Pattern inspection apparatus

• US 7,068,364 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Hideo, Sanada, Yasushi, Sugihara, Shinji, Tabata, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu T.
• Application Number:
  US10/627,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20040070753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2376, 356388-395
• US Class Current: 356/237.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/95607 using a comparative method

Abstract

A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source irradiating a plate having a pattern, a photoelectric device photoelectrically converting the image of the pattern, a generator generating detected pattern data based on a photoelectrically converted signal, a generator generating reference pattern data from designed data, a comparator comparing the detected pattern data with the reference pattern data, a sensor detecting a light intensity of the light source, a barometric pressure sensor detecting a barometric pressure in the apparatus, a detector detecting at least one of the light intensity and barometric pressure deviating from predetermined ranges, a memory storing the detected and reference pattern data at a point of time when the abnormal status is generated in synchronization with position data and detected values of the light intensity and barometric pressure and an output device which outputs these.

Claims

1. A pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

a stage on which a plate to be inspected including a pattern formed on the plate is laid;

a light source which irradiates the plate to be inspected with light;

a photoelectric device which photoelectrically converts the optical image of the pattern;

a detected pattern data generator which generates detected pattern data regarding the pattern based on a signal obtained by the photoelectric device;

a reference pattern data generator which generates reference pattern data from designed data regarding the pattern, or stores the detected pattern data obtained by the photoelectric device;

a comparator which compares the detected pattern data with the reference pattern data;

a light intensity sensor which detects a light intensity of the light source;

a barometric pressure sensor which detects a barometric pressure in the pattern inspection apparatus;

a status detector which senses that at least one of the light intensity and the barometric pressure deviates from a predetermined range;

a data memory which stores the detected pattern data and the reference pattern data corresponding to the detected pattern data at a point of time when the status detector detects that the at least one of the light intensity and the barometric pressure deviate from the predetermined ranges in synchronization with position data on the plate to be inspected and a detected value of the at least one of the light intensity and the barometric pressure deviating from the predetermined range;

an output device which outputs the detected pattern data, the reference pattern data, and the detected value of the at least one of the light intensity and the barometric pressure stored in the data memory;

a signal intensity profile analysis part which analyzes a signal intensity profile of the detected pattern data at an abnormal status time;

a re-inspection control part which re-inspects at least a part on the plate to be inspected based on an analysis result of the signal intensity profile analysis part; and

an abnormal status notification part which notifies the analysis result,

wherein the signal intensity profile analysis part compares signal gradients of horizontal and vertical direction components of a pattern edge part of the detected pattern data with a first predetermined standard value, and an intensity and fluctuation of a signal of a pattern bright part with a second predetermined standard value.

2. The pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a focus sensor which detects a focus abnormal status of the illumination and imaging optics.

3. The pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a vibration sensor which detects vibration of the stage for the plate to be inspected.

4. The pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal intensity profile analysis part compares the signal gradients of the horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the pattern edge part of the detected pattern data, and judges that vibration of the stage is generated, when a difference between the signal gradients is not less than the first predetermined standard value.

5. The pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal intensity profile analysis part compares the signal gradients of different diagonal directions of a pattern corner part of the detected pattern data, and judges that vibration of the stage is generated, when a difference between the signal gradients is not less than the predetermined standard value.

6. The pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the comparator stores the detected pattern data and the reference pattern data corresponding to the detected pattern data by the predetermined number of times, when the same abnormal status is detected by the predetermined number of times in a first predetermined time, and stops storage into the data memory with respect to the same abnormal status until a second predetermined time elapses.