Pattern inspection method and pattern inspection apparatus
A pattern inspection method includes calculating a first coefficient of a filter function by using data of optical images of plural small regions selected and data of developed images of the plural small regions based on design data; calculating a second coefficient of a filter function by using data of an optical image of a reference small region selected and data of a developed image of the reference small region selected; and determining, for each pixel, whether there exists a pixel for which a difference, between a first temporary reference image to be compared with the optical image of the reference small region generated using the filter function in which the first coefficient is defined and a second temporary reference image to be compared with the optical image of the reference small region generated using the filter function in which the second coefficient is defined, is larger than a threshold.
1. A pattern inspection method comprising:
calculating a first coefficient of a filter function for generating a reference image, by using data of an optical image of each of a plurality of small regions each having a predetermined size selected from an inspection region of a substrate to be inspected on which a plurality of figure patterns are formed, and data of a developed image generated by performing image development of a pattern arranged in the each of the plurality of small regions based on design data used as a basis for forming the plurality of figure patterns on the substrate to be inspected;
calculating a second coefficient of a filter function for generating a reference image, by using data of an optical image of a reference small region selected from the plurality of small regions, and data of a developed image of the reference small region selected;
determining, for each pixel, whether there exists a pixel for which a difference, between a first temporary reference image to be compared with the optical image of the reference small region generated using the filter function in which the first coefficient is defined and a second temporary reference image to be compared with the optical image of the reference small region generated using the filter function in which the second coefficient is defined, is larger than a threshold; and
inspecting a pattern in the inspection region by using the reference image generated based on the filter function in which the first coefficient is defined, for each of a plurality of inspection unit regions into which the inspection region of the substrate to be inspected is divided by a size same as the predetermined size,
wherein, based on the determining, in a case where the pixel for which the difference is larger than the threshold exists, the inspecting the pattern in the inspection region is stopped beforehand.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first coefficient is calculated as a coefficient matrix for the plurality of small regions, and the second coefficient is calculated as another coefficient matrix for the reference small region selected from the plurality of small regions.
3. A pattern inspection apparatus comprising:
a first coefficient calculation processing circuitry configured to calculate a first coefficient of a filter function for generating a reference image, by using data of an optical image of each of a plurality of small regions each having a predetermined size selected from an inspection region of a substrate to be inspected on which a plurality of figure patterns are formed, and data of a developed image generated by performing image development of a pattern arranged in the each of the plurality of small regions based on design data used as a basis for forming the plurality of figure patterns on the substrate to be inspected;
a second coefficient calculation processing circuitry configured to calculate a second coefficient of a filter function for generating a reference image, by using data of an optical image of a reference small region selected from the plurality of small regions, and data of a developed image of the reference small region selected;
a determination processing circuitry configured to perform determination, for each pixel, of whether there exists a pixel for which a difference, between a first temporary reference image to be compared with the optical image of the reference small region generated using the filter function in which the first coefficient is defined and a second temporary reference image to be compared with the optical image of the reference small region generated using the filter function in which the second coefficient is defined, is larger than a threshold;
a reference image generation processing circuitry configured to generate the reference image by using the filter function in which the first coefficient is defined, for each of a plurality of inspection unit regions into which the inspection region of the substrate to be inspected is divided by a size same as the predetermined size;
an optical image acquisition mechanism configured to include a stage for mounting thereon the substrate to be inspected, an illumination optical system for illuminating the substrate to be inspected, and a sensor for capturing the optical image at an illuminated position, and to acquire the optical image in the inspection region;
a comparison processing circuitry configured to compare the optical image with the reference image generated based on the filter function in which the first coefficient is defined, for the each of the plurality of inspection unit regions; and
an inspection control processing circuitry configured to, in a case where, based on the determination, the pixel for which the difference is larger than the threshold exists, stop inspecting the pattern in the inspection region beforehand.