Methods and systems for inspecting reticles using aerial imaging and die-to-database detection
First Claim
1. A method for inspecting a reticle, comprising:
- forming an aerial image of the reticle using a set of exposure conditions, wherein the aerial image comprises an image of light transmitted by an illuminated portion of the reticle, wherein the set of exposure conditions is substantially equivalent to exposure conditions used by an exposure system to print an image of the reticle onto a specimen, and wherein the reticle comprises optical proximity correction features; and
detecting defects on the reticle by comparing the aerial image to a reference image stored in a database, wherein the reference image is substantially optically equivalent to an image of the reticle that would be printed on the specimen by the exposure system under the set of exposure conditions, and wherein the reference image does not include images of the optical proximity correction features.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for inspecting a reticle are provided. In an embodiment, a method may include forming an aerial image of the reticle using a set of exposure conditions. The reticle may include optical proximity correction (OPC) features. The method may also include detecting defects on the reticle by comparing the aerial image to a reference image stored in a database. The reference image may be substantially optically equivalent to an image of the reticle that would be printed on a specimen by an exposure system under the set of exposure conditions. The reference image may not include images of the OPC features. Therefore, a substantial portion of the defects include defects that would be printed onto the specimen by the exposure system using the reticle under the set of exposure conditions. The method may also include indicating the defects that are detected in critical regions of the reticle.
168 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for inspecting a reticle, comprising:
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forming an aerial image of the reticle using a set of exposure conditions, wherein the aerial image comprises an image of light transmitted by an illuminated portion of the reticle, wherein the set of exposure conditions is substantially equivalent to exposure conditions used by an exposure system to print an image of the reticle onto a specimen, and wherein the reticle comprises optical proximity correction features; and detecting defects on the reticle by comparing the aerial image to a reference image stored in a database, wherein the reference image is substantially optically equivalent to an image of the reticle that would be printed on the specimen by the exposure system under the set of exposure conditions, and wherein the reference image does not include images of the optical proximity correction features. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for inspecting a reticle, comprising:
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forming an aerial image of the reticle using a set of exposure conditions, wherein the aerial image comprises an image of light transmitted by an illuminated portion of the reticle, wherein the set of exposure conditions is substantially equivalent to exposure conditions used by an exposure system to print an image of the reticle onto a specimen, and wherein the reticle comprises optical proximity correction features; and detecting defects on the reticle by comparing the aerial image to a reference image stored in a database, wherein the reference image does not include images of the optical proximity correction features, and wherein the reference image comprises designations identifying different types of regions in the reference image.
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13. A system configured to inspect a reticle, comprising:
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an optical subsystem configured to form an aerial image of the reticle using a set of exposure conditions, wherein the aerial image comprises an image of light transmitted by an illuminated portion of the reticle, wherein the set of exposure conditions is substantially equivalent to exposure conditions used by an exposure system to print an image of the reticle onto a specimen, and wherein the reticle comprises optical proximity correction features; and a processor configured to detect defects on the reticle by comparing the aerial image to a reference image stored in a database, wherein the reference image is substantially optically equivalent to an image of the reticle that would be printed on the specimen by the exposure system under the set of exposure conditions, and wherein the reference image does not include images of the optical proximity correction features. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification