Pattern characteristic-detection apparatus for photomask and pattern characteristic-detection method for photomask

• US 9,841,385 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiromu, Ikeda, Hiroyuki, Sawa, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Champagne, Luna
• Application Number:
  US12/857,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,674 Days
• 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: G03F 1/84 Inspecting
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70525 Controlling normal operating mode, e.g. matching different apparatus, remote control or prediction of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7065 Defects, e.g. optical inspection of patterned layer for defects

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a pattern characteristic detection apparatus for a photomask includes a detection-data creating portion, a reference-data creating portion, an extracting portion, a first area-setting portion, a detecting portion and an collecting portion. The detection-data creating portion is configured to create detection data on the basis of an optical image of a pattern formed on a photomask. The reference-data creating portion is configured to create reference data of the pattern. The extracting portion is configured to extract a pattern for pattern characteristic detection and positional information of the extracted pattern. The first area-setting portion is configured to set an area where pattern characteristics are to be detected, and configured to extract a target pattern. The detecting portion is configured to detect pattern characteristics of the target pattern within the area. In addition, the collecting portion is configured to collect the detected pattern characteristics.

Claims

1. A pattern characteristic detection apparatus for a photomask comprising:

a detection-data creator configured to detect a pattern by converting light intensity of an optical image of the pattern formed on a photomask into an electric digital signal, the optical image of the pattern formed on a CCD image sensor, and to create detection data on the basis of the electric digital signal;

a reference-data creator configured to create reference data of the pattern from design data of the pattern;

an extractor configured to extract, from the reference data, the pattern with a same shape and size as those of a target pattern for pattern characteristic detection, and positional information of the extracted pattern;

a characteristic-detector;

configured to set an area where pattern characteristics are to be detected on the basis of the extracted pattern, and configured to extract, from the detection data, the target pattern on the basis of the positional information of the extracted pattern;

configured to detect pattern characteristics of the target pattern for the pattern characteristic detection within the area where the pattern characteristics are to be detected; and

configured to collect the detected pattern characteristics;

the extractor including a variable matching template in which any matching logic based on the signal level of each pixel included in the template is settable as needed, the variable matching template executing a delaying, a buffering, a binarizing, and a plurality of pixel-matchings, the delaying delaying, by a certain length of time, a transmission of an electric signal of the reference data without changing a waveform of the electric signal, the buffering accumulating, as data of N×

N pixels, the reference data inputted to be buffered after the delaying, the binarizing executing a first transforming and a second transforming, the first transforming and the second transforming performing binarization using different thresholds from each other, a data of N×

N pixels accumulated in the buffering being binarized by the binarizing using the different thresholds, the binarized data being supplied to be subject to the plurality of pixel-matchings, each of the plurality of pixel-matchings corresponding to a different group of N×

N pixels, each of the plurality of pixel-matchings executing a first logical-operation and a second logical-operation, the logic employed by each of the first logical-operation and the second logical-operation being set as needed,

the characteristic-detector creating at least one of information on pattern characteristic distributions on the basis of the detected pattern characteristics and the positional information, and information on pattern characteristics for an entire area of the photomask.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the pattern characteristics are the characteristics of at least one kind selected from the group consisting of transmittance magnitude, a line width, and transmittance magnitude in an area of the critical position.

3. A pattern characteristic detection apparatus for a photomask comprising:

a detection-data creator configured to detect a pattern by converting light intensity of an optical image of the pattern formed on a photomask into an electric digital signal, the optical image of the pattern formed on a CCD image sensor, and to create detection data on the basis of the electric digital signal;

a reference-data creator configured to create reference data of the pattern from design data of the pattern;

an extractor configured to extract, from the reference data, the pattern with a same shape and size as those of a target pattern for pattern characteristic detection, and positional information of the extracted pattern;

an inverse-transformer configured to perform an inverse-transformation operation, from the detection data of a pattern formed on a photomask;

a wafer plane pattern computer configured to calculate a wafer plane pattern from the pattern formed on the photomask;

a characteristic-detector;

configured to set an area where pattern characteristics are to be detected on the basis of the extracted pattern, and configured to extract, from the wafer plane pattern, the target pattern on the basis of the positional information of the extracted pattern;

configured to detect pattern characteristics of the target pattern for the pattern characteristic detection within the area where the pattern characteristics are to be detected; and

configured to collect the detected pattern characteristics;

the extractor including a variable matching template in which any matching logic based on the signal level of each pixel included in the template is settable as needed, the variable matching template executing a delaying, a buffering, a binarizing, and a plurality of pixel-matchings, the delaying delaying, by a certain length of time, a transmission of an electric signal of the reference data without changing a waveform of the electric signal, the buffering accumulating, as data of N×

N pixels, the reference data inputted to be buffered after the delaying, the binarizing executing a first transforming and a second transforming, the first transforming and the second transforming performing binarization using different thresholds from each other, a data of N×

N pixels accumulated in the buffering being binarized by the binarizing using the different thresholds, the binarized data being supplied to be subject to the plurality of pixel matchings, each of the plurality of pixel matchings corresponding to a different group of N×

N pixels, each of the plurality of pixel matchings executing a first logical-operation and a second logical-operation, the logic employed by each of the first logical-operation and the second logical-operation being set as needed,

the characteristic-detector creating at least one of information on pattern characteristic distributions on the basis of the detected pattern characteristics and the positional information, and information on pattern characteristics for the entire area of the photomask.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the detection-data creator includes:

a light source configured to emit inspection light;

an illuminating optical system configured to guide the inspection light emitted from the light source to a photomask;

an imaging optical system configured to make inspection light from the photomask to form an optical image on a CCD image sensor of a detector; and

the characteristic-detector configured to convert light of the optical image formed on a CCD image sensor into electric digital signal, and

the inverse-transformation operation is performed using both an optically-imaging characteristic of the imaging optical system and an image-forming function representing sensitivity profile of pixels of CCD image sensor in the characteristic-detector.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the pattern characteristics are characteristics of at least one kind selected from the group consisting of transmittance magnitude, a line width, and transmittance magnitude in an area of the critical position.