Method and apparatus for inspecting pattern defects
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for inspecting pattern defects, the apparatus comprising:
- an image acquisition unit which acquires an image of a specimen;
a defect candidate extraction unit configured to perform a defect candidate extraction process by comparing a detected image signal with a reference image signal; and
a defect detection unit configured to perform a defect detection process and a defect classification process based on a partial image containing a defect candidate that is extracted by said defect candidate extraction unit,wherein said image acquisition unit and said defect candidate extraction unit work asynchronously with each other, andsaid defect detection unit includes plural defect detectors, each of the plural defect detectors performs the defect detection process and the defect classification process in parallel based on partial images which are different with each other.
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Abstract
An apparatus for inspecting pattern defects, the apparatus including: a defect candidate extraction unit configured to perform a defect candidate extraction process by comparing a detected image signal with a reference image signal; and a defect detection unit configured to perform a defect detection process and a defect classification process based on a partial image containing a defect candidate that is extracted by the defect candidate extraction unit, wherein the processes performed by the defect candidate extraction unit and/or the defect detection unit are performed asynchronously with an image acquisition process.
42 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for inspecting pattern defects, the apparatus comprising:
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an image acquisition unit which acquires an image of a specimen; a defect candidate extraction unit configured to perform a defect candidate extraction process by comparing a detected image signal with a reference image signal; and a defect detection unit configured to perform a defect detection process and a defect classification process based on a partial image containing a defect candidate that is extracted by said defect candidate extraction unit, wherein said image acquisition unit and said defect candidate extraction unit work asynchronously with each other, and said defect detection unit includes plural defect detectors, each of the plural defect detectors performs the defect detection process and the defect classification process in parallel based on partial images which are different with each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for inspecting defects, comprising:
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an image acquisition unit which acquires an optical image of a specimen with an image sensor and output an image signal; a defect candidate extraction unit which processes the image signal output from the image sensor to extract defect candidates from the image signal; a defect detection unit which detects defects from the defect candidates extracted by said defect candidate extraction unit; and a display unit which displays information about the defects detected by said defect detection unit, wherein said image acquisition unit and said defect detection unit work asynchronously with each other, and said defect detection unit includes plural defect detectors operating concurrently, performing the defect detection process and a defect classification process based on partial images which are different with each other. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of inspecting defects, comprising:
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acquiring an image of a specimen with an image sensor and outputting an image signal; processing the image signal output from the image sensor and extracting defect candidates from the image signal; detecting defects from the extracted defect candidates; and displaying information about the detected defects, wherein the acquiring the image and the detecting defects are performed asynchronously with each other, and in the detecting defects, plural defect detectors are used, and each of the plural defect detectors performs a defect detection process and a defect classification process in parallel based on partial images which are different with each other. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for inspecting defects, comprising:
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an image acquisition unit which acquires with an image sensor an image of a specimen illuminated with light and outputs an image signal; an image processor unit which processes the image signal output from the image acquisition unit; and a display unit which displays information processed by the image processor unit, wherein said image acquisition unit and said image processor unit work asynchronously with each other, and said image processor unit includes plural defect detectors, each of the plural defect detectors performs a defect detection process and a defect classification process in parallel based on partial images which are different with each other. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for inspecting defects, comprising:
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acquiring an image of a specimen with an image sensor and outputting an image signal; processing the output image signal to detect defects; and displaying information relating to the detected defects on a display screen, wherein the acquiring the image and the processing the output image signal are preformed asynchronously with each other, and the processing the output image signal uses plural defect detectors, each of the plural defect detectors performs a defect detection process and a defect classification process in parallel based on partial images which are different with each other. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification