Target workpiece inspection apparatus, image alignment method, and computer-readable recording medium with program recorded thereon

1. A target workpiece inspection apparatus comprising:

an optical image acquiring unit configured to acquire an optical image of a target workpiece to be inspected on which a pattern is formed;

a reference image generating unit configured to generate a reference image to be compared with the optical image;

a difference judging unit configured to judge whether an absolute value of difference between a pixel value of the optical image and a pixel value of the reference image in each pixel at a preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value;

a least-squares method displacement calculating unit configured to calculate a displacement amount displaced from the preliminary alignment position, by using a regular matrix for a least-squares method obtained from a result judged by the difference judging unit;

a position correcting unit configured to correct an alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a position displaced from the preliminary alignment position by the displacement amount; and

a comparing unit configured to compare the optical image and the reference image whose alignment position has been corrected.

2. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the regular matrix is calculated by deleting a product-sum term corresponding to a pixel whose absolute value of the difference is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold value, from a product-sum calculation for obtaining all elements of the regular matrix.

3. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined threshold value includes an absolute value of a maximum of an image transmission loss ratio generated from apparatus features, an absolute value of a maximum of a displacement amount in X direction generated from the apparatus features, and an absolute value of a maximum of a displacement amount in Y direction generated from the apparatus features, as parameters.

4. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is obtained by at least adding a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the image transmission loss ratio by the pixel value of the reference image, a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the displacement amount in the X direction by an absolute value of a first differential value obtained by space differentiating the reference image in the X direction, and a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the displacement amount in the Y direction by an absolute value of a second differential value obtained by space differentiating the reference image in the Y direction.

5. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the least-squares method displacement calculating unit divides the reference image by weighting, and calculates the displacement amount for each of divided areas.

6. A target workpiece inspection apparatus comprising:

an optical image acquiring unit configured to acquire an optical image of a target workpiece to be inspected on which a pattern is formed;

a reference image generating unit configured to generate a reference image to be compared with the optical image;

a difference judging unit configured to judge whether an absolute value of difference between a pixel value of the optical image and a pixel value of the reference image in each pixel at a preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value;

a first SSD (Sum of Squared Difference) calculating unit configured to calculate a first displacement amount from the preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a first position where an SSD between the pixel value of the optical image and the pixel value of the reference image is minimized;

a least-squares method displacement calculating unit configured to calculate a second displacement amount displaced from the preliminary alignment position, by using a regular matrix for a least-squares method obtained from a result determined by the difference judging unit;

a second SSD calculating unit configured to calculate an SSD between the pixel value of the optical image and the pixel value of the reference image at a second position displaced from the preliminary alignment position by the second displacement amount;

an SSD judging unit configured to judge which of the SSD at the first position and the SSD at the second position is smaller;

a position correcting unit to correct an alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a position where a smaller SSD as a result determined by the SSD judging unit is obtained; and

a comparing unit configured to compare the optical image and the reference image whose alignment position has been corrected.

7. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the regular matrix is calculated by deleting a product-sum term corresponding to a pixel whose absolute value of the difference is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold value, from a product-sum calculation for obtaining all elements of the regular matrix.

8. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined threshold value includes an absolute value of a maximum of an image transmission loss ratio generated from apparatus features, an absolute value of a maximum of a displacement amount in X direction generated from the apparatus features, and an absolute value of a maximum of a displacement amount in Y direction generated from the apparatus features, as parameters.

9. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is obtained by at least adding a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the image transmission loss ratio by the pixel value of the reference image, a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the displacement amount in the X direction by an absolute value of a first differential value obtained by space differentiating the reference image in the X direction, and a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the displacement amount in the Y direction by an absolute value of a second differential value obtained by space differentiating the reference image in the Y direction.

10. Target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first SSD calculating unit calculates the first displacement amount by performing displacing in units of subpixels to a position where the SSD is minimized.

11. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the least-squares method displacement calculating unit divides the reference image by weighting, and calculates the displacement amount for each of divided areas.

12. A target workpiece inspection apparatus comprising:

an optical image acquiring unit configured to acquire an optical image of a target workpiece to be inspected on which a pattern is formed;

a reference image generating unit configured to generate a reference image to be compared with the optical image;

a difference judging unit configured to judge whether an absolute value of difference between a pixel value of the optical image and a pixel value of the reference image in each pixel at a preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value;

a first SSD (Sum of Squared Difference) calculating unit configured to calculate a first displacement amount from the preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a first position where an SSD between the pixel value of the optical image and the pixel value of the reference image is minimized;

a least-squares method displacement calculating unit configured to calculate a second displacement amount displaced from the first position, by using a regular matrix for a least-squares method obtained from a result determined by the difference judging unit;

a second SSD calculating unit configured to calculate an SSD between the pixel value of the optical image and the pixel value of the reference image at a second position displaced from the first position by the second displacement amount;

an SSD judging unit configured to judge which of the SSD at the first position and the SSD at the second position is smaller;

a position correcting unit configured to correct an alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a position where a smaller SSD as a result determined by the SSD judging unit is obtained; and

a comparing unit configured to compare the optical image and the reference image whose alignment position has been corrected.

13. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the regular matrix is calculated by deleting a product-sum term corresponding to a pixel whose absolute value of the difference is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold value, from a product-sum calculation for obtaining all elements of the regular matrix.

14. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined threshold value includes an absolute value of a maximum of an image transmission loss ratio generated from apparatus features, an absolute value of a maximum of a displacement amount in X direction generated from the apparatus features, and an absolute value of a maximum of a displacement amount in Y direction generated from the apparatus features, as parameters.

15. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is obtained by at least adding a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the image transmission loss ratio by the pixel value of the reference image, a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the displacement amount in the X direction by an absolute value of a first differential value obtained by space differentiating the reference image in the X direction, and a value calculated by multiplying the absolute value of the maximum of the displacement amount in the Y direction by an absolute value of a second differential value obtained by space differentiating the reference image in the Y direction.

16. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the first SSD calculating unit calculates the first displacement amount by performing displacing in units of subpixels to a position where the SSD is minimized.

17. The target workpiece inspection apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the least-squares method displacement calculating unit divides the reference image by weighting, and calculates the displacement amount for each of divided areas.

18. An image alignment method for aligning an optical image and a reference image for use in a comparing inspection of a target workpiece to be inspected on which a pattern is formed, the method comprising:

judging whether an absolute value of difference between a pixel value of the optical image and a pixel value of the reference image in each pixel at a preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value;

calculating a first displacement amount from the preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a first position where an SSD (Sum of Squared Difference) between the pixel value of the optical image and the pixel value of the reference image is minimized;

calculating a second displacement amount displaced from the first position, by using a regular matrix for a least-squares method obtained from a result of the judging of difference;

calculating an SSD between the pixel value of the optical image and the pixel value of the reference image at a second position displaced from the first position by the second displacement amount;

judging which of the SSD at the first position and the SSD at the second position is smaller; and

correcting an alignment position between the optical image and the reference image to a position where a smaller SSD as a result of the judging is obtained, to output a result of the correcting.

19. A computer-readable recording medium with a program recorded thereon to be executed by a computer comprising:

storing process for storing an optical image and a reference image for use in a comparing inspection of a target workpiece to be inspected on which a pattern is formed, in a storage device;

difference judging process for judging whether an absolute value of difference between a pixel value of the optical image and a pixel value of the reference image in each pixel at a preliminary alignment position between the optical image and the reference image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value by reading the optical image and the reference image from the storage device; and

least-squares method displacement calculating process for calculating a displacement amount based on a least-squares method by using a regular matrix for the least-squares method obtained from a result of the difference judging process, to output the displacement amount.