Apparatus and method for reviewing defects on an object

• US 6,407,373 B1
• Filed: 06/15/1999
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Dotan, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US09/334,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 250/200, 250/201.1, 250/201.2, 250/201.3, 250/201.4, 356/237.2, 356/237.3, 356/237.4, 356/237.5
• US Class Current: 250/201.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/307 of integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/311 of integrated circuits G01R31/31728 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2817 Pattern inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/21 Means for adjusting the focus
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/6656 using multiple spacer layers, e.g. multiple sidewall spacers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/6659 with both lightly doped source and drain extensions and source and drain self-aligned to the sides of the gate, e.g. lightly doped drain [LDD] MOSFET, double diffused drain [DDD] MOSFET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66628 recessing the gate by forming single crystalline semiconductor material at the source or drain location
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7834 with a non-planar structure, e.g. the gate or the source or the drain being non-planar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/90 MOSFET type gate sidewall insulating spacer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/869 Optical microscope
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/881 Microscopy or spectroscopy, e.g. sem, tem
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/901 having step or means utilizing electromagnetic property, e.g. optical, x-ray, electron beamm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/954 Of radiant energy

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for reviewing defects on an object. The apparatus includes a stage for receiving the object thereon, and both an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The optical microscope is used to redetect previously mapped defects on the object surface, and includes an illumination source that directs a beam of light toward a selected portion of the object surface. The optical microscope is configured to generate either, or both, bright field and dark field illumination. Once the defect has been redetected, a translation system moves the stage a predetermined displacement such that the defect is positioned for review by the SEM. The apparatus can be configured to automatically focus the defect for viewing by the SEM, and rotate the stage to obtain varying perspectives of the defect.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reviewing defects on an object surface, based on a previously generated defect map, said apparatus comprising:

a stage for receiving said object thereon;

an optical microscope comprising an illumination source providing a light beam, said optical microscope directing said light beam toward a selected portion of said object surface based on information contained in the defect map;

a light sensor coupled to said optical microscope for detecting defects illuminated by said light beam;

a particle beam imaging system for converging a beam of particles to a focal point along a prescribed axis; and

a translation system positioning said redetected defect proximate said focal point;

wherein said redetected defect can be subsequently reviewed using said particle beam imaging system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said translation system includes:

a first motorized base for moving said stage along a first axis; and

a second motorized base for moving said stage along a second axis;

wherein said first and second axes are substantially perpendicular to each other, and define a plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said microscope is configurable for operation in bright field mode, dark field mode, and a combination of both bright field and dark field mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer system for classifying defects reviewed by said particle beam system.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said computer system is configured to further classify defects imaged by said microscope.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said illumination source comprises a laser.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a mode selector operatively coupled to said microscope for selectively forming a prescribed illumination type to generate said dark and bright field modes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said selector comprises a filter insertable into to illumination path of said microscope.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said illumination source comprises a lamp light source providing bright field illumination and a laser source providing dark field illumination.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said dark field illumination approaches said object surface at an oblique angle.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second illumination sources for directing an auxiliary beam of light toward said object surface at an oblique angle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a focusing system for automatically maintaining said object surface at a focal point of said particle imaging system.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said focusing system includes:

a coherent light source for generating a focusing beam;

a focusing mirror for directing said focusing beam toward said object surface through said focal point, said focusing beam striking said object surface at a first incident point;

a reflecting mirror for reflecting said focusing beam back on to said object surface at a second incident point, said second incident point being in the proximity of said first incident point; and

an image alignment system for detecting a distance between said object surface and said focal point, and vertically adjusting said stage to align said object surface with said focal point.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a selection mechanism selectively activating said focusing system when said particle beam imaging system images a defect, and deactivating said focusing system when said microscope is in operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said selection mechanism comprises a mirror insertable in illumination path of said microscope.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said selection mechanism comprises a diachroic mirror placed in illumination path of said microscope.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensor is a color CCD.

18. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein illumination of said bright and dark field mode is color coded, and wherein said sensor is a color CCD.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an error calculator receiving defect coordinates from said defect map and stage coordinates from said microscope and calculating reporting error in said defect map.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an error memory storing said reporting error in correlation to a system ID, and applying said reporting error to any defect map having said system ID.

21. A method of reviewing defects on an object surface, based on a previously generated defect map, the method comprising the steps:

viewing selected portions of the object surface with an optical microscope, based on coordinates from a defect map, to redetect the defects;

determining stage coordinates corresponding to the location of the redetected defects;

calculating reporting error from said defect map and said stage coordinates;

moving the object surface to position the redetected defects proximate a focal point of a particle beam imaging system; and

reviewing the redetected defects using the particle beam imaging system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of viewing selected portions of the object surface with an optical microscope comprises illuminating the object surface with dark field illumination.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of obtaining magnified optical images of defects by operating the microscope in a bright field mode.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of viewing comprises simultaneously applying bright field and dark field illumination on the selected portion of the object surface to produce a composite bright and dark field images of the defect.

25. A method of inspecting a surface of a wafer for defects using electron-beam microscope, comprising:

generating a list of designated areas on the wafer to be inspected;

providing the list of designated areas to the microscope to perform scanning with electron beam of the designated areas;

performing a die-to-die inspection to detect defects in the designated areas; and

, construct an e-based defect map.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said list of designated areas in constructed in the form of an artificial defect map.