WO2006077950A1

WO2006077950A1 - Sensor, inspection apparatus and inspection method

Info

Publication number: WO2006077950A1
Application number: PCT/JP2006/300793
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masato Ikeda; Shuji Yamaoka; Shogo Ishioka
Original assignee: Oht Inc.
Priority date: 2005-01-14
Filing date: 2006-01-13
Publication date: 2006-07-27
Also published as: JP2006194786A; TW200630622A

Abstract

A sensor for highly accurately inspecting conformity of an inspecting object, an inspection apparatus and an inspection method are provided. A sensor circuit (31) is arranged on an upper plane of one end portion of sensor substrates (5a, 5b), which are bent at the center part and composed of a glass or the like whose cross-section shape is gently curved S. A part whereupon the sensor circuit is arranged is closely attached to a spacer (33) which is provided on other signal substrate (24) and has a fixed height. As a result, the sensor circuit (31) is at a position higher than a surface position of the signal substrate (24), and for control, a sensor electrode (20) provided on the sensor circuit (31) can be easily brought close to a pixel electrode of a liquid crystal panel which is the inspection object.

Description

Description Sensor, Inspection Device and Inspection Method Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sensor, an inspection apparatus, and an inspection method capable of inspecting the quality of pixel electrodes formed on, for example, a liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal display. Background art

In response to demands for thinner and larger displays such as television receivers and personal computers, liquid crystal display panels with a high pixel count have been developed, and products that use them have been put on the market. For products that use such thin and large display devices, it is important to conduct inspections on the display alone as well as operation tests after product assembly.

As a method for inspecting a display substrate such as a liquid crystal display panel, a probe is brought into contact with each of a gate wiring and a source wiring connected to a TFT transistor provided for each pixel. In some cases, the output voltage is used to determine whether a pixel electrode is defective. On the other hand, in the inspection method using the probe as described above, problems such as frequent contact failure and increased probe replacement cost occur due to the full color of the liquid crystal display and the narrowing of the pixel pitch accompanying high definition. It was. In view of such problems, for example, in the liquid crystal panel inspection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a thin array sensor is arranged on a substrate, an amplifier and a scanner are provided adjacent to the array sensor, and these A lead wire is formed between the metal film and the array sensor is placed close to the liquid crystal panel to be inspected. The detection level and SZN ratio in non-contact inspection are improved.

The above array sensor incorporates a potential sensor using a field effect transistor. Similarly, in Patent Document 2, a source on an inspection substrate is opposed to an image electrode arranged on a liquid crystal display substrate. Inspection that arranges switch elements consisting of electrodes, semiconductors, and drain electrodes, brings the inspection substrate close to the pixel electrode, and conducts conduction between the source electrode and drain electrode by applying a normal voltage to the pixel electrode, and detects the conduction An apparatus is disclosed.

For example, the potential sensor described in Patent Document 3 uses an enhancement type MO S-FET as a method for inspecting the quality of a pixel electrode of a liquid crystal display in proximity to the pixel electrode. Those using electrostatic CM OS sensors are also known.

Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1 1 1 1 5 3 6 3 7

Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-6 24 7 4

Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2 0 0 1— 1 3 348 7

However, the sensor used in the conventional inspection method described above, for example, the potential sensor described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, causes the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal panel to be inspected to act as the gate of the field effect transistor, and the pixel voltage Wire disconnection or short circuit is detected. As a result, the sensitivity of the sensor depends on the process of creating the field effect transistor, and the function as a sensor is insufficient.

In the case of using an electrostatic CMO S sensor, a flexible connection is made on the upper surface of a flat sensor board to guide the detection signal from the sensor to an amplifier, etc. The gap occupied is inevitable. As a result, the flexible thickness hinders the proximity of the sensor and the inspection object in non-contact inspection, and there is a problem that the sensitivity and resolution of the sensor decrease. there were. Disclosure of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor, an inspection apparatus, and an inspection method that can detect the quality of a pixel electrode on a panel with high accuracy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sensor, an inspection apparatus, and an inspection method capable of avoiding a decrease in sensor resolution.

