Mask inspection of a semiconductor specimen

US11983867B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials Israel Ltd. · IL

Inventors

• Ariel Shkalim · Gat, IL
• Vladimir OVECHKIN · Ashdod, IL
• Evgeny Bal · Netanya, IL
• Ronen Madmon · Mazkeret Batya, IL
• Ori Petel · Ramat Gan, IL
• Alexander Chereshnya · Kfar Sava, IL
• Oren Cohen · Boulder, US
• Boaz Cohen · al-Araqeeb, IL

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 26, 2022
• Grant date: May 14, 2024
• Expiry date: Apr 26, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06T2207/30148
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

There is provided a mask inspection system and a method of mask inspection. The method comprises: detecting, by the inspection tool, a runtime defect at a defect location on a mask of a semiconductor specimen during runtime scan of the mask, and acquiring, by the inspection tool after runtime and based on the defect location, a plurality sets of aerial images of the runtime defect corresponding to a plurality of focus states throughout a focus process window, each set of aerial images acquired at a respective focus state. The method further comprises for each set of aerial images, calculating a statistic-based EPD value of the runtime defect, thereby giving rise to a plurality of statistic-based EPD values each corresponding to a respective focus state, and determining whether the runtime defect is a true defect based on the plurality of statistic-based EPD values.