Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates to a substrate inspection apparatus and a substrate inspection method.

In a substrate-processing process, a substrate may be coated in order to protect elements on the substrate. The coating process is referred to as conformal coating. The thickness of a conformal coated film may be inspected in order to check whether the coated film formed on the substrate by coating is evenly coated to have a certain thickness.

For inspecting a thickness of the coated film, a two-dimensional (2D) photographic inspection may be performed. The 2D photographic inspection may inspect an object by obtaining a 2D image of the object, and 2D fluorescent photographic inspection may be included therein. The 2D photographic inspection performs only qualitative inspection on the thickness of the coated film, and may not accurately measure the thickness of the coated film. Also, it may be difficult to use 2D photographic inspection to measure a thickness when the coated film is thin (e.g., about <NUM>).

Further, in order to inspect the thickness of the coated film, a confocal microscope may be used. However, it takes a long time to measure the thickness of the coated film using the confocal microscope. Also, in order to inspect the thickness of the coated film, the thickness may be measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). However, the measurement using OCT is limited in improving both a depth resolution and a depth measurement range. Saturation due to the light used in OCT may occur at an electrode part of elements on the substrate, and thus accurate measurement may be difficult. <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> are examples of apparatuses for inspecting a substrate according to the prior art.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a technology for measuring a thickness of a coated film of a substrate.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a substrate inspection apparatus according to claim <NUM>. The substrate inspection apparatus according to the invention includes: a first light source configured to radiate an ultraviolet light onto a coated film of a substrate, the coated film being mixed with fluorescent pigments; a first light detector configured to capture fluorescence generated from the coated film onto which the ultraviolet light is radiated, and to obtain a two-dimensional image of the substrate from the fluorescence; a second light source configured to radiate a laser light onto the coated film of the substrate;
a second light detector configured to obtain optical interference data generated from the coated film by the laser light; a memory configured to store information indicating a region of interest on the substrate that is predetermined by a user; and a processor configured to:.

wherein the region of interest is a region that includes electrodes of elements on the substrate.

According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to derive an amount of spread of the coated film for each of the plurality of regions based on the 2D image; and to determine, as the one region, a region of which the amount of spread is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of spread from among the plurality of regions.

According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to determine, as the one region, a region which is identified as a region including a defect on the substrate based on the 2D image.

According to an embodiment, the memory further stores element arrangement information indicating arrangement of the elements on the substrate, and the processor is configured to derive a region including the electrodes using the element arrangement information.

According to an embodiment, a reflected light which is reflected from a surface of the coated film is used as a reference light.

According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to obtain a sectional image showing a section cut in a first axial direction corresponding to a depth direction of the coated film, based on the optical interference data; and to determine the thickness of the coated film of the one region based on a boundary line in the sectional image.

According to an embodiment, a reflectivity of the surface of the coated film with respect to the laser light is determined based on a fluorescent pigment mixing ratio of the coated film with which the fluorescent pigments are mixed, and the fluorescent pigment mixing ratio is set to a value that enables the reflectivity to exceed a predetermined reference value.

According to an embodiment, the coated film is formed of at least one material selected from among acrylic, urethane, polyurethane, silicone, epoxy, an ultraviolet (UV) curable material, and an infrared (IR) curable material.

According to an embodiment, the surface of the coated film is formed to be a curved surface.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a substrate inspection method according to claim <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the step of deriving the one region includes: deriving an amount of spread of the coated film for each of the plurality of regions based on the 2D image; and determining, as the one region, a region of which the amount of spread is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of spread from among the plurality of regions.

According to an embodiment, the step of deriving the one region includes determining, as the one region, a region which is identified as a region including a defect on the substrate based on the two-dimensional image.

According to an embodiment, the region including the electrodes is derived based on element arrangement information indicating arrangement of the elements on the substrate.

According to an embodiment, the step of deriving the thickness of the coated film of the one region includes: obtaining a sectional image showing a section cut in a first axial direction corresponding to a depth direction of the coated film, based on the optical interference data; and determining the thickness of the coated film of the one region based on a boundary line in the sectional image.

According to an embodiment, the coated film is formed of at least one material selected from among acrylic, urethane, polyurethane, silicone, epoxy, a UV curable material, and an IR curable material.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, ill ustrate embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the general description given above and th e detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present disclos ure.

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, systems, and components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the various embodiments. Various embodiments disclosed in the present document are illustrated for the purpose of accurate description of the technical idea of the present disclosure, which should not be construed to be limited to a predetermined embodiment.

The terms used in the present document, including technical or scientific terms, have meanings which are generally understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure belongs to, unless otherwise defined.

In the present document, an expression in the singular form may include the meaning of the plural form, unless otherwise specified, and this will be equally applied to an expression in the singular form included in the claims.

The expressions such as "<NUM>st", "<NUM>nd", "first", "second", and the like, used in the present document are used to distinguish one object from another object when designating a plurality of objects of the same kind, unless otherwise specified, and the expressions may not define the order of the objects or the importance of the objects.

The expressions such as "A, B, and C", "A, B, or C", "A, B, and/or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "at least one of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and/or C", and the like indicate listed items or all possible combinations of listed items. For example, "at least one of A or B" indicates (<NUM>) at least one A, (<NUM>) at least one B, or (<NUM>) at least one A and at least one B.

The expression "based on" used in the present document is used to describe one or more factors that affect determination, an operation of making a decision, or an operation described in a phrase or a sentence including the corresponding expression, and the expression does not exclude additional factors that affect the corresponding determination, the operation of making a decision, or the other operation.

In the present document, the expression "an element (e.g., a first element) is connected or accessed to another element (e.g., a second element)" may indicate that the element is directly connected or linked to the other element, or may indicate that the element is connected or linked to the other element using a new element (e.g., a third element) as a medium.

To describe various embodiments of the present disclosure, an orthogonal coordinate system may be defined, the system including the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis, which are orthogonal to each other. The expressions used in the present document, such as "x-axis direction", "y-axis direction", "z-axis direction", and the like in association with the orthogonal coordinate system, may indicate both directions in which each axis in the orthogonal coordinate system extends, unless otherwise specified. Also, the "+" sign put in front of the direction of each axis indicates the positive direction, which is one of the directions in which the corresponding axis extends. The "-" sign put in front of the direction of each axis indicates the negative direction, which is the other of the directions in which the corresponding axis extends.

