METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING RETICLES IMPLEMENTING PARALLEL PROCESSING
First Claim
1. An apparatus for inspecting a plurality of image portions of at least a region of a sample for defects, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of processors arranged to receive and analyze the image portions, the processors being arranged to operate in parallel and being configurable to implement one or more algorithms to determine whether the corresponding regions of the sample are defective, wherein each processor has access to a memory portion sized to hold at least one of the image portions; and
a data distribution system arranged to receive image data, select at least a first processor for receiving a first image portion and not a second image portion of the image data, select at least a second processor for receiving the second image portion and not the first image portion of the image data, and output the first image portion to the memory portion that is accessible by the first processor and the second image portion to the memory portion that is accessible by the second selected processor, wherein the first image portion and the second image portion are different image portions that each has a width that comprises a plurality of pixels and a length that comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the first processor is then operable to implement one or more algorithms to analyze the first image portion to determine whether the analyzed first image portion has a defect and the second processor is operable to implement one or more algorithms to analyze the second image portion to determine whether the analyzed second image portion has a defect, wherein the defect determination operations for the first and second image portions are each based on analysis of substantially all of the respective image portion.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an apparatus for analyzing a plurality of image portions of at least a region of a sample. The apparatus includes a plurality of processors arranged to receive and analyze at least one of the image portions, and the processors being arranged to operate in parallel. The apparatus also includes a data distribution system arranged to receive image data, select at least a first processor for receiving a first image from the image data, select at least a second processor for receiving a second image from the image data, and output the first and second image portions to their selected processors.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for inspecting a plurality of image portions of at least a region of a sample for defects, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of processors arranged to receive and analyze the image portions, the processors being arranged to operate in parallel and being configurable to implement one or more algorithms to determine whether the corresponding regions of the sample are defective, wherein each processor has access to a memory portion sized to hold at least one of the image portions; and
a data distribution system arranged to receive image data, select at least a first processor for receiving a first image portion and not a second image portion of the image data, select at least a second processor for receiving the second image portion and not the first image portion of the image data, and output the first image portion to the memory portion that is accessible by the first processor and the second image portion to the memory portion that is accessible by the second selected processor, wherein the first image portion and the second image portion are different image portions that each has a width that comprises a plurality of pixels and a length that comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the first processor is then operable to implement one or more algorithms to analyze the first image portion to determine whether the analyzed first image portion has a defect and the second processor is operable to implement one or more algorithms to analyze the second image portion to determine whether the analyzed second image portion has a defect, wherein the defect determination operations for the first and second image portions are each based on analysis of substantially all of the respective image portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for inspecting a plurality of image portions of at least a region of a sample, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of distributors arranged to receive the image portions; and
a plurality of processors that are arranged into a plurality of subgroups that are each coupled to an associated distributor, wherein each processor has access to a memory portion sized to hold at least one of the image portions, each processor being configurable to implement one or more algorithms for analyzing the image portions to determine whether the corresponding regions of the sample are defective, each distributor being configurable to output selected image portions to its associated subgroup of processors whereby a different set of one or more image portions is output to each associated processor'"'"'s accessible memory portion, at least two of the processors being arranged to analyze at least two of the image portions in parallel, wherein the image portions are different image portions that each has a width that comprises a plurality of pixels and a length that comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the at least two processors are operable to implement one or more algorithms to analyze substantially all of each of its image portions to determine whether the analyzed each image portion has a defect. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of inspecting a sample having a plurality of fine patterns thereon, and processing data resulting from the inspection, comprising:
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a) receiving data derived from the inspection in a multiprocessor system, the system comprising a master processor and a plurality of slave processors;
b) dividing the data into groups using the master processor and sending a different data group to a different memory portion that is accessible by a different one of the slave processors, each data group corresponding to information derived from a portion of the sample, wherein the data groups are different image portions that each has a width that comprises a plurality of pixels and a length that comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein each slave processor is configurable to implement one or more algorithms for analyzing substantially all its received data group to determine whether the corresponding portion of the sample is defective;
c) processing the data groups with the slave processors based on the one or more algorithms of each slave processor; and
d) deriving defect information regarding the sample and the fine patterns from the combined data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for analyzing image data obtained from a sample using a plurality of processors, comprising the acts of:
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receiving image data from an inspection system that generates the image data from a sample;
dividing the image data into a plurality of image portions that correspond to various portions of the sample;
outputting each image portion to a memory portion that is accessible by a selected processor, at least some of the image portions being output to different memory portions that are accessible by different processors, each processor being configurable to implement one or more algorithms for analyzing the image portions to determine whether the corresponding portions of the sample are defective, wherein the image portions are different image portions that each has a width that comprises a plurality of pixels and a length that comprises a plurality of pixels;
analyzing substantially all of each image portion for defects within the selected processor based on the selected one or more algorithms for such selected processor to then determine whether the corresponding portion of the each analyzed image portion has a defect; and
outputting and combining results from each processor such that defect data is compiled for the entire image data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification