Patent · US Active

Pattern inspection method and apparatus with high-accuracy pattern image correction capability

US7627164B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
2References
8Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateFeb 24, 2006
Grant dateDec 1, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 10, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T2207/30164
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A high-accuracy image correction device adaptable for use in pattern inspection apparatus is disclosed. The device includes a correction region designation unit which designates a correction region including a pattern and its nearby portion within each of an inspection reference pattern image and a pattern image under test. The device also includes an equation generator which generates by linear predictive modeling a set of simultaneous equations for a reference pattern image within the correction region and an under-test pattern image within the correction region, a parameter generator for solving the equations to obtain more than one model parameter, and a corrected pattern image generator for using the model parameter to apply the linear predictive modeling to the reference pattern image to thereby generate a corrected pattern image. A pattern inspection method using the image correction technique is also disclosed.

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