Abstract: A defect detecting apparatus for detecting defects on a substrate sample (wafer) having circuit patterns such as interconnections. The defect detecting apparatus is provided with stages that can be moved arbitrarily in each of the X, Y, Z, and ? directions in a state that the substrate sample is mounted thereon, an illumination optical system for illuminating the circuit patterns from one or plural directions, and a detection optical system for detecting reflection light, diffraction light, or scattered light coming from an inspection region being illuminated through almost the entire hemispherical surface having the substrate sample as the bottom surface. The NA (numerical aperture) thereby falls within a range of 0.7 to 1.0. Harmful defects or foreign substances can be detected so as to be separated from non-defects such as surface roughness of interconnections.

Abstract: In order to realize individually and easily optimization of exposure conditions such as exposure dose and focus by photolithography in a production process of semiconductor devices, the present invention is such that: light is radiated onto a pattern on a semiconductor wafer; by an optical system that detects information on a pattern shape using scattered light by its reflection, waveforms of an FEM sample wafer having a plurality of shape deformation patterns prepared in advance are detected and stored; one or more characteristic points on a spectral waveform generated in association with a pattern change is recorded; and a variation model of the characteristic points is obtained. As to a pattern to be measured, a spectral waveform is detected in the same manner as that described above, and deviations (exposure dose deviation and focus deviation) of the formation conditions are estimated from a displacement of the characteristic points on the waveform using the variation model.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical height detection method and electron beam apparatus to which the method is applied, in which the focusing accuracy of the CD-SEM apparatus, a SEM inspection apparatus, and others is improved by reducing detection errors and improving detection accuracy so as to improve the accuracy of the optical height detection method, and throughput of a CD-SEM apparatus or others is improved by reducing the processing time of automatic focus control performed based on the detected height according to the optical height detection method. An optical detection optical system projects two-dimensional slit light to a measurement object from diagonally above it, detects the light reflected by the measurement object, converts a detected two-dimensional slit image into an electrical signal by a two-dimensional area sensor, eliminates slit parts having a large detection error from the electrical signal, and detects the height of the measurement object.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a defect inspection system which can perform inspection condition setting easily in a relatively short period of time, can examine the inspection condition setting even when there is no sample, and further can provide an inspection condition and a defect signal intensity to a person, who sets the inspection condition, to assist the inspection condition setting. In the defect inspection system, a defective image, which is an inspection image, and a reference image corresponding thereto and a mismatched portion of the defective image and the reference image are digitalized as a defect signal intensity and accumulated in association with the inspection condition, and the inspection conditions are changed to repeat evaluations while repeating accumulating works until the evaluation of all the inspection conditions in a set range is completed.

Abstract: An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing an emitter which emits a light beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer, and an objective lens, for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced light beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the light beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.

Abstract: An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing a laser source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer and an objective lens for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced ultraviolet laser beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the ultraviolet laser beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.

Abstract: In a displacement measurement apparatus using light interference, a probe light path is spatially separated from a reference light path. Therefore, when a temperature or refractive index distribution by a fluctuation of air or the like, or a mechanical vibration is generated, an optical path difference fluctuates between both of the optical paths, and a measurement error is generated. In the solution, an optical axis of probe light is brought close to that of reference light by a distance which is not influenced by any disturbance, a sample is irradiated with the probe light, a reference surface is irradiated with the reference light, reflected light beams are allowed to interfere with each other, and a displacement of the sample is obtained from the resultant interference light to thereby prevent the measurement error from being generated by the fluctuation of the optical path difference.

Abstract: In order to realize individually and easily optimization of exposure conditions such as exposure dose and focus by photolithography in a production process of semiconductor devices, the present invention is such that: light is radiated onto a pattern on a semiconductor wafer; by an optical system that detects information on a pattern shape using scattered light by its reflection, waveforms of an FEM sample wafer having a plurality of shape deformation patterns prepared in advance are detected and stored; one or more characteristic points on a spectral waveform generated in association with a pattern change is recorded; and a variation model of the characteristic points is obtained. As to a pattern to be measured, a spectral waveform is detected in the same manner as that described above, and deviations (exposure dose deviation and focus deviation) of the formation conditions are estimated from a displacement of the characteristic points on the waveform using the variation model.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dimension measuring SEM system and a circuit pattern evaluating system capable of achieving accurate, minute OPC evaluation, the importance of which increase with the progressive miniaturization of design pattern of a circuit pattern for a semiconductor device, and a circuit pattern evaluating method. Design data and measured data on an image of a resist pattern formed by photolithography are superposed for the minute evaluation of differences between a design pattern defined by the design data and the image of the resist pattern, and one- or two-dimensional geometrical features representing differences between the design pattern and the resist pattern are calculated. In some cases, the shape of the resist pattern differs greatly from the design pattern due to OPE effect (optical proximity effect).

Abstract: An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing a laser source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer and an objective lens for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced ultraviolet laser beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the ultraviolet laser beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.

