公开(公告)号：US20140205179A1

公开(公告)日：2014-07-24

申请号：US14223709

申请日：2014-03-24

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Bing Li ,  Weimin Ma ,  Joseph M. Blecher

IPC: G06T7/00

CPC classification number: G06T7/0002 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G03F1/84 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting a photolithographic reticle. A stream of defect data is received from a reticle inspection system, wherein the defect data identifies a plurality of defects that were detected for a plurality of different portions of the reticle. Before reviewing the defect data to determine whether the reticle passes inspection and as the stream of defect data continues to be received, some of the defects are automatically grouped with other most recently one or more received defects so as form groups of substantially matching defects. Before reviewing the defect data to determine whether the reticle passes inspection and after all of the defect data for the reticle is received, one or more of the groups of defects that have a number above a predetermined threshold are automatically filtered from the defect data so as to form filtered defect data. The filtered defect data may then be provided to a review station for determining whether the reticle passes.

Abstract translation: 公开了用于检查光刻掩模版的方法和装置。 从掩模版检查系统接收缺陷数据流，其中缺陷数据识别针对掩模版的多个不同部分检测到的多个缺陷。 在检查缺陷数据以确定掩模版是否通过检查并且随着缺陷数据流继续被接收之后，一些缺陷自动与其他最近一个或多个接收到的缺陷分组，以便形成基本上匹配的缺陷的组。 在检查缺陷数据以确定掩模版是否通过检查之前，并且在接收到所有掩模版的缺陷数据之后，从缺陷数据中自动过滤具有高于预定阈值的数量的缺陷组中的一个或多个，以便 以形成过滤的缺陷数据。 然后可以将过滤的缺陷数据提供给审查站，以确定标线是否通过。

公开(公告)号：US09892503B2

公开(公告)日：2018-02-13

申请号：US15344788

申请日：2016-11-07

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Chun Guan ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Joseph M. Blecher ,  Robert A. Comstock ,  Mark J. Wihl

IPC: G01N21/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A reticle that is within specifications is inspected to generate baseline candidate defects and their location and size. After using the reticle in photolithography, the reticle is inspected to generate current candidate defects and their location and size. An inspection report of filtered candidate defects and their images is generated so that these candidate defects include a first subset of the current candidate defects and their images and exclude a second subset of the current candidate defects and their images. Each of the first subset of candidate defects has a location and size that fails to match any baseline candidate defect's location and size, and each of the excluded second subset of candidate defects has a location and size that matches a baseline candidate defect's location and size.

公开(公告)号：US09518935B2

公开(公告)日：2016-12-13

申请号：US14278277

申请日：2014-05-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Chun Guan ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Joseph M. Blecher ,  Robert A. Comstock ,  Mark J. Wihl

IPC: G01N21/00 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A reticle that is within specifications is inspected so as to generate a baseline event indicating a location and a size value for each unusual reticle feature. After using the reticle in photolithography, the reticle is inspected so as to generate a current event indicating a location and a size value for each unusual reticle feature. An inspection report of candidate defects and their images is generated so that these candidate defects include a first subset of the current events and their corresponding candidate defect images and exclude a second subset of the current events and their corresponding excluded images. Each of the first included events has a location and size value that fails to match any baseline event's location and size value, and each of the excluded second events has a location and size value that matches a baseline event's location and size value.

Abstract translation: 检查在规格内的掩模版，以便生成指示每个异常掩模版特征的位置和尺寸值的基线事件。 在光刻中使用掩模版之后，检查掩模版以产生指示每个异常掩模版特征的位置和尺寸值的电流事件。 生成候选缺陷及其图像的检查报告，使得这些候选缺陷包括当前事件的第一子集及其对应的候选缺陷图像，并排除当前事件的第二子集及其对应的排除图像。 每个第一个包含的事件都有一个位置和大小值，无法匹配任何基线事件的位置和大小值，并且每个排除的第二个事件具有与基准事件的位置和大小值相匹配的位置和大小值。

公开(公告)号：US09224195B2

公开(公告)日：2015-12-29

申请号：US14223709

申请日：2014-03-24

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Bing Li ,  Weimin Ma ,  Joseph M. Blecher

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0002 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G03F1/84 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting a photolithographic reticle. A stream of defect data is received from a reticle inspection system, wherein the defect data identifies a plurality of defects that were detected for a plurality of different portions of the reticle. Before reviewing the defect data to determine whether the reticle passes inspection and as the stream of defect data continues to be received, some of the defects are automatically grouped with other most recently one or more received defects so as form groups of substantially matching defects. Before reviewing the defect data to determine whether the reticle passes inspection and after all of the defect data for the reticle is received, one or more of the groups of defects that have a number above a predetermined threshold are automatically filtered from the defect data so as to form filtered defect data. The filtered defect data may then be provided to a review station for determining whether the reticle passes.

Abstract translation: 公开了用于检查光刻掩模版的方法和装置。 从掩模版检查系统接收缺陷数据流，其中缺陷数据识别针对掩模版的多个不同部分检测到的多个缺陷。 在检查缺陷数据以确定掩模版是否通过检查并且随着缺陷数据流继续被接收之后，一些缺陷自动与其他最近一个或多个接收到的缺陷分组，以便形成基本上匹配的缺陷的组。 在检查缺陷数据以确定掩模版是否通过检查之前，并且在接收到所有掩模版的缺陷数据之后，从缺陷数据中自动过滤具有高于预定阈值的数量的缺陷组中的一个或多个，以便 以形成过滤的缺陷数据。 然后可以将过滤的缺陷数据提供给审查站，以确定标线是否通过。

公开(公告)号：US20170053395A1

公开(公告)日：2017-02-23

申请号：US15344788

申请日：2016-11-07

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Chun Guan ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Joseph M. Blecher ,  Robert A. Comstock ,  Mark J. Wihl

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A reticle that is within specifications is inspected to generate baseline candidate defects and their location and size. After using the reticle in photolithography, the reticle is inspected to generate current candidate defects and their location and size. An inspection report of filtered candidate defects and their images is generated so that these candidate defects include a first subset of the current candidate defects and their images and exclude a second subset of the current candidate defects and their images. Each of the first subset of candidate defects has a location and size that fails to match any baseline candidate defect's location and size, and each of the excluded second subset of candidate defects has a location and size that matches a baseline candidate defect's location and size.

Abstract translation: 检查规格内的掩模版，以生成基线候选缺陷及其位置和大小。 在光刻中使用掩模版之后，检查掩模版以产生当前候选缺陷及其位置和尺寸。 生成滤波候选缺陷及其图像的检查报告，使得这些候选缺陷包括当前候选缺陷及其图像的第一子集，并排除当前候选缺陷及其图像的第二子集。 候选缺陷的第一子集中的每一个具有不匹配任何基线候选缺陷的位置和大小的位置和大小，并且排除的候选缺陷的第二子集中的每一个具有与基线候选缺陷的位置和大小相匹配的位置和大小。

公开(公告)号：US20150029498A1

公开(公告)日：2015-01-29

申请号：US14278277

申请日：2014-05-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Chun Guan ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Joseph M. Blecher ,  Robert A. Comstock ,  Mark J. Wihl

IPC: G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A reticle that is within specifications is inspected so as to generate a baseline event indicating a location and a size value for each unusual reticle feature. After using the reticle in photolithography, the reticle is inspected so as to generate a current event indicating a location and a size value for each unusual reticle feature. An inspection report of candidate defects and their images is generated so that these candidate defects include a first subset of the current events and their corresponding candidate defect images and exclude a second subset of the current events and their corresponding excluded images. Each of the first included events has a location and size value that fails to match any baseline event's location and size value, and each of the excluded second events has a location and size value that matches a baseline event's location and size value.

Abstract translation: 检查在规格内的掩模版，以便生成指示每个异常掩模版特征的位置和尺寸值的基线事件。 在光刻中使用掩模版之后，检查掩模版以产生指示每个异常掩模版特征的位置和尺寸值的电流事件。 生成候选缺陷及其图像的检查报告，使得这些候选缺陷包括当前事件的第一子集及其对应的候选缺陷图像，并排除当前事件的第二子集及其对应的排除图像。 每个第一个包含的事件都有一个位置和大小值，无法匹配任何基线事件的位置和大小值，并且每个排除的第二个事件具有与基准事件的位置和大小值相匹配的位置和大小值。