Apparatus and method for inspecting an inspection object

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus and method for inspecting an inspection object. When a first cassette receiving several inspection objects is placed on several placement tables, mapping is made to confirm the number of the inspection objects and the state. According to a set inspection item (recipe), the inspection objects are successively taken out and inspected. A cassette receiving inspection objects for the next inspection is placed when the final inspection object of the first cassette is taken out and at timing when mapping and inspection item setup are completed. Following the final inspection object of the first cassette, a first inspection object of the next cassette is continuously taken out and inspected.

1 . An apparatus for inspecting an inspection object, comprising: 
 several cassettes receiving several inspection objects;    a loader including a placement table for placing the cassettes, and an arm-type loader for loading in and out the inspection object received in each of the cassette; and    a control section controlling an inspection section for inspecting the inspection object and loading by the loader, and setting an inspection item in the inspection section,    an inspection object received in a former placed cassette being loaded, and thereafter, when a latter cassette is placed, an inspection object received in the latter placed cassette being continuously loaded and inspected.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the arm-type loader has an inspection arm mechanism, which includes several arms for holding the inspection object and load it using a rotary mechanism in the inspection section.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein when the inspection object received in the latter cassette is continuously loaded and inspected, all arms of the inspection arm mechanism continuously hold and load the inspection object.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the inspection section comprises: 
 a macro inspection section making macro visual inspection with respect to the inspection object; and    a microscope observation section receiving the inspection object after the inspection by the macro inspection section, and making micro visual inspection.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the arm-type loader comprises the inspection arm mechanism and a cassette arm mechanism, and the cassette arm mechanism loads the inspection object in and out of the cassette.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the placement table is provided with a sensor for making mapping detection, and makes mapping of several inspection objects received in the cassette placed on the placement table.  
   
   
       7 . A method of inspecting an inspection object to be processed, comprising: 
 continuously loading out several objects to be processed received in several cassette at a cassette unit, and using the object to be processed received in the original cassette in the next inspection after a predetermined inspection is made; and    setting a first inspection item of the first cassette, and thereafter, setting a second inspection item of the next cassette within a period when received objects to be processed are successively loaded out and inspected; and    loading out a final object of the first cassette, and thereafter, continuously loading out an object to be processed received in the next cassette, and making a change from the first inspection item to the second inspection item after the final object is inspected, and continuously inspecting the object to be processed.