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US 10,593,032 B2Granted
Defect inspection method and defect inspection apparatus
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsSung-Yoon Ryu, Joon-Seo Song, Yu-Sin Yang, Chung-Sam Jun, Yun-Jung Jee
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Abstract
In a defect inspection method, first and second inspection conditions having a first sensitivity of detection signal and having a second sensitivity of a detection signal for a defect of interest (DOI), respectively, are determined. The first and second sensitivities are different. First and second images of the same detection region on a substrate surface under the first and second inspection conditions respectively, are obtained. The first and second images are matched to detect a defect in the detection region.
Claims18
A defect inspection method, comprising:
- determining first and second inspection conditions having a first sensitivity of detection signal and having a second sensitivity of a detection signal for a defect of interest (DOI), respectively, the first sensitivity being greater than the second sensitivity;
- obtaining first and second inspection images of a same detection region on a substrate surface under the first and second inspection conditions respectively, by scanning the substrate surface with a light or an electron beam, wherein the first inspection image has a first signal value for the DOI and the second inspection image has a second signal value for the DOI, the first signal value being greater than the second signal value;
- determining the first inspection image as an object image and determining the second inspection image as a reference image;
- and
- detecting a defect in the detection region by matching the object image and the reference image to each other to calculate a difference between detection signal values of a corresponding location of the first and second inspection images,
- wherein determining the first and second inspection conditions comprises:
- obtaining a plurality of images for the DOI under different inspection conditions;
- and
- selecting different conditions under which a difference value between detection signal values for the DOI is equal to or greater than a significant value, as the first and second inspection conditions, and
- wherein the first and second inspection images are for the DOI on a same substrate.
7 more elements
A defect inspection method, comprising:
- obtaining a first inspection image of a detection region on a substrate surface under a first inspection condition having a first sensitivity of a detection signal for a defect of interest (DOI);
- obtaining a second inspection image of the same detection region under a second inspection condition having a second sensitivity of a detection signal for the DOI smaller than the first sensitivity;
- matching the first and second inspection images to each other to calculate a difference between detection signal values of a corresponding location of the first and second inspection images to detect a defect in the detection region;
- and
- selecting different conditions under which a difference value between detection signal values for the DOI is equal to or greater than a significant value, as the first and second inspection conditions,
- wherein obtaining the first and second inspection images comprises scanning the substrate surface with a light or an electron beam,
- wherein the first and second inspection images are for the DOI on a same substrate, and
- wherein matching the first and second inspection images to each other comprises:
- using the first inspection image as an object image and using the second inspection image as a reference image;
- and
- matching the object image and the reference image to detect the defect.
8 more elements
A defect inspection method comprising:
- emitting a first inspection signal on a detection region of a target substrate surface to be imaged resulting in a first detection signal of the detection region, and obtaining a first inspection image of the detection region under a first inspection condition by capturing the first detection signal of the detection region, selecting the first inspection condition to have a first sensitivity for a defect of interest of the target substrate surface so that a first detection signal value for the defect of interest has a first magnitude;
- emitting a second inspection signal on the detection region of the target substrate surface to be imaged resulting in a second detection signal of the detection region, and obtaining a second inspection image of the detection region under a second inspection condition by capturing the second detection signal of the detection region, selecting the second inspection condition to have a second sensitivity for a defect of interest of the target substrate surface so that a second detection signal value for the defect of interest has a second magnitude smaller than the first magnitude;
- determining the first inspection image as an object image and determining the second inspection image as a reference image;
- and
- detecting a defect in the detection region by matching the object image and the reference image to each other to calculate a difference value between the first and second detection signal values,
- wherein the difference value between the first and second detection signal values for the defect of interest under the first and second inspection conditions is greater than a difference value between detection signal values for a defect of non-interest under the first and second inspection conditions,
- wherein the first and second inspection signals are light energy signals, or wherein the first and second inspection signals are electron beams, and
- wherein the first and second inspection images are for the defect of interest on a same substrate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.