Abstract: Work is irradiated with polarized light generated by configuring in such a manner as to have a polarizer using a grating that separates polarized light from non-polarized light, a lamp and a condenser mirror that allow light to fall on the polarizer, a collimator lens that converts the incoming light into parallel beams, an integrator lens that uniformizes intensity distribution of light radiated from the polarizer, and a diffusion lens with functions to enlarge or contract the irradiated range to the work size, and by forming protrusions and recesses of the shape, material, and size that fit to the desired wavelength on a substrate such as quartz, etc. that transmit ultraviolet light, and by providing the light-polarizing performance by appropriately providing an incident angle. By carrying out this processing, the alignment film in the liquid crystal display element can be photo-aligned at high accuracy and uniformly.

Abstract: Inspection apparatus and method in which laser source emits a laser beam and a coherence of the laser beam emitted from the laser source is reduced by a coherence reducer. A detector detects light from the sample irradiated with the coherence reduced laser beam and a processor processes a signal outputted from the detector and detects a defect on the sample. The coherence reducer has an optical path which includes a plurality of at least one of optical fibers and glass rods.

Abstract: To realize a method for detecting variations in conditions (drift of the exposure and drift of the focus) in exposure equipment at a product wafer level in lithography process, the process is specified in such a way that calculation results of feature quantities such as electron beam images, line profiles, dimensions, etc. under various sets of the exposure and the focus are stored as a library, and an electron beam image of the product wafer is compared with these pieces of data in the library so that detection of drifts of the exposure and the focus a check of the results on the screen can easily be performed.

Abstract: Deviations from optimum values of the exposure light quantity and focus of test and product circuit patterns are predicted from the dimensions of the patterns, illumination conditions and the wave aberration of an exposure lens. A signal waveform of scatterometry of the test pattern is linked to the deviations from the optimum values of the exposure light quantity and focus to form a library. The test pattern after exposed and developed in actual steps is collated with the signal waveform in the library measured by the scatterometry to find deviations from the optimum values of the exposure light quantity and focus of the test pattern. Deviations of the optimum values of a product circuit pattern from the deviations of the test pattern are acquired on the basis of the deviations, and the acquired deviations are fed back to subsequent exposure steps.

Abstract: Inspection apparatus and method in which laser source emits a laser beam and a coherence of the laser beam emitted from the laser source is reduced by a coherence reducer. A detector detects light from the sample irradiated with the coherence reduced laser beam and a processor processes a signal outputted from the detector and detects a defect on the sample. The coherence reducer has an optical path which includes a plurality of at least one of optical fibers and glass rods.

Abstract: A method and a system for processing a semiconductor device intended to improve the overlay accuracy of a semiconductor device product, particularly in its device area, in carrying out the mix-and-match exposure process are designed to calculate the difference of exposure distortions between two layers in the device area and the difference of exposure distortions between the two layers at the overlay measurement mark position from data of exposure field distortions of two exposure tools used for the mix-and-match exposure process and data of device area and overlay measurement mark position of the product, calculate a modification value which relates both differences to each other, calculate a first exposure condition correction value from the measurement result of overlay, and carry out the exposure process based on a second exposure condition correction value which is evaluated by modifying the first exposure condition correction value with the modification value.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a semiconductor device which predicts a difference in registration error between a circuit pattern and an overlay mark from a pattern dimension, illumination conditions and the wave aberration of an exposure lens, feeds a correction value based on the predicted difference back to an exposure device and modifies an overlay inspection data control limit.

Abstract: With a view to provide a method and equipment for detecting a minute circuit pattern with a high resolution, pattern defect detecting equipment is provided, comprising: an ultraviolet laser source; coherence reducing means for reducing the coherence of the ultraviolet laser beam emitted from this ultraviolet laser source; projecting means for projecting the ultraviolet laser beam passing through this coherence reducing means on a pupil of an objecting lens; illuminating means for illuminating a detection field of view in the object uniformly by the ultraviolet laser beam projected on the pupil of the objective lens by this projecting means through the objective lens; image detecting means for detecting an image of the object illuminated almost uniformly by the illuminating means; and detecting means for detecting a defect on the object by comparing image data obtained from the image of the object detected by this image detecting means to image data stored beforehand.

Abstract: A process management system in accordance with the present invention includes inspection apparatuses for inspecting defects on a wafer, the inspection apparatuses being connected through a communication network, inspection information and image information obtained from these inspection apparatuses being collected to construct a data base and an image file, therein definition of defects is given by combinations of elements which characterize the defect based on the inspection information and the image information obtained from the inspection apparatuses. By giving definition of the defect, characteristics of the defect can be subdivided and known. Therefore, the cause of a defect can be studied.

Abstract: In lithographic (exposure) processing for semiconductor device fabrication, the task of extracting exposure parameters is performed by calculating exposure energy and focus offset using a test wafer for each exposure device, because fluctuations due to differences between exposure devices are large. For the fabrication of semiconductor devices in multiple-product small-lot production, the number of times the task of extracting exposure parameters has to be performed increases, so that the operation ratio of the exposure devices decreases, and the TAT of the semiconductor device fabrication increases. Moreover, as the miniaturization of semiconductor devices advances, differences between the exposure devices cause defects due to the exposure processing, and the yield of the semiconductor device fabrication decreases.