In the present disclosure, a substrate is a board or a container in which elements such as a semiconductor chip and the like are installed, and the substrate may act as a passageway of electric signals among elements. The substrate may be used to manufacture an integrated circuit or the like, and may be formed of a material such as silicone or the like. For example, the substrate may be a printed circuit board (PCB), and may be referred to as a wafer or the like depending on the embodiment.

In the present disclosure, a coated film may be a thin film, which is generated on the substrate by coating in order to protect the elements installed on the substrate. When the coated film is thick, the film may be broken and may affect the operation of the substrate. Accordingly, the coated film needs to be coated relatively thinly and evenly in order to prevent the coated film from breaking. According to an embodiment, the coated film may be formed of at least one material selected from among acrylic, urethane, polyurethane, silicone, epoxy, an ultraviolet (UV) curable material, and an infrared (IR) curable material. In the case of the coated film formed of at least one of the above-described materials, the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film and/or the backscattering ratio of the coated film may be higher than those of other coated films.

In the present disclosure, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technology that captures an image of the inside of an object using optical interference. Using the OCT, an image showing the inside of an object in the depth direction from the surface of the object may be obtained. Generally, the OCT is based on an interferometer. The depth resolution with respect to the object may be different depending on the wavelength of the light that is used. The OCT may obtain an image by more deeply penetrating the object than a confocal microscope, which is another optical technology.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to attached drawings. In the drawings and descriptions of the drawings, the same or substantially equivalent elements may be assigned the same reference numeral. Also, in various embodiments described below, overlapping descriptions of the same elements or corresponding elements may be omitted. However, this does not mean that an element for which a description is omitted is not included in the corresponding embodiment.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the process by which a substrate inspection apparatus according to the present disclosure operates. The substrate inspection apparatus according to the present disclosure is implemented by an inspection apparatus <NUM> according to various embodiments. The inspection apparatus <NUM> according to various embodiments of the present disclosure measures the thickness of a coated film spread on a substrate. According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> performs photographic inspection of the entirety of the substrate, using fluorescent pigments, derives a predetermined region based on a predetermined reference, and additionally measures the thickness of the derived region using the OCT.

First, the inspection apparatus <NUM> performs the photographic inspection of a substrate <NUM> using fluorescent pigments. The photographic inspection is a fluorescent photographic inspection. To this end, the coated film to be spread on the substrate <NUM> is mixed with fluorescent pigments in advance. A first light source <NUM> of the inspection apparatus <NUM> radiates ultraviolet light onto the coated film of the substrate. The radiated ultraviolet light excites fluorescent pigments mixed in the coated film so as to generate fluorescence. A first light detector <NUM> of the inspection apparatus <NUM> captures the fluorescence and obtains a two-dimensional (2D) image of the coated film of the substrate <NUM>. The 2D image is a 2D fluorescent image.

The inspection apparatus <NUM> derives one or more regions <NUM> of the substrate <NUM> according to a predetermined reference based on the result of the photographic inspection. According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> derives the amount of spread of the coated film for each region of the substrate <NUM>, from the 2D image, and derives a predetermined region <NUM> based on the derived amount of spread. According to an embodiment, the 2D image shows an element installed on the substrate <NUM> and features or defects of the element on the substrate that were generated in the course of performing various processes. The inspection apparatus <NUM> derives the predetermined region <NUM> based thereon.

Subsequently, the inspection apparatus <NUM> additionally measures the thickness of the derived region <NUM> using the OCT. An OCT part <NUM> of the inspection apparatus <NUM> obtains optical interference data about the derived region <NUM>, and additionally measures the thickness of the coated film spread on the corresponding region <NUM> on the substrate based on the obtained optical interference data.

According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> derives, from the 2D image, an important region, which needs to be protected with the coated film, on the substrate <NUM>. The important region that needs to be protected with the coated film is a region including the electrode part of a component. The important region is derived by comparing information stored in advance on a memory with the 2D image. The inspection apparatus <NUM> additionally measures the thickness of the derived important region using the OCT.

According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> measures the thickness of a region of interest predetermined by a user using the OCT part <NUM>. The memory of the inspection apparatus <NUM> stores information about the region of interest predetermined by the user. Based on the information, a processor of the inspection apparatus <NUM> determines a region corresponding to the region of interest as a region of which the thickness is to be measured using the OCT. According to an embodiment, the region of interest is a region including the electrode part of a component or an element as described above. According to an embodiment, the process of deriving a part corresponding to the region of interest is performed using the 2D image of the substrate.

In the present disclosure, the optical interference data indicate data obtained from interference light that is generated by interference between measurement light and reference light in the object measurement according to the OCT. The measurement light is the light that is radiated and reflected from the object, and the reference light is the light that is radiated and is reflected from a reference mirror or the like. An interference phenomenon occurs by a difference in the features (optical path, wavelength, or the like) of the measurement light and the reference light; a light detector captures the interference phenomenon and obtains the optical interference data. Also, based on the optical interference data, a sectional image showing a section cut in the depth direction of the coated film is generated. The optical interference data also are referred to as an interference signal.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the inspection apparatus <NUM> accurately measures the thickness of the coated film using the OCT part <NUM>. Also, even when the thickness of the coated film is less than or equal to, for example, about <NUM>, the inspection apparatus <NUM> is capable of measuring the thickness of the coated film.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the inspection apparatus <NUM> derives the amount of spread of the coated film for each region of the substrate <NUM> from the 2D image of the substrate <NUM>, samples a predetermined region according to a predetermined reference, and additionally measures the thickness of the predetermined region using the OCT part <NUM>. Therefore, the inspection apparatus <NUM> is capable of accurately measuring the thickness, unlike the 2D photographic inspection, and also is capable of reducing the amount of time spent for measurement when compared to the amount of time spent measuring the thickness of the coated film of the entire substrate using the OCT.

<FIG> is a block diagram of the inspection apparatus <NUM> according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The substrate inspection apparatus according to the present disclosure is implemented as the inspection apparatus <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> includes the first light source <NUM>, the first light detector <NUM>, a second light source <NUM>, a second light detector <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, and/or a memory <NUM>.

At least some of the elements disposed in the interior or the exterior of the inspection apparatus <NUM> may be connected via a bus, a general purpose input/output (GPIO) interface, a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), or the like, and may exchange data and/or signals therebetween.

The first light source <NUM> radiates the ultraviolet light onto the coated film of the substrate <NUM>, the coated film being mixed with fluorescent pigment. The first light source <NUM> is disposed so as to radiate the ultraviolet light onto the substrate. The relative position of the first light source <NUM> on the substrate, the radiation angle of the ultraviolet light, the brightness of the ultraviolet light, and the like may be variously configured. According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> may include a plurality of first light sources <NUM>.

The first light detector <NUM> captures fluorescence generated from the coated film of the substrate <NUM> by the radiated ultraviolet light. Particularly, when the fluorescent pigments mixed in the coated film are excited by the radiated ultraviolet light, fluorescence is generated. The first light detector <NUM> captures the fluorescence and obtains a 2D image of the coated film of the substrate <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> includes a plurality of first light detectors <NUM>. The first light detector <NUM> is implemented as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS).

The processor <NUM> controls at least one element of the inspection apparatus <NUM> connected to the processor <NUM> by driving software (e.g., a program). Also, the processor <NUM> performs various operations, processing, data generation, and other processes in association with the present disclosure. Further, the processor <NUM> loads data or the like from the memory <NUM>, or stores data or the like in the memory <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> derives one region among a plurality of regions of the substrate <NUM> based on the 2D image obtained by the first light detector <NUM>. The one region is derived based on a predetermined reference. The substrate <NUM> is divided into a plurality of regions. The plurality of regions are regions for virtually dividing the surface of the substrate <NUM>, which are divided in advance based on a predetermined reference.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> derives the amount of spread of the coated film for each of the plurality of regions of the substrate <NUM>, and derives the above-described one region based on the amount of spread. Particularly, the processor <NUM> obtains luminance information for each of the plurality of regions of the substrate <NUM> from the obtained 2D image. In the present disclosure, the luminance indicates the intensity of light per unit area of a light source or a surface that reflects light, that is, the amount of light emitted per unit area. The luminance information of one region is information indicating the luminance of the fluorescence generated from the region. The processor <NUM> derives the amount of spread of the coated film for each of the plurality of areas of the substrate <NUM> based on the obtained luminance information. The coated film of the substrate <NUM> includes features, such as unevenness, a curve, or the like, depending on elements existing on the substrate <NUM>, a predetermined feature or defect on the substrate <NUM>, or the degree of evenness of the coated film. According to the features of the substrate <NUM>, such as the unevenness, the curve or the like, the amount of fluorescent pigments spread on each region of the coated film may be different. When the ultraviolet light is radiated, the luminance of each region of the coated film may be different depending on the amount of fluorescent pigments. The processor <NUM> derives the amount of spread of the coated film for each region using the luminance of each region. The processor <NUM> derives a region (e.g., a first region), of which the amount of spread of the coated film is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of spread, from among the plurality of regions of the substrate <NUM>. The predetermined amount of spread is determined based on the intention of a designer, and the information thereon is stored on the memory <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> measures the thickness of the coated film of the derived region (e.g., the first region) by controlling the OCT part <NUM>. The processor <NUM> obtains optical interference data (e.g., first optical interference data) associated with interference light generated from the derived region (e.g., the first region). The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film of the derived region (e.g., the first region) using the obtained optical interference data (e.g., the first optical interference data).

The OCT part <NUM> includes the second light source <NUM> and/or the second light detector <NUM>. Particularly, the processor <NUM> performs the above-described operation by controlling the second light source <NUM> and the second light detector <NUM>. The OCT part <NUM> is implemented as one of the various types described below.

The second light source <NUM> radiates laser light onto the coated film of the substrate <NUM>. The disposition of the second light source <NUM>, the relative position of the second light source <NUM> on the substrate and the like may be variously configured, and may be differently configured depending on the type of the OCT part <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second light source <NUM> uses a laser of which the wavelength is variable within a short time, whereby optical interference data corresponding to different wavelengths may be obtained using the same. According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> includes a plurality of second light sources <NUM>. The second light source <NUM> is controlled by the processor <NUM> and radiates laser light onto the above-described derived region (e.g., the first region or the like).

The second light detector <NUM> captures interference light generated from the coated film by the laser light. Particularly, when a first OCT part, which will be described below, is used, the second light detector <NUM> captures the interference light generated by reflected light (reference light), which is laser light reflected from a reference mirror, and measurement light reflected from the coated film. A section image for a reference mirror surface is generated using the optical interference data obtained by capturing the interference light. When a second OCT part, which will be described below, is used according to an embodiment, the second light detector <NUM> captures the interference light generated by the reflected light and the scattered light. The reflected light is the laser light reflected from the surface of the coated film, and the scattered light is the laser light that penetrates the coated film to a predetermined depth and is backscattered. Here, the reflected light that is reflected from the surface of the coated film acts as reference light, and the scattered light acts as measurement light. A section image based on a coated film surface is generated using the optical interference data obtained by capturing the interference light. According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> includes a plurality of second light detectors <NUM>. The second light detector <NUM> is implemented as the CCD or the CMOS. The second light detector <NUM> is controlled by the processor <NUM> and obtains the optical interference data (e.g., the first optical interference data or the like) associated with reference light generated from the above-described derived region (e.g., the first region or the like) by the laser light.

The memory <NUM> stores various data. The data stored on the memory <NUM> are data obtained, processed, or used by at least one element of the inspection apparatus <NUM>, and include software (e.g., a program). The memory <NUM> includes a transitory memory and/or a non-transitory memory. The memory <NUM> stores data obtained from the first light detector <NUM> and the second light detector <NUM>. Also, the memory <NUM> stores the luminance information of each region of the substrate <NUM>, derived from the 2D image, and/or coated film thickness information derived by the processor <NUM>. Further, the memory <NUM> stores, in advance, element arrangement information <NUM>, element density information <NUM>, features of elements on a substrate, information about a defective region, electrode position information <NUM> about the position of an electrode on a substrate, information about the region of interest set in advance by a user, and the like.

In the present disclosure, the element arrangement information <NUM> is information indicating the arrangement of elements disposed on the substrate <NUM>. The element arrangement information <NUM> indicates information about positions and orientations of the elements installed on the substrate <NUM> and the areas occupied thereby. The element arrangement information <NUM> is used as a basis to adjust the above-described luminance information or to specify a predetermined region on the substrate.

In the present disclosure, the element density information <NUM> is information indicating the density of the elements disposed on the substrate <NUM>. The element density information <NUM> indicates the density of elements or the like in each region of the substrate <NUM> by taking into consideration the ratio of the area that an object occupies to a unit area, such an object including an element, the electrode of an element, a solder ball, a metallic wire, a lead frame, and the like. The element density information <NUM> is derived based on the element arrangement information <NUM>.

