| US 7,589,833 B2 | ||
| Foreign matter inspection apparatus and foreign matter inspection method | ||
| Yoshio Bamba, Hitachinaka (Japan); Masayuki Ochi, Kamisato (Japan); and Shigehisa Nozawa, Kamisato (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Oct. 12, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/907,436. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2006-281699 (JP), filed on Oct. 16, 2006. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0088848 A1, Apr. 17, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G01N 21/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 356—237.2 | 18 Claims |
| 1. A foreign-matter inspection method for detecting a foreign matter on a inspection target, comprising:
a laser-beam generation step of generating a laser beam with which said inspection target is to be irradiated,
a measurement step of measuring characteristics of said laser beam generated at said laser-beam generation step,
a modification step of modifying said characteristics of said laser beam based on a measurement result of said measurement
step,
a detection step of irradiating said inspection target with said laser beam, and detecting a reflected light or scattered
light from said inspection target, and
a processing step of detecting said foreign matter on said inspection target based on an output obtained at said detection
step.
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