US Patent 10401299 Image capturing apparatus and inspection apparatus and inspection method

An imaging capturing apparatus comprising, a light source, a polarizing beam splitter configured to illuminate a target with light from the light source, a sensor configured to capture an image of the inspection target by incidence of light reflected from the target through the polarizing beam splitter, and a Faraday rotator provided between the polarizing beam splitter and the target and disposed away from the polarizing beam splitter such that a Faraday rotation angle in the polarizing beam splitter is within a range of an angle equal to or larger than −0.5 degrees and an angle equal to or smaller than 0.5 degrees.