JPH09113459A - Foreign-body inspection method and display method for inspection result of foreign body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily look through a plurality of inspection results by a method wherein a display control means is installed, a unit section is divided into two or more sections and foreign-body distribution states or a plurality of inspection faces of an object to be inspected or foreign-body distribution states in different points of inspection time are displayed simultaneously. SOLUTION: When the surface of a reticle is scanned by a laser beam, the laser beam is reflected diffusely when a foreign body exists. A plurality of photoeletric conversion elements input, to a control part 11, electric signals SA to SE according to the intensity of light. The control part 11 detects the position and the size of the foreign body on the basis of the light-receiving result of scattered light. Then, a foreign-body inspection result is stored in a memory 12, and the inspection result is read out from the memory 12 according to the operation of an information input part 13 so as to be map-displayed on a display 14. A display screen which expresses a face to be inspected is divided into a plurality of display sections, and the size of a foreign body is displayed in every display section when the foreign body exists. When the input part 13 is used, inspection results on the surface and the rear of the reticle can be displayed simuitaneously on the display 14. In addition, a past inspection result and a latest inspection result can displayed simultaneously.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a foreign matter inspection apparatus and a foreign matter inspection result display method, and for example, an LSI (Large Scaling)
(e Integrated circuit) This is suitable for application when detecting foreign matter adhering to a circuit pattern such as a circuit photomask, reticle, or wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the process of manufacturing an LSI circuit, a photomask, reticle,
Alternatively, it is designed to inspect foreign matter attached to a wafer or the like. This is because when an LSI circuit is manufactured with foreign matter attached, various problems such as the circuit pattern being shot due to the foreign matter occur. Therefore, LS
In the manufacturing process of the I circuit, the foreign matter is inspected by using the foreign matter inspecting apparatus as described above, so that such a problem is prevented from occurring.

As such a foreign matter inspection apparatus, there is conventionally an apparatus for detecting foreign matter adhered on the inspection surface by irradiating the inspection surface of the inspection object with a laser beam, for example. In this foreign matter inspection device, the inspection surface is scanned with a laser beam, and the scattered light reflected by the foreign matter present on the inspection surface is received to detect the position and size of the foreign matter. Further, in this foreign matter inspection device, the distribution situation of the foreign matter is displayed on the display based on the inspection result (hereinafter, this distribution situation of the foreign matter is called a map). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the display screen showing the inspection surface is divided into a plurality of display sections, and if there is a foreign substance, the size of each display section is displayed. In addition, in FIG. 7, it is shown that a foreign substance exists in the shaded portion. By displaying the foreign matter inspection result as a map in this manner, the user can understand which side on the inspection surface and how large the foreign matter is.

[0004]

By the way, in such a foreign matter inspection apparatus, when browsing a plurality of inspection results, it is necessary to change the map frequently, which causes a problem that the operation becomes complicated. For example, when comparing the inspection results of the front surface and the back surface of the object to be inspected, it is necessary to alternately display the maps as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 or to print out both the maps. .

In addition, in the conventional foreign matter inspection apparatus, even one map is displayed in the same display section, so that the foreign matter is detected as a foreign matter and the foreign matter is detected as a foreign matter. There is a problem that it is not possible to distinguish and display those that are not present (pseudo defects caused by so-called pattern edges, etc.).

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to propose a foreign matter inspection apparatus and a foreign matter inspection result display method which are capable of easily browsing a plurality of inspection results and have improved usability.

[0007]

In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, a light beam is scanned on an inspection surface of an object (2) to be inspected and reflected by a foreign substance existing on the inspection surface. Foreign matter inspection means (3, 4A to 4C, which detects the position and size of the foreign matter present on the inspection surface by receiving the scattered light of the light flux by the photoelectric conversion elements (10A to 10E).
5 to 9, 10A to 10E and 15) and the display screen (21) showing the inspection surface are divided into a plurality of unit sections (21A), and the size of the foreign matter is shown for each unit section to thereby distribute the foreign matter. In a foreign matter inspection apparatus having a display means (14) for displaying the situation, the unit division (21A) is divided into at least two or more, and the distribution situation of the foreign matter obtained from a plurality of inspection surfaces of the inspection object (2) or A display control means (11) is provided for simultaneously displaying the distribution status of foreign substances obtained from the same inspection surface of the inspection object (2) at different inspection times.

