Abstract: In apparatuses for automatically acquiring and also for automatically classifying images of defects present on a sample such as a semiconductor wafer, a classifying system is provided which are capable of readily accepting even such a case that a large number of classification classes are produced based upon a request issued by a user, and also even such a case that a basis of the classification class is changed in a high frequency. When the user defines the classification classes, a device for designating attributes owned by the respective classification classes is provided. The classifying system automatically changes a connecting mode between an internally-provided rule-based classifier and an example-based classifier, so that such a classifying system which is fitted to the classification basis of the user is automatically constructed.

Abstract: A method of inspecting defects and a device inspecting defects of detecting defects at high sensitivity and high capture efficiency even on various patterns existing on a wafer. In the device of inspecting defects, an illumination optical system is formed of two systems of a coherent illumination of a laser 5 and an incoherent illumination of LEDs 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d, and light paths are divided in a detecting system corresponding to respective illumination light, spatial modulation elements 55a and 55b are arranged to detecting light paths, respectively, scattered light inhibiting sensitivity is shielded by the spatial modulating elements 55a and 55b, scattered light transmitted through the spatial modulation elements 55a and 55b is detected by image sensors 90a and 90b arranged to respective light paths, and images detected by these two image sensors 90a and 90b are subjected to a comparison processing, thereby determining a defect candidate.

Abstract: In apparatuses for automatically acquiring and also for automatically classifying images of defects present on a sample such as a semiconductor wafer, a classifying system is provided which are capable of readily accepting even such a case that a large number of classification classes are produced based upon a request issued by a user, and also even such a case that a basis of the classification class is changed in a high frequency. When the user defines the classification classes, a device for designating attributes owned by the respective classification classes is provided. The classifying system automatically changes a connecting mode between an internally-provided rule-based classifier and an example-based classifier, so that such a classifying system which is fitted to the classification basis of the user is automatically constructed.

Abstract: A method of inspecting defects of a sample on a movable table includes a first step for, on a basis of position information of the defects which is previously detected by an other inspection system, driving the table so that the defects come into a viewing field of an optical microscope having a focus which is adjusted, a second step for re-detecting the defects to obtain a first detection result, a third step for correcting the position information of defects on a basis of position information of the re-detected defects, and a fourth step for reviewing the defects whose position information is corrected to obtain a second detection result. At the second step, re-detecting is performed using reflection light or scattered light from the sample which passes an optical filter which includes a light shielding portion and a light transmitting portion.

Abstract: A circuit-pattern inspection apparatus and related method provide a highly sensitive defect inspection of an area including the most circumferential portion of a memory mat of a semiconductor chip formed on a semiconductor wafer. In certain examples, an image of a circuit pattern of a die formed on the semiconductor wafer is acquired to judge whether or not the circuit pattern contains a defect.

Abstract: In the case where a specimen is imaged by a scanning electron microscope, it is intended to acquire an image of a high quality having a noise component reduced, thereby to improve the precision of an image processing. The intensity distribution of a beam is calculated on the basis of an imaging condition or specimen information, and an image restoration is performed by using a resolving power deterioration factor other than the beam intensity distribution as a target of a deterioration mode, so that a high resolving power image can be acquired under various conditions. In the scanning electron microscope for semiconductor inspections and semiconductor measurements, the restored image is used for pattern size measurement, defect detections, defect classifications and so on, so that the measurements can be improved in precision and so that the defect detections and classifications can be made high precise.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spatial filtering technology for exposing a defect image independently of polarization properties of defect scattered light, a defect inspection method for increasing a defect capture rate by suppressing the brightness saturation of a normal pattern, and a defect inspection apparatus that uses the defect inspection method. An array of spatial filters is disposed in one or more optical paths, which are obtained by polarizing and splitting a detection optical path, to filter diffracted light and scattered light emitted from the normal pattern. An image whose brightness saturation is suppressed is obtained by controlling an illumination light amount and/or detection efficiency during image detection in accordance with the amount of scattered light from the normal pattern.

Abstract: A method of inspecting defects of a sample includes a first step for, on a basis of position information of defects on a sample placed on a movable table which is previously detected and obtained by an other inspection system, driving the table so that the defects come into a viewing field of an optical microscope having a focus which is adjusted, a second step for re-detecting the defects to obtain a first detection result, a third step for correcting the position information of defects on a basis of position information of defects re-detected of the first detection result, and a fourth step for reviewing the defects whose position information is corrected to obtain a second detection result. The method includes classifying types of defects on basis of the first detection result and the second detection result.

Abstract: An apparatus for reviewing defects including an image processing section (defect classification device section) with a function of estimating a non-defective state (reference image) of a portion in which the defect exists by use of a defect image, and a function of judging criticality or non-flat state of the defect by use of the estimation result. It becomes possible to establish both of a high-throughput image collecting sequence in which any reference image is not acquired and high-precision defect classification, and then to realize both of a high performance classifying function and a high-throughput image collecting function in a defect reviewing apparatus which automatically collects and classifies images of defects existing on a sample of a semiconductor wafer or the like.

Abstract: In apparatuses for automatically acquiring and also for automatically classifying images of defects present on a sample such as a semiconductor wafer, a classifying system is provided which are capable of readily accepting even such a case that a large number of classification classes are produced based upon a request issued by a user, and also even such a case that a basis of the classification class is changed in a high frequency. When the user defines the classification classes, a device for designating attributes owned by the respective classification classes is provided. The classifying system automatically changes a connecting mode between an internally-provided rule-based classifier and an example-based classifier, so that such a classifying system which is fitted to the classification basis of the user is automatically constructed.