As a means for achieving this object and solving the above-mentioned problems, for example, the following configuration is provided. That is, the present invention is a sensor that supplies an inspection signal to an inspection object and inspects the state of the inspection object, and includes a first substrate having a flat surface and a predetermined portion of the first substrate. A provided convex portion, a second substrate curved so that at least one end abuts the surface of the convex portion and the other end abuts the surface of the first substrate, and the second substrate A sensor element disposed on the surface of the one end, wherein the sensor element is provided with a sensor electrode facing the inspection object. For example, the sensor electrode is a conductor film having a predetermined area connected to a gate terminal of a MOS transistor formed on the second substrate. Further, for example, the inspection signal is detected from the inspection object in a non-contact manner through capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and the inspection object.

For example, the second substrate has an array configuration in which the one end portions are arranged in a row on the convex portion while the one end portions face each other, and a part of the one end portion overlaps in the row direction. It is characterized by. For example, the second substrate is made of glass, plastic or quartz having a predetermined thickness. In addition, for example, the convex portion is a spacer placed between the first substrate and the one end portion of the second substrate. For example, the protrusion is characterized by being formed by protruding a part of the first substrate. For example, the convex portion is formed by laminating a third substrate on a predetermined portion of the first substrate.

For example, a plurality of the second substrates arranged in a row are provided, and the sensor elements corresponding to the plurality of rows of substrates can be individually selected.

As another means for solving the above-described problem, for example, the present invention includes a signal supply means for supplying an inspection signal to an inspection object, a sensor having a configuration in which a portion facing the inspection object is protruded, and the inspection A means for detecting the inspection signal in a non-contact manner from an object; and an identification means for identifying the quality of the inspection object based on a change in the detection signal. The sensor includes a plurality of sensors each having a sensor electrode. The sensor substrates are arranged opposite to each other in a row, and one end portion of the sensor substrate is in contact with a convex portion provided at a predetermined portion of the flat plate substrate, and the other end portion of the sensor substrate. The sensor electrode is curved so as to come into contact with the surface, and the sensor electrode is disposed on the surface of the one end portion of the sensor substrate so as to face the inspection object.

For example, the sensor electrode is a conductor film having a predetermined area connected to a gate terminal of a MOS transistor formed on the sensor substrate. Further, for example, the inspection signal is detected from the inspection object in a non-contact manner through capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and the inspection object.

For example, the sensor substrate has an arrangement configuration in which the one end portions are arranged in a row on the convex portions while facing each other, and the one end portions overlap each other in the row direction. And For example, The sensor substrate is made of glass, plastic or quartz having a predetermined thickness.

For example, the sensor board may further include a plurality of rows of the sensor substrates arranged in the row, and a means for individually selecting the plurality of rows of sensor substrates. Further, for example, it is characterized by further comprising positioning moving means for positioning and moving the inspection object so as to sequentially scan the inspection object while maintaining the proximity state of the sensor electrode and the inspection object. For example, the positioning moving means performs the positioning in a state where the inspection object is floated by an air flow.

As another means for solving the above-described problem, for example, the inspection method according to the present invention is characterized by inspecting the state of the inspection object using the above-described inspection apparatus. Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an array state of each sensor substrate in the sensor of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration when the sensor of the embodiment is cut.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a circuit configuration of a sensor unit in the inspection apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the inspection object and the sensor at the time of inspection by the inspection apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a sensor unit according to a modification of the embodiment. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment. The inspection object of the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a plurality of pixel electrodes and a thin film transistor (TFT) for driving them arranged in an array (or matrix) on a glass substrate. Such as liquid crystal display panels and evening-type panels.

In the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 1 is disposed on the upper surface of the liquid crystal panel 10 to be inspected, and the liquid crystal panel 1 is based on the sensor output.

The quality of the pixel electrode of 0 is inspected. In the inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment, the line-shaped sensor 1 is positioned at a position separated from the liquid crystal panel 10 by a predetermined distance in order to perform the inspection in a non-contact manner. The sensor 1 is, for example, a one-dimensional line sensor that has the same width as the liquid crystal panel 10 and determines whether or not the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal panel 10 is disconnected in a non-contact manner by a sensor circuit or the like described later. is there. Sensor 1 'shown in Fig. 1 is a sensor

1 shows the structure of the functional part placed on the opposite side (back side) of the sensor placement side.