Further, according to the present invention, in the foreign matter inspection apparatus, when a plurality of foreign matters having different sizes are detected in the unit section, the unit section (21A) is divided according to the number of classifications of the size of the foreign matter. However, the display control means (1) for simultaneously displaying all the foreign substances detected in the unit section and having different sizes
1) is provided.

The display control means (11) is provided, the unit section (21A) is divided into at least two or more, and the distribution state of foreign matters obtained from a plurality of inspection surfaces of the inspection object (2) or the inspection object (2). By simultaneously displaying the distribution status of foreign matter obtained from the same inspection surface at different inspection times, the distribution status of foreign matter obtained from multiple inspection surfaces or the foreign matter obtained at the same inspection surface at different inspection times When comparing the distribution statuses, it is not necessary to switch the screen frequently, and a plurality of inspection results can be easily browsed.

When a plurality of foreign matters having different sizes are detected in the unit section, the unit section (21A) is divided according to the number of classifications of the size of the foreign matter, and the detected size is detected in the unit section. By displaying all the foreign substances of different sizes at the same time, it is possible to grasp the mixed state of the foreign substances in the unit section and improve the usability.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment First, FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of a foreign matter inspection apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In this foreign matter inspection apparatus 1, an object to be inspected, for example, a reticle 2 is placed on a Y stage 3 which is movable in the Y axis direction. When the surface of the reticle 2 is inspected for foreign matter in this state, first, the driving unit 4A is operated to dispose the switching mirror 5 at a position where the laser beam passes as indicated by a broken line in the drawing.

When laser light is output from the light source 6 after setting in this way, the laser light is applied to the surface of the reticle 2 through the Scanner mirror 7, the condenser lens 8, the switching mirror 5 and the mirror 9 in this order. To be done.
At this time, if the drive unit 4B is operated to change the angle of the scanner mirror 7, the laser spot moves on the surface of the reticle 2 along the X-axis direction. When the drive unit 4C is operated to move the Y stage 3 along the Y axis,
The laser spot moves on the surface of the reticle 2 along the Y-axis direction. In the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1, by operating the scanner mirror 7 and the Y stage 3 in this way, the laser spot is moved in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction,
The entire surface of the reticle 2 is scanned with the laser light.

When the surface of the reticle 2 is scanned with the laser light in this manner and foreign matter is present on the surface of the reticle 2, the foreign matter causes irregular reflection of the laser light. Therefore, the presence of foreign matter can be detected by detecting the scattered light. Therefore, in the foreign matter inspection device 1, a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements 10A to 10E are arranged at positions where scattered light can be detected.

When the photoelectric conversion elements 10A to 10E receive light, they output electric signals S _{A to} S _E corresponding to the intensity of the light, respectively. The electric signals S _{A to} S _E are input to the control unit 11, respectively. The control unit 11 controls the electric signals S _{A to} S _E.
By analyzing the above, it is determined whether or not a foreign substance is present. For example, when scattered light is generated by a foreign substance, non-directional scattered light is generated, and therefore all photoelectric conversion elements 1
0A to 10E receive the scattered light and output electric signals S _{A to} S _E. Therefore, the control unit 11 controls all the electric signals S _A to
The presence of a foreign substance is detected by receiving S _E. At this time, the electric signal S _A ~
Since the value of S _E is different, the size itself of the foreign matter is also detected by analyzing the value. Further, since the control unit 11 outputs the control signals C _A to _C C to control the driving units 4A to 4C, respectively, the control unit 11 currently recognizes where the reticle 2 is irradiated with the laser light. Therefore, the control unit 11
Detects the foreign substance by the scattered light, and also detects the position itself of the foreign substance based on the irradiation position of the laser light. In this way, the control unit 11 detects the position and size of the foreign matter based on the result of receiving the scattered light.

Incidentally, although scattered light is also generated due to the edge of the circuit pattern, in that case, since scattered light having directivity is generated, some of the photoelectric conversion elements 10A to 10E receive the scattered light. . Therefore, in that case, all the electric signals S _{A to} S _E are not generated, and although the control unit 11 detects the scattered light, it is determined that the defect is not a foreign substance but a pseudo defect.

In this way, in the foreign substance inspection apparatus 1, the surface of the reticle 2 is inspected for foreign substances, the inspection result is stored in the memory 12, and the inspection result is read from the memory 12 according to the operation of the information input unit 13 by the user. Is read out and displayed as a map on the display 14.

On the other hand, when inspecting the back surface of the reticle 2 for foreign matter, the driving mirror 4A is operated to move the switching mirror 5 to a position where laser light does not pass. As a result, the laser light output from the light source 6 is applied to the back surface of the reticle 2 through the Scanner mirror 7, the condenser lens 8 and the mirror 15 in this order. At this time, similarly, the angle of the scanner mirror 7 is changed and the reticle 2 is moved along the Y-axis direction so that the entire rear surface of the reticle 2 is scanned by the laser spot. Thereby, the scattered light generated by the foreign matter is detected by the photoelectric conversion element (not shown) for the back surface side, and the electric signal obtained as a result is analyzed by the control unit 11. In this manner, the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 similarly performs the foreign matter inspection on the back surface of the reticle 2 and stores the inspection result in the memory 12, and the inspection result from the memory 12 in accordance with the operation of the information input unit 13 by the user. Is read out and displayed as a map on the display 14.

The map displayed on the display 14 will now be described. Also in this embodiment, the map 20 as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed in the normal display. That is, the display screen 21 representing the surface to be inspected is divided into a plurality of display sections 2
If there is a foreign substance, the size of the foreign substance is displayed for each display section.

At this time, the display section 21A shows an area of a predetermined size on the surface to be inspected. The size of the area represented by the display section 21A can be switched to, for example, 5 [mm] square, 1 [mm] square, 0.1 [mm] square, or the like by setting. However, this does not mean that the inspection resolution itself is switched, but that the minimum unit of display is switched. Actually, in the foreign matter inspection device 1, the resolution of the XY coordinate values at the time of inspection is set to 0.1 [mm], and the foreign matter inspection is performed in units of 0.1 [mm] square. Therefore, when the display section 21A is set to, for example, a square of 5 [mm], 2500 pieces of inspection data are included in one display section.

Therefore, in the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1, when a plurality of foreign matters having different sizes are detected in one display section, the largest foreign matter among the detected foreign matters is displayed. At that time, the foreign matter inspection device 1 is configured to distinguish the size of the foreign matter by dividing the display color according to the size of the foreign matter. For example, the size of foreign matter is 3
It is divided into two levels, for example, the smallest rank foreign matter is displayed in "blue", the middle rank foreign matter is displayed in "yellow", and the largest rank foreign matter is displayed in Display in "red". This allows the user to recognize the size of the foreign matter by looking at the display color.

In the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment, when the user performs a predetermined operation using the information input unit 13, the inspection result of the front surface and the inspection result of the back surface of the reticle 2 are simultaneously displayed on the display 14. It is designed to be able to do. In this case, the control unit 11 first reads both the reticle front surface inspection result and the reticle back surface inspection result from the memory 12 and generates respective maps by a predetermined process. Then, when the control unit 11 displays those maps, as shown in FIG.
By dividing and displaying the inspection result of the reticle front surface in the upper display section 21AA and displaying the inspection result of the reticle back surface in the lower display section 21AB, two maps, the front surface and the back surface, are simultaneously displayed on one screen. . As a result, the user can simultaneously view the map on the front surface of the reticle and the map on the back surface of the reticle on one screen, and can easily compare them.

In addition, in the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment, when the user performs a predetermined operation using the information input unit 13, a predetermined portion of the map can be displayed separately from other portions. For example, a defect detected as a foreign substance and a pseudo defect detected as a foreign substance but not a foreign substance are displayed separately. In this case, when displaying the map, the control unit 11 uses all of the one display section 21A for the foreign matter, and one display section 21A for the pseudo defect.
Is similarly divided into two horizontally (see FIG. 3), and the lower display section 2
Display using only 1AB. As a result, the user can distinguish the foreign matter from the pseudo defect by looking at this display.