In the present disclosure, a program is software stored on the memory, and includes an operating system for controlling resources of the inspection apparatus, applications, and/or middleware that provides various functions to the applications such that the applications utilize the resources of the inspection apparatus.

According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> further includes a communication interface (not illustrated). The communication interface enables wired or wireless communication between the inspection apparatus <NUM> and other servers or between the inspection apparatus <NUM> and an external electronic device. For example, the communication interface performs the wireless communication based on long-term evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), wireless broadband (WiBro), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, nearfield communication (NFC), global positioning system (GPS) or global navigation satellite system (GNSS), or the like. For example, the communication interface performs the wired communication based on a universal serial bus (USB), a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), recommended standard <NUM> (RS-<NUM>), a plain old telephone service (POTS), or the like.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> obtains information from a server by controlling the communication interface. The information obtained from the server is stored on the memory <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the information obtained from the server includes the element arrangement information <NUM>, the element density information <NUM>, the features of elements on the substrate, the information about the defective region, the electrode position information <NUM> about the position of an electrode on a substrate, the information about the region of interest set in advance by a user, and the like.

According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> further includes an input device (not illustrated). The input device is a device that receives, from the outside, data which is to be transferred to at least one element of the inspection apparatus <NUM>. The input device receives, from a user, information about the region of interest. For example, the input device includes a mouse, a keyboard, a touch pad, or the like.

According to an embodiment, the inspection apparatus <NUM> further includes an output device (not illustrated). The output device is a device that provides various data, such as an inspection result, an operation state, and the like of the inspection apparatus <NUM> to a user in a visual form. For example, the output device includes a display, a projector, a hologram, or the like.

Also, the elements disposed in the interior or the exterior of the inspection apparatus <NUM> are implemented as hardware components.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a process in which the inspection apparatus <NUM> derives an OCT measurement target region based on element arrangement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> derives a region (e.g., a second region), of which the arrangement of elements is the same as, or similar to, that of a region (e.g., a first region) of which the amount of spread derived from a 2D image is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of spread. Further, the processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the derived region (e.g., the second region) by controlling the OCT part <NUM>. In other words, the processor <NUM> derives a region having the same or similar element arrangement based on the element arrangement information <NUM>, and measures the thickness of the region using the OCT.

The region having the same or similar element arrangement has a thickness similar to that of a coated film. When it is determined that the amount of spread on one region is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of spread via inspection using a 2D image, another region that has an element arrangement the same as or similar to that of the one region has an amount of spread of the coated film that is similar to that of the one region. Accordingly, in order to improve the accuracy of the entire coated film thickness inspection, the inspection apparatus <NUM> further performs an operation according to the present embodiment.

The processor <NUM> derives a region <NUM> (e.g., the first region) of which the amount of spread obtained via the 2D image is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of spread, as described above. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> measures the thickness of the region <NUM> using the OCT part <NUM>.

In addition, the processor <NUM> derives a region <NUM> that has the same element arrangement as that of the derived region <NUM> on the substrate <NUM>. The region <NUM> (e.g., the second region) is selected from among regions (regions excluding the first region) of which the amount of spread derived from the 2D image exceeds the predetermined amount of spread. The processor <NUM> derives the corresponding region <NUM> based on the above-described element arrangement information <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the additionally derived region <NUM> using the OCT part <NUM>. The processor <NUM> controls the second light source <NUM> and the second light detector <NUM> so as to obtain optical interference data (e.g., second optical interference data) generated by laser light reflected from the corresponding region <NUM>. The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film spread on the region <NUM> based on the obtained optical interference data. In the present disclosure, the fact that the processor <NUM> obtains optical interference data of one region by controlling the second light source <NUM> and the second light detector <NUM> indicates that the second light source <NUM> radiates laser light onto the corresponding one region and that the second light detector <NUM> obtains optical interference data associated with interference light generated from the one region.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> derives the region <NUM>, of which the element arrangement is similar to that of the region <NUM> derived from the 2D image. Further, the processor <NUM> measures the thickness of the region <NUM> using the OCT. Here, whether the element arrangements of the two regions <NUM> and <NUM> are similar to each other is determined based on the element arrangement information <NUM> about the two regions <NUM> and <NUM>. The processor <NUM> calculates the similarity of the element arrangements of the two regions based on the areas that the elements occupy in the regions <NUM> and <NUM>, the arrangements, the type, and the form of the elements, the positions of electrodes of the elements, or the like. Further, the processor <NUM> determines whether the element arrangements of the two regions are similar to each other based on the calculated similarity.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> adjusts the above-described luminance information based on the density of elements and an element arrangement on the substrate <NUM>, and derives the amount of spread of the coated film of a corresponding region based on the adjusted luminance information. Particularly, the processor <NUM> obtains the element arrangement information <NUM> indicating the arrangement of elements on the substrate <NUM> from the memory <NUM>. The processor <NUM> derives the element density information <NUM> about each region on the substrate <NUM> based on the above-described element arrangement information <NUM>. The processor <NUM> adjusts luminance information derived from the 2D image based on the element density information <NUM>. The fluorescent pigments are not evenly spread on a region having a high element density in the substrate <NUM>. In regions with a high element density, that is, regions in which elements are densely disposed, fluorescent pigments are accumulated, and thus luminance is measured to be high. The processor <NUM> adjusts the obtained luminance information by taking into consideration luminance distortion by the element density. To adjust the luminance information, accumulated information indicating the relationship between element density and luminance is used. The information is collected in a database and is stored on the memory <NUM>. The processor <NUM> derives the amount of spread on each region of the substrate <NUM> based on the adjusted luminance information.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating the process by which the inspection apparatus <NUM> derives an OCT measurement target region based on a defective region, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> derives a region <NUM> (e.g., a third region), which is determined as a region having a defect on the substrate <NUM> based on the element arrangement information <NUM> and/or the 2D image, and derives the thickness of the region <NUM> (e.g., the third region) by controlling the OCT part <NUM>.

