Method of inspecting a semiconductor device and an apparatus thereof

• US 8,274,651 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hamamatsu, Akira, Noguchi, Minori, Ohshima, Yoshimasa, Nishiyama, Hidetoshi, Oka, Kenji, Ninomiya, Takanori, Tanaka, Maki, Watanabe, Kenji, Watanabe, Tetsuya, Morishige, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, HOA Q
• Application Number:
  US13/234,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20120006131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2375, 356/394, 250/559.39, 250/559.41, 250/559.45, 382/149, 382/224
• US Class Current: 356/237.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8861 Determining coordinates of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8867 using sequentially two or more inspection runs, e.g. coarse and fine, or detecting then analysing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8851 Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10152 Varying illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85

Abstract

A method and apparatus of inspecting a sample, in which the sample is inspected under a plurality of inspection conditions, and inspection data obtained by inspecting the sample under each of the plurality of inspection conditions and position information on the sample of the inspection date in correspondence with the respective inspection conditions, are stored. The inspection data for each of the plurality of inspection conditions is against each other by the use of the position information on the sample to determine a position to be inspected in detail, and an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail is obtained. The obtained image is classified, the inspection condition of the sample by the use of information of classification of the image is determined.

Claims

1. A method of determining inspection conditions for inspecting a sample, comprising the steps of:

inspecting a sample under plural inspection conditions;

storing inspection results including defect candidate position information on the sample;

determining at least one defect on the sample to be reviewed in detail from inspection results including defect candidate position information;

analyzing the at least one defect candidate on the sample; and

determining an inspection condition from the plural inspection conditions by using a result of the analyzing step.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

determining a defect candidate to be inspected in detail from the identified defect candidates.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of determining a position on the sample to be reviewed in detail, the reviewing of the position on the sample is executed by reviewing or analyzing.

4. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing further includes a step of classifying the determined at least one defect candidate by category.

5. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of determining an inspection condition, the inspection condition is selected based on an amount of false information.

6. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of determining an inspection condition, the inspection condition which has the fewest false information is selected.

7. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of determining at least one defect, the at least one defect is determined based on a result of checking an identity of the defect candidates.

8. A method of inspecting a sample, comprising the steps of:

storing position data of defect candidates detected under plural inspection conditions;

comparing the position data of each of the defect candidates;

determining at least one defect on the sample to be reviewed in detail from the defect candidates position information calculated from the position data;

analyzing the determined at least one defect on the sample; and

determining an inspection condition of the sample by using information obtained from an image of the position on the sample determined to be reviewed.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of:

determining a defect candidate to be inspected in detail out of the identified defect candidates.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein in the step of

determining a position on the sample to be reviewed in detail, the reviewing of the position on the sample is executed by reviewing or analyzing.

11. An apparatus for inspecting a sample, comprising:

an inspection condition setting means which sets an inspection condition of inspecting a sample;

a storing means which stores position data of defect candidates on a sample, the position data being obtained by an inspection apparatus by sequentially inspecting the sample under plural inspection conditions set by the inspection condition setting means;

determining means which determines at least one defect on the sample to be reviewed in detail from the position data of defect candidates;

analyzing means which analyzes the determined at least one defect on the sample; and

an inspection condition determining means which determines the inspection condition of the sample by using information of an image of the defect candidates, the identity of the defect candidates being checked, and inputs the determined inspection condition to the inspection condition setting means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a defect candidate determining means which determines a defect candidate to be inspected in detail out of the identified defect candidates.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the inspection condition determining means has an optical inspection tool which reviews the defect candidates.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the inspection condition determining means has a SEM which reviews the defect candidates.