detecting light that has been emitted from the single light source and has passed through the pellicle membrane; (b) a control section for controlling the moving mechanism, single light source, and detection device of said inspection apparatus section; (c) an image processing section for image-processing light detected by said detection device; (d) an analyzing section for providing said control section with information about control of the positions of said moving mechanism, said single light source, and said detection device and for analyzing the result of processing conducted in said image processing section; and (e) an inspection result display section for displaying the result of analysis conducted in said analyzing section; wherein based on information from said analyzing section, said control section controls the positional relation among said moving mechanism, said single light source, and said detection device in order to position the detector of said detection device such that the detector is not directly irradiated with a bundle of rays from the single light source.