When the amount of spread on a part including a predetermined defect on the substrate <NUM> or a coated film, for example, a part including a crack, an exfoliation, an unevenness, a curve or the like, is measured via 2D photographic inspection, the result includes an error. Accordingly, the thickness of the coated film of the region <NUM>, which is determined to be a region including a predetermined defect based on the element arrangement information <NUM> and/or the 2D image, is additionally measured using the OCT part <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> determines the region <NUM>, which is determined to be a region including a predetermined defect on the substrate <NUM>, based on the element arrangement information <NUM> and the 2D image obtained from the memory <NUM>. The 2D image is a picture obtained by actually photographing the form of the substrate <NUM> and the coated film. The element arrangement information <NUM> shows the form of the substrate <NUM> and the expected form in which the coated film is spread according to a predetermined specification. The processor <NUM> determines a region in which the current substrate <NUM> and the coated film have features different from the predetermined standard, by comparing the element arrangement information <NUM> with the 2D image. That is, the processor <NUM> determines that the corresponding feature is a defect. The processor <NUM> derives the region <NUM> where the defect exists.

The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the derived region <NUM> using the OCT part <NUM>. The processor <NUM> controls the second light source <NUM> and the second light detector <NUM> so as to obtain optical interference data (e.g., third optical interference data) generated by laser light reflected from the corresponding region <NUM>. The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film spread on the corresponding region <NUM> based on the obtained optical interference data (e.g., the third optical interference data).

Also, according to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> derives a region (e.g., a fourth region) including an electrode part based on the electrode position information <NUM> indicating the positions of electrodes of elements on the substrate <NUM>, and additionally measures the thickness of the region (e.g., the fourth region) by controlling the OCT part <NUM>. In the present disclosure, the electrode position information <NUM> is information indicating the positions of the electrodes of the elements disposed on the substrate <NUM>. For example, each element has an electrode part in order to connect fine wiring between an element and the substrate. The electrode is referred to as an element leg or a chip leg. The electrode position information <NUM> indicates the positions where the electrodes of elements exist on the substrate <NUM>. Generally, at the electrode part of an element, fluorescent pigments agglomerate by the density of element legs, whereby thickness measurement based on the 2D image is inaccurate. Accordingly, the thickness of the part where the electrode of an element exists is additionally measured using the OCT, whereby the accuracy of the process of measuring the overall thickness is increased.

The processor <NUM> is aware of the positions where the electrodes of the elements exist on the substrate <NUM> based on the electrode position information <NUM> obtained from the memory <NUM>. The processor <NUM> derives a region (e.g., the fourth region) where an electrode exists on the substrate <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the corresponding region (e.g., the fourth region) is selected from among regions in which the amount of spread obtained from the 2D image exceeds a predetermined amount of spread (i.e., regions excluding the first region).

The processor <NUM> measures the thickness of the derived region (e.g., the fourth region) using the OCT part <NUM>. The processor <NUM> controls the second light source <NUM> and the second light detector <NUM> so as to obtain optical interference data (e.g., fourth optical interference data) generated by laser light reflected from the corresponding region (e.g., the fourth region). The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film spread on the corresponding region (e.g., the fourth region) based on the obtained optical interference data (e.g., the fourth optical interference data).

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a process in which the inspection apparatus <NUM> additionally measures a region adjacent to a derived OCT measurement target region according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the case of regions on the substrate <NUM> derived according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, that is, regions <NUM> to which additional thickness measurement is performed using the OCT, the inspection apparatus <NUM> additionally measures the thickness of a region <NUM> adjacent to the region <NUM> using the OCT.

The derived regions <NUM> are regions where thickness measurement using the OCT is performed in addition to 2D photographic inspection for accurate coated film thickness measurement. The regions adjacent to the regions <NUM> have features similar to those of the regions <NUM> in association with the substrate <NUM> or the coated film. Accordingly, in order to secure the accuracy of the overall thickness measurement, the additional thickness measurement using the OCT is performed with respect to the adjacent regions.

Here, the adjacent regions indicate regions located close to the corresponding region <NUM> when the substrate <NUM> is divided into a plurality of regions. According to an embodiment, the adjacent region indicates a region that shares a boundary line with the corresponding region <NUM> from among the plurality of regions. According to an embodiment, the adjacent region indicates a region located within a predetermined radius from the center of the corresponding region <NUM>, from among the plurality of regions. According to an embodiment, when axes corresponding to the horizontal direction and vertical direction of the substrate are the x-axis and y-axis, respectively, the adjacent region is a region that is located in the +x-axis direction, the -x-axis direction, the +y-axis direction, or the -y-axis direction of the corresponding region <NUM> and shares a boundary line with the corresponding region <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the adjacent region includes a region that shares a vertex with the corresponding region <NUM> and is located in the diagonal direction, from among the plurality of regions.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> remeasures a thickness using the OCT, based on the amount of spread derived from the 2D image and a thickness value measured by the OCT part <NUM>. According to an embodiment, when the difference between the thickness value of the coated film of a corresponding region, which is derived from the amount of spread based on the qualitative analysis, and the thickness value measured using the OCT is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the thickness of the corresponding region is remeasured using the OCT. Also, according to an embodiment, based on the derived amount of spread and the derived thickness value, when it is determined that the amount of spread and the thickness value do not satisfy a predetermined reference, a thickness is remeasured. Here, the predetermined reference is a reference to determine whether at least one of the derived amount of spread or the derived thickness is wrongly measured, in consideration of the relationship between the amount of spread and the thickness that were previously measured. That is, when it is determined that the measurement has an error in consideration of the amount of spread and the thickness value, measurement is performed again. Also, according to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> controls the OCT part <NUM> and remeasures the thickness of a region adjacent to the corresponding region, based on the amount of spread of the corresponding region derived from the 2D image and the thickness value of the corresponding region measured by the OCT part <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a first OCT part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The above-described OCT part <NUM> is implemented as the first OCT part or a second OCT part according to an embodiment.

The first OCT part further includes a beam splitter <NUM> and a reference mirror <NUM>, in addition to the second light source and the second light detector. The beam splitter <NUM> adjusts an optical path of laser light radiated from the second light source <NUM>, and the reference mirror <NUM> reflects the laser light transferred from the beam splitter <NUM> so as to generate the reference light. The first OCT part is used to obtain optical interference data from interference light generated by the interference between measurement light, which is laser light reflected from the coated film of the substrate <NUM>, and reference light, which is laser light reflected from the reference mirror <NUM>.

Particularly, the second light source <NUM> radiates the laser light. According to an embodiment, the second light source <NUM> directly radiates the laser light onto the beam splitter <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second light source <NUM> transfers the laser light to a convex lens <NUM> via an optical fiber <NUM>, and the laser light passing through the convex lens <NUM> is transferred to the beam splitter <NUM>.

The beam splitter <NUM> adjusts an optical path such that part of the laser light received from the second light source <NUM> passes through the beam splitter <NUM> and proceeds to the coated film of the substrate <NUM>, and adjusts an optical path such that another part of the laser light is reflected and proceeds to the reference mirror <NUM>.

