Method of determining lethality of defects in circuit pattern inspection, method of selecting defects to be reviewed, and inspection system of circuit patterns involved with the methods

• US 6,556,955 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimoda, Atsushi, Yoshitake, Yasuhiro, Shiba, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/012,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 702/184-5, 702/33-36, 702/81-83, 702/108, 702/117-121, 702/170, 702/172, 702/182, 324/500, 324/537, 324/760, 324/753, 324/751, 324/512, 325/512, 340/635, 716/5, 706/47, 706/48
• US Class Current: 702/185
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/95607 using a comparative method
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A method of reviewing defects on a substrate. The method includes inputting information of defects on a substrate detected by a detection apparatus, identifying cluster of defects detected on the substrate by using the inputted information, selecting defects to be reviewed from the cluster identified, reviewing the selected defects, and classifying the reviewed defects.

Claims

1. A method of reviewing defects, comprising the steps of:

inputting information of defects on a substrate including coordinate data and size of the defects detected by a detection apparatus;

identifying cluster of defects detected on the substrate by using the inputted information;

selecting defects to be reviewed from the cluster identified;

reviewing the selected defects; and

classifying the reviewed defects.

2. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 1, wherein the cluster of defects is identified by the density on the substrate.

3. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 1, wherein the defects to be reviewed are lethal defects.

4. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 1, wherein the defects are reviewed by SEM.

5. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 1, wherein the steps of inputting information, identifying cluster of defects, selecting defects, reviewing the selected defects, and classifying the reviewed defects are effected during processing of the substrate prior to completion of processing of the substrate so as to form at least one semiconductor chip from the processed substrate.

6. A method of reviewing defects, comprising the steps of:

inputting coordinate data and size data of defects on a substrate on which a circuit pattern is formed and detected by a detection apparatus;

determining lethality of defects detected on the substrate by using the inputted information;

selecting defects to be reviewed from lethal defects whose lethality is determined in the step of determining;

reviewing the selected defects; and

classifying the reviewed defects.

7. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 6, wherein the lethality of defects differs by location on the substrate.

8. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 6, wherein the lethality of defects is determined by using design data of the circuit pattern.

9. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 6, wherein the steps of inputting coordinate data and size data of defects, determining lethality of defects, selecting defects, reviewing the selected defects, and classifying the reviewed defects, are effected during processing of the substrate prior to completion of processing of the substrate so as to form at least one semiconductor chip from the processed substrate.

10. A method of reviewing defects, comprising the steps of:

inputting coordinate data and size data of defects a substrate processed in a processing step and detected by a detection apparatus;

selecting defects to be reviewed from lethal defects whose lethality is determined by using the inputted coordinate data and size data of defects by using an analysis system; and

reviewing the selected defects and classifying the selected defects by a reviewing apparatus.

11. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 10, wherein the lethality of defects differs by location on the substrate.

12. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 10, wherein the defects selected to be reviewed are the defects occurring in the processing step.

13. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 10, wherein the reviewing apparatus is a SEM.

14. A method of reviewing defects according to claim 10 wherein the steps of inputting coordinate data and size data of defects, selecting defects, and reviewing the selected defects, and classifying the selected defects, are effected during processing of the substrate prior to completion of processing of the substrate so as to form at least one semiconductor chip from the processed substrate.