Inspection device and inspection method

Abstract

An inspection device for inspecting defects of an inspection object including a light source for irradiating a luminous flux to the inspection object; an optical system for guiding reflected light from the inspection object; a photoelectric image sensor having a plurality of photoelectric cells arranged, for converting the light guided to detection signals; a detection signal transfer unit having channels each constituted by a signal correction unit, a converter and an image formation unit, and corresponding to each of a plurality of regions formed by dividing the photoelectric image sensor, respectively; and an image synthesis unit for forming an image of the surface of the object by synthesizing partial images outputted; the inspection device inspecting defects of the object by processing the synthesized image; whereby it becomes possible to correct a detection signal from said photoelectric cell close to a predetermined reference target value.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An inspection apparatus for detecting a defect of a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
 an irradiation system which irradiates the substrate with light;   a photoelectric image sensor having a plurality of photoelectric cells for converting light reflected from the substrate into electric detection signals;   a detection system which detects the electric detection signals and forms an image, the detection system including a plurality of channels capable of correcting each electric detection signal;   a processing system, responsive to outputs of the channels, which detects the defect by processing the image; and   a correction system which changes output of each of the channels as a function of magnification of said detection system.   
     
     
         21 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the irradiation system irradiates the substrate with light from a plurality of directions, and   the correction system changes the output as a function of the directions.   
     
     
         22 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein output is changed to attain an intensity distribution having a curve of the second order. 
     
     
         23 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the correction system includes a plurality of correction units distributed at each of the channels, and   each of the correction units stores a coefficient for changing the output of a respective channel.   
     
     
         24 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the correction system is configured to adjust an amount of output of each of the channels in accordance with a correction coefficient to be determined based on one or more optical conditions. 
     
     
         25 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein an output intensity of a detection signal for each channel is acquired. 
     
     
         26 . The inspection apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the correction system stores the correction coefficient and the one or more optical conditions in a correction coefficient storage unit.