Further, in the foreign matter inspection device 1 of this embodiment,
When the user performs a predetermined operation using the information input unit 13,
The past inspection result and the latest inspection result can be displayed on the display 14 at the same time. For example, the inspection result of the reticle surface when inspected one week ago and the inspection result of the reticle surface when previously inspected are displayed simultaneously.

In this case, the control unit 11 first reads out both the reticle surface inspection result one week ago and the reticle surface inspection result that has been inspected one week from the memory 12, and generates each map by a predetermined process. And the control unit 11
When displaying those maps, as shown in FIG.
One display section 21A is vertically divided into two, and the left display section 2
The test result of 1 week ago is displayed in 1AC, and the display section 21A on the right side
By displaying the previous inspection result on D, the map by the past inspection result and the map by the latest inspection result are simultaneously displayed on one screen. In this way, one display section 21A is vertically divided into two, and the left display section 21AC is divided.
By displaying the past inspection result on the right side and displaying the latest inspection result on the right display section 21AD, the user can easily compare the past and latest two maps on one screen.

In the above structure, when an operation for simultaneously displaying the inspection result on the reticle front surface and the inspection result on the reticle back surface is performed, the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 divides one display section 21A into two horizontally. The front surface inspection result and the back surface inspection result are displayed at the same time. This allows the user to view the front and back maps at the same time on one screen, eliminating the need for frequent switching of maps as in the conventional case.

When an operation for distinguishably displaying the pseudo defect portion is performed, the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 divides one display section 21A into two and uses only the lower portion in the place where the pseudo defect exists. To display. In this way, when displaying a portion to be distinguished, only the lower side of one display section 21A is used for display, so that the user can easily identify a specific portion.

When an operation for simultaneously displaying the past inspection result and the latest inspection result on the surface of the reticle is performed, the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 vertically displays one display section 21A.
It divides and displays the past inspection result and the latest inspection result at the same time. This allows the user to simultaneously view the past and latest inspection results on one screen, eliminating the need for frequent switching of maps as in the conventional case.

According to the above configuration, one display section 21
By dividing A into two horizontally or vertically and simultaneously displaying two inspection results (that is, the distribution state of foreign matter), it is possible to easily browse two inspection results at the same time,
Since it is not necessary to switch the map frequently as in the conventional case, the usability can be improved as compared with the conventional case.

(2) Second Embodiment In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the case where the inspection results of the front surface and the back surface of the reticle 2 are simultaneously displayed has been described.
In the second embodiment, four inspection results obtained when a reticle with a pellicle is inspected for foreign matter are simultaneously displayed.

As one type of reticle, there is a reticle with a pellicle in which a protective material called a pellicle is attached on both front and back surfaces. In such a reticle with a pellicle, there are four inspection surfaces to be inspected for foreign matter: a glass-side pellicle surface, a glass surface, a pattern surface, and a pattern-side pellicle surface. Therefore, when inspecting a reticle with a pellicle for foreign matter, the Y stage 3 is moved up and down (so-called Z-axis direction) in the foreign matter inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. Foreign matter inspection is performed according to the surface. The inspection results for these four surfaces are respectively stored in the memory 12 as in the first embodiment, read out according to the user's operation, and displayed on the display 14 as a map.

By the way, in the case of this embodiment, when the user performs a predetermined operation using the information input section 13, it is possible to simultaneously display the inspection results for the four inspection surfaces of the reticle with a pellicle. . In this case, the control unit 11 first reads the inspection result of each inspection surface from the memory 12 and generates each map by a predetermined process. Then, when displaying those maps, the control unit 11 horizontally divides one display section 21A into four as shown in FIG. 5, and displays the inspection result of the glass side pellicle surface on the uppermost display section 21AE. Second display section 21 from
By displaying the inspection result of the glass surface on the AF, the inspection result of the pattern surface on the third display section 21AG from the top, and the inspection result of the pellicle surface on the pattern side on the lowermost display section 21AH, respectively. Display four maps simultaneously on the screen.

Thus, the user can simultaneously see the four maps of the glass side pellicle surface, the glass surface, the pattern surface and the pattern side pellicle surface on one screen, and can easily compare them. Therefore, in the foreign matter inspection apparatus of this embodiment, it is not necessary to switch the maps frequently when comparing the maps as in the conventional case, and the usability is improved.

