公开(公告)号：US06898305B2

公开(公告)日：2005-05-24

申请号：US09791911

申请日：2001-02-22

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Yasuhiko Nara ,  Mari Nozoe

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Yasuhiko Nara ,  Mari Nozoe

IPC分类号： G01N23/225 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G06T1/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G06T7/001 ,  G01N21/95684 ,  G06T2207/10056 ,  G06T2207/30148

摘要： The present invention provides techniques, including a method and system, for inspecting for defects in a circuit pattern on a semi-conductor material. One specific embodiment provides a trial inspection threshold setup method, where the initial threshold is modified after a defect analysis of trial inspection stored data. The modified threshold is then used as the threshold in actual inspection.

公开(公告)号：US06975754B2

公开(公告)日：2005-12-13

申请号：US09802693

申请日：2001-03-08

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Yasuhiko Nara ,  Mari Nozoe

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Yasuhiko Nara ,  Mari Nozoe

IPC分类号： G01N21/956 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G06T7/001 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95615 ,  G06T2207/10056 ,  G06T2207/30148

摘要： The present invention provides techniques, including a method and system, for inspecting for defects in a circuit pattern on a semi-conductor material. One specific embodiment provides a trial inspection threshold setup method, where the initial threshold is modified after a defect analysis of trial inspection stored data. The modified threshold is then used as the threshold in actual inspection.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供了用于检查半导体材料上的电路图案中的缺陷的方法和系统的技术。 一个具体实施例提供了一种试验检查阈值设置方法，其中初始阈值在试验检查存储数据的缺陷分析之后被修改。 然后将修改的阈值用作实际检查中的阈值。

公开(公告)号：US20080063257A1

公开(公告)日：2008-03-13

申请号：US11931693

申请日：2007-10-31

申请人： Takashi HIROI ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

发明人： Takashi HIROI ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/8861 ,  G01N2021/8864 ,  G01R31/311 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G06T1/0007 ,  G06T7/0002 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2200/24 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/221 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/28

摘要： An apparatus for processing a defect candidate image, including: an imager for taking an enlarged image of a specimen; an image processor for processing the image taken by the imager to detect defect candidates existing on the specimen and classify the detected defect candidates into one of plural defect classes; a memory for storing information of the defect candidates including the images of the defect candidates and the classified defect class data outputted from the image processor; and a display unit having a display screen for displaying information stored in the memory, wherein the display unit displays an image of the defect candidates together with the defect class data stored in the memory and the displayed defect class data is changeable on the display screen, and the memory changes the stored defect class data of the displayed defect candidate to the changed defect class data.

摘要翻译： 一种用于处理缺陷候选图像的装置，包括：用于拍摄样本的放大图像的成像器; 图像处理器，用于处理由成像器拍摄的图像以检测存在于样本上的缺陷候选，并将检测到的缺陷候选分类为多个缺陷类别中的一个; 存储器，用于存储包括缺陷候选图像和从图像处理器输出的分类缺陷类别数据的缺陷候选的信息; 以及显示单元，具有用于显示存储在存储器中的信息的显示屏幕，其中所述显示单元与存储在存储器中的缺陷类别数据一起显示缺陷候选的图像，并且显示的缺陷类别数据可在显示屏幕上变化， 并且存储器将存储的缺陷候选的缺陷类别数据改变为改变的缺陷类别数据。

公开(公告)号：US07894658B2

公开(公告)日：2011-02-22

申请号：US11931693

申请日：2007-10-31

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/8861 ,  G01N2021/8864 ,  G01R31/311 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G06T1/0007 ,  G06T7/0002 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2200/24 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/221 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/28

摘要： An apparatus for processing a defect candidate image, including: an imager for taking an enlarged image of a specimen; an image processor for processing the image taken by the imager to detect defect candidates existing on the specimen and classify the detected defect candidates into one of plural defect classes; a memory for storing information of the defect candidates including the images of the defect candidates and the classified defect class data outputted from the image processor; and a display unit having a display screen for displaying information stored in the memory, wherein the display unit displays an image of the defect candidates together with the defect class data stored in the memory and the displayed defect class data is changeable on the display screen, and the memory changes the stored defect class data of the displayed defect candidate to the changed defect class data.

