Title:
WAFER PLANE DETECTION OF LITHOGRAPHICALLY SIGNIFICANT CONTAMINATION PHOTOMASK DEFECTS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2012/030825
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
Provided are novel methods and systems for inspecting photomasks to identify lithographically significant contamination defects. Inspection may be performed without a separate reference image provided from a database or another die. Inspection techniques described herein involve capturing one or more test images of a photomask and constructing corresponding test "simulation" images using specific lithographic and/or resist models. These test simulation images simulate printable and/or resist patterns of the inspected photomask. Furthermore, the initial test images are used in parallel operations to generate "synthetic" images. These images represent a defect-free photomask pattern. The synthetic images are then used for generating reference simulation images, which are similar to the test simulation images but are free from lithographically significant contamination defects. Finally, the reference simulation images are compared to the test simulation images to identify the lithographically significant contamination defects on the photomask.
Inventors:
SHI RUIFANG (US)
XIONG YALIN (US)
XIONG YALIN (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2011/049739
Publication Date:
May 31, 2012
Filing Date:
August 30, 2011
Export Citation:
Assignee:
KLA TENCOR CORP (US)
SHI RUIFANG (US)
XIONG YALIN (US)
SHI RUIFANG (US)
XIONG YALIN (US)
International Classes:
H01L21/027; H01L21/66
Foreign References:
| US20070058852A1 | 2007-03-15 | |||
| US20040243320A1 | 2004-12-02 | |||
| US20080170773A1 | 2008-07-17 | |||
| US20040052411A1 | 2004-03-18 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
MCANDREWS, Kevin (Legal DepartmentOne Technology Driv, Milpitas California, US)
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