Image inspection method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- creating a design tape-out database pertaining to an integrated circuit design;
creating a database containing aerial image of design tapeout database under condition identical to imaging conditions mask containing design data tapeout will be used to pattern its image;
creating a data base containing collected image database based upon a collection of manufactured from said design database tapeout mask collected through the imaging system having critical to imaging identical optical characteristics such as wavelength, illumination shape and projection optics numerical aperture and pupil configuration identical to corresponding settings of exposure tool that will be employing said mask to image its content on photosensitive media on the wafer in process comparing the modeled aerial image design database to the experimentally collected image database.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for detecting defects and contaminants on reticles. For one embodiment of the invention, either one or both of an aerial image database and a resist image database are created and compared to an actual scanned mask die image. For one embodiment of the invention, the comparison is used to identify defects of contaminants on the reticle. For one embodiment of the invention, a decision as to whether the reticle should be discarded or cleaned and repaired is made based upon the determined defects or contaminants.
51 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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creating a design tape-out database pertaining to an integrated circuit design;
creating a database containing aerial image of design tapeout database under condition identical to imaging conditions mask containing design data tapeout will be used to pattern its image;
creating a data base containing collected image database based upon a collection of manufactured from said design database tapeout mask collected through the imaging system having critical to imaging identical optical characteristics such as wavelength, illumination shape and projection optics numerical aperture and pupil configuration identical to corresponding settings of exposure tool that will be employing said mask to image its content on photosensitive media on the wafer in process comparing the modeled aerial image design database to the experimentally collected image database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
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a design data tape-out pertaining to an integrated circuit design;
a design image database based upon the design data tape out;
a scanned image database based upon a scanned mask die, the scanned mask die created from a reticle fabricated based on the design data tape-out; and
a processing system having a comparison functionality to compare the design image database to the scanned image database. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A machine-accessible medium that provides instructions that, if executed by a processor, will cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
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creating a design data tape-out pertaining to an integrated circuit design;
creating a design image database based upon the design data tape out;
creating a scanned image database based upon a scanned mask die, the scanned mask die created from a reticle fabricated based on the design data tape-out; and
comparing the design image database to the scanned image database. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification