PATTERN INSPECTION METHOD AND ITS APPARATUS

• US 20100172570A1
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroshi Goto, Kaoru Sakai, Masayuki Kuwabara, Naoya Takeuchi, Shunji Maeda, Takafumi Okabe
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Goto, Kaoru Sakai, Masayuki Kuwabara, Naoya Takeuchi, Shunji Maeda, Takafumi Okabe
• Inventors: Goto, Hiroshi, Okabe, Takafumi, Maeda, Shunji, Takeuchi, Naoya, SAKAI, Kaoru, Kuwabara, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/32 using correlation-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A pattern inspection method including: sequentially imaging plural chip formed on a substrate; selecting at least one of pattern sections of each inspection image obtained by the imaging, while discarding other pattern sections, based on a recipe created in advance, the recipe including information for determining which pattern sections to be selected or discarded; calculating position gap between an inspection image of a chip obtained by the imaging and a reference image stored in a memory by using positional information of pattern images included in the inspection image and reference pattern images which are both corresponding to the at least one of pattern sections selected at the selecting; aligning the inspection image and the reference image by using information of the calculated position gap; and comparing the aligned inspection image with the reference image, and extracting a difference between the two images as a defect candidate.

Claims

1. A pattern inspection method comprising:

sequentially imaging plural chip formed on a substrate;

selecting at least one of pattern sections of each inspection image obtained by the imaging, while discarding other pattern sections, based on a recipe which is created in advance, the recipe including information for determining which pattern sections to be selected and other pattern sections to be discarded;

calculating position gap between an inspection image of a chip obtained by the imaging and a reference image stored in a memory by using positional information of pattern images included in the inspection image and reference pattern images included in the reference image which are both corresponding to the at least one of pattern sections selected at the selecting;

aligning the inspection image and the reference image by using information of the calculated position gap; and

comparing the aligned inspection image with the reference image, and extracting a difference between the two images as a defect candidate.

2. A pattern inspection method according to claim 1,

wherein in the selecting, selecting the at least one of pattern sections based on the recipe which is created by using information of other substrate which had been inspected, the other substrate being same kind or type as the substrate.

3. A pattern inspection method according to claim 1,

wherein in the selecting, selecting the at least one of pattern sections based on the recipe which is created by using information of other substrate which had been inspected, the other substrate running through same process as the substrate.

4. A pattern inspection method according to claim 1,

wherein in the calculating, calculating position gap based on the recipe which further includes calculating process.

5. A pattern inspection method according to claim 4,

wherein in the calculating, calculating position gap in accordance with order of calculating to be determined in the recipe.

6. A pattern inspection method comprising:

sequentially imaging plural chip formed on a substrate;

calculating position gap between an inspection image of a chip obtained by the imaging and a reference image stored in the memory based on a recipe which includes information of pattern sections of images of other substrate, the pattern sections of images of other substrate being suitable for calculating position gap;

aligning the inspection image and the reference image by using information of the calculated position gap; and

comparing the aligned inspection image with the reference image, and extracting a difference between the two images as a defect candidate.

7. A pattern inspection method according to claim 6,

wherein in the calculating, calculating position gap by using positional information of pattern images included in the inspection image and reference pattern images included in the reference image which are both corresponding to the pattern sections of images of other substrate.

8. A pattern inspection method according to claim 6,

wherein in the calculating, the other substrate is same kind or type as the substrate.

9. A pattern inspection method according to claim 6,

wherein in the calculating, the other substrate run through same process as the substrate.

10. A pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition unit which sequentially detects image of a manufactured product on which plural chips are formed;

a pattern selecting unit for selecting at least one of pattern sections of each inspection image obtained by the image acquisition unit, while discarding other pattern sections, based on a recipe which is stored in advance, the recipe including information for determining which pattern sections to be selected and other pattern sections to be discarded;

a calculating unit for calculating position gap between an inspection image of a chip formed on the substrate and a reference image stored in a memory, by using positional information of pattern images included in the inspection image and reference pattern images included in the reference image which are both correspond-jug to the at least one of pattern sections selected by the pattern selecting unit;

an aligning unit for aligning the inspection image with the reference image by using calculated position gap; and

an defect candidate extracting unit which compares the aligned inspection image with the reference image, and extracting a difference between the inspection image and the reference as a defect candidate.

11. A pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image acquisition unit comprises:

a light source for irradiating light on the manufactured production;

an image sensor for detecting image front light reflected from the manufactured production and dividing the image into a plurality of pattern sections.

12. A pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the recipe is created by using information of other manufactured production which had been inspected, the other manufactured production running through same process as the manufactured production.