Method of inspecting a semiconductor device and an apparatus thereof

• US 7,061,602 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• 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, Nishiyama, Hidetoshi, Ohshima, Yoshimasa, Watanabe, Kenji, Ninomiya, Takanori, Tanaka, Maki, Noguchi, Minori, Watanabe, Tetsuya, Oka, Kenji, Morishige, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hoa Q.
• Application Number:
  US11/117,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20050196033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2375, 356/394, 382/149, 382/224, 250/396.R, 250/559.41, 250/559.39, 250/559.45
• 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 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 inspecting a specimen, comprising the steps of:

determining an inspection condition by selecting among plural inspection conditions; and

inspecting a specimen processed in a process line under said determined inspection condition;

wherein the step of determining an inspection condition includes the following steps of;

inspecting the specimen to detect defect candidates under plural inspection conditions by illuminating a light on the specimen and detecting light from the sample which is illuminated by said illuminating light;

storing position information of defect candidates with an inspection condition thereof detected by the step of inspecting;

comparing said stored position information of defect candidates detected under said plural inspection conditions to judge an identity of said position information;

selecting defect candidates to be reviewed among said identity judged defect candidates;

reviewing said selected defect candidates and classifying said selected defect candidates; and

determining said inspection condition of the specimen by using the classified information of said selected defect candidates obtained at the step of reviewing.

2. A method of inspecting a specimen according to claim 1, wherein in the step of inspecting, the specimen is obliquely illuminated by said light and said light from the specimen is diffracted from the specimen by said obliquely illumination light.

3. A method of inspecting a specimen according to claim 1, wherein in the step of inspecting, the specimen is illuminated by said light which is passed through a lens and said light from the specimen is reflected from the specimen and passes through said lens.

4. A method of inspecting a specimen according to claim 1, wherein in the step of determining, said inspection condition includes at least one of quality of illumination, polarization of illuminating light, direction of illumination, phase and pitch of light shielding pattern of a spatial filter and an inspection algorithm.

5. A method of inspecting a specimen, comprising the steps of:

determining an inspection condition by selecting among plural inspection conditions; and

inspecting a specimen processed in a process line under said determined inspection condition,

wherein the step of determining an inspection condition includes the following steps of;

inspecting the specimen to detect defect candidates under plural inspection conditions by illuminating a light on the specimen and detecting light from the specimen illuminated by said illuminating light;

comparing position information of detected defect candidate under said plural inspection conditions to judge an identity of said position information;

displaying on a screen position information of said identity judged defect candidates;

selecting defect candidates to be reviewed among said identity judged defect candidates displayed on said screen;

obtaining review information of said identity judged defect candidates; and

determining said inspection condition of the specimen by using the review information of said selected defect candidates.

6. A method of inspecting a specimen according to claim 5, wherein in the step of inspecting, the specimen is obliquely illuminated by said light and said light from the specimen is diffracted from the specimen by said obliquely illuminated light.

7. A method of inspecting a specimen according to claim 5, wherein in the step of inspecting, the specimen is illuminated by said light passed through a lens and said light from the specimen is reflected from the specimen and passes through said lens.

8. A method of inspecting a specimen according to claim 5, wherein in the step of determining, said inspection condition includes at least one of quality of illumination, polarization of illuminating light, direction of illumination, phase and pitch of light shielding pattern of a spatial filter and an inspection algorithm.

9. An apparatus for inspecting a specimen, comprising:

an inspection condition setting means which sets plural inspection conditions for inspecting a specimen to detect defect candidates;

an inspection means which inspects the specimen under plural inspection conditions set by said inspection condition setting means by illuminating a light on the specimen and detecting light from the specimen illuminated by the illuminating light;

storage means for storing position information of defect candidates with an inspection condition thereof detected by said inspection means under plural inspection conditions;

defect candidate identity judging means which judges identity of said defect candidates stored in said storage means by comparing said stored position information of said defect candidates detected under said plural inspection conditions;

display means which displays, on a screen, position information of said identity judged defect candidates judged by said defect candidate identity judging means;

selecting means for selecting defect candidates to be reviewed among said identity judged defect candidates displayed on said screen; and

an inspection condition input means for inputting an inspection condition of the specimen by the use of information of said identity judged defect candidates selected by said selecting means.

10. An apparatus for inspecting a specimen according to claim 9, wherein said inspection means includes an illuminating optical system which obliquely illuminates the specimen with light and a detecting optical system which detects light from the specimen diffracted from the specimen by the obliquely illuminated light.

11. An apparatus for inspecting a specimen according to claim 9, wherein said inspection means includes an illuminating optical system which illuminates the specimen with light passed through a lens and a detecting optical system which detects light from the specimen passed through said lens.

12. An apparatus for inspecting a specimen according to claim 9, wherein said inspection means includes an illuminating optical system and a detecting optical system, and the inspection condition of the specimen which is input by said inspection condition input means includes at least one of adjustable and controllable factors of at least one of said illuminating optical system and said detecting optical system.

13. An apparatus for inspecting a specimen according to claim 12, wherein said inspection condition of the specimen which is input by said inspection condition input means includes at least one of quality of illumination, polarization of illuminating light and direction of illumination of said illuminating optical system, phase and pitch of light shielding pattern of a spatial filter of said detecting optical system and an inspection algorithm.