A pixel voltage supply unit 13 is connected to the liquid crystal panel 10, thereby supplying signals necessary for pixel inspection to individual pixel electrodes. Sensor

1 has a plurality of sensors regularly arranged as described later. Since the pixel signal detected by each sensor is a very small signal, it is amplified with a predetermined amplification degree by a not-shown operational amplifier (op-amp), etc., and then is multiplexed with a multiplexer (MPX) 2 at a constant cycle. Scanned and multiplexed. Each multiplexed sensor signal is sent to a waveform shaping unit 3 constituted by, for example, a limiter circuit.

The output signal from the waveform shaping unit 3 is sent to the AZD conversion unit 4. AZD The conversion unit 4 performs a waveform process for converting the AC signal amplified and waveform-shaped as described above into a DC level signal, and a conversion process such as converting an analog signal into a digital signal.

The control unit 6 compares the converted signal level with a preset reference value, and determines whether or not the result obtained by the above signal processing is within the reference range. The determination result is sent to the display unit 9. In addition, the control unit 6 is configured by, for example, a microprocessor to control the entire inspection apparatus, and comprehensively controls a predetermined inspection sequence. The control unit 6 further includes a ROM 7 and a RAM 8, and the ROM 7 stores a control procedure including an inspection procedure, for example, as a computer program, and temporarily stores the RAM 8, for example, control data and inspection data. It is used as a work area for storing data.

The display unit 9 is composed of, for example, a CRT, a liquid crystal display, etc., and is visible in a format that allows the inspector to easily understand the quality of the inspection target (pixel electrode of the liquid crystal panel) that is the determination result sent from the control unit 6. indicate. If the pixel electrode is defective, the position of the electrode on the panel substrate is also displayed by, for example, the electrode number and coordinates. The display of inspection results is not limited to visual display, and may be output in a format such as audio. Moreover, visual display and sound may be mixed. The drive unit 16 receives the control signal from the control unit 6 and moves the entire stage (not shown) on which the liquid crystal panel 10 is placed at a predetermined speed in a predetermined direction, so that the sensor 1 The arrayed pixel electrodes on the liquid crystal panel 10 can be sequentially scanned in a non-contact state. Specifically, since the drive unit 16 moves the stage in a predetermined direction on the m order, the three-dimensional position control is possible by the 4-axis control of the XYZ 0 angle, and the liquid crystal panel 10 is moved to the sensor position. Position it at a reference position before inspection that is separated by a certain distance. Next, the sensor unit in the inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 shows an arrangement state of each sensor board in the sensor unit of the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the sensor unit of the present embodiment. The cross-sectional configuration when the sensor substrate is cut along the two-dot chain line A—A ′ is shown. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the sensor 1 has a plurality of sensor boards 5 a and 5 b arranged in a line, and they are arranged on a spacer 33 having a predetermined thickness. This is a one-dimensional line sensor that is arranged in parallel with the pitch width and has the same width as the inspection target portion of the liquid crystal panel 10 as a whole.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tip of sensor board 5a, 5b on the spacer 33 side is partly in the row direction with the tip of the other sensor board. An overlapping arrangement is taken. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensor substrates 5a and 5b are made of glass having a predetermined thickness, but are not limited thereto, and may be made of plastic or quartz, for example. The sensor substrates 5 a and 5 b have a structure that is bent (bent) into an S-shape with a loose cross section at a substantially central portion. A sensor circuit 31 is disposed on the upper end of the sensor board 5a, 5b on the spacer 33 side (see FIG. 3). Thus, the sensor circuit 31 arranged on each sensor board 5a, 5b can be obtained by adopting a configuration in which the tip end part of each sensor board 5a, 5b partially overlaps the opposing sensor board. Since sensor electrodes 20 described later also overlap each other in the column direction, depending on the relative positional relationship between the pixel electrode 15 of the liquid crystal panel 10 and the sensor circuit 31, two sensor circuits may be applied to one pixel electrode. Since signals can be simultaneously detected by the path 31 (specifically, the sensor electrode 20), it is possible to reliably determine the quality of the pixel electrode.

The liquid crystal panel 10 to be inspected is composed of a glass substrate and a plurality of pixel electrodes 15 formed on the surface thereof as shown in FIG. The sensor electrode 20 arranged in this manner detects the signal potential (pixel voltage) applied to the pixel electrode 15 of the liquid crystal panel 10 from the pixel voltage supply unit 13 in a non-contact manner.

In order to inspect the liquid crystal panel in a non-contact manner, the separation distance d between the sensor electrode 20 and the liquid crystal panel 10 (actually, the pixel electrode 15 formed on the liquid crystal panel 10) is set to, for example, 10 Must be 0 or less. Therefore, as a configuration in which the central portion of sensor 1 is protruded, each sensor substrate 5 a, 5 b is provided with a bent portion (flexible portion) 21 so that the separation distance d can be controlled to the minimum, and the sensor substrate The sensor circuit 3 1 is placed in close contact with the spacer 3 3 so that the sensor circuit 3 1 is higher than the surface position of the signal board 2 4 and the tab 2 5 described later. 5a and 5b have a structure in which the part opposite to the side where the sensor circuit 3 1 is arranged is in close contact with the signal board 24 at a position lower than the sensor electrode 20.

For example, a conductive pattern 3 4 formed by a metal film forming method is wired on the sensor substrates 5 a and 5 b, and a signal detected by the sensor circuit 3 1 is transmitted through the conductive pattern 3 4. Tab 2 to 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the tab 25 is U-shaped in cross section, and the conductive pattern 3 on the sensor substrate 5 a, 5 b side through the conductive part provided inside the tab 25. 4 and the conductive pattern 35 on the signal board 24 side are electrically connected to each other, and the sensor boards 5 a and 5 b and the signal board 24 are fixed to each other.

Conductive pattern 3 5 has a signal from sensor circuit 3 1 where the multiplexer (MPX) 2 placed on the back side of signal board 2 4 (the side opposite to the side where sensor boards 5 a and 5 b are placed) This is a signal path to the waveform shaping unit 3 and AZD conversion unit 4.

The AZD conversion unit 4 converts the pixel voltage value detected by the sensor electrode 20 into a digital value and sends it to the control unit 6 shown in FIG. Control unit 6 is As described above, the signal value obtained by the conversion by the AZD converter 4 is compared with the reference value (threshold value) set in advance, and whether or not the sensor signal level is within the reference value range. Determine.

The means for making the sensor circuit 31 higher than the surface position of the signal substrate 24 and bringing the sensor electrode 20 close to the pixel electrode 15 formed on the liquid crystal panel 10 is the above-mentioned space. For example, a part of the signal board 24 is raised to provide a protrusion having a predetermined height, or another substrate of a predetermined size is further laminated on the signal board 24 to form a convex part. It may be realized by forming. In either case, the portion of the sensor substrate 5a, 5b in which the sensor circuit 31 is disposed is brought into close contact with the upper surface of the protrusion.

FIG. 4 schematically shows the circuit configuration of the sensor unit in the inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the sensor electrode 2 0 constituting the sensor circuit 3 1 is composed of the CM〇 S element (MOS field effect transistor) 4 1 formed on the sensor substrate 5 a, 5 b of the sensor 1 It is connected to the gate terminal (G) and is made of a conductor film (for example, an ITO film) having a predetermined area. The distance L between the centers of the sensor electrodes 20 regularly arranged in parallel is, for example, 70 z / m, and the pitch width is 50 m. However, the distance is not limited to these, and can be adjusted according to the size of the inspection object. ,

The source terminal (S) of each CMOS element 41 is connected to the sensor circuit diode (GND), and each drain terminal (D) is connected to the signal via the conductive patterns 34 and 35 described above. Centrally connected to the multiplexer 2 disposed on the substrate 24. A waveform shaping unit 3 and an AZD conversion unit 4 are arranged after the multiplexer 2.

Next, in the inspection method of the inspection object in the inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment A brief description will be given. FIG. 5 shows the positional relationship between the inspection object and the sensor when the inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment is inspected. In FIG. 5, an air supply unit 50 is arranged below the liquid crystal panel 10 to be inspected, and the liquid crystal panel 10 is an air flow blown up from the air supply unit 50 (in the figure, an upward arrow). Will be in a floating state. Then, while maintaining a predetermined height, it moves in the direction of arrow 61 in the figure.

On the other hand, the upper part of the liquid crystal panel 10 has a sensor 1 arranged in a non-contact state with the liquid crystal panel 10 and moves in the direction of arrow 61 while maintaining the distance between the sensor 1 and the liquid crystal panel 10 constant. By sequentially scanning the pixel electrodes 15 on the liquid crystal panel 10, the quality can be continuously inspected.

The air supply unit 50 has a large number of holes (not shown) on its entire surface, and the air flow from these holes is controlled to be in different directions depending on the region to be inspected. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a portion of the liquid crystal panel 10 facing the sensor 1 disposed in the upper part (region C in the figure) is supplied from the air supply unit 50 to the liquid crystal panel. An airflow is generated by mixing an airflow rising to 10 and an airflow falling from the liquid crystal panel 10 to the air supply unit 50.

On the other hand, an air flow rising from the air supply unit 50 toward the liquid crystal panel 10 is generated in the peripheral regions A and B of the portion of the liquid crystal panel 10 facing the sensor 1. By floating the liquid crystal panel 10 with such an air flow, for example, due to the deflection of the liquid crystal panel 10 due to its own weight, the pixel electrode 15 of the liquid crystal panel 10 to be inspected and the sensor of the sensor 1 It is possible to prevent the separation distance d from the circuit 31 from fluctuating. As a result, the distance d in the lower region of the sensor 1 is always kept at a minimum and constant during non-contact inspection, and damage to the liquid crystal panel 10 due to movement for scanning is avoided. . As described above, by adopting a configuration in which the central portion of the sensor is protruded, the distance between the sensor and the inspection object can be easily controlled. In other words, a curved part (flexible part) is provided in the middle part of each sensor board constituting the sensor to form a curve, and a sensor circuit is arranged on the upper surface of one end part, and the end part is connected to the signal. The sensor circuit is made to adhere to a spacer of a predetermined height provided on the substrate so that the sensor circuit is higher than the surface position of the signal substrate, so that the sensor circuit can be easily applied to the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal panel to be inspected. They can be placed close to each other, and the distance between the sensor and the inspection object can be easily controlled.

In addition, by controlling the distance between the sensor and the inspection object to the minimum, the sensitivity and resolution of the sensor are improved, and the pixel voltage of the pixel electrode can be reliably detected in a non-contact manner. Furthermore, by improving the sensor sensitivity and resolution of each sensor, it is possible to improve the reliability of inspection and shorten the inspection time, and there is an advantage that the processing capacity (throughput) of the entire inspection is increased.

Furthermore, the sensor electrodes arranged opposite to each other in a row form an array configuration in which the sensor electrodes partially overlap each other in the column direction by adopting an arrangement configuration in which the portions overlap each other in the column direction. At the time of inspection, all the pixel electrodes of the liquid crystal panel can be inspected without fail.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The sensor section of the inspection apparatus according to the above embodiment is a one-dimensional line sensor configured by alternately arranging a plurality of sensor substrates on a spacer. When such a configuration is adopted, if any one of a plurality of sensors fails or becomes defective, it becomes difficult to perform the function as a sensor. In that case, the entire sensor is usually discarded and replaced with a normal one.

FIG. 6 shows a circuit configuration of a sensor unit according to a modification of the above embodiment. The sensor unit according to this modification is provided with a plurality of one-dimensional line sensors. They can be selected individually and used for inspection. That is, the sensor circuit shown in FIG. 6 has three one-dimensional line sensors 8 1 to 8 3, and each line sensor has a plurality of CMOS elements (one-dimensional) as in the sensor circuit shown in FIG. In the line sensor 8 1, a sensor electrode (sensor electrode 70 a to 70 f in the one-dimensional line sensor 8 1) is connected to the gate terminal (G) of the CMO S element 7 1 a to 7 1 f). .