According to the above configuration, one display section 21
By dividing A into four horizontally and displaying the inspection results for the four inspection surfaces at the same time, it is possible to easily view the four inspection results at the same time and to switch the maps frequently as in the conventional case. Since it is eliminated, the usability can be improved as compared with the conventional one.

(3) Third Embodiment In the above-described first embodiment, when a plurality of foreign matters having different sizes are detected in one display section, only the largest foreign matter among the detected foreign matters is detected. In the third embodiment, when a plurality of foreign matters having different sizes are detected, one display section is divided and all the detection results are displayed.

As described in the first embodiment, in the foreign matter inspection device 1, the size of the area represented by the display section 21A is, for example, 5 [mm] square, 1 [mm] square, 0.1 mm depending on the setting.
It is designed so that it can be switched to [mm] square. In addition, as a resolution for foreign matter inspection, there is a resolution of 0.1 mm square. Therefore, when the display section 21A is set to, for example, a square of 5 [mm], 2500 pieces of inspection data are included in one display section. Therefore, when a plurality of foreign substances having different sizes are detected in one display section, the largest foreign substance among the detected foreign substances is displayed.

However, in this way, the small foreign matter detected at the corner is not displayed on the map. Therefore, in the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, one display section 21A is divided into two vertically and horizontally into a total of four, and the detected foreign matters of different sizes are simultaneously displayed. To do.

Specifically, when the foreign matter of the smallest rank is detected, for example, "green" is displayed in the display section 21AI on the upper right, and when the foreign matter of the rank above is detected, the upper left corner is displayed. For example, "blue" is displayed in the display section 21AJ, and when a foreign matter of a rank above it is detected, "yellow" is displayed in the lower right display section 21AK, and the foreign matter of the largest rank is detected. In this case, for example, "red" is displayed in the lower left display section 21AL. As a result, it becomes possible to display even a small foreign object hidden by a large foreign object on one map. Further, this allows the user to understand at a glance what size foreign matter is mixed in one display section 21A.

According to the above configuration, one display section 21
By dividing A into four vertically and horizontally and simultaneously displaying foreign matters of different sizes detected in the display section 21A, it is possible to determine what size foreign matter is mixed in the display section 21A. It can be understood at a glance and the usability can be further improved.

(4) Other Embodiments In the above-described first and second embodiments, one display section 21A is divided into two or four because there are two or four surfaces to be inspected. The invention is not limited to this. For example, when there are six inspected surfaces, if one display section 21A is divided into six, the same effect as in the above case can be obtained. In short, if the number of divisions is determined according to the number of surfaces to be inspected, the same effect as the above case can be obtained.

In the third embodiment described above, the size of the foreign matter is divided into four levels, and one display section 21A is divided into four in order to simultaneously display the four types of foreign matter. The invention is not limited to this. For example, when the size of the foreign matter is divided into six levels, if one display section 21A is divided into six, the same effect as the above case can be obtained. In short, if the number of divisions is determined according to the number of classifications of the size of foreign matter, the same effect as the above case can be obtained.

