Device and method for detecting defects on wafer

A method of inferring a defect in a circuit pattern formed on a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

• combining a first image and a second image to generate a combination image by overlapping the first image and the second image around a pattern axis, the first image including an imaging of the circuit pattern, and the second image including an imaging of a layout image of a mask for implementing the circuit pattern on the semiconductor wafer;
• generating, based on a machine learning operation of at least one computing device, an output image from the combination image, the output image including defect information about the defect;
• and
• outputting the output image,
• wherein the generating the output image includes inferring, by the machine learning operation, the defect based on an association between the defect in the circuit pattern and the layout image.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program code including an image generation model executable by a processor, the program code, when executed, causing the processor to:

• combine a first image and a second image to generate a combination image, the first image including an imaging of a circuit pattern formed on a semiconductor wafer, and the second image including an imaging of a layout image of a mask for implementing the circuit pattern on the semiconductor wafer;
• and
• generate, based on machine learning, an output image from the combination image, the output image including defect information of the circuit pattern,
• wherein the generating the output image includes inferring, by the machine learning, the defect based on an association between the defect in the circuit pattern and the layout image.