Patent ID: 6084716
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: G01N,G03F

Abstract:
An optical substrate inspection apparatus for illuminating a substrate to be inspected with light and inspecting at least one of impurity and defect of a pattern formed on the substrate and foreign material on the substrate, comprising:a laser source for generating a laser light to illuminate the substrate;a beam splitter for splitting the laser light of the laser source into a plurality of beams;a multi-beam scanner for scanning the substrate with the multiple beams;an optical section for focusing the multiple beams independently on the substrate and directing at least one of reflected light and transmitted light of the multiple beams reflected on and transmitted th rough the substrate;an optical detection section for detecting a change in the amount of each beam directed by the optical section;groups of aperture regulating members disposed between the optical detection section at equal intervals corresponding to the intervals of the multiple beams directed from the substrate by the optical section for controlling the multiple beams;a moveable table for continuously moving on a plane substantially vertical to the multiple beams and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction of the multiple beams, comprising,an XY moving mechanism for independently moving along a reference plane or an XY plane substantially vertical to the optical path of the multiple beam, anda focusing moving mechanism which moves along a Z axis, which is the optical axis to compensate for changes in the focal points of the multiple beams;an image generator for generating a two-dimensional scanned image in accordance with a detection signal from the optical detection section and a coordinate location of the moveable table; anda comparator for effecting a comparison between the two-dimensional scanned image from the image generator and a two-dimensional reference image.