System and method for defect analysis of a substrate

1. A method, comprising:

providing a first pseudo-color image and a second pseudo-color image, wherein the first pseudo-color image is of a substrate scanned at a first point in time and the second pseudo-color image is of the substrate scanned at a second point in time, wherein the second point in time is at least one day later than the first point of time;

determining, using an image analysis computing system, a difference between the first pseudo-color image and the pseudo-color second image, wherein the difference is provided as a gray-level value and wherein the difference represents a defect of the substrate at the second point in time;

providing the gray-level value to a simulation model to generate an intensity profile associated with the gray-level value; and

using the intensity profile to determine if the defect will image onto a photosensitive material in a photolithography process.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the simulation model, wherein the generating the simulation model includes storing:

a second image of a second substrate and a first set of intensity data provided by a scan of the second substrate;

a third image of a third substrate and a second set of intensity data provided by a scan of the third substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second sets of intensity data include data from an Aerial Image Measurement System (AIMS).

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second sets of intensity data include finite element model (FEM) data associated with a semiconductor wafer.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the substrate is a transparent substrate with a pattern of attenuating material disposed on the transparent substrate.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving a baseline image obtained from a reference substrate;

performing an inspection scan of a semiconductor substrate, wherein the inspection scan includes using an imaging device to form an image of the semiconductor substrate;

comparing the baseline image and the formed image of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the comparing the baseline image and the formed image includes finding a difference between the formed image and the baseline image, wherein determining the difference includes:

separating the formed image into a plurality of grid regions;

selecting one of the plurality of grid regions; and

comparing the selected grid region with a corresponding coordinate of the baseline image; and generating a statistical process control (SPC) chart based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining of the difference further includes:

defining a plurality of categories;

determining a first count of each of the plurality of categories, wherein the first count is associated with the formed image;

receiving a second count of each of the plurality of categories, wherein the second count is associated with the baseline image; and

comparing the first count and the second count for at least one of the plurality of categories.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of categories include at least one of colors associated with a pseudo color image and gray-levels associated with a grayscale image.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the generating the SPC chart includes plotting the difference between the first count and the second count.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

defining a plurality of categories associated with the formed image;

determining a count of at least one of the categories, wherein the count provides an indication of a number of occurrences of the category in the image; and generating a second SPC chart by plotting the count.