Abstract: An object is to provide a flat surface inspection apparatus that can prevent sliders from being damaged and detect micro defects. A flat surface inspection apparatus includes: a measured subject; a stage that supports the measured subject; a spindle that rotates the stage; a first part having light sources applying light beam onto the measured subject, a scattered-light-detecting section, a signal processing section that converts the scattered light into information about a first defect, and a first memory section that stores therein the information about the first defect; and a second part having sliders mounted with a contact sensor that detects a second defect smaller than the first defect, a loading/unloading mechanism that flies the slider over the measured subject, a slider control section that controls the loading/unloading mechanism based on the information about the first defects and second defects.

Abstract: Provided are a method and a device for defect inspection, wherein, in a state where a few DOIs exist in a large number of nuisances, a classification performance can be improved by a few appropriate defect instructions and a high classification performance is ensured while mitigating the burden of user's defect instructions. The method and device for defect inspection is characterized by repeating extraction of one or more defects from a plurality of defects detected by imaging a sample, instruction of a classification class of the extracted defects, and calculation of a classification criterion and a classification performance from the image information and classification class of the defects, and determining, based on the finally obtained classification criterion, the classification class of the unknown defects.

Abstract: In apparatuses for automatically acquiring and also for automatically classifying images of defects present on a sample such as a semiconductor wafer, a classifying system is provided which are capable of readily accepting even such a case that a large number of classification classes are produced based upon a request issued by a user, and also even such a case that a basis of the classification class is changed in a high frequency. When the user defines the classification classes, a device for designating attributes owned by the respective classification classes is provided. The classifying system automatically changes a connecting mode between an internally-provided rule-based classifier and an example-based classifier, so that such a classifying system which is fitted to the classification basis of the user is automatically constructed.

Abstract: Provided is an examination technique to detect defects with high sensitivity at an outer-most repeative portion of a memory mat of a semiconductor device and even in a peripheral circuit having no repetitiveness. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprises an image detection unit for acquiring an image of a circuit pattern composed of multiple die having a repeative pattern, a defect judgement unit which composes, in respect of an acquired detected image, reference images by switching addition objectives depending on regions of repeative pattern and the other regions and compares a composed reference image with the detected image to detect a defect, and a display unit for displaying the image of the detected defect.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device is provided which involves detecting a defect on a SEM image taken at low magnification, and reviewing the defect on a SEM image taken at high magnification, and which can review a lot of defects in a short period of time thereby to improve the efficiency of defect review. In the present invention, the method for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device includes the steps of obtaining an image including a defect on the semiconductor device detected by a detection device by use of a scanning electron microscope at a first magnification, making a reference image from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, detecting the defect by comparing the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification to the reference image made from the image including the defect at the first magnification, and taking an image of the detected defect at a second magnification that is larger than the first magnification.

Abstract: Defect image display screens are capable of accurately presenting features of defects. On a thumbnail display screen of a defect, images likely to most clearly indicating features of the defect are determined in units of the defect from, for example, inspection information and a defect type, and then are displayed. On a detail display screen of a defect, for example, images for being displayed so as to clearly indicate features of the defect, and the display sequence thereof are determined in accordance with, for example, inspection information and a defect type, and then are displayed. Further, steps for acquiring a display image during or after defect image acquisition by using, for example, a different defect image acquisition apparatus and a different imaging condition in accordance with preliminarily specified rules are added to an imaging sequence (procedure).

Abstract: An apparatus for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device is provided to review a lot of defects in a short period of time thereby to improve the efficiency of defect review. A method for reviewing defects of a semiconductor device includes obtaining an image including a defect on the semiconductor device detected by a detection device by use of a scanning electron microscope at a first magnification, making a reference image from the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification, detecting the defect by comparing the image including the defect obtained at the first magnification to the reference image made from the image including the defect at the first magnification, and taking an image of the detected defect at a second magnification that is larger than the first magnification.

Abstract: A classification model optimum for realization of a defect classification request by a user is not known by the user. Then, the user sets a classification model which is not necessarily suitable and makes classification, resulting in degradation in classification performance. Therefore, the present invention automatically generates plural potential classification models and combines class likelihoods calculated from the plural classification models to classify. To combine, an index about the adequacy of each model, in other words, an index indicating a reliable level of likelihood calculated from the each potential classification model, is also calculated. Considering the calculated result, the class likelihoods calculated from the plural classification models are combined to execute classification.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope has an electron source for illuminating a primary electron beam on a specimen wafer, an accelerating electrode, a condenser lens, a deflector, an objective lens, a detector for acquiring a digital image by sampling a signal of emissive electrons generated from the specimen wafer, a digitizing means, an image memory for storing, displaying or processing the acquired digital image, an input/output unit, an image creation unit and an image processor. The scanning electron microscope is provided with a sampling unit for sampling the emissive electron signal at intervals each smaller than the pixel size of the digital image to be stored, displayed or processed and an image creation process means for enlarging the pixel size on the basis of the sampled emissive electron signal to create a digital image.

Abstract: To realize reliable on-film/under-film defect classification (classification into 3 classes of on-film, under-film, and determination-disabled) with determination propriety determination, an on-film/under-film defect classification method and a method of narrowing a range of defect generation timing are given, the methods being robust to 4 variation factors, wherein an edge of a boundary line between a line pattern region and a base region is focused, and whether the edge is preserved between defect and reference images in a defective region is determined, thereby an on-film or under-film defect can be identified. Furthermore, a range of the defect generation timing can be narrowed based on an identification result of the on-film or under-film defect, and information of a defect classification class (defect type) such as particle defect or pattern defect as necessary.