摘要翻译： 一种用于处理缺陷候选图像的装置，包括：用于拍摄样本的放大图像的成像器; 图像处理器，用于处理由成像器拍摄的图像以检测存在于样本上的缺陷候选，并将检测到的缺陷候选分类为多个缺陷类别中的一个; 存储器，用于存储包括缺陷候选图像和从图像处理器输出的分类缺陷类别数据的缺陷候选的信息; 以及显示单元，具有用于显示存储在存储器中的信息的显示屏幕，其中所述显示单元与存储在所述存储器中的缺陷类别数据一起显示所述缺陷候选的图像，并且所显示的缺陷类别数据可在所述显示屏幕上变化， 并且存储器将存储的缺陷候选的缺陷类别数据改变为改变的缺陷类别数据。

公开(公告)号：US07457453B2

公开(公告)日：2008-11-25

申请号：US11782274

申请日：2007-07-24

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/8861 ,  G01N2021/8864 ,  G01R31/311 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G06T1/0007 ,  G06T7/0002 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2200/24 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/221 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/28

摘要： A pattern inspection apparatus including: an image detecting part for detecting a digital image of an object substrate; a display having a screen on which the digital image of the object substrate and/or a distribution of defect candidates in a map form are displayable; an input device for inputting information of a non-inspection region to be masked on the object substrate by defining a region on the screen on which said distribution of defect candidates is displayed in a map form; a memory part for storing coordinate data, pattern data or feature quantity data of the non-inspection region to be masked on the object substrate inputted on the screen by the input device; and a defect judging part in which the digital image detected by the image detecting part is examined in a state that a region matching with a condition stored in the memory part is masked and a defect is detected in a region other than said masked region.

摘要翻译： 一种图案检查装置，包括：图像检测部，用于检测对象基板的数字图像; 具有可以显示对象基板的数字图像的屏幕和/或以地图形式的缺陷候选的分布的显示器; 输入装置，用于通过在屏幕上定义要以掩模形式显示所述缺陷候选的分布的区域来输入要被掩蔽在对象基板上的不检查区域的信息; 用于存储由输入装置输入到屏幕上的待掩蔽的待检查区域的坐标数据，图案数据或特征量数据的存储部分; 以及缺陷判断部分，其中在与存储在存储器部分中的条件匹配的区域被屏蔽并且在除了所述屏蔽区域之外的区域中检测到缺陷的状态下，检查由图像检测部分检测到的数字图像。

公开(公告)号：US07266235B2

公开(公告)日：2007-09-04

申请号：US09986577

申请日：2001-11-09

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

IPC分类号： G60K9/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/8861 ,  G01N2021/8864 ,  G01R31/311 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G06T1/0007 ,  G06T7/0002 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2200/24 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/221 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/28

摘要： A pattern inspection method in which an image can be detected without an image detection error caused by an adverse effect to be given by such factors as ions implanted in a wafer, pattern connection/non-connection, and pattern edge formation. A digital image of an object substrate is attained through microscopic observation thereof, the attained digital image is examined to detect defects, while masking a region pre-registered in terms of coordinates, or while masking a pattern meeting a pre-registered pattern, and an image of each of the defects thus detected is displayed. Further, each of the defects detected using the digital image attained through microscopic observation is checked to determine whether its feature meets a pre-registered feature or not. Defects having a feature that meets the pre-registered feature are so displayed that they can be turned on/off, or they are so displayed as to be distinguishable from the other defects.

