Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100098322 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REVIEWING DEFECTS ON MASK - A defect to be reviewed is selected from a plurality of defects obtained from inspection results. When the selected defect is a defect of a pattern written using an iteration expression in design data on the mask, another pattern written using the iteration expression in the design data is extracted. A defect present in another pattern is extracted. A peripheral pattern portion located at the periphery of the selected defect and a peripheral pattern portion located at the periphery of the extracted defect are extracted. It is determined whether the peripheral pattern portions extracted are similar to each other. When the peripheral pattern portions are similar to each other, the selected defect and the extracted defect are grouped. It is determined whether the selected defect is an actual defect or a pseudo defect. The determination result is applied to the other grouped defect. | 04-22-2010 |
20110044529 | INSPECTION SYSTEM AND INSPECTION METHOD - A control computer | 02-24-2011 |
20110176719 | INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - Optical image data of a mask is acquired. Reference image data associated with the optical images is created from design pattern data. Regional image data that includes pixel values denoted by multi-valued resolution based on importance level information of the patterns is created from region data including at least one portion of the patterns defined in the design pattern data. Defect determination is conducted on a pixel-by-pixel basis by comparing the optical image data with the reference image data, by means of either a plurality of threshold values determined by each pixel value within the regional image data or a plurality of defect determination methods. Image data of a section whose Mask Error Enhancement Factor (MEEF) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is created from the region data including at least one portion of the patterns defined in the design pattern data. | 07-21-2011 |
20120140060 | INSPECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD - An inspection apparatus and method, which can perform defect determination and estimate a defect on a mask and the resultant influence on a wafer. Each of the transfer images is reviewed in order of following (1) to (3):
| 06-07-2012 |
20130216120 | INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - An inspection region of a mask is virtually divided by stripes, and a pattern on a position error correcting unit is also virtually divided by stripes. Then, a stage is moved such that all the stripes of both the mask and the position error correcting unit are continuously scanned, so that optical images of these stripes are acquired. Fluctuation values of position coordinates of the patterns formed on the position error correcting unit are acquired from the optical images of the position error correcting unit. Based upon the fluctuation values, fluctuation values of the position coordinates of the respective patterns in the inspection region of the mask are obtained so that the position coordinates are corrected. Thereafter, a map is generated from the fluctuation values of the position coordinates of the respective patterns in the inspection region of the mask. | 08-22-2013 |
20130250095 | INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A mask has an inspection region virtually divided by a plurality of stripes. A position error-correcting unit is disposed on a stage in a region different from the mask, formed with patterns divided virtually by the plurality of stripes. A first deviation amount acquiring circuit acquires a first deviation amount from the optical image and the reference image of the position error correction unit. A second deviation amount acquiring circuit acquires a second deviation amount. A position correcting circuit corrects a positional relationship between the mask and the position error correction unit based on the first deviation amount, and obtains a fluctuation value of position coordinates of each pattern in the inspection region of the mask based on the second deviation amount and corrects the position coordinates. | 09-26-2013 |
20140314304 | PATTERN INSPECTION APPARATUS AND PATTERN INSPECTION METHOD - In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes an optical image acquisition unit configured to acquire optical images regarding dies of a target object to be inspected on which the dies having a same pattern formed therein is arranged; a sub-optical image division unit configured to divide an optical image of the optical images regarding a die of the dies positioned in a non-resolved pattern region into sub-optical images using non-resolved pattern region information capable of recognizing the non-resolved pattern region in which a non-resolved pattern that is not resolved is formed; a first comparison unit configured to compare the sub-optical images divided from the optical image of the same die regarding the non-resolved pattern region pixel by pixel; and a second comparison unit configured to compare optical images of the optical images regarding different dies of the dies pixel by pixel. | 10-23-2014 |
20150279024 | INSPECTION METHOD - An inspection method comprising, virtually dividing a sample, in which a plurality of chip patterns are formed, into a plurality of strip-shaped stripes along a predetermined direction to acquire an optical image of the chip pattern in each of the stripes, performing filtering based on design data of the chip pattern to produce a reference image corresponding to the optical image, comparing the chip pattern using a die-to-database method and comparing a repetitive pattern portion in the chip pattern using a cell method, obtaining at least one of a dimension difference and a dimension ratio between a pattern of the optical image and a pattern of the reference image compared to the pattern of the optical image by the die-to-database method; and obtaining a dimension distribution of the plurality of chip patterns from at least one of the dimension difference and the dimension ratio. | 10-01-2015 |