Method and apparatus for reviewing defects of semiconductor device

1. A method for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

obtaining an image including a defect on the semiconductor device detected by a detection device using a scanning electron microscope at a first magnification;

making a reference image from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification;

detecting the defect by comparing the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification with the reference image made from the image including the defect at the first magnification; and

taking an image of the detected defect at a second magnification that is larger than the first magnification,

wherein, when the defect cannot be detected by comparing the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification with the reference image made from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, another reference image without any defects is taken using the scanning electron microscope at the first magnification, and then the another reference image taken at the first magnification is compared with the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, thereby detecting the defect.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reference image made from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification is an image without any defects.

3. The according to claim 1 , wherein, during detecting the defect by comparison with the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, an uninspected area where detection of a defect is not performed is set in the reference image made from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, during making the reference image from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, and detecting the defect by comparing the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification to the reference image made from said image including the defect at the first magnification, a focus condition of said scanning electron microscope for imaging at the second magnification is determined.

5. An apparatus for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device, comprising:

scanning electron microscopic means for obtaining a secondary electron image of a defect on the semiconductor device detected by a detection device;

reference image making means for making a reference image from the image including the defect on the semiconductor device obtained at a first magnification using said scanning electron microscopic means;

defect detection means for detecting the defect by comparing the image including the defect on the semiconductor device obtained at the first magnification using said scanning electron microscopic means to the reference image made by said reference image making means; and

control means for controlling said scanning electron microscopic means to take an image of the defect detected by the defect detection means at a second magnification that is larger than the first magnification, wherein, when the defect cannot be detected by comparing the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification by said defect detection means to the reference image made from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, said control means controls said scanning electron microscopic means to obtain the reference image without any defects at the first magnification, and controls said defect detection means to detect the defect by comparing the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification by said defect detection means to the reference image without any defects obtained at the first magnification.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said reference image making means makes an image without any defects from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, as the reference image.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein, during detecting the defect by comparison with the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, said reference image making means makes an image as the reference image in which an uninspected area where detection of a defect is not performed is set.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising auto focus means, wherein, while said reference image making means makes the reference image and said defect detection means compares the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification by said defect detection means to the reference image made from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, thereby detecting the defect, said auto focus means is adapted to determine a focus condition of said scanning electron microscopic means for imaging at the second magnification.

9. The method for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein, during making the reference image from the image and detecting the defect, a focus condition of said scanning electron microscope for imaging at the second magnification is determined.

10. The method for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein, during making the reference image, the reference image made from the image including the defect at the first magnification is displayed on a display.

11. The apparatus for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device according to claim 5 , further comprising auto focus means, wherein, while said reference image making means makes the reference image and said defect detection means detects the defect, said auto focus means is adapted to determine a focus condition of said scanning electron microscopic means for imaging at the second magnification.