Mask inspection device and method thereof

• US 10,261,031 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acemach Co.Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Acemach Co.Ltd.
• Inventors: Chang, Chih-Chiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sathyanaraya V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Philip P.
• Application Number:
  US15/346,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20170131218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0227 using imaging; using holography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0612 Optical scan of the deposits G01N15/0625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/075 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1456 without spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle, e.g. processing of pulse signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/03 Electro-optical investigation of a plurality of particles, the analyser being characterised by the optical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/95676 Masks, reticles, shadow masks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/95 characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

Provided herein is a mask inspection device, including an inspection base, a shift platform, a rotating platform, a bearing platform, a laser ranging module, a vertical shift module, a processing module, and an image capturing module. A mask, which is carried and held by the bearing platform, includes a dust-proof film, each region of which is measured by the laser ranging module for generating a distance measuring signal; each distance measuring signal is utilized to control the movement of the vertical shift module, such that image capturing module can take an inspection image of that region. Based on the distance measuring signals and inspection images, height information of the dust-proof film and inspection information can be acquired. Also provided herein is a method applicable to said mask inspection device.

Claims

1. A mask inspection device, comprising:

an inspection base, a surface of which is disposed with an arched support;

a shift platform, which is disposed on the surface of the inspection base and is located between the inspection base and the arched support, wherein the shift platform moves in a first direction along the inspection base;

a rotating platform, which is disposed on the shift platform and moves in a second direction along the shift platform;

a bearing platform, which is disposed on a surface of the rotating platform and carries and holds a mask, wherein the mask comprises a substrate, a frame, and a dust-proof film, wherein the frame is disposed on a surface of the substrate and the dust-proof film is disposed on the frame;

a laser ranging module, which is disposed on one side of the arched support and generates a distance measuring signal corresponding to one of a plurality of inspection regions of the dust-proof film;

a vertical shift module, which is disposed on the one side of the arched support;

a processing module, which controls the vertical shift module to move upward or downward based on the distance measuring signal; and

an image capturing module, which is disposed on the vertical shift module and is nearby the laser ranging module, wherein the image capturing module captures an inspection image of the one of the plurality of inspection regions that is measured by the laser ranging module;

wherein, after the image capturing module captures the inspection image of the one of the inspection regions, the shift platform moves to carry a next one of the plurality of inspection regions to a position corresponding to the laser ranging module and the image capturing module for generating the distance measuring signal and the inspection image of the next one of the plurality of inspection regions, and the processing module generates a height information of the dust-proof film based on the plurality of distance measuring signals and generates an inspection information based on inspection images.

2. The mask inspection device of claim 1, wherein the shift platform comprises a guide track, and the rotating platform moves along the guide track.

3. The mask inspection device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

4. The mask inspection device of claim 1, wherein the vertical shift module moves in a direction being perpendicular to the shift platform.

5. The mask inspection device of claim 1, wherein the inspection information comprises a particle location, a particle size, or a combination thereof.

6. A mask inspection method, which is applicable to the mask inspection device of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

measuring one of a plurality of inspection regions of a dust-proof film of a mask at a default position and accordingly generating a distance measuring signal;

controlling an image capturing module on a vertical shift module to move upward or downward based on the distance measuring signal;

capturing an inspection image of the one of the plurality of inspection regions corresponding to the distance measuring signal;

carrying an another inspection region to the default position by a shift platform and, correspondingly, generating the distance measuring signal and capturing the inspection image;

after the plurality of inspection regions are measured, generating height information of the dust-proof film based on the plurality of distance measuring signals; and

after the plurality of inspection images of the plurality of inspection regions are captured, generating inspection information based on the plurality of inspection images.

7. The mask inspection method of claim 6, wherein the shift platform comprises a guide track, and a bearing platform configured to carry and hold the mask is movable along the guide track.

8. The mask inspection method of claim 6, wherein the vertical shift module moves in a direction perpendicular to the shift platform.

9. The mask inspection method of claim 6, wherein the inspection information comprises a particle location, a particle size, or a combination thereof.