RETICLE DEFECT INSPECTION APPARATUS AND RETICLE DEFECT INSPECTION METHOD

• US 20110096324A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: WATANABE, Toshiyuki, Ogawa, Riki
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/237.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/95676 Masks, reticles, shadow masks
• 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: G03F 1/84 Inspecting

Abstract

A reticle defect inspection apparatus that can carry out a defect inspection with high detection sensitivity are provided. The apparatus includes an optical system of transmitted illumination for irradiating one surface of a sample with a first inspection light, an optical system of reflected illumination for irradiating another surface of the sample with a second inspection light, and a detecting optical system that can simultaneously detect a transmitted light obtained by the first inspection light being passed through the sample and a reflected light obtained by the second inspection light being reflected by the sample. And the optical system of transmitted illumination includes a focusing lens driving mechanism for correcting a focal point shift of the transmitted light resulting from thickness of the sample.

Claims

1. A reticle defect inspection method for inspecting for defects on a sample using a pattern image obtained by irradiating the sample on which patterns are formed with light, wherein

a reference pattern is imaged using an inspection light shone on the sample from an optical system of transmitted illumination and

a reference pattern image obtained by imaging the reference pattern is focused by driving a focusing lens driving mechanism.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a transmission field stop in the optical system of transmitted illumination is used as the reference pattern.

3. The method according to claim 1, the reference pattern image is focused by making adjustments to achieve a maximum contrast of the reference pattern image.

4. The method according to claim 2, the reference pattern image is focused by making adjustments to achieve a maximum contrast of the reference pattern image.