Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus for inspecting a pattern of a plurality of dies formed on an inspection sample, includes: a stream image memory device, which stores a stream image of the inspection sample; and a DD comparison unit which performs DD comparison, mutually comparing the pattern of each of the dies in the stream image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming an appropriate reference image in inspection of a pattern of an object to be inspected depending on characteristics of the pattern are disclosed. A reference image forming apparatus includes an optical image acquisition unit which acquires an optical image of an object to be inspected, a conversion parameter determining unit which uses feature data based on the characteristic of the pattern of the image of the object to be inspected to calculate a conversion parameter from the optical image and design data of the object to be inspected, and a reference image creation unit which performs arithmetic processing to the conversion parameter and the design data to form a reference image.

Abstract: An assistance device of workpiece inspection apparatus embodying this invention includes a regional image data conversion unit which inputs region data indicative of a specified region of a workpiece being tested with a pattern formed thereon, and then converts the data to regional image data. The device also includes a data distribution processing unit which distributes the regional image data for output to the workpiece inspection apparatus in conformity with an inspection processing speed of the external workpiece inspection apparatus, which performs pattern defect inspection while comparing optical image data of the workpiece to prespecified reference image data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing appropriate inspection by selecting a pattern comparison technique in accordance with the pattern feature of an object being tested are disclosed. The pattern inspection apparatus includes an optical image acquisition unit which acquires an optical image of the test object. A plurality of types of feature comparator units are provided for comparing identical patterns at different positions on the test object based on feature data indicating pattern features of the test object. During comparison of the identical patterns of the optical image, a selector unit selects an adequate kind of feature comparator from the pattern feature data of the test object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for appropriately correcting a displacement or a distortion between an optical image and a reference image or both the optical image and the reference image by using characteristics of a pattern of an object to be inspected are disclosed. An image correcting apparatus includes an optical image acquisition unit which acquires an optical image of an object to be inspected, a reference image creation unit which forms a reference image from design data, an image correcting unit which performs arithmetic processing to a correction model parameter and the reference image to correct the reference image and to form a corrected reference image, and a correction model parameter identifying unit which uses feature data based on characteristics of a pattern of the image of the object to be inspected to calculate the correction model parameter for correcting a displacement or a distortion between the optical image and the reference image or both the displacement and the distortion.

Abstract: A sample inspection apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first SSD calculating unit which calculates the displacement amount from a preliminary alignment position of an optical image and a reference image to a position where the SSD of a pixel value of the optical image and a pixel value of the reference image is minimized, and a least-square method calculating unit which calculates the displacement amount by a least-square method from the preliminary alignment position of the optical image and the reference image, wherein the alignment position of the optical image and the reference image is corrected to a position where the smaller SSD of the minimum SSD obtained as the result of the calculation by the first SSD calculating unit and the SSD obtained as the result of the calculation by the determined by the least-square method calculating unit is obtained.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for performing pattern inspection at an appropriate precision. A pattern inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an optical image acquiring unit which acquires optical image data of a target plate to be inspected, the target plate being formed as a pattern, a design image data generating unit which generates design image data based on a design pattern serving as a base for pattern formation of the target plate, and a comparing unit which compares the optical image data with the design image data. In the comparing unit, region image data generated based on the information of the region pattern representing a predetermined region and formed in the same format as that of information of the design pattern is input, and a determination condition is changed based on the region image data when the optical image data is compared with the design image data.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for performing pattern inspection which reduces the number of pseudo defects. A pattern inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an optical image acquiring unit which acquires optical image data of a target plate to be inspected, the target plate being formed as a pattern, a design image data generating unit which generates first design image data based on a first design pattern serving as a base for pattern formation of the target plate, and a comparing unit which compares the optical image data with the first design image data. In the comparing unit, second design image data generated based on a second design pattern is further input, and the optical image data is compared with the second design image data in place of the first design image data.

Abstract: An image correction method employable in a pattern inspection method for emitting light falling onto a workpiece with a pattern formed thereon and for inspecting a pattern image resulting from the pickup of an optical image of the workpiece by comparing it to a corresponding fiducial pattern image is disclosed. The method includes the step of generating a system of equations describing therein an input/output relation using a 2D linear prediction model(s) with respect to the pattern image being tested and the fiducial pattern image. Then, estimate the equation system by least-squares methods to thereby obtain a parameter of the equation system. Next obtain a centroid of the parameter. Then perform interpolation using the value of the centroid, thereby to generate a corrected image. A pattern defect inspection method using the image correction method is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a reticle inspecting apparatus or the like, there is provided an image correcting method which is effective when a rank of a matrix lacks due to continuous equal grayscale values when an image is handled as a matrix. In the image correcting method, a random noise image having fine grayscale is superposed on a pattern image to make a matrix full-rank.