Visual inspection and verification system

专利名称：Visual inspection and verification system发明人：Fang-Cheng Chang,Yao-Ting Wang,Yagyensh

C. Pati,Linard N. Karklin

申请号：US10878847申请日：20040628

公开号：US20040243320A1公开日：20041202

专利附图：

摘要：A method and apparatus for inspecting a photolithography mask for defects isprovided. The inspection method comprises providing a defect area image to an imagesimulator wherein the defect area image is an image of a portion of a photolithography

mask, and providing a set of lithography parameters as a second input to the imagesimulator. The defect area image may be provided by an inspection tool which scans thephotolithography mask for defects using a high resolution microscope and capturesimages of areas of the mask around identified potential defects. The image simulatorgenerates a first simulated image in response to the defect area image and the set oflithography parameters. The first simulated image is a simulation of an image whichwould be printed on a wafer if the wafer were to be exposed to an illumination sourcedirected through the portion of the mask. The method may also include providing asecond simulated image which is a simulation of the wafer print of the portion of thedesign mask which corresponds to the portion represented by the defect area image.The method also provides for the comparison of the first and second simulated images inorder to determine the printability of any identified potential defects on thephotolithography mask. A method of determining the process window effect of anyidentified potential defects is also provided for.

申请人：NUMERICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

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