公开(公告)号：US20130038862A1

公开(公告)日：2013-02-14

申请号：US13648001

申请日：2012-10-09

申请人： Akira HAMAMATSU ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hisae SHIBUYA

发明人： Akira HAMAMATSU ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hisae SHIBUYA

IPC分类号： G01N21/956

CPC分类号： G01N21/956

摘要： When size of a defect on an increasingly miniaturized pattern is obtained by defect inspection apparatus in the related art, a value is inconveniently given, which is different from a measured value of the same defect by SEM. Thus, a dimension value of a defect detected by defect inspection apparatus needs to be accurately calculated to be approximated to a value measured by SEM. To this end, size of the defect detected by the defect inspection apparatus is corrected depending on feature quantity or type of the defect, thereby defect size can be accurately calculated.

公开(公告)号：US20100268482A1

公开(公告)日：2010-10-21

申请号：US12827555

申请日：2010-06-30

申请人： Akira HAMAMATSU ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hisae SHIBUYA

发明人： Akira HAMAMATSU ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hisae SHIBUYA

IPC分类号： G01N21/88 ,  G06F19/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/956

摘要： When size of a defect on an increasingly miniaturized pattern is obtained by defect inspection apparatus in the related art, a value is inconveniently given, which is different from a measured value of the same defect by SEM. Thus, a dimension value of a defect detected by defect inspection apparatus needs to be accurately calculated to be approximated to a value measured by SEM. To this end, size of the defect detected by the defect inspection apparatus is corrected depending on feature quantity or type of the defect, thereby defect size can be accurately calculated.

摘要翻译： 当通过现有技术的缺陷检查装置获得越来越小型化的图案的缺陷的尺寸时，不方便地给出不同于SEM的相同缺陷的测量值的值。 因此，需要精确地计算由缺陷检查装置检测到的缺陷的尺寸值，以近似于通过SEM测量的值。 为此，由缺陷检查装置检测到的缺陷的尺寸根据缺陷的特征量或类型进行修正，从而可以精确地计算缺陷尺寸。

公开(公告)号：US20080101685A1

公开(公告)日：2008-05-01

申请号：US11858215

申请日：2007-09-20

申请人： Shunji MAEDA ,  Kenji Oka ,  Yukihiro Shibata ,  Minoru Yoshida ,  Chie Shishido ,  Yuji Takagi ,  Atsushi Yoshida ,  Kazuo Yamaguchi

发明人： Shunji MAEDA ,  Kenji Oka ,  Yukihiro Shibata ,  Minoru Yoshida ,  Chie Shishido ,  Yuji Takagi ,  Atsushi Yoshida ,  Kazuo Yamaguchi

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G06T7/001 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G06T7/0004 ,  G06T2207/30148

摘要： A method of inspecting patterns to detect a defect of the patterns by using information of a scattered diagram of brightness of said first and second images.

摘要翻译： 通过使用所述第一和第二图像的亮度的散射图的信息来检查图案以检测图案的缺陷的方法。

公开(公告)号：US20090290783A1

公开(公告)日：2009-11-26

申请号：US12470507

申请日：2009-05-22

申请人： Kaoru SAKAI ,  Shunji MAEDA

发明人： Kaoru SAKAI ,  Shunji MAEDA

IPC分类号： G06K9/00 ,  G01N21/88

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G06K9/2027 ,  G06K9/6284 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/30148

摘要： The invention relates to a defect inspection apparatus in which images of mutually corresponding areas in identically formed patterns on a sample are compared to detect mismatched portions of the images as defects. The defect inspection apparatus includes an image comparator that creates a feature space with the use of feature quantities calculated from pixels of images acquired under different optical conditions and detects outlier values in the feature space as defects. Thus, the defect inspection apparatus can detect various defects with high sensitivity even if there are luminance differences between images of identical patterns which are attributable to the difference in wafer pattern thickness.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种缺陷检查装置，其中比较了样本上相同形式的图案中相互对应区域的图像，以检测图像的不匹配部分作为缺陷。 缺陷检查装置包括使用从不同光学条件下获取的图像的像素计算的特征量来创建特征空间的图像比较器，并且检测特征空间中的异常值作为缺陷。 因此，缺陷检查装置即使在由于晶片图案厚度的差异导致的相同图案的图像之间存在亮度差异的情况下也能够高灵敏度地检测各种缺陷。

公开(公告)号：US20080225286A1

公开(公告)日：2008-09-18

申请号：US12124653

申请日：2008-05-21

申请人： Yukihiro SHIBATA ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hidetoshi NISHIYAMA

发明人： Yukihiro SHIBATA ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hidetoshi NISHIYAMA

IPC分类号： G01J3/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/8822

摘要： A defect inspection method and apparatus that can easily and quickly determine, from among a plurality of inspection conditions, a condition that allows for an inspection with high sensitivity. The inspection apparatus has a variety of optical functions to cover a variety of kinds of defects to be inspected (shape, material, nearby pattern, etc.). For each optical function, grayscale depths of defects that the operator wants detected and of pseudo defects that he or she wants undetected are accumulated for future use, so that conditions conducive to a higher sensitivity and a lower pseudo defect detection rate can be selected efficiently. Conditions that can be selected for optical systems include a bright-field illumination, a dark-field illumination and a bright-/dark-field composite illumination, illumination wavelength bands, polarization filters and spatial filters.

摘要翻译： 一种缺陷检查方法和装置，其可以容易且快速地从多个检查条件中确定允许以高灵敏度进行检查的条件。 检查装置具有各种光学功能，可以覆盖要检查的各种缺陷（形状，材料，附近图案等）。 对于每个光学功能，操作者想要检测到的缺陷的灰度深度和他或她想要未检测到的伪缺陷被累积以供将来使用，使得可以有效地选择有利于更高灵敏度和更低伪缺陷检测率的条件。 可以选择用于光学系统的条件包括亮场照明，暗场照明和亮/暗场复合照明，照明波长带，偏振滤光器和空间滤光器。

公开(公告)号：US20130002849A1

公开(公告)日：2013-01-03

申请号：US13608501

申请日：2012-09-10

申请人： Kaoru SAKAI ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hidetoshi NISHIYAMA

发明人： Kaoru SAKAI ,  Shunji MAEDA ,  Hidetoshi NISHIYAMA

IPC分类号： G06K9/00 ,  H04N7/18

CPC分类号： G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/30148

摘要： According to the present invention, for a pattern inspection apparatus that compares images in corresponding areas of two patterns that are identical and that determines an unmatched portion between the images is a defect, a plurality of detection systems and a plurality of corresponding image comparison methods are provided. With this configuration, the affect of uneven brightnesses for a pattern that occurs due to differences in film thicknesses can be reduced, a highly sensitive pattern inspection can be performed, a variety of defects can be revealed, and the pattern inspection apparatus can be applied for processing performed within a wide range. Furthermore, the pattern inspection apparatus also includes a unit for converting the tone of image signals of comparison images for a plurality of different processing units, and when a difference in brightness occurs in the same pattern of the images, a defect can be correctly detected.

摘要翻译： 根据本发明，对于对相同的两个图案的相应区域中的图像进行比较并且确定图像之间的不匹配部分的图像的图案检查装置是缺陷，多个检测系统和多个对应的图像比较方法是 提供。 利用这种结构，可以降低由于膜厚度差异而产生的图案的不均匀亮度的影响，可以进行高灵敏度图案检查，可以显示各种缺陷，并且图案检查装置可以应用于 在广泛的范围内进行处理。 此外，图案检查装置还包括用于转换多个不同处理单元的比较图像的图像信号的色调的单元，并且当在相同图案中出现亮度差时，可以正确地检测缺陷。

公开(公告)号：US20110170765A1

公开(公告)日：2011-07-14

申请号：US13072102

申请日：2011-03-25

申请人： Shunji MAEDA ,  Kenji OKA ,  Yukihiro SHIBATA ,  Minoru YOSHIDA ,  Chie SHISHIDO ,  Yuji TAKAGI ,  Atsushi YOSHIDA ,  Kazuo YAMAGUCHI

发明人： Shunji MAEDA ,  Kenji OKA ,  Yukihiro SHIBATA ,  Minoru YOSHIDA ,  Chie SHISHIDO ,  Yuji TAKAGI ,  Atsushi YOSHIDA ,  Kazuo YAMAGUCHI

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G06T7/001 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G06T7/0004 ,  G06T2207/30148

摘要： Arrangements for inspecting a specimen on which plural patterns are formed; capturing a first image of a first area; capturing a second image of a second area in which patterns which are essentially the same with the patterns formed in the first area; creating data relating to corresponding pixels of the first and second images, for each pixel; determining a threshold for each pixel for detecting defects directly in accordance with the first and second images; and detecting defects on the specimen by processing the first and second images by using the threshold for each pixel and information of a scattered diagram of brightness of the first and second images, wherein the threshold is determined by using information of brightness of a local region of at least one of the first and second images, with the local region including an aimed pixel and peripheral pixels of the aimed pixel.

摘要翻译： 用于检查形成多个图案的样本的布置; 捕获第一区域的第一图像; 捕获与形成在第一区域中的图案基本上相同的图案的第二区域的第二图像; 为每个像素创建与第一和第二图像的相应像素有关的数据; 根据第一和第二图像确定用于检测缺陷的每个像素的阈值; 以及通过使用每个像素的阈值和第一和第二图像的亮度的散射图的信息来处理第一和第二图像来检测样本上的缺陷，其中，通过使用第一和第二图像的局部区域的亮度的信息来确定阈值 第一和第二图像中的至少一个，其中局部区域包括目标像素和目标像素的外围像素。