The part of the laser light, of which the optical path is adjusted such that the part of the laser light proceeds to the coated film of the substrate <NUM>, is reflected from the coated film of the substrate <NUM>. As described above, the laser light is reflected from the surface of the coated film, or penetrates to a predetermined depth from the surface of the coated film and is backscattered depending on the wavelength of the laser light. The reflected light or scattered light is referred to as measurement light. The measurement light proceeds to the beam splitter <NUM>, and is transferred to the second light detector <NUM> by the beam splitter <NUM>.

The other part of the laser light, of which the optical path is adjusted such that the other part of the laser light proceeds to the reference mirror <NUM>, is reflected by the reference mirror <NUM>. The reflected light is referred to as reference light. The reference light passes through the beam splitter <NUM>, and is transferred to the second light detector <NUM>.

The second light detector <NUM> captures interference light generated by the measurement light and the reference light. The second light detector <NUM> captures the interference light, and obtains the optical interference data (e.g., the first optical interference data). The processor <NUM> obtains the optical interference data from the second light detector <NUM>, generates a sectional image of the coated film based on the optical interference data, and derives the thickness of the coated film spread on a corresponding region of the substrate <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a second OCT part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The second OCT part includes the second light source <NUM> and/or the second light detector <NUM>. The second OCT part may not need the beam splitter <NUM> and the reference mirror <NUM>. The second OCT part is used to obtain optical interference data from interference light generated by interference between reflected light, which is laser light reflected from the surface of the coated film of the substrate <NUM>, and scattered light, which is laser light that passes through the coated film and is backscattered from the boundary between the coated film and the substrate <NUM> on which the coated film is spread. Here, the reflected light reflected from the surface of the coated film acts as the above-described reference light, and the scattered light acts as the measurement light.

Particularly, the second light source <NUM> radiates laser light onto the coated film of the substrate <NUM>. In this instance, the laser light is radiated along a first direction. The first direction is a direction that corresponds to a straight line inclined at a predetermined angle from the direction of a normal line of the substrate. According to an embodiment, the first direction is the same as the direction of the normal line of the substrate. The axis corresponding to the direction of the normal line of the substrate is referred to as the z-axis. The z-axis is a direction corresponding to the depth direction of the coated film. As described above, the second light source <NUM> directly radiates the laser light, but may alternatively radiate the laser light via the optical fiber <NUM> and/or the convex lens <NUM>.

The laser light is reflected from the surface of the coated film. Particularly, the laser light is reflected from a first side, which is illustrated in <FIG>. Further, the laser light penetrates the coated film, and is backscattered from the boundary between the coated film and the substrate on which the coated film is spread. Particularly, the laser light is backscattered from a second side, which is illustrated in <FIG>. The reflected light and scattered light generates the interference light, and the interference light proceeds in the direction reverse to the above-described first direction. That is, the radiated laser light and the above-described interference light proceed along the same axis but in different respective directions. The second light detector <NUM> captures the interference light that proceeds in the direction opposite to the first direction. The second light detector <NUM> obtains optical interference data (e.g., the first optical interference data) from the captured interference light. The processor <NUM> obtains the optical interference data from the second light detector <NUM>, generates the sectional image based on the optical interference data, and derives the thickness of the coated film spread on a corresponding region of the substrate <NUM>.

In the case of the thickness measurement using the second OCT part, the reflected light and the scattered light perform the roles of the reference light and the reflected light of the above-described first OCT part, respectively. That is, the surface of the coated film itself acts as the reference mirror <NUM> of the above-described first OCT part.

According to an embodiment, when the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, an OCT part of a type the same as that of the second OCT part is used. The predetermined reference value is the minimum reflectivity that is needed when the surface of the coated film performs the role of the reference mirror <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the radiation angle at which the laser light is to be radiated is adjusted such that the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film is greater than or equal to a reference value. According to an embodiment, the laser light is radiated onto a region where the surface of the coated film is parallel to the substrate, such that the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film is greater than or equal to the reference value. In the case of the thickness measurement using the second OCT part of the present disclosure, the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film indicates the ratio of reflected light reflected from the surface of the coated film to the laser light radiated onto the coated film.

According to an embodiment, the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film is determined based on the mixing ratio of fluorescent pigments of the corresponding coated film. According to an embodiment, the surface of a coated film mixed with fluorescent pigments has higher reflectivity than that of a coated film that is not mixed with the fluorescent pigment. As the mixing ratio of fluorescent pigments of the coated film increases, the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film increases. That is, when a coated film mixed with the fluorescent pigments is used, the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film increases, whereby thickness measurement using the second OCT part is easily performed. According to an embodiment, the mixing ratio of the fluorescent pigments of the coated film is set to a value that enables the reflectivity of the surface of the coated film to exceed a predetermined reference value. According to an embodiment, the reference value is the minimum reflectivity that is needed when the surface of the coated film performs the role of the reference mirror <NUM>, or is a value arbitrarily set according to the intention of a user.

According to an embodiment, the backscattering ratio of the coated film also is determined based on the mixing ratio of the fluorescent pigments of the corresponding coated film. According to an embodiment, a coated film mixed with the fluorescent pigments has a higher backscattering ratio than that of a coated film that is not mixed with the fluorescent pigments. In the case of the thickness measurement using the second OCT part of the present disclosure, the backscattering ratio of the coated film indicates the ratio of scattered light that is backscattered to the laser light radiated onto the coated film. As the mixing ratio of the fluorescent pigments of the coated film increases, the backscattering ratio of the coated film increases. That is, when a coated film mixed with the fluorescent pigments is used, the backscattering ratio of the coated film increases, whereby thickness measurement using the second OCT part is easily performed. According to an embodiment, the mixing ratio of the fluorescent pigments of the coated film is set to a value that enables the backscattering ratio of the coated film to exceed a predetermined reference value.

According to an embodiment, the surface of the coated film is formed to be a curved surface. According to an embodiment, the surface of the coated film is formed to be a convexly curved surface, a concavely curved surface, or a curved surface provided in an arbitrary shape for the substrate. According to an embodiment, in the case in which the surface of the coated film is a curved surface, the thickness measurement using the second OCT part is more easily performed than the case in which the surface of the coated film is a flat surface.

According to an embodiment, the second OCT part may not dispose an additional element, such as a window glass or the like, on the coated film of the substrate <NUM>. The second OCT part according to the present disclosure uses reflected light, which is reflected from the surface of the coated film, as the reference light, and obtains the optical interference data. Accordingly, an additional separate element needed for generating the reference light, such as a window glass or the like, may not be needed.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a sectional image and a boundary line in the sectional image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film spread on a predetermined region from the obtained optical interference data. The processor <NUM> generates a sectional image from the optical interference data, and derives the thickness of the coated film using information obtained from the sectional image.

According to the present disclosure, in an object measurement using the OCT, the sectional image is a 2D image of a section cut in the depth direction of an object (coated film). The sectional image is generated based on the measured optical interference data. The sectional image includes boundary lines (boundary patterns) corresponding to the boundary between air and the coated film and the boundary between the coated film and the substrate.

Particularly, the processor <NUM> obtains a sectional image as shown in <FIG> using the optical interference data obtained by the second light detector <NUM>. The sectional image is an image showing a section cut in the -z-axis direction, that is, the depth direction, of the substrate <NUM> and the coated film. That is, the sectional image shows the inside of the coated film and the substrate via penetration in the depth direction from the surface of the coated film.

A sectional image <NUM> is a sectional image that is obtained by the above-described first OCT part. The sectional image <NUM> includes one or more boundary lines <NUM>. Each of the boundary lines <NUM> is the boundary between air and the coated film, in other words, the boundary line corresponding to the surface of the coated film, or is the boundary line corresponding to the boundary between the coated film and the substrate <NUM> or an electrode on which the coated film is spread. The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film using the distance between the boundary lines corresponding to the respective boundaries.

Particularly, the sectional image <NUM>, which is based on a reference mirror surface, is obtained using the first OCT part. The processor <NUM> determines a boundary line indicating the boundary between air and the coated film from the sectional image <NUM>. Also, the processor <NUM> determines a boundary line indicating the boundary between the coated film and the substrate <NUM> on which the coated film is spread from the sectional image <NUM>. The processor <NUM> derives a vertical distance between the two determined boundary lines in the sectional image <NUM>, and determines the vertical distance as the thickness of the coated film. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> applies a predetermined scaling factor to the determined vertical distance, and determines the derived value as the thickness of the coated film.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> uses a predetermined segmentation algorithm in order to separate the boundary line indicating the boundary between air and the coated film and the boundary line indicating the boundary between the coated film and the substrate <NUM> among the plurality of boundary lines <NUM> in the sectional image <NUM>. Also, the processor <NUM> performs the above-described boundary line segmentation using accumulated information indicating the relationship between the boundary lines of the sectional image and the boundaries among air, the coated film and the substrate, which is collected in a database and is stored on the memory <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> determines the direction in which boundary lines (boundary patterns) of the sectional image <NUM> are to be detected first from among the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, and detects a boundary line in the determined direction. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> distinguishes an overlapping boundary line generated by multiple reflections, among the detected boundary lines, and excludes the overlapping boundary line when the thickness is measured.

The sectional image <NUM>, which is based on a surface of the coated film, is obtained using the second OCT part. The sectional image <NUM> includes one or more boundary lines <NUM>. One of the boundary lines <NUM> is a boundary line corresponding to the boundary between the coated film and the substrate <NUM> or the electrode on which the coated film is spread. The processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film using the interval between the corresponding boundary line <NUM> and an upper edge <NUM> of the sectional image <NUM>.

Particularly, when the second OCT part is used, the processor <NUM> detects the boundary line <NUM> indicating the boundary between the coated film and the substrate <NUM> on which the coated film is spread. The processor <NUM> determines, as the corresponding boundary line <NUM>, the boundary line that appears first in the depth direction from the upper edge of the sectional image <NUM>. Also, in the case of the second OCT part, the optical interference data is generated using the reflected light which is reflected from the surface of the coated film. Accordingly, the sectional image shows a section cut in the -z-axis direction, that is, in the depth direction, from the surface of the coated film by taking the surface of the coated film as an origin point. Accordingly, the upper edge <NUM> of the sectional image <NUM> obtained by the second OCT part corresponds to the surface of the coated film. The processor <NUM> derives the vertical distance between the detected boundary line <NUM> and the upper edge <NUM> of the sectional image <NUM>, and determines the vertical distance as the thickness of the coated film. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> determines, as the thickness of the coated film, a value derived by applying a predetermined scaling factor to the derived vertical distance.

According to an embodiment, the thickness measurement of the coated film of the substrate using the OCT is performed in a vacuum or in some other medium. That is, laser light radiation of the OCT part <NUM> and reflected light movement are performed in a vacuum or another medium, instead of air.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating measurement ranges of the first OCT part and the second OCT part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A sectional image <NUM> shown in <FIG> is a sectional image that is obtained by the first OCT part. The sectional image <NUM> includes a boundary line indicating the boundary between air and the coated film and a boundary line indicating the boundary between the coated film and the substrate (PCB). Also, a sectional image <NUM> shown in <FIG> is a sectional image that is obtained by the second OCT part. The sectional image <NUM> includes a boundary line indicating the boundary between the coated film and the substrate (PCB).

According to an embodiment, the sectional image <NUM> is bigger than the sectional image <NUM>. That is, the amount of data of the sectional image <NUM> is bigger than that of the sectional image <NUM>. In the case of the measurement using the second OCT part, unlike the first OCT part, the reflected light that is reflected from the surface of the coated film is used as the reference light, and thus the start of the measurement range in the depth direction (the -z-axis direction) is limited to the surface of the coated film.

Referring to a sectional diagram <NUM> shown in <FIG>, in the case of the thickness measurement of the coated film using the first OCT part, a measurement range <NUM>, which takes into consideration all differences in height among the elements installed on the substrate <NUM>, is needed in order to obtain a meaningful measurement result. However, in the case of the thickness measurement of the coated film using the second OCT part, a meaningful thickness measurement result is obtained using only a measurement range <NUM> corresponding to the maximum predicted thickness of the coated film. That is, the inspection apparatus <NUM> reduces a measurement range in the depth direction, which is needed in order to measure the thickness of the coated film, depending on the type of the OCT part <NUM>, whereby operational capacity for processing a measurement result and memory for storage is reduced.