摘要翻译： 图案检查方法，其中可以检测图像，而不会由于植入在晶片中的离子，图案连接/非连接和图案边缘形成等因素所引起的不利影响而引起图像检测误差。 通过显微镜观察目标基板的数字图像，检查所获得的数字图像以检测缺陷，同时掩蔽预先登记的区域上的坐标，或者在掩蔽满足预先注册的图案的图案的同时， 显示由此检测到的每个缺陷的图像。 此外，检查使用通过显微镜观察获得的数字图像检测到的每个缺陷，以确定其特征是否满足预先注册的特征。 具有满足预注册特征的特征的缺陷被显示为可以打开/关闭，或者它们被显示为与其他缺陷区分开。

公开(公告)号：US07957579B2

公开(公告)日：2011-06-07

申请号：US11931856

申请日：2007-10-31

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/8861 ,  G01N2021/8864 ,  G01R31/311 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G06T1/0007 ,  G06T7/0002 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2200/24 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/221 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/28

摘要： An apparatus for processing a defect candidate image, including: a scanning electron microscope for taking an enlarged image of a specimen by irradiating and scanning a converged electron beam onto the specimen and detecting charged particles emanated from the specimen by the irradiation; an image processor for processing the image taken by the scanning electron microscope to detect defect candidates on the specimen and classify the detected defect candidates into one of plural classes; a memory for storing output from the image processor including images of the detected defect candidates; and a display unit which displays information stored in the memory and an indicator, wherein the display unit displays a distribution of the detected and classified defect candidates in a map format by distinguishing by the classified class, and the display unit also displays an image of a defect candidate stored in the memory together with the map which is indicated on the map by the indicator.

摘要翻译： 一种用于处理缺陷候选图像的装置，包括：扫描电子显微镜，用于通过照射和扫描聚集的电子束到样品上并通过照射检测从样品发出的带电粒子，从而获取样本的放大图像; 用于处理由扫描电子显微镜拍摄的图像以检测样本上的缺陷候选的图像处理器，并将检测到的缺陷候选分类为多个等级之一; 用于存储来自图像处理器的输出的存储器，包括检测到的缺陷候选的图像; 以及显示单元，其显示存储在存储器中的信息和指示器，其中，所述显示单元通过由所述分类的类区分来以地图格式显示所检测和分类的缺陷候选的分布，并且所述显示单元还显示图像 存储在存储器中的缺陷候选者以及由指示符在地图上指示的地图。

公开(公告)号：US20100246933A9

公开(公告)日：2010-09-30

申请号：US11931856

申请日：2007-10-31

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/8861 ,  G01N2021/8864 ,  G01R31/311 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G06T1/0007 ,  G06T7/0002 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2200/24 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/221 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/28

摘要： An apparatus for processing a defect candidate image, including: a scanning electron microscope for taking an enlarged image of a specimen by irradiating and scanning a converged electron beam onto the specimen and detecting charged particles emanated from the specimen by the irradiation; an image processor for processing the image taken by the scanning electron microscope to detect defect candidates on the specimen and classify the detected defect candidates into one of plural classes; a memory for storing output from the image processor including images of the detected defect candidates; and a display unit which displays information stored in the memory and an indicator, wherein the display unit displays a distribution of the detected and classified defect candidates in a map format by distinguishing by the classified class, and the display unit also displays an image of a defect candidate stored in the memory together with the map which is indicated on the map by the indicator.

摘要翻译： 一种用于处理缺陷候选图像的装置，包括：扫描电子显微镜，用于通过照射和扫描聚集的电子束到样品上并通过照射检测从样品发出的带电粒子，从而获取样本的放大图像; 用于处理由扫描电子显微镜拍摄的图像以检测样本上的缺陷候选的图像处理器，并将检测到的缺陷候选分类为多个等级之一; 用于存储来自图像处理器的输出的存储器，包括检测到的缺陷候选的图像; 以及显示单元，其显示存储在存储器中的信息和指示器，其中，所述显示单元通过由所述分类的类区分来以地图格式显示所检测和分类的缺陷候选的分布，并且所述显示单元还显示图像 存储在存储器中的缺陷候选者以及由指示符在地图上指示的地图。

