Method for inspecting overlay shift defect during semiconductor manufacturing and apparatus thereof

1. A method for inspecting misalignment of photolithographic masks from a charged particle microscopic image, comprising:

providing a charged particle microscopic image of a sample, said image representing at least two different patterns formed as part of said sample by using two successive photolithographic masks;

identifying an inspection pattern measure from said image, said inspection pattern measure comprising a contact point of said two patterns;

averaging said image taking said inspection pattern measure as a unit so as to reduce said image into an averaged said inspection pattern measure;

estimating an average width of averaged said inspection pattern measure; and

comparing said average width with a threshold value thereby determining the presence of misalignment of said successive photolithographic masks.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying step further comprises observing a grey level profile of said patterns displayed in said image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying step further comprises identifying at least two independent pattern measures along respectively corresponding directions predefined in said image,

and wherein said inspection pattern measure comprises an overlapped portion of said independent pattern measures.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said identifying step further comprises adding up a pixel grey level along each of said directions to obtain a corresponding grey level profile,

and wherein said independent pattern measures are identified by observing a periodic variation in said grey level profiles.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying step further comprises identifying a first and second pattern measure along a first and second direction predefined in said image,

and wherein said inspection pattern measure comprises an overlapped portion of said first and second pattern measure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said identifying step further comprises:

adding up a pixel grey level along said first direction to obtain a first grey level profile along said second direction; and

adding up said pixel grey level along said second direction to obtain a second grey level profile along said first direction,

wherein said first pattern measure is identified by observing a periodic variation in said second grey level profile, and said second pattern measure is identified by observing a periodic variation in said first grey level profile.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said averaging step further comprises adding up a pixel grey level over said image taking said inspection pattern measure as a unit of addition.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said averaging step further comprises adding up a pixel grey level respectively along a first and a second direction taking said inspection pattern measure as a unit of addition.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inspection pattern measure in said image comprises a contact point of a contact/via plug with a conducting line formed in successive layer structures as part of said sample.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said image of said sample is taken after formation of two successive layer structures, with one on top of the other, as part of said sample,

and wherein the upper layer structure comprises a conducting line and the bottom layer structure comprises a contact/via plug.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sample comprises a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM).

14. A charged particle beam inspection system, comprising:

an image forming apparatus for forming a charged particle microscopic image of a sample, said image representing at least two different patterns formed as part of said sample by using two successive photolithographic masks;

an image analysis apparatus coupled with said image forming apparatus for receiving said image therefrom, said image analysis apparatus at least comprising:

a pattern identifying member for identifying an inspection pattern measure from said image, said inspection pattern measure comprising a contact point of said two patterns;

an image averaging member for averaging said image taking said inspection pattern measure as a unit so as to reduce said image into an averaged said inspection pattern measure;

an estimating member for estimating an average width of averaged said inspection pattern measure; and

a defect determination member for comparing said average width with a threshold value thereby determining the presence of misalignment of said successive photolithographic masks.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said pattern identifying member identifies a first and second pattern measure along a first and second direction predefined in said image,

and wherein said inspection pattern measure comprises an overlapped portion of said first and second pattern measure.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said pattern identifying member adds up a pixel grey level along said first and second direction to obtain a first grey level profile along said second direction and a second grey level profile along said first direction,

wherein said first pattern measure is identified by observing a periodic variation in said second grey level profile, and said second pattern measure is identified by observing a periodic variation in said first grey level profile.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein said first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein said image averaging member adds up a pixel grey level over said image taking said inspection pattern measure as a unit of addition.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein said image of said sample is taken after formation of two successive layer structures as part of said sample with one on top of the other,

and wherein the upper layer structure comprises a conducting line and the bottom layer structure comprises a contact/via plug.

20. A computing agent for inspecting misalignment of photolithographic masks from a charged particle microscopic image, comprising:

an input module coupled with a charged particle beam microscope system for receiving therefrom a charged particle microscopic image of a sample,

wherein said image is formed by said charged particle beam microscope system, and said image represents at least two patterns formed as part of said sample by using two successive photolithographic masks;

a computing module coupled with said input module for receiving information of said image therefrom, said computing module at least comprising:

a pattern identifying member for identifying an inspection pattern measure from said image, said inspection pattern measure comprising a contact point of two said patterns;

an image averaging member for averaging said image taking said inspection pattern measure as a unit so as to reduce said image into an averaged said inspection pattern measure;

an estimating member for estimating an average width of averaged said inspection pattern measure; and

a defect determination member for comparing said average width with a threshold value thereby determining the presence of misalignment of said successive photolithographic masks.

21. The computing agent of claim 20 , wherein said pattern identifying member identifies a first and second pattern measure along a first and second direction predefined in said image,

and wherein said inspection pattern measure comprises an overlapped portion of said first and second pattern measure.

22. The computing agent of claim 21 , wherein said pattern identifying member adds up a pixel grey level along said first and second direction to obtain a first grey level profile along said second direction and a second grey level profile along said first direction,

wherein said first pattern measure is identified by observing a periodic variation in said second grey level profile, and said second pattern measure is identified by observing a periodic variation in said first grey level profile.

23. The computing agent of claim 21 , wherein said first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.

24. The computing agent of claim 20 , wherein said image averaging member adds up a pixel grey level over said image taking said inspection pattern measure as a unit of addition.

25. The computing agent of claim 20 , wherein said image of said sample is taken after formation of two successive layer structures as part of said sample with one on top of the other,

and wherein the upper layer structure comprises a conducting line and the bottom layer structure comprises a contact/via plug.