Also, in the case of the thickness measurement the coated film using the second OCT part, the reference mirror <NUM> is not used, and thus the possibility of a measurement error by saturation with reflected light is reduced. When the amount of output of radiated light exceeds a predetermined amount of light, the amount of reflected light increases, and thus optical interference data or an interference signal shown in the sectional image is saturated. In the case of such saturation, an interference signal appears, irrespective of an interference signal generated by a measurement object, thereby impeding accurate measurement. Such saturation more frequently occurs in the case of the first OCT part, which uses the highly reflective reference mirror <NUM>. The second OCT part excludes the use of the reference mirror, whereby measurement error by saturation is reduced.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a substrate inspection method that is performed by the inspection apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure.

The inspection apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure performs a substrate inspection method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure in order to perform a substrate inspection. The substrate inspection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a step S100 of radiating ultraviolet light onto a coated film of a substrate; a step S200 of obtaining a 2D image of the substrate; a step S300 of deriving one region among a plurality of regions of the substrate based on the 2D image; a step S400 of radiating laser light onto the one region and obtaining optical interference data generated from the one region; and/or a step S500 of deriving a thickness of the coated film of the one region based on the optical interference data.

In step S100, the first light source <NUM> of the inspection apparatus <NUM> radiates the ultraviolet light onto the coated film of the substrate <NUM>, the coated film being mixed with the fluorescent pigments. In step S200, the first light detector <NUM> of the inspection apparatus <NUM> captures fluorescence generated from the coated film onto which the ultraviolet light is radiated, and obtains a 2D image of the substrate. In step S300, the processor <NUM> of the inspection apparatus <NUM> derives one region among the plurality of regions of the substrate based on the 2D image. In step S400, the second light source <NUM> radiates the laser light onto the derived one region, and the second light detector <NUM> obtains optical interference data (e.g., the first optical interference data or the like) generated from the one region, by the laser light. Here, the optical interference data are associated with the interference light of the reference light and the measurement light generated by the first OCT part, or the interference light of the reflected light (acting as the reference light) and the scattered light (acting as the measurement light) generated by the second OCT part. In step S500, the processor <NUM> derives the thickness of the coated film spread on the one region of the substrate <NUM> based on the optical interference data. In the present disclosure, the amount of spread is derived based on the 2D image according to various embodiments. Also, the thickness is measured using the OCT part <NUM> according to various embodiments.

According to an embodiment, step S300 of deriving the one region includes an operation in which the processor <NUM> derives the amount of spread of the coated film for each of the plurality of regions based on the 2D image of the substrate <NUM>, and/or a step in which the processor <NUM> determines, as the above-described one region, a region of which the amount of spread is less than or equal to a predetermined amount of spread.

According to the invention, step S300 of deriving the one region includes a step in which the processor <NUM> determines the above-described one region based on information about a region of interest set in advance by a user.

According to the invention, the region of interest is a region including electrodes of elements on the substrate.

According to an embodiment, step S300 of deriving the one region includes a step in which the processor <NUM> determines a region, which is determined to be a region including a defect on the substrate based on the 2D image, as the above-described one region.

According to an embodiment, the region including the electrode is derived by the processor <NUM> based on element arrangement information indicating the arrangement of elements on the substrate.

According to an embodiment, the reflected light which is reflected from the surface of the coated film is used as the reference light. According to an embodiment, the second light source <NUM> of the second OCT part radiates laser light onto the coated film of the substrate <NUM> along a first direction. Also, the second light detector <NUM> of the second OCT part captures the interference light that proceeds in the direction opposite to the first direction.

According to an embodiment, the interference light is interference light generated by the interference between the reflected light, which is laser light reflected from the surface of the coated film, and the scattered light, which is laser light that penetrates the coated film and is scattered from the boundary between the coated film and the substrate. The interference light is interference light generated from the above-described one region derived from among the plurality of regions.

According to an embodiment, step S500 of deriving the thickness of the coated film of the one region includes: a step in which the processor <NUM> obtains a sectional image of a section cut in the first axial direction (i.e. the z-axis direction) corresponding to the depth direction of the coated film based on the above-described optical interference data (e.g., first optical interference data or the like); and/or a step in which the processor <NUM> determines the thickness of the coated film spread on the above-described one region based on a boundary line in the sectional image.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software on a machine-readable storage medium. The software may be software for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure. The software may be inferred from various embodiments of the present disclosure by programmers in the field of the art to which the present disclosure belongs. For example, the software may be a program including instructions (e.g., code or code segments) which are readable by a device. The device may be a device such as a computer, which is operable according to instructions retrieved from a storage medium. According to an embodiment, the device may be the inspection apparatus <NUM> according to embodiments of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, a processor of the device may execute retrieved instructions, such that the elements of the device perform functions corresponding to the instructions. According to an embodiment, the processor may be the processor <NUM> according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage medium may indicate all types of recording media storing data which are readable by a device. The storage medium may include, for example, ROM, RAM, a CD-ROM, magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, or the like. According to an embodiment, the storage medium may be the memory <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the storage medium may be implemented to be distributed in computer systems or the like connected via a network. The software may be stored distributedly on a computer system or the like, and may be executed. The storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium. The non-transitory storage medium indicates a tangible medium that exists irrespectively of semi-permanent or temporary storage of data, and does not include a signal that is propagated in a transient manner.

According to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, a substrate inspection apparatus can accurately measure the thickness of a coated film even when the coated film is as thin as a predetermined thickness (e.g., <NUM>) or less.

According to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the substrate inspection apparatus can shorten the amount of time spent measuring the thickness of a coated film of the entire substrate by sampling a predetermined region.

Claim 1:
A substrate inspection apparatus using optical coherence tomography (OCT), the apparatus comprising:
a first light source (<NUM>) configured to radiate an ultraviolet light onto a coated film of a substrate, the coated film being mixed with fluorescent pigments;
a first light detector (<NUM>) configured to capture fluorescence generated from the coated film onto which the ultraviolet light is radiated, and to obtain a two-dimensional (2D) image of the substrate from the fluorescence;
a second light source (<NUM>) configured to radiate a laser light onto the coated film of the substrate;
a second light detector (<NUM>) configured to obtain optical interference data generated from the coated film by the laser light;
a memory (<NUM>) configured to store information indicating a region of interest on the substrate that is predetermined by a user; and
a processor (<NUM>) configured to:
determine among a plurality of regions of the substrate a first region of which thickness is to be measured based on the information indicating the region of interest and the 2D image;
control the second light source (<NUM>) to radiate a laser light onto the first region, and control the second light detector (<NUM>) to obtain optical interference data generated from the first region by the laser light; and
derive a thickness of the coated film of the first region based on the optical interference data generated from the first region,
wherein the region of interest is a region that includes electrodes of elements on the substrate.