Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes a first diaphragm that is positioned on an optical path of a reflection illumination optical system and has a first reference pattern of a line-and-space pattern formed thereon; a semi-transmission reflection plate configured to reflect a portion of a reference pattern image that has passed through the first reference pattern; a second diaphragm which is positioned on an optical path of the imaging optical system, on which the portion of the reference pattern image reflected by the semi-transmission reflection plate is projected, and which has a second reference pattern of a line-and-space pattern formed thereon; and a first time delay integration sensor (TDI sensor) configured to receive the portion of the reference pattern image that has passed through the second reference pattern.

Abstract: A focusing apparatus includes a first reticle, arranged at the front side of a conjugate position of a TDI sensor; a second reticle, arranged at the back side of the conjugate position; an equalizing circuit to perform gray scale value equalization by using a gray scale value output by the TDI sensor which received the pattern image by illumination light not passing through the first and second reticles; and a distance change/move amount calculation circuit to calculate, in a state where the gray scale value equalization has been performed, a distance change/move amount of a relative distance, for focusing the pattern image of the substrate, between the substrate and the conjugate position of the TDI sensor by using a first derivative value of a gray scale value output by the TDI sensor which received the pattern image by the reflection illumination light having passed through the first and second reticles.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes: a first sub-pixel interpolation processing circuitry configured to calculate a pixel value of a reference image corresponding to a position of each pixel of the inspection target image by performing an interpolation process using at least one pixel value of the reference image for each shift amount while variably and relatively shifting the inspection target image and the reference image by the unit of a sub-pixel using the reference image corresponding to the inspection target image; and an SSD calculation processing circuitry configured to calculate a sum of squared difference between each pixel value of the inspection target image and a corresponding pixel value of the reference image subjected to a filter process for the each shift amount.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus comprising, an optical system emitting light having a predetermined wavelength, illuminating a sample while the light is converted into light having a polarization plane not in the range of ?5 degrees to 5 degrees and 85 degrees to 95 degrees with respect to a direction of a repetitive pattern on the sample, an optical system for acquiring an image and forming said image on an image sensor using a lens, a half-wave plate, a first image sensor, a second image sensor, an inspection analyzer, wherein these differ in a transmission axis direction, a processor that obtains an average gray level and a standard deviation in each predetermined unit region of the image, and a defect detector, wherein a resolution limit defined by a wavelength of the light source and a numerical aperture of the lens is a value in which the pattern is not resolved.

Abstract: A pattern width deviation measurement method includes measuring width dimensions of a plurality of figure patterns in an optical image from data of gray-scale value profiles of the optical image, using a threshold of a gray-scale value level variably set depending on design dimension information including design width dimension of a corresponding figure pattern of a plurality of figure patterns, and at which influence of a focus position on width dimension becomes smaller, measuring width dimensions of a plurality of corresponding figure patterns in a reference image from data of gray-scale value profiles of the reference image, respectively using the threshold for the corresponding figure pattern of a plurality of figure patterns, and calculating, for each of measured width dimensions of a plurality of figure patterns in the optical image, an amount deviated from a measured width dimension of a corresponding figure pattern in the reference image.

Abstract: A polarized image acquisition apparatus includes a rotatable diaphragm to restrict a passage region of light passed through an objective lens to two regions mutually opposite across the central axis in 4n equal regions divided rotationally symmetrically in the plane orthogonal to the traveling direction of the light passed through the objective lens, and to change the angle of the passage region so that each two regions of the 4n equal regions become passage regions in order; and a rotating half-wave plate to convert, for each angle of the passage region, a P-polarized component passed through the diaphragm, in the same direction as the angle of the passage region, and an S-polarized component passed through the diaphragm, orthogonal to the angle of the passage region, into polarized waves in orthogonal first and second directions.