For example, when the one-dimensional line sensor 8 1 is used as the one-dimensional line sensor of the sensor unit, a selection signal is sent to the selection line S 1 and the switch elements 7 3 a to 7 3 f connected thereto are driven ( When active), the switch elements 7 3 a to 7 3 f are turned on. As a result, the signal detected by the sensor electrodes 70 a to 70 f connected to the gate terminal (G) (the signal applied to the pixel electrode from the pixel voltage supply unit) is converted into the CMOS element 7 1 a ˜71 f is input to the multiplexer (MP X) 9 2 via the drain (D) of 1 f and the switch elements 7 3 a to 7 3 f. The same control is performed when other sensors are selected and used.

As described above, by providing a plurality of one-dimensional line sensors each having a sensor electrode arranged as a sensor circuit, and configuring them so that they can be individually selected, for example, inspection can be performed due to a failure of one sensor. It is possible to avoid situations where it cannot be performed, and to provide a backup function for the sensor unit. As a result, there is no need to discard or replace the entire sensor due to a failure or the like, and a redundant sensor unit or inspection device can be obtained. Industrial applicability

According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect the quality of pixel electrodes on a panel to be inspected. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a non-contact inspection that avoids a decrease in the resolution of the sensor.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A sensor for supplying an inspection signal to an inspection object and inspecting the state of the inspection object,

A first substrate having a flat surface,

A convex portion provided at a predetermined portion of the first substrate;

A second substrate curved such that at least one end abuts against the surface of the convex portion and the other end abuts against the surface of the first substrate;

A sensor element disposed on a surface of the one end of the second substrate, wherein the sensor element is provided with a sensor electrode facing the inspection object.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor electrode is a conductor film having a predetermined area connected to a gate terminal of a MOS type transistor formed on the second substrate.

3. The sensor according to claim 2, wherein the inspection signal is detected from the inspection object in a non-contact manner through capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and the inspection object.

4. The second substrate has an arrangement configuration in which the one end portions are arranged in a row on the convex portion with the one end portions facing each other, and a part of the one end portion overlaps in the row direction. The sensor according to claim 3.

5. The sensor according to claim 4, wherein the second substrate is made of glass, plastic, or quartz having a predetermined thickness.

6. The sensor according to claim 4, wherein the second substrates arranged in a row are provided in a plurality of rows, and the sensor elements corresponding to the plurality of rows of substrates can be individually selected.

7. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is a spacer placed between the first substrate and the one end portion of the second substrate.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is formed by projecting a part of the first substrate.

9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is formed by laminating a third substrate at a predetermined portion of the first substrate.

1 0. A signal supply means for supplying an inspection signal to an inspection object;

A sensor having a configuration in which a portion facing the inspection object is protruded; means for detecting the inspection signal in a non-contact manner from the inspection object; and identification for identifying pass / fail of the inspection object based on a change in the detection signal With a means,

The sensor is formed by arranging a plurality of sensor substrates each having a sensor electrode in a row, and one end portion of the sensor substrate is a protrusion provided at a predetermined portion of a flat substrate. The sensor electrode is disposed on the surface of the one end portion of the sensor substrate so as to face the object to be inspected. The inspection apparatus characterized by comprising.

11. The inspection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sensor electrode is a conductor film having a predetermined area connected to a gate terminal of a MOS transistor formed on the sensor substrate. .

1. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection signal is detected from the inspection object in a non-contact manner through capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and the inspection object.

1 3. The sensor substrate is arranged in a row on the convex portion with the one end portions facing each other, and one of the one end portions in the row direction. The inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the parts have an arrangement configuration in which the parts overlap each other.

14. The inspection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the sensor substrate is made of glass, plastic, or quartz having a predetermined thickness.

15. The inspection apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a plurality of rows of the sensor boards arranged in the row, and means for individually selecting the plurality of rows of sensor boards. .

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising positioning movement means for positioning and moving the inspection object so as to sequentially scan the inspection object while maintaining a proximity state between the sensor electrode and the inspection object. Inspection equipment.

17. The inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the positioning moving means performs positioning in a state where the inspection object is floated by an air flow.

18. An inspection method comprising inspecting a state of an inspection object using the inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 17.