Circuit pattern inspection method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, using a computer, for performing defect analysis on a plurality of images from an inspection system, comprising:
- storing said plurality of images in a computer readable medium;
retrieving an inspection image from a first image of a stored plurality of images;
retrieving a corresponding reference image from a second image of said stored plurality of images; and
analyzing said inspection image and said corresponding reference image to determine if a defect exists.
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Abstract
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.
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Citations
82 Claims
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1. A method, using a computer, for performing defect analysis on a plurality of images from an inspection system, comprising:
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storing said plurality of images in a computer readable medium;
retrieving an inspection image from a first image of a stored plurality of images;
retrieving a corresponding reference image from a second image of said stored plurality of images; and
analyzing said inspection image and said corresponding reference image to determine if a defect exists. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method, using a computer, for inspecting for defects in a circuit pattern, comprising:
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determining if there is a defect candidate image, by thresholding a difference image, wherein said difference image comprises a difference between an inspection image and a corresponding reference image;
if there is said defect candidate image, storing a clipped inspection image in a computer readable medium, wherein said clipped inspection image is a portion of said inspection image; and
if there is said defect candidate image, storing a corresponding clipped reference image in said computer readable medium, wherein said corresponding clipped reference image is a portion of said corresponding reference image. - View Dependent Claims (9, 12, 13)
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10. The method of 8 further comprising, when there is said defect candidate image, storing defect information, comprising defect candidate positional coordinates, in said computer readable medium.
- 11. The method of 8 further comprising, when there is said defect candidate image, determining a margin.
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15. An inspection system for examining a plurality of images showing potential defects in a circuit pattern on a semiconductor material, comprising:
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a defect image memory for storing clipped images of said plurality of images;
an image analyzer, comprising a plurality of processors, coupled with said defect image memory, for analyzing said clipped images retrieved from said defect image memory; and
a non-volatile storage coupled with said image analyzer for storing said clipped images and results of said analyzing.
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19. A method for detecting defects in a circuit pattern on a semiconductor material using an inspection system comprising:
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storing a plurality of scanned images from a detecting apparatus;
determining an inspection image and a reference image from said plurality of scanned images based on a selection of either die to die comparison or array comparison; and
using said inspection image and said reference image, determining a defect candidate image.
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23. An image processing system for detecting defects in a circuit pattern on a semiconductor material using images from a detecting apparatus, said image processing system comprising:
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an image memory for storing said images; and
a defect detection image processing module for detecting defect candidate information from stored images, wherein at least one of said stored images includes an inspection image.
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27. A method using a computer for determining an updated threshold for use in actual inspection of a semiconductor wafer, said method comprising:
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setting an initial threshold;
determining a plurality of difference metrics using said initial threshold;
determining a difference distribution based on said plurality of difference metrics; and
determining said updated threshold based on an evaluation of said difference distribution.
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34. A method of resetting a threshold using a display coupled with a computer, said method comprising:
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displaying a first threshold value on said display, said first threshold value used to select defect candidate image indications to be shown on a defect candidate distribution screen of said display;
changing said first threshold value to a second threshold value, wherein said defect candidate image indications on said defect distribution screen change responsive to said second threshold value.
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37. A method in a computer system for determining a threshold for use in actual inspection of a semi-conductor material, comprising a circuit pattern, said method comprising:
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displaying a first threshold and a second threshold;
displaying a graphic representation of a defect candidate image with a margin greater than or equal to said second threshold minus said first threshold;
when said graphic representation of said defect candidate image is selected for expanded viewing, displaying a clipped image associated with said graphic representation; and
when said defect candidate image is a false defect, and a predetermined number of allowable false defects is exceeded, receiving a new second threshold.
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39. A method in a computer system for displaying a defect candidate, said defect candidate stored in a memory, said method comprising:
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displaying a two-dimensional defect candidate distribution for a threshold on a first screen, said two-dimensional defect candidate distribution comprising an indication of said defect candidate; and
displaying on a second screen an expanded view of said defect candidate, responsive to a selection of said indication on said first screen.
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54. A system for displaying a symbol associated with a defect candidate of said plurality of defect candidates, comprising:
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a computer readable medium for storing images associated with said plurality of defect candidates, wherein said images comprise an inspection image and a reference image associated with said defect candidate;
a processor coupled with said computer readable medium for determining a margin associated with said defect candidate, said margin calculated using said inspection image and said reference image; and
a display for displaying said symbol when said margin is equal to or above a threshold difference. - View Dependent Claims (55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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56. A distributed system for inspecting semiconductor circuit pattern defects, comprising:
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an inspection apparatus for acquiring a plurality of images associated with said semiconductor circuit pattern defects and for performing defect analysis on a plurality of stored images;
a server connected to said inspection apparatus via a communications network for storing said plurality of images, and for providing access to said plurality of stored images; and
a client computer connected to said server and said inspection apparatus via said communications network for displaying a plurality of symbols associated with selected images of said plurality of stored images in response to selection of said selected images by said defect analysis.
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62. A distributed system for inspecting semiconductor circuit pattern defects, comprising:
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an inspection apparatus for acquiring a plurality of images associated with said semiconductor circuit pattern;
a server coupled with said inspection apparatus via a communications network, said server operably disposed for;
storing said plurality of images;
performing defect analysis on a plurality of stored images; and
providing access to said plurality of stored images; and
a client computer coupled with said server via said communications network for displaying a plurality of symbols associated with selected images of said plurality of stored images in response to selection of said selected images by said defect analysis.
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63. A method for determining an inspection threshold used in actual defect inspection of a semiconductor, said method comprising:
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calculating a first threshold using a defect difference distribution;
storing a second threshold based on said first threshold in a computer readable medium; and
using said second threshold in actual defect inspection. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65)
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66. A method for determining a selected threshold of a plurality of thresholds, said plurality of thresholds for use in actual defect inspection of a semiconductor, said method comprising:
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determining said plurality of thresholds from a defect difference distribution;
displaying to a user an indication for each of said plurality of thresholds; and
responsive to said user selection of a selected threshold of said plurality of thresholds, displaying symbols of defects with differences greater than or equal to said selected threshold. - View Dependent Claims (67, 69)
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68. A system for determining a first threshold for use in actual inspection of circuit pattern defects in a semiconductor material, said system comprising:
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a defect detection unit for determining defects with differences above a second threshold minus a predetermined value; and
a display having an input mechanism for adjusting said first threshold, wherein said first threshold has an initial value of said second threshold.
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70. An image processing system for determining a new threshold for use in inspection of a circuit pattern on a semiconductor material, comprising:
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a defect detection unit for determining a plurality of defect sets, wherein a defect set of said plurality of defect sets comprises an inspection image and a reference image with a difference above a predetermined threshold ; and
an image analysis unit for using said plurality of defect sets to determine a difference distribution and for using said difference distribution to determine said new threshold. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A method for inspecting a specimen, comprising:
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setting a threshold value;
detecting a detected image of a specimen;
comparing the detected image to a reference image;
extracting from the comparing, a defect candidate using the threshold value;
storing an information of the defect candidate to a memory;
setting a new threshold value; and
extracting a defect from the defect candidate using the stored information and the new threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 80)
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79. A method for inspecting a circuit pattern on a semiconductor material comprising:
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setting an initial threshold;
detecting an inspection image;
determining defect candidate information by thresholding a comparison between said inspection image and a reference image, wherein said thresholding uses said initial threshold;
determining a new threshold using said defect candidate information; and
evaluating a defect in said inspection image using said new threshold.
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81. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for inspecting a specimen, comprising:
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code for setting a threshold value;
code for detecting a detected image of a specimen;
code for comparing the detected image to a reference image;
code for extracting from the comparing, a defect candidate using the threshold value;
code for storing an information of the defect candidate to a memory;
code for setting a new threshold value; and
code for extracting a defect from the defect candidate using the stored information and the new threshold value.
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82. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for inspecting a circuit pattern on a semiconductor material comprising:
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code for setting an initial threshold;
code for detecting an inspection image;
code for determining defect candidate information by thresholding a comparison between said inspection image and a reference image, wherein said thresholding uses said initial threshold;
code for determining a new threshold using said defect candidate information; and
code for evaluating a defect in said inspection image using said new threshold.
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Specification