Abstract: An image capturing device comprising, a light source configured to emit light having a predetermined wavelength, a polarization beamsplitter configured to receive the light from the light source, a Faraday rotator configured to rotate a polarization plane of the light via the polarization beamsplitter by changing the intensity of the magnetic field, an objective lens configured to illuminate an inspection target with the light transmitted through the Faraday rotator and a sensor configured to capture an optical image of the inspection target by causing the light reflected by the inspection target to be incident through the objective lens, the Faraday rotator, and the polarization beamsplitter.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus comprising, a step of reflecting linearly-polarized light having a predetermined wavelength using an non-polarizing beam splitter after transmitting the linearly-polarized light through a half-wave plate, irradiating a sample with the linearly-polarized light having a polarization plane of a predetermined angle, causing the light reflected by the sample to be incident to an image capturing sensor through a lens, the non-polarizing beam splitter, and an analyzer, and acquiring an optical image of a pattern formed on the sample; acquiring a plurality of optical images by changing an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate, and obtaining an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate such that a value of (?/?A) becomes a minimum; and a step of inspecting whether a defect of the pattern exists, wherein the pattern is a repetitive pattern having a period at a resolution limit or less.

Abstract: A charged particle beam inspection apparatus includes a first deflector to deflect N×N? multiple beams collectively to N×N? small regions having a size p/M in the first direction and arrayed at the pitch p in the first direction, perform tracking deflection, and re-deflect the multiple beams collectively to next N×N? small regions away from the N×N? small regions by N small regions in the first direction, by the stage completes a movement of a distance of N/M×p so as to reset the tracking deflection; and a second deflector to deflect the multiple beams collectively to scan the N×N? small regions concerned while the tracking deflection is performed.

Abstract: An image capturing device comprising, a light source configured to emit light having a predetermined wavelength, a polarization beamsplitter configured to receive the light from the light source, a Faraday rotator configured to rotate a polarization plane of the light via the polarization beamsplitter by changing the intensity of the magnetic field, an objective lens configured to illuminate an inspection target with the light transmitted through the Faraday rotator and a sensor configured to capture an optical image of the inspection target by causing the light reflected by the inspection target to be incident through the objective lens, the Faraday rotator, and the polarization beamsplitter.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus comprising, a step of reflecting linearly-polarized light having a predetermined wavelength using an non-polarizing beam splitter after transmitting the linearly-polarized light through a half-wave plate, irradiating a sample with the linearly-polarized light having a polarization plane of a predetermined angle, causing the light reflected by the sample to be incident to an image capturing sensor through a lens, the non-polarizing beam splitter, and an analyzer, and acquiring an optical image of a pattern formed on the sample; acquiring a plurality of optical images by changing an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate, and obtaining an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate such that a value of (?/?A) becomes a minimum; and a step of inspecting whether a defect of the pattern exists, wherein the pattern is a repetitive pattern having a period at a resolution limit or less.

Abstract: A polarized image acquisition apparatus includes a division type half-wave plate, located opposite to the mask substrate with respect to an objective lens and near an objective lens pupil position, to arrange P and S polarized waves of the transmitted light having passed through the objective lens to be mutually orthogonal, a Rochon prism to separate trajectories of P and S polarized waves, an imaging lens to form images of P and S polarized waves having passed through the Rochon prism at image formation positions different from each other, a mirror, in a case where one of P and S polarized waves is focused/formed at one of the different image formation positions, to reflect the other wave at the other position, a first sensor to capture an image of one of P and S polarized waves, and a second sensor to capture an image of the other wave.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus comprising, a step of reflecting linearly-polarized light having a predetermined wavelength using an non-polarizing beam splitter after transmitting the linearly-polarized light through a half-wave plate, irradiating a sample with the linearly-polarized light having a polarization plane of a predetermined angle, causing the light reflected by the sample to be incident to an image capturing sensor through a lens, the non-polarizing beam splitter, and an analyzer, and acquiring an optical image of a pattern formed on the sample; acquiring a plurality of optical images by changing an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate, and obtaining an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate such that a value of (?/?A) becomes a minimum; and a step of inspecting whether a defect of the pattern exists, wherein the pattern is a repetitive pattern having a period at a resolution limit or less.

Abstract: Disclosed is a template substrate for use in adjusting a focus offset to detect a defect using an optical image obtained by irradiating a substrate with light emitted from a light source. The template substrate includes a first pattern constructed with a repetitive pattern that is not resolved by the wavelength of the light source, and at least one alignment mark that is arranged on the same plane as the first pattern. The alignment mark includes a second pattern constructed with a repetitive pattern that is not resolved by the wavelength of the light source, and a programmed defect that is provided in the second pattern and not resolved by the wavelength of the light source. The alignment mark includes the second pattern, and a region, where the second pattern is not arranged but a mark used in alignment is formed by contrast with a region where the second pattern is arranged.

Abstract: A charged particle beam inspection apparatus includes a first deflector to deflect N×N? multiple beams collectively to N×N? small regions having a size p/M in the first direction and arrayed at the pitch p in the first direction, perform tracking deflection, and re-deflect the multiple beams collectively to next N×N? small regions away from the N×N? small regions by N small regions in the first direction, by the stage completes a movement of a distance of N/M×p so as to reset the tracking deflection; and a second deflector to deflect the multiple beams collectively to scan the N×N? small regions concerned while the tracking deflection is performed.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus includes a first half-wave plate to receive an ultraviolet light linearly polarized in a first electric field oscillation direction, and output a linearly polarized light polarized in a second electric field oscillation direction obtained by rotating by an integer multiple of 90°, a mirror to reflect the linearly polarized light polarized in the second electric field oscillation direction, and output a linearly polarized light polarized in a third electric field oscillation direction parallel or orthogonal to the second electric field oscillation direction, a second half-wave plate to convert the linearly polarized light polarized in the third electric field oscillation direction, which has been reflected, to a linearly polarized light polarized in a fourth electric field oscillation direction by rotating by an angle different from an integer multiple of 90°.

Abstract: A focusing apparatus includes a first reticle, arranged at the front side of a conjugate position of a TDI sensor; a second reticle, arranged at the back side of the conjugate position; an equalizing circuit to perform gray scale value equalization by using a gray scale value output by the TDI sensor which received the pattern image by illumination light not passing through the first and second reticles; and a distance change/move amount calculation circuit to calculate, in a state where the gray scale value equalization has been performed, a distance change/move amount of a relative distance, for focusing the pattern image of the substrate, between the substrate and the conjugate position of the TDI sensor by using a first derivative value of a gray scale value output by the TDI sensor which received the pattern image by the reflection illumination light having passed through the first and second reticles.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus comprising, a step of reflecting linearly-polarized light having a predetermined wavelength using an non-polarizing beam splitter after transmitting the linearly-polarized light through a half-wave plate, irradiating a sample with the linearly-polarized light having a polarization plane of a predetermined angle, causing the light reflected by the sample to be incident to an image capturing sensor through a lens, the non-polarizing beam splitter, and an analyzer, and acquiring an optical image of a pattern formed on the sample; acquiring a plurality of optical images by changing an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate, and obtaining an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate such that a value of (?/?A) becomes a minimum; and a step of inspecting whether a defect of the pattern exists, wherein the pattern is a repetitive pattern having a period at a resolution limit or less.

Abstract: A substrate to be inspected includes a first pattern constructed with a repetitive pattern that is not resolved by a wavelength of a light source, and at least one alignment mark that is arranged on the same plane as the first pattern. The alignment mark includes a second pattern constructed with a repetitive pattern that is not resolved by the wavelength of the light source, and a programmed defect that is provided in the second pattern and not resolved by the wavelength of the light source. A focus offset is adjusted such that the strongest signal of the programmed defect is obtained with respect to a base value of a gradation value in an optical image of the programmed defect by capturing the optical image while changing a focal distance between the surface in which the first pattern is provided and an optical system.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes a first diaphragm that is positioned on an optical path of a reflection illumination optical system and has a first reference pattern of a line-and-space pattern formed thereon; a semi-transmission reflection plate configured to reflect a portion of a reference pattern image that has passed through the first reference pattern; a second diaphragm which is positioned on an optical path of the imaging optical system, on which the portion of the reference pattern image reflected by the semi-transmission reflection plate is projected, and which has a second reference pattern of a line-and-space pattern formed thereon; and a first time delay integration sensor (TDI sensor) configured to receive the portion of the reference pattern image that has passed through the second reference pattern.