Defect detection device and defect observation device

• US 10,642,164 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Otani, Yuko, Aoki, Kazuo, Honda, Toshifumi, Kanzaki, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John W
• Application Number:
  US15/714,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20180088469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• 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 21/95623 using a spatial filtering method per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70191 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/702 Reflective illumination, i.e. reflective optical elements other than folding mirrors, e.g. extreme ultraviolet [EUV] illumination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7065 Defects, e.g. optical inspection of patterned layer for defects

Abstract

Provided is a defect detection device including an illumination unit including a condenser lens and a plurality of light beam synthesis units, and a detection unit detecting scattered light generated on a sample by the illumination unit. The condenser lens condenses a plurality of light beams, emitted onto the sample and having substantially the same wavelength and substantially the same polarization, on the sample. The plurality of light beam synthesis units bring the plurality of light beams close to each other and make the light beams have light paths parallel to the optical axis of the condenser lens.

Claims

1. A defect detection device comprising:

an illumination system that includes

a condenser lens; and

a plurality of laser light beam sources each including a beam forming system; and

a combination wavelength plate having a fractional wavelength portion and a dummy portion,

wherein the condenser lens condenses a plurality of light beams which are emitted onto a sample and have substantially a same wavelength and substantially a same polarization direction on the sample,

wherein the plurality of beam forming systems brings the plurality of light beams closer to each other and causes the light beams to have light paths parallel to an optical axis of the condenser lens, and

wherein the combination wavelength plate is arranged so that a first of said plurality of light beams passes through the dummy portion, and a second of said plurality of light beams passes through the fractional wavelength portion and is converted to said substantially same polarization direction; and

a detector that detects scattered light generated on the sample by the illumination system.

2. The defect detection device according to claim 1,

wherein the detector includes a filter, having dependence on a wavelength and polarized light, on a pupil surface.

3. The defect detection device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of light beam sources further comprises a polarized beam splitter.

4. The defect detection device according to claim 1,

wherein a polarizer or a polarized beam splitter, which is set to have an extinction ratio equal to or higher than 100:

1 of polarization directions of the plurality of light beams, is disposed between the plurality of light beam sources and the condenser lens.

5. The defect detection device according to claim 3,

wherein the plurality of light beam sources are mounted in a direction in which light beams in the same polarization direction are emitted, and polarization directions of light beams emitted from some of the plurality of light beam sources are rotated by 90 degrees by a ½

wavelength plate.

6. The defect detection device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of light beams are parallel and laterally symmetrically incident on the optical axis of the condenser lens.

7. The defect detection device according to claim 1,

wherein a difference in wavelength between the plurality of light beams is within ±

1% of an average wavelength at most, and a range between polarization axes of the plurality of light beams is within ±

10 degrees.

8. A defect observation device comprising:

a defect detection device comprising

an illumination system that includes

a condenser lens;

a plurality of laser light beam sources each including a beam forming system; and

a combination wavelength plate having a fractional wavelength portion and a dummy portion,

wherein the condenser lens condenses a plurality of light beams which are emitted onto a sample and have substantially a same wavelength and substantially a same polarization direction on the sample,

wherein the plurality of beam forming systems brings the plurality of light beams closer to each other and causes the light beams to have light paths parallel to an optical axis of the condenser lens, and

wherein the combination wavelength plate is arranged so that a first of said plurality of light beams passes through the dummy portion, and a second of said plurality of light beams passes through the fractional wavelength portion and is converted to said substantially same polarization direction; and

a detector that detects scattered light generated on the sample by the illumination system; and

a control system that acquires an image based on scattered light detected by the detection unit of the defect detection device and calculates coordinates of a defect on the basis of the acquired image,

wherein the illumination system of the defect detection device is disposed outside a pupil of the detector.