Incidentally, if the number of divisions is large, the screen may be difficult to see. In that case, it is desirable to appropriately enlarge and display the screen.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where "green", "blue", "yellow", "red" or the like is used as the display color has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the display color is not limited to this. May use other colors.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case has been described in which the size of the foreign matter can be identified by the display color, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the size of the foreign matter can be identified by characters or symbols. Even if the height can be identified, the same effect as the above case can be obtained. In particular, in the case of the third embodiment, the size of the foreign matter can be identified by the display position in the display section 21A, so that the size of the foreign matter can be displayed even if the same color, character, or symbol is displayed. Can be sufficiently identified.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the foreign substance inspection apparatus 1 for inspecting the reticle 2 for foreign substances has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a photomask for an LSI circuit, a wafer, or the like. Even when the present invention is applied to the foreign substance inspection device for inspecting, the same effect as the above case can be obtained.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, the unit division is divided into at least two or more, and the distribution state of foreign substances obtained from a plurality of inspection surfaces of the inspection object or the same inspection surface of the inspection object. By providing the display control means for simultaneously displaying the distribution status of the obtained foreign matter at different inspection times, the distribution status of the foreign matter obtained from a plurality of inspection planes or the distribution of the foreign matter obtained from the same inspection plane at different inspection times When comparing the situations, it is not necessary to switch the screen frequently, and a plurality of inspection results can be easily browsed. As a result, it is possible to realize a foreign matter inspection device with improved usability, which allows easy viewing of a plurality of inspection results.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a foreign matter inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a map during normal display.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a horizontally divided display section.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing vertically divided display sections.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a display section divided into four horizontally.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a display section divided into four vertically and horizontally.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a map showing the inspection result of the surface of the inspection object.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a map showing the inspection result of the back surface of the inspection object.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Foreign matter inspection device, 2 ... Reticle, 3 ... Y stage, 4A-4C ... Drive unit, 5 ... Switching mirror, 6 ... Light source, 7 ... Scanner mirror, 8 ... Focusing Lens, 9, 15 ... Mirror, 10A-10E ... Photoelectric conversion element, 11 ... Control unit, 12 ... Memory, 13 ...
Information input section, 14 ... Display, 20 ... Map,
21A, 21AA to 21AL ... Display section.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. The inspection is performed by scanning a light beam on an inspection surface of an inspection object and receiving scattered light of the light beam reflected by a foreign substance existing on the inspection surface by a photoelectric conversion element. Foreign matter inspection means for detecting the position and size of the foreign matter present on the surface, and by dividing the display screen showing the inspection surface into a plurality of unit sections and expressing the size of the foreign matter in each unit section. In a foreign matter inspection device having a display unit for displaying the distribution state of the foreign matter, the unit division is divided into at least two or more, and the distribution state of the foreign matter obtained from a plurality of inspection surfaces of the inspected object or the inspected object A foreign matter inspection apparatus comprising display control means for simultaneously displaying distribution states of foreign matter obtained from the same inspection surface of objects at different inspection times. 2. The inspection is performed by scanning a light beam on an inspection surface of an inspection object and receiving scattered light of the light beam reflected by a foreign substance existing on the inspection surface by a photoelectric conversion element. Foreign matter inspection means for detecting the position and size of the foreign matter present on the surface, and by dividing the display screen showing the inspection surface into a plurality of unit sections and expressing the size of the foreign matter in each unit section. In the foreign matter inspection device having a display unit for displaying the distribution state of the foreign matter, when a plurality of foreign matter having different sizes is detected in the unit section, the unit section is set to a classification number of the size of the foreign matter. A foreign matter inspecting apparatus, comprising: display control means that divides according to the size of each unit and simultaneously displays all foreign matter detected in the unit section and having different sizes. 3. The inspection is performed by scanning a light beam on an inspection surface of an inspection object and receiving scattered light of the light beam reflected by a foreign substance existing on the inspection surface by a photoelectric conversion element. Distribution of the foreign matter by detecting the position and size of the foreign matter existing on the surface, dividing the display screen showing the inspection surface into a plurality of unit sections, and expressing the size of the foreign matter in each unit section. In the foreign matter inspection result display method for displaying the situation, the unit section is divided into at least two or more, and the distribution state of foreign matter obtained from a plurality of inspection surfaces of the inspection object or the same inspection surface of the inspection object is obtained. A method for displaying foreign matter inspection results, characterized in that the distribution status of foreign matter at different inspection times is simultaneously displayed. 4. The inspection is performed by scanning a light beam on an inspection surface of an inspection object and receiving scattered light of the light beam reflected by a foreign substance existing on the inspection surface by a photoelectric conversion element. Distribution of the foreign matter by detecting the position and size of the foreign matter existing on the surface, dividing the display screen showing the inspection surface into a plurality of unit sections, and expressing the size of the foreign matter in each unit section. In the foreign substance inspection result display method for displaying the situation, when a plurality of foreign substances having different sizes are detected in the unit section, the unit section is divided according to the number of classifications of the size of the foreign matter, and the unit A method for displaying a foreign matter inspection result, wherein all foreign matter of different sizes detected in a section are displayed at the same time.