Patent ID: 8427634
Filing Date: 2013-04-23
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A defect inspection apparatus comprising: a light source for emitting a laser light; an illumination optical system for illuminating a surface of a sample, on which patterns are formed, during one main scanning with the laser light from a direction that is inclined from the surface of the sample while controlling a polarization state of the laser light emitted from the light source; a condenser for condensing reflection light scattered from the sample to a prescribed direction; a detecting unit for detecting during the one main scanning, via a spatial filter, multiple polarization components of light that are condensed by the condenser; said detecting unit including a polarization detecting section for detecting at least S polarized and P polarized components of the light that is reflection scattered from the sample; and a signal processing unit for detecting defects on the sample by processing the S polarized and P polarized components of the light detected by the detecting unit, wherein the signal processing unit extracts feature quantities by using the processed S polarized and P polarized components of the light that is reflection scattered, and detects deviated points and defects on the sample.