IP Library Granted Patent US 9,342,879
Granted Patent B2
US 9,342,879 · App. 14/347,127 · Granted May 17, 2016

Method and apparatus for reviewing defect

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,342,879
App. No.
14/347,127
Granted
May 17, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for reviewing defect, comprising the steps of: as an image acquisition step, imaging a surface of a sample using arbitrary image acquisition condition selected from a plurality of image acquisition conditions and obtaining a defect image; as a defect position calculation step, proceeding the defect image obtained by the image acquisition step and calculating a defect position on the surface of the sample; as a defect detection accuracy calculation step, obtaining a defect detection accuracy of the defect position calculated by the defect position calculation step; and as a conclusion determination step, determinating whether the defect detection accuracy obtained by the defect detection accuracy calculation step meets a predetermined requirement or not; wherein until it is determined that the defect detection accuracy obtained by the defect detection accuracy calculation step meets a predetermined in the conclusion determination step, the image acquisition condition is selected from the plurality of image acquisition conditions once again and the image acquisition step, the defect position calculation step, the defect detection accuracy calculation step and the conclusion determination step are repeated.

Claims (49)

1. A method for reviewing a defect in a sample, comprising:

imaging a surface of the sample using an arbitrary image acquisition condition selected from a plurality of image acquisition conditions and obtaining an image;

calculating a defect position of the surface of the sample using a defect image;

determining a defect detection accuracy of the calculated defect position; and

determining whether the defect detection accuracy meets predetermined requirement, wherein

until it is determined that the defect detection accuracy meets the predetermined requirement, the preceding steps are repeated, and

in calculating the defect position of the surface of the sample, when the image of a predetermined frame is imaged, images prior to the predetermined frame are added and averaged to obtain frame addition amounts.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of image acquisition conditions are selected in order corresponding to a requirement time of image acquisition from shorter to longest.

3. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein imaging the surface of the sample is based on predetermined position information on the surface of the sample.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein imaging a neighborhood area of a predetermined position coordinate on the surface of the sample.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of the image acquisition conditions are generated by a combination of different frame addition amounts or different image sizes.

6. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein imaging, calculating, and determining are processed in parallel.

7. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein imaging a non-defective image of the surface of the sample is formed in a similar pattern to a pattern of the defect position based on the predetermined position information; and

wherein calculating the defect position is performed by comparing the defect image and the non-defective image.

8. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein a non-defective image is obtained by averaging a plurality of images obtained by imaging; and

wherein calculating the defect position is performed by comparing the defect image and the non-defective image.

9. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein imaging a neighborhood area of the defect position is performed again by higher-resolution than a resolution of the imaging when the accuracy meets the predetermined requirement.

10. An apparatus for reviewing defect, comprising:

a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), wherein the SEM

images a surface of a sample using arbitrary image acquisition conditions selected from a plurality of image acquisition conditions and obtaining an image;

calculates a defect position of the surface of the sample using the defect image;

detects a defect detection accuracy of the calculated defect position; and

determines whether the defect detection accuracy meets predetermined requirement, wherein

when the defect detection accuracy does not meet the predetermined requirement the preceding actions of the SEM are repeated, and

in calculating the defect position of the surface of the sample, when the image of a predetermined frame is imaged, images prior to the predetermined frame are added and averaged to obtain frame addition amounts.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the plurality of image acquisition conditions are selected in order corresponding to a requirement time of image acquisition from shorter to longest.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein imaging the surface of the sample is based on predetermined position information on the surface of the sample.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the SEM images a neighborhood area of a predetermined position coordinate on the surface of the sample.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the plurality of the image acquisition conditions are generated by a combination of different frame addition amounts or different image sizes.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the SEM processes in parallel the imaging, calculating, and the determining.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein imaging a non-defective image of the surface of the sample is formed in a similar pattern to a pattern of the position based on the predetermined position information; and

wherein calculating the position is performed by comparing the defect image and the non-defective image.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein a non-defective image is obtained by averaging a plurality of images obtained by imaging; and

wherein calculating the defect position is performed by comparing the defect image and the non-defective image.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052259/0227 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2014
From: MINEKAWA, YOHEI; NAKAHIRA, KENJI; HARADA, MINORU; HIRAI, TAKEHIRO; NAKAGAKI, RYO
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032527/0378 →