Calibration method, inspection method, and semiconductor device manufacturing method

1. A calibration method of performing contrast threshold calibration in extracting a pattern edge from an image of a pattern formed on a processing target substrate, comprising:

simulating formation of the pattern to detect a portion predicted to have shorted or opened in the pattern;

calculating a contrast of an image of the pattern including the portion predicted to have shorted or opened; and

determining a threshold from the contrast, the threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have shorted or opened.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range between a minimum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is increased due to the shorted portion and a maximum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is decreased due to the opened portion.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range equal to or lower than a minimum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is increased due to the shorted portion.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range equal to or higher than a maximum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is decreased due to the opened portion.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the threshold is performed by determining a first threshold and a second threshold separately, the first threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have shorted and the second threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have opened.

6. An inspection method of performing contrast threshold calibration in extracting a pattern edge from an image of a pattern formed on a processing target substrate, comprising:

simulating formation of the pattern to detect a portion predicted to have shorted or opened in the pattern;

calculating a contrast of an image of the pattern including the portion predicted to have shorted or opened;

determining a threshold from the contrast, the threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have shorted or opened; and

inspecting the pattern formed on the processing target substrate, on the basis of the extracted pattern edge.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range between a minimum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is increased due to the shorted portion and a maximum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is decreased due to the opened portion.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range equal to or lower than a minimum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is increased due to the shorted portion.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range equal to or higher than a maximum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is decreased due to the opened portion.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the determination of the threshold is performed by determining a first threshold and a second threshold separately, the first threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have shorted and the second threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have opened.

11. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the inspection of the pattern is the Die-to-Database inspection.

12. A semiconductor device manufacturing method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a processing target substrate inspected by performing contrast threshold calibration in extracting a pattern edge from an image of a pattern formed on the processing target substrate, comprising:

simulating formation of the pattern to detect a portion predicted to have shorted or opened in the pattern;

calculating a contrast of an image of the pattern including the portion predicted to have shorted or opened;

determining a threshold from the contrast, the threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have shorted or opened;

inspecting the pattern formed on the processing target substrate, on the basis of the extracted pattern edge; and

manufacturing the semiconductor device using the inspected processing target substrate.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range between a minimum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is increased due to the shorted portion and a maximum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is decreased due to the opened portion.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range equal to or lower than a minimum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is increased due to the shorted portion.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the threshold is determined within a contrast value range equal to or higher than a maximum contrast value of a portion where a contrast is decreased due to the opened portion.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the determination of the threshold is performed by determining a first threshold and a second threshold separately, the first threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have shorted and the second threshold avoiding extraction of a pattern edge in the portion predicted to have opened.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the inspection of the pattern is the Die-to-Database inspection.