Method and apparatus for reviewing defects of semiconductor device
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device is provided which involves detecting a defect on a SEM image taken at low magnification, and reviewing the defect on a SEM image taken at high magnification, and which can review a lot of defects in a short period of time thereby to improve the efficiency of defect review. In the present invention, the method for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device includes the steps of obtaining an image including a defect on the semiconductor device detected by a detection device by use of 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 to 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.
1. A method for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device, the method comprising the steps of:
obtaining an image by using a scanning electron microscope, the image including a defect on the semiconductor device as detected by a detection device, and making a reference image from the image including the defect;
detecting the defect, by comparing the image including the defect to the reference image made from the image including the defect; and
wherein when the defect cannot be detected by comparing the image including the defect with the reference image made from the image including the defect, another reference image without any defects is taken using the scanning electron microscope, and then the another reference image is compared with the image including the defect, in order to thereby detect the defect.
2. An apparatus for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device, comprising:
a scanning electron microscopic means for obtaining an electron image of a defect on the semiconductor device;
a reference image making means for making a reference image, from the image including the defect on the semiconductor device obtained using the scanning electron microscopic means;
a defect detection means for detecting the defect, by comparing the image including the defect on the semiconductor device obtained by using the scanning electron microscopic means to the reference image made by the reference image making means; and
a control means for controlling the scanning electron microscopic means to take an image of the defect detected by the defect detection means;
wherein when the defect cannot be detected by comparing the image including the defect obtained by the defect detection means to the reference image made from the image including the defect, the control means controls the scanning electron microscopic means to obtain another reference image without any defects, and controls the defect detection means to detect the defect by comparing the image including the defect obtained by the defect detection means to the another reference image without any defects.
3. An apparatus for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device, comprising:
a scanning electron microscope configured to obtain an electron image of a defect on the semiconductor device;
a reference image making unit configured to make a reference image, from the image including the defect on the semiconductor device obtained using the scanning electron microscope;
a defect detection unit configured to detect the defect by comparing the image including the defect on the semiconductor device obtained by using the scanning electron microscope to the reference image made by the reference image making unit; and
a control unit configured to control the scanning electron microscope to take an image of the defect detected by the defect detection unit;
wherein when the defect cannot be detected by comparing the image including the defect obtained by the defect detection unit to the reference image made from the image including the defect, the control unit is configured to control the scanning electron microscope to obtain another reference image without any defects, and is configured to control the defect detection unit to detect the defect by comparing the image including the defect obtained by the defect detection unit to the another reference image without any defects.