The invention provides a defect inspection method and a defect inspection device which enable a defect to be inspected regardless of optical conditions. The invention comprises the steps of setting a target local region and a plurality of corresponding local regions in the image signals, the target local region including a target pixel and an area surrounding the target pixel, the corresponding local regions including pixels corresponding to the target pixel and areas surrounding the corresponding pixels; searching similarities between the image signal of the target local region and the image signals of the plurality of corresponding local regions; determining a plurality of image signals that represent corresponding local regions and are similar to the image signal of the target local region; and comparing the image signal of the target local region with the image signals that represent the corresponding local regions.

Defect inspection method and device thereof

Provided are an illumination system capable of eliminating laser speckle and a projection system employing the illumination system. The illumination system includes a laser light source having at least one laser, and a first diffractive optical element to divide a laser beam emitted from the laser light source into a plurality of partial beams and to time-average the partial beams through a periodical movement to eliminate speckle. Accordingly, the illumination system can eliminate speckle of the beams emitted from the laser light source and the projection system employing the illumination system can achieve a high quality image.

Illumination system capable of eliminating laser speckle and projection system employing the same

An inspection apparatus comprising, a Rochon prism configured to branch the light transmitted through a half-wave plate, a first sensor and a second sensor for acquiring an optical image of a pattern of the sample, the branched light being incident to the first sensor and the second sensor, a light quantity acquisition unit configured to acquire a light quantity ratio (1:A) of the second sensor to the first sensor using the optical image, and to obtain an angle θ of the half-wave plate such that the light quantity ratio becomes A:1, an angle controller configured to receive information on the angle θ from the light quantity acquisition unit to control an angle of the half-wave plate, a light source controller configured to control a light quantity of the light source such that each of the light quantity values becomes a target value.

Inspection apparatus and inspection method

A reticle defect inspection apparatus that can carry out a defect inspection with high detection sensitivity are provided. The apparatus includes an optical system of transmitted illumination for irradiating one surface of a sample with a first inspection light, an optical system of reflected illumination for irradiating another surface of the sample with a second inspection light, and a detecting optical system that can simultaneously detect a transmitted light obtained by the first inspection light being passed through the sample and a reflected light obtained by the second inspection light being reflected by the sample. And the optical system of transmitted illumination includes a focusing lens driving mechanism for correcting a focal point shift of the transmitted light resulting from thickness of the sample.

Reticle defect inspection apparatus and reticle defect inspection method

The present invention efficiently suppresses a false defect and realizes reticle inspection where a defect can be detected with high detection sensitivity. In a reticle inspecting method, reticle inspection data generated based on reticle design data is captured. Also, drawing position accuracy measurement data of the reticle is captured to obtain a first correction amount for correcting a position accuracy component of the reticle. Based on the first correction amount, the inspection data is corrected. Based on the corrected inspection data, a defect on the reticle is detected.

Reticle inspecting apparatus and reticle inspecting method

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pattern inspection device with which the inspection sensitivity can be enhanced.SOLUTION: A pattern inspection device includes a first extraction part 33 for extracting data of patter which is under the limit of resolution from first detection data and first delay data, a first output displacement calculating part 34a which calculates the average value of the output level of the peripheral region with respect to pixels to be marked of data corresponding to the first detection data extracted and calculates the difference of the output level of the data corresponding to the first detection data extracted and the average value, and a second output displacement calculating part 34b which calculates the average value of the output level of the peripheral region with respect to the pixels to be marked of the data corresponding to the first delay data extracted and calculates the difference between the output level of the data corresponding to the first delay data extracted and the average value. A pattern defect is detected based on the calculation results of the first and second output displacement calculating parts.

Pattern inspection device, pattern inspection method and structure with pattern

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an observing device capable of observing with excellent contrast a pattern which is hardly discriminated such as an HT mask even with visible light lighting, and a mask inspection device using the observing device. SOLUTION: This device is provided with an image pickup means 4 picking up images of an observation object 1 diagonally from upward of the observation object 1, an image processing means 6 into which image signals picked up by the image pickup means 4 is input, and an alignment mark setting means 8 for setting an alignment mark on the basis of image information of the observation object 1 without distortion as output from the image processing means 6. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Pattern observing device and mask inspection device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a semiconductor device which can inhibit decrease in withstand voltage of a capacitive element to inhibit fluctuation in withstand voltage even when a film thickness of a main conductor film of a bottom electrode is increasedSOLUTION: A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprises the steps of: forming a laminated film 34 to be a bottom electrode BE1; forming, on the laminated film 34, an insulation film 38 to be a capacitive film CIF1; and patterning the insulation film 38 and the laminated film 34 In the process of forming the laminated film 34, a titanium-containing film 31a, a titanium-and-nitrogen-containing film 31b, aluminum-containing main conductor film 32, a titanium-containing film 33a and a titanium-and-nitrogen-containing film 33b are sequentially deposited from the bottom And a surface roughness ratio on a top face 34a of the laminated film 34 to a film thickness FT1 of the insulation film 38 is 14% or less

Semiconductor device manufacturing method and semiconductor device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illumination apparatus and a phase plate to uniformly illuminate the object for inspection with laser light, and to provide an inspection apparatus, an inspection method and a method for manufacturing a mask by using the illumination apparatus and the phase plate. SOLUTION: A rotating plate 2 rotating at a specified rotation with the output side face tilted from the optical axis is disposed in front of the laser light source 1 on the optical axis. A fixed phase plate 3 is disposed in front of the rotation plate 2, and further a condenser lens 5 is disposed in front of the fixed phase plate 3. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Illumination apparatus, phase plate, inspection method, inspection apparatus and method for manufacturing mask

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pattern inspection apparatus for improving the inspection accuracy for inspecting a pattern, a pattern inspection method and a manufacturing method of a microstructure. SOLUTION: The pattern inspection apparatus for inspecting the pattern by comparing a reference data regarding the pattern formed in a to-be-inspected object with a detection data obtained by detecting the pattern is provided which includes: a correcting/processing section for dividing the pattern into a plurality of areas, obtaining correction conditions in a plurality of the areas or between a plurality of the areas, applying the corresponding correction conditions at least in a plurality of the area or between a plurality of the areas, and creating the reference data. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Fujiwara Takeshi

Papers

Pattern inspection device, pattern inspection method and structure with pattern

Pattern observing device and mask inspection device

Semiconductor device manufacturing method and semiconductor device

Illumination apparatus, phase plate, inspection method, inspection apparatus and method for manufacturing mask

Pattern inspection apparatus, pattern inspection method and manufacturing method of microstructure