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US 11,238,579 B2Granted
Defect pattern grouping method and system
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsWei Fang, Haili Zhang, Zhichao Chen, Shengcheng Jin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A defect pattern grouping method is disclosed. The defect pattern grouping method comprises obtaining a first polygon that represents a first defect from an image of a sample, comparing the first polygon with a set of one or more representative polygons of a defect-pattern collection, and grouping the first polygon with any one or more representative polygons identified based on the comparison.
Claims18
A defect pattern grouping method comprising:
- identifying a first polygon that represents a first defect and a second polygon that represents a second defect based on an image of a sample;
- comparing the first polygon and the second polygon with a set of one or more representative polygons of a defect-pattern collection;
- and
- grouping the first polygon and the second polygon based on the comparison, the grouping further comprising:
- in response to the comparison indicating that the first polygon is similar to any one of the set of one or more representative polygons,
- comparing neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons;
- grouping the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons into different secondary groups in response to the neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons being different;
- and
- grouping the first polygon into a same group of defects represented by the set of one or more representative polygons in response to the neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons being the same;
- and
- in response to the comparison indicating that the second polygon is different from any one of the set of one or more representative polygons, grouping the second polygon into a new group of defects represented by the second polygon.
8 more elements
A defect pattern grouping system comprising:
- a memory configured to store a set of instructions;
- and,
- one or more processors configured to execute the set of instructions to cause the defect pattern grouping system to:
- identify a first polygon that represents a first defect and a second polygon that represents a second defect based on an image of a sample;
- compare the first polygon and the second polygon with a set of one or more representative polygons of a defect-pattern collection;
- and
- group the first polygon and the second polygon based on the comparison, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the set of instructions to further cause the defect pattern grouping system to:
- in response to the comparison indicating that the first polygon is similar to any one of the set of one or more representative polygons,
- compare neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons;
- group the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons into different secondary groups in response to the neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons being different;
- and
- group the first polygon into a same group of defects represented by the set of one or more representative polygons in response to the neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons being the same;
- and
- group the second polygon into a new group of defects represented by the second polygon in response to the comparison indicating that the second polygon is different from any one of the set of one or more representative polygons.
11 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a set of instructions that is executable by one or more processors of a computing device to cause the computing device to perform a defect pattern grouping method, the method comprising:
- identifying a first polygon that represents a first defect and a second polygon that represents a second defect based on an image of a sample;
- comparing the first polygon and the second polygon with a set of one or more representative polygons of a defect-pattern collection;
- and
- grouping the first polygon and the second polygon based on the comparison, the grouping further comprising:
- in response to the comparison indicating that the first polygon is similar to any one of the set of one or more representative polygons,
- comparing neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons;
- grouping the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons into different secondary groups in response to the neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons being different;
- and
- grouping the first polygon into a same group of defects represented by the set of one or more representative polygons in response to the neighboring polygon information of the first polygon and the set of one or more representative polygons being the same;
- and
- in response to the comparison indicating that the second polygon is different from any one of the set of one or more representative polygons, grouping the second polygon into a new group of defects represented by the second polygon.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.