IP Library Granted Patent US 8,093,557
Granted Patent B2
US 8,093,557 · App. 12/573,479 · Granted Jan 10, 2012

Method and apparatus for reviewing defects

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,093,557
App. No.
12/573,479
Granted
Jan 10, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of inspecting defects of a sample includes a first step for, on a basis of position information of defects on a sample placed on a movable table which is previously detected and obtained by an other inspection system, driving the table so that the defects come into a viewing field of an optical microscope having a focus which is adjusted, a second step for re-detecting the defects to obtain a first detection result, a third step for correcting the position information of defects on a basis of position information of defects re-detected of the first detection result, and a fourth step for reviewing the defects whose position information is corrected to obtain a second detection result. The method includes classifying types of defects on basis of the first detection result and the second detection result.

Claims (18)

1. A method of inspecting defects of a sample, the method comprising the steps of:

a first step for, on a basis of position information of defects on a sample placed on a table that is movable in an X-Y plane in which the position information of defects is previously detected and obtained by inspecting the sample by an other inspection system, driving the table and making the defects come into a viewing field of an optical microscope, and adjusting focus of the optical microscope onto the sample;

a second step for re-detecting the defects, based on the position information, by the optical microscope to obtain a first detection result;

a third step for correcting displacement amounts of the position information of defects on a basis of position information of defects re-detected from the first detection result obtained at the second step; and

a fourth step for reviewing the defects, whose position information is corrected at the third step, by an electron microscope to obtain a second detection result;

wherein types of defects are classified based upon defects on a surface and inside the sample being detected by the first detection result and defects on the surface of the sample being detected by the second detection result.

2. The method of inspecting defects of a sample according to claim 1 ,

wherein the classification classifies whether the defects on the sample are defects of the uppermost surface of the sample when the defects are detected by both the first detection result and the second detection result or defects of a lower layer of the sample when the defects are detected by the first detection result but not the second detection result.

3. The method of inspecting defects of a sample according to claim 2 ,

wherein the classification classifies that pseudo defects are obtained when the defects are not detected by either the first detection result or the second detection result.

4. The method of inspecting defects of a sample according to claim 1 ,

wherein the classification classifies that pseudo defects are obtained when the defects are not detected by either the first detection result or the second detection result.

5. The method of inspecting defects of a sample according to claim 1 ,

wherein the types of defects are classified according to whether the defects are detected by both of the first detection result and the second detection result or detected by only the first detection result.

6. The method of inspecting defects of a sample according to claim 1 ,

wherein the types of defects are classified according to whether the defects are detected by both of the first detection result and the second detection result, or detected by only the first detection result, or detected by neither the first detection result nor the second detection result.

7. The method of inspecting defects of a sample according to claim 1 ,

wherein the types of defects pertain to whether the defect is a defect on a surface or a defect inside the sample.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052259/0227 →