Patent · US Active

Pattern inspection method of semiconductor device optical image

US9021406B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
0References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 10, 2014
Grant dateApr 28, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 10, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/956
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a pattern inspection method includes acquiring optical images regarding figure patterns arranged in each of frame regions, for each of the plurality of frame regions; measuring linewidth dimensions of the figure patterns, for each of the frame regions; operating an average value of each linewidth dimension shift between linewidth dimensions of figure patterns in a reference image corresponding to the frame region concerned and the linewidth dimensions of the figure patterns in the optical image, for each of the frame regions; extracting a specific frame from the frame regions by comparing the average value of the frame region concerned, with average values of frame regions around the frame region concerned, for each of the frame regions; and inspecting the specific frame for dimensional defects of linewidth dimensions.

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