Patent · US Expired

Pattern inspecting method and apparatus thereof, and pattern inspecting method on basis of electron beam images and apparatus thereof

US6614923B1 · kind B1 · utility

22Cited by
7References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 6, 1999
Grant dateSep 2, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 6, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2817
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

For purpose of providing a defect inspecting method and an apparatus thereof and a defect inspecting method on basis of electron beam image and an apparatus thereof, reducing possibility of bringing erroneous or false reports due to the test objection side and the inspecting apparatus side, being caused by discrepancies, such as the minute difference in pattern shapes, the difference in gradation values, the distortion or deformation of the patterns, the position shift, thereby enabling the detection of the defects or the defective candidates in more details, wherein an image which is small in distortion by controlling the electron beam scanning is detected and divided into a size so as to be able to neglect therefrom, and then position shift detection and defect decision are carried out in an accuracy less or finer than pixel for each division unit. In the defect decision, a desired tolerance can be set up depending upon changes in gradation values and the position shift.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.