Defect inspection method, low light detecting method and low light detector

1. A defect inspection method comprising:

an illumination light adjustment step of adjusting light emitted from a light source to light flux having desired light amount, position, beam diameter and polarization state;

an illumination intensity distribution control step of leading the light flux obtained in the illumination light adjustment step to a surface of a sample with a desired incident angle and forming illumination intensity distribution which is long in one direction and short in a direction perpendicular to the one direction on the surface of the sample;

a sample scanning step of displacing the sample in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the illumination intensity distribution in an illumination light irradiation position on the surface of the sample by the illumination intensity distribution control step;

a scattered light detection step comprising:

focusing scattered light, emitted from plural small areas in an area in the sample scanning step irradiated with illumination light in the illumination intensity distribution control step, on a conjugate plane that is conjugate to the surface of the sample with respect to the longitudinal direction of the illumination intensity distribution, and extending the focused light over a plurality of avalanche diode pixels arranged in a row which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to generate a defect image, wherein the defect image is enlarged by calculating an enlargement ratio such that a length of the defect image in the one direction is equal to the length, in the one direction, of a light receiving plane of the row of avalanche diode pixels, and wherein the enlargement ratio in the one direction is determined by a length of an optical path between the conjugate plane to the surface of the sample and a light receiving plane of the avalanche diode pixels; and

outputting, in parallel in units of the row, scattered light detection signals corresponding to a total number of photons that each avalanche diode pixel of each row detects;

a defect judgment step of processing the plural scattered light detection signals obtained in the scattered light detection step to judge presence of a defect;

a defect dimension judgment step of processing the scattered light detection signal relevant to each place in which the defect is judged to be present in the defect judgment step to judge dimensions of the defect; and

a display step of displaying position on the surface of the sample for each place in which the defect is judged to be present in the defect judgment step and the dimensions of the defect obtained in the defect dimension judgment step.

2. A defect inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein in the scattered light detection step, plural scattered light components emitted in plural mutually different directions of the scattered light emitted from the sample in the sample scanning step are detected to produce plural relevant scattered light detection signals, and in the defect judgment step, at least one signal of the plural scattered light detection signals obtained in the scattered light detection step is processed to judge present of the defect.

3. A defect inspection method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein in the scattered light detection step, the scattered light is led to plural avalanche photodiode pixels arranged two-dimensionally and operated in a Geiger mode so that each of the scattered light emitted from the plural small areas is received by the plural avalanche photodiode pixels to produce a signal obtained by adding signals of the plural avalanche photodiode pixels for each relevant small area.

4. A defect inspection method according to claim 3 , wherein in the scattered light detection step, an image of a minute defect extends over the plural avalanche photodiode pixels in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the illumination intensity distribution.

5. A defect inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein the plural avalanche diode pixels are operating in a Geiger mode.

6. A defect inspection apparatus comprising:

an illumination light adjustment unit configured to adjust light emitted from a light source to light flux having desired light amount, position, beam diameter and polarization state;

an illumination intensity distribution control unit configured to lead the light flux obtained by the illumination light adjustment means to a surface of a sample with a desired incident angle and forming illumination intensity distribution which is long in one direction and short in a direction perpendicular to the one direction on the surface of the sample;

a sample scanning unit configured to displace the sample in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the illumination intensity distribution in an illumination light irradiation position on the surface of the sample by the illumination intensity distribution control means;

a scattered light unit configured to focus scattered light, emitted from plural small areas in an area in the sample scanning means irradiated with illumination light in the illumination intensity distribution control means, on a conjugate plane that is conjugate to the surface of the sample with respect to the longitudinal direction of the illumination intensity distribution, and extends the focused light over plural avalanche diode pixels arranged in a row which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to generate a defect image, wherein the defect image is enlarged by calculating an enlargement ratio such that a length of the defect image in the one direction is equal to the length, in the one direction, of a light receiving plane of the row of avalanche diode pixels, and wherein the enlargement ratio in the one direction is determined by a length of an optical path between the conjugate plane to the surface of the sample and a light receiving plane of the avalanche diode pixels

an output unit configured to output in parallel in units of the row scattered light detection signals corresponding to a total number of photons that each avalanche diode pixel of each row detected;

a defect judgment unit configured to process the plural scattered light detection signals obtained by the scattered light detection means to judge presence of a defect;

a defect dimension judgment unit configured to process the scattered light detection signal relevant to each place in which the defect is judged to be present by the defect judgment means to judge dimensions of the defect; and

a display unit configured to display position on the surface of the sample for each place in which the defect is judged to be present by the defect judgment means and the dimensions of the defect obtained in the defect dimension judgment means.