公开(公告)号：US20080056559A1

公开(公告)日：2008-03-06

申请号：US11931856

申请日：2007-10-31

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Chie Shishido ,  Aritoshi Sugimoto ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Yasuhiko Nara

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/8861 ,  G01N2021/8864 ,  G01R31/311 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G06T1/0007 ,  G06T7/0002 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2200/24 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/221 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/28

摘要： An apparatus for processing a defect candidate image, including: a scanning electron microscope for taking an enlarged image of a specimen by irradiating and scanning a converged electron beam onto the specimen and detecting charged particles emanated from the specimen by the irradiation; an image processor for processing the image taken by the scanning electron microscope to detect defect candidates on the specimen and classify the detected defect candidates into one of plural classes; a memory for storing output from the image processor including images of the detected defect candidates; and a display unit which displays information stored in the memory and an indicator, wherein the display unit displays a distribution of the detected and classified defect candidates in a map format by distinguishing by the classified class, and the display unit also displays an image of a defect candidate stored in the memory together with the map which is indicated on the map by the indicator.

摘要翻译： 一种用于处理缺陷候选图像的装置，包括：扫描电子显微镜，用于通过照射和扫描聚集的电子束到样品上并通过照射检测从样品发出的带电粒子，从而获取样本的放大图像; 用于处理由扫描电子显微镜拍摄的图像以检测样本上的缺陷候选的图像处理器，并将检测到的缺陷候选分类为多个等级之一; 用于存储来自图像处理器的输出的存储器，包括检测到的缺陷候选的图像; 以及显示单元，其显示存储在存储器中的信息和指示器，其中，所述显示单元通过由所述分类的类区分来以地图格式显示所检测和分类的缺陷候选的分布，并且所述显示单元还显示图像 存储在存储器中的缺陷候选者以及由指示符在地图上指示的地图。

公开(公告)号：US20080002876A1

公开(公告)日：2008-01-03

申请号：US11853500

申请日：2007-09-11

申请人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Chie Shishido ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Yasuhiko Nara ,  Mitsunobu Isobe

发明人： Takashi Hiroi ,  Masahiro Watanabe ,  Maki Tanaka ,  Asahiro Kuni ,  Chie Shishido ,  Hiroshi Miyai ,  Yasuhiko Nara ,  Mitsunobu Isobe

IPC分类号： G06K9/00

CPC分类号： G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/30148

摘要： In a pattern inspecting apparatus, images of places which can be expected to be the same pattern are compared with one another. However, a comparison of images obtained by different stage scans and the occurrence of a place capable of being inspected only once lead to a deterioration in the performance of detecting various error defects and an area incapable of being inspected, respectively. For solving this problem, defects detected in a high sensitivity condition are regarded as defect candidates and a critical threshold value, used as a boundary to detect a smaller value as a defect, of a defect candidate portion is obtained by an image processing circuit or an image of the defect candidate portion is obtained by processing with software. Further, the critical threshold value thus obtained is compared with plural threshold values, thereby permitting plural inspection results to be obtained in a single inspection.

摘要翻译： 在图案检查装置中，将可以预期相同图案的位置的图像彼此进行比较。 然而，通过不同阶段扫描获得的图像和仅能够被检查的位置的发生的比较分别导致检测各种错误缺陷的性能和不能被检查的区域的劣化。 为了解决这个问题，在高灵敏度条件下检测到的缺陷被认为是缺陷候选，并且通过图像处理电路或图像处理电路获得用作检测缺陷候选部分的较小值作为缺陷的边界的临界阈值 通过软件处理获得缺陷候选部分的图像。 此外，将如此获得的临界阈值与多个阈值进行比较，从而允许在单次检查中获得多个检查结果。