Photomask inspection method, semiconductor device inspection method, and pattern inspection apparatus

• US 8,811,713 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amsdell, Dana
• Application Number:
  US12/533,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• US Class Current: 382/144
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/84 Inspecting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach

Abstract

A plurality of photomasks used to manufacture the same semiconductor device, each of the photomasks having a plurality of mutually replaceable unit regions set therein, are inspected to detect a defect. It is determined whether or not the detected defect has a redundancy defect positioned in a unit region replaceable with another unit region to remedy the photomask. Then, when inspecting the second or subsequent photomask, a unit region including the coordinate of a redundancy defect detected in another photomask inspected previously is set to be a non-inspection region, and the non-inspection region is not inspected.

Claims

1. A pattern inspection apparatus for inspecting a plurality of photomasks each used to manufacture a same semiconductor device, the photomasks each including a plurality of mutually replaceable unit regions set therein, the apparatus comprising:

a redundancy map storage unit storing a redundancy map indicating a disposition of the unit regions;

an image capture unit for acquiring optical images of the photomasks;

a defect determination unit which;

compares an acquired optical image of a first one of the photomasks to a reference image associated with the first one of the photomasks to detect a defect,

determines whether a detected defect is a redundancy defect positioned in a first one of the unit regions replaceable with a second one of the unit regions to render usable the first one of the photomasks,

updates the redundancy map to record a coordinate of the redundancy defect, and

outputs information regarding the detected defect; and

a control unit which;

identifies, for a second one of the photomasks, one of the unit regions on the second one of the photomasks that includes the coordinate of the detected redundancy defect as a redundancy-relevant region on the second one of the photomasks, and

instructs the image capture unit not to inspect the redundancy-relevant region.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reference image creation unit creating the reference image based on design data of the first one of the photomasks.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further instructs the defect determination unit not to output information of a defect detected in the redundancy-relevant region.

2. A pattern inspection apparatus for inspecting an intermediate structural body at each stage of a plurality of manufacturing stages of a semiconductor device, the intermediate structural body at each stage including a plurality of mutually replaceable unit regions set therein, the apparatus comprising:

a redundancy map storage unit storing a redundancy map indicating a disposition of the unit regions;

an image capture unit for acquiring optical images of the intermediate structural body at the plurality of manufacturing stages;

a defect determination unit which;

compares an acquired optical image of the intermediate structural body at a first stage to a reference image associated with the intermediate structural body at the first stage to detect a defect,

determines whether a detected defect is a redundancy defect positioned in a first one of the unit regions replaceable with a second one of the unit regions to remedy the intermediate structural body,

updates the redundancy map to record a coordinate of the redundancy defect, and

outputs information regarding the detected defect; and

a control unit which;

identifies, for the intermediate structural body at a second stage, one of the unit regions on the intermediate structural body at the second stage that includes the coordinate of the detected redundancy defect as a redundancy-relevant region, and

instructs the image capture unit not to inspect the redundancy-relevant region.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a reference image creation unit creating the reference image based on design data of the intermediate structural body at the first stage.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit further instructs the defect determination unit not to output information of a defect detected in the redundancy-relevant region.