Defect inspection method and its device

• US 9,513,228 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shibata, Yukihiro, Shimura, Kei, Uto, Sachio, Honda, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Tri T
• Application Number:
  US14/377,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20150022806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2376, 3562391-2398
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8822 Dark field detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8848 Polarisation of light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• 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 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/958 Inspecting transparent materials or objects, e.g. windscreens for conveyed flat sheet or rod G01N21/896
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/068 Optics, miscellaneous
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0697 Pulsed lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/12 Circuits of general importance; Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7065 Defects, e.g. optical inspection of patterned layer for defects

Abstract

To increase the illumination efficiency by facilitating the change of the incident angle of illumination light with a narrow illumination width according to an inspection object and enabling an illumination region to be effectively irradiated with light, provided is a defect inspection method for obliquely irradiating a sample mounted on a table that is moving continuously in one direction with illumination light, collecting scattered light from the sample obliquely irradiated with the illumination light, detecting an image of the surface of the sample formed by the scattered light, processing a signal obtained by detecting the image formed by the scattered light, and extracting a defect candidate, wherein the oblique irradiation of the light is implemented by linearly collecting light emitted from a light source, and obliquely projecting the collected light onto the surface of the sample, thereby illuminating a linear region on the surface of the sample.

Claims

1. A defect inspection device, comprising:

a table unit on which a target sample to be inspected is mounted;

an illumination optical system unit configured to obliquely illuminate the sample mounted on the table unit;

a detecting optical system unit which condenses scattered light generated from the sample on which illumination light is obliquely irradiated by the illumination light optical system unit, and detects an image on a surface of the sample using the scattered light;

an image processing unit configured to process a signal obtained by detecting the image on the surface of the sample using the scattered light by the detecting optical system unit, to extract defect candidates on the surface of the sample; and

a control unit which controls the table unit, the illumination optical system unit, the detecting optical system unit, and the image processing unit,

wherein the illumination optical system unit includes

a laser light source which emits a laser beam;

a beam expander which expands a diameter of the laser beam;

an anamorphic optical unit which controls a size of the laser beam in a particular direction;

a cylindrical optical unit which condenses the laser beam passed through the anamorphic optical unit in one direction and forms a linearly condensed light image as an intermediate image; and

a relay lens unit which forms the linearly condensed light image on a surface of the specimen mounted on the table unit to illuminate a linear region on the specimen,

wherein a polarization condition of the laser beam passing through the anamorphic optical unit and the cylindrical optical unit is a specific linearly polarized condition,

wherein optical coatings are applied to surfaces of a cylindrical lens of the cylindrical optical unit, said optical coatings corresponding to the polarization state of the laser beam to reduce power loss of the laser beam, and

wherein the relay lens unit includes a polarization control element which controls polarization condition of the laser beam illuminating the specimen.

2. The defect inspection device according to claim 1, wherein

light emitted from the light source from an anamorphic prism of the anamorphic optical unit is formed as an ellipse in cross section perpendicular to an optical axis of said emitted light, and

the elliptic light is caused to enter the cylindrical lens.

3. The defect inspection device according to claim 1, wherein

the cylindrical lens has a convex surface, and

the convex surface has an aspherical surface form.

4. The defect inspection device according to claim 1,

wherein the illumination optical system unit further includes a diffraction grating, and

wherein the illumination optical system unit condenses light linearly on the cylindrical optical unit to form an image of the condensed light on a surface of the diffraction grating,

condenses high-order diffracted light by the relay lens unit, of diffracted light generated by the diffraction grating on which the image of the condensed light is formed, and

forms a pattern of the image of the condensed light by the condensed high-order diffracted light on the surface of the sample.

5. The defect inspection device according to claim 4, wherein the illumination optical system unit includes a plurality of diffraction gratings with different pattern pitches in the diffraction gratings, and switches the diffraction gratings arranged in a position for forming the image of the light condensed linearly by the cylindrical lens, thereby changing an incidence angle of the image of the condensed light to be formed on the surface of the sample.

6. The defect inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting optical system unit detects the image on the surface of the sample using the scattered light which is scattered above including a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sample, of scattered light generated in a linear region on the surface of the sample illuminated with the illumination light.

7. The defect inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting optical system unit includes:

a high angle scattered light detecting system detecting the image on the surface of the sample with the scattered light scattered in a high angle direction with respect to the surface of the sample of the scattered light generated in a linear region of the surface of the sample illuminated with the illumination light, and

a low angle scattered light detecting system detecting the image on the surface of the sample with the scattered light scattered in a low angle direction with respect to the surface of the sample of the scattered light generated in a linear region of the surface of the sample illuminated with the illumination light, and

wherein the image processing unit extracts defect candidates on the surface of the sample, using a detection signal of the image detected by the high angle scattered light detecting system, on the surface of the sample with the scattered light scattered in the high angle direction, and a detection signal of the image detected by the low angle scattered light detecting system, on the surface of the sample with the scattered light scattered in the low angle direction.

15. The defect inspection device according to claim 1, wherein an elevation angle of the illumination optical system for illuminating the specimen is changeable.

16. The defect inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical system unit further comprises a slit plate having a slit-like opening disposed in a position on which the linearly condensed light image or intermediate image is formed.

17. The defect inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical optical unit includes a cylindrical mirror having a concave reflection surface and the cylindrical lens having a convex surface.

8. A defect inspection method, comprising the steps of:

irradiating illumination light obliquely onto a sample mounted on a table which is continuously moved in one direction;

detecting an image on a surface of the sample using scattered light, by condensing the scattered light generated on the sample onto which the illumination light is obliquely irradiated; and

processing a signal obtained by detecting the image on the surface of the sample using the scattered light to extract defect candidates on the surface of the sample,

wherein said irradiating the illumination light obliquely onto the sample includes

emitting a laser beam from a laser light source;

expanding a diameter of the laser beam with a beam expander;

controlling a size of the laser beam in a particular direction with an anamorphic optical unit;

condensing the laser beam passed through the anamorphic optical unit in one direction and forming a linearly condensed light image as an intermediate image with a cylindrical optical unit; and

forming the linearly condensed light image on a surface of the specimen mounted on the table to illuminate a linear region on the specimen with a relay lens unit,

wherein a polarization condition of the laser beam passing through the anamorphic optical unit and the cylindrical optical unit is a specific linearly polarized condition,

wherein power loss of the laser beam is reduced by optical coatings corresponding to a polarization state of the laser beam, the optical coatings being applied to surfaces of a cylindrical lens of the cylindrical optical unit, and

wherein a polarization condition of the laser beam illuminating the specimen is controlled by a polarization control element included in the relay lens unit.

9. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, wherein the irradiating the illumination light obliquely onto the sample includes:

forming the light emitted from the light source as an ellipse in cross section perpendicular to an optical axis of the light, and

forming an image of condensed light by linearly condensing the light which is formed as an ellipse.

10. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, further comprising:

forming the image of the condensed light on a surface of a diffraction grating;

condensing high-order diffracted light, of diffracted light generated by the diffracted grating having the surface on which the image of the condensed light is formed; and

forming a pattern of the image of the condensed light using the condensed high-order diffracted light on the surface of the sample.

11. The defect inspection method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

switching the diffraction grating for forming the image of condensed light with a diffraction grating having a patch different from a pitch of a grating pattern formed in the diffraction grating, thereby changing an incidence angle to the surface of the sample of the high-order diffracted light to be formed on the surface of the sample.

12. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, wherein the table is continuously moved in one direction while being rotated.

13. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, wherein the detecting the image on the surface of the sample using the scattered light is performed by detecting the image on the surface of the sample using scattered light scattered above including a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sample, of scattered light generated in a linear region of the surface of the sample onto which the illumination light is irradiated.

14. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, wherein

the detecting the image on the surface of the sample using the scattered light includes detecting the image on the surface of the sample using scattered light scattered in a high angle direction with respect to the surface of the sample and the image on the surface of the sample using scattered light scattered in a low angle direction with respect to the surface of the sample, of scattered light generated in the linear region of the surface of the sample onto which the illumination light is illuminated, and

the extracting the defect candidates on the surface of the sample includes extracting the defect candidates on the surface of the sample, using a detection signal of the image on the surface of the sample using the scattered light scattered in the high angle direction and a detection signal of the image on the surface of the sample using the scattered light scattered in the low angle direction.

18. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, wherein an elevation angle of the illumination optical system for illuminating the specimen is changeable.

19. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, wherein the linearly condensed light image or intermediate image passes through a slit-like opening formed on a slit plate which is disposed in a position on which the linearly condensed light image or intermediate image is formed.

20. The defect inspection method according to claim 8, wherein the linearly condensed light image is formed on the surface of the specimen by a cylindrical mirror having a concave reflection surface and the cylindrical lens having a convex surface, the cylindrical mirror being in the cylindrical optical unit.