公开(公告)号：US06943876B2

公开(公告)日：2005-09-13

申请号：US10223423

申请日：2002-08-20

申请人： Minoru Yoshida ,  Sachio Uto ,  Shunji Maeda ,  Toshihiko Nakata

发明人： Minoru Yoshida ,  Sachio Uto ,  Shunji Maeda ,  Toshihiko Nakata

IPC分类号： G01B11/30 ,  G01N21/956 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G02N21/88

CPC分类号： G01N21/95684

摘要： A method and apparatus for detecting pattern defects which includes annularly scanning of a laser beam emitted from a laser light source on a pupil of an objective lens, illuminating the scanned laser beam, through the objective lens, onto a sample on which there is formed a pattern coated with an optically transparent thin film, acquiring an optical image of the illuminated sample, and processing the acquired image to find defects in the pattern. The annular scan diameter of the laser beam is determined based on the thickness of the optically transparent thin film.

摘要翻译： 一种用于检测图案缺陷的方法和装置，其包括从物镜的瞳孔上的激光光源发射的激光束的环状扫描，将扫描的激光束通过物镜照射到其上形成有 涂覆有光学透明薄膜的图案，获取照射样品的光学图像，以及处理所获取的图像以发现图案中的缺陷。 基于光学透明薄膜的厚度确定激光束的环形扫描直径。

公开(公告)号：US07218389B2

公开(公告)日：2007-05-15

申请号：US10223422

申请日：2002-08-20

申请人： Sachio Uto ,  Minoru Yoshida ,  Toshihiko Nakata ,  Shunji Maeda

发明人： Sachio Uto ,  Minoru Yoshida ,  Toshihiko Nakata ,  Shunji Maeda

IPC分类号： G02N21/88

CPC分类号： G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/94 ,  G01N2021/9513 ,  G01N2201/10 ,  G01N2201/1045

摘要： A pattern defect inspection apparatus is capable of detecting defects, without being affected by non-uniform thickness of a thin film formed on a sample, even when using monochromatic light, such as a laser. The apparatus comprises a laser to illuminate a sample, coherence suppression optics to reduce laser beam coherence, a condenser to condense the laser beam onto a pupil plane of an objective lens, and a detector to detect the light reflected from a circuit pattern formed on a sample. The condenser is designed so that the intensity of light illuminating the sample under test can be partially adjusted according to the type of laser beam illumination condensed on the pupil of the objective lens. Variations in reflected light intensity caused by non-uniform film thickness on the surface of the sample are therefore reduced, and shading is minimized in the detected image to allow detecting of fine defects.

摘要翻译： 即使使用激光等单色光，图案缺陷检查装置也能够不受样品上形成的薄膜的不均匀的厚度的影响而检测缺陷。 该装置包括用于照亮样品的激光器，减少激光束相干性的相干抑制光学器件，将激光束冷凝到物镜的光瞳平面上的冷凝器，以及用于检测从形成在物镜上的电路图案反射的光的检测器 样品。 冷凝器被设计成使得照射待测试样品的光的强度可以根据在物镜的瞳孔上聚集的激光束照明的类型来部分地调节。 因此，在样品表面上由不均匀膜厚引起的反射光强度的变化因此减少，并且在检测图像中使阴影最小化以允许检测细小缺陷。