Inspection system and method for inspecting line width and/or positional errors of a pattern

A method for inspecting an amount of positional aberration of a pattern on an object to be inspected with different types of patterns rendered thereon, comprising:

• imaging the object to be inspected and obtaining an optical image;
• creating a reference image from design pattern data;
• preparing an inspection recipe comprising one or more templates and a parameter settings necessary for the inspection;
• checking the pattern and the template against each other, and selecting the reference image which corresponds to the template;
• detecting a first edge and a second edge in the selected reference image in accordance with the parameter settings using a standard coordinate;
• detecting a first edge of the optical image corresponding to the first edge of the selected reference image and a second edge of the optical image corresponding to the second edge of the selected reference image;
• and
• determining an inspection value by acquiring the amount of positional aberration between the optical image and the reference image by using the first and second edges of the optical image, and the first and second edges of the reference image.

A method for inspecting a line width of a pattern on an object to be inspected with different types of patterns rendered thereon, comprising:

• imaging the object to be inspected and obtaining an optical image;
• preparing an inspection recipe comprising one or more templates and a parameter setting necessary for the inspection;
• checking the pattern and the template against each other, and selecting the optical image which corresponds to the template;
• detecting a first edge and a second edge in the selected optical image in accordance with the parameter settings using a standard coordinate;
• determining an inspection value by measuring the line width between the first edge and the second edge.

A method for inspecting a line width of a pattern on an object to be inspected with different types of patterns rendered thereon, comprising:

• imaging the object to be inspected and obtaining an optical image;
• creating a reference image from design pattern data;
• measuring a line width of the pattern in the reference image;
• registering an obtained measurement value;
• registering the range of the obtained measurement values, and the range of threshold values centering on the measurement value;
• determining whether a pattern having a line width that matches the registered values exists in the optical image, and if such a pattern exists, measuring the line width of this pattern.

An inspecting system which illuminates light on to an object to be inspected, receiving an image of the object to be inspected in an image sensor, and inspecting a pattern rendered on the object to be inspected, said system comprising:

• an image sensor;
• an optical image acquisition part for acquiring the image from the image sensor;
• a creating part to create reference image from design pattern data;
• a selecting part to select the reference image which corresponds to the template, said part utilizing an inspection recipe comprising one or more templates and a parameter setting necessary for the inspection;
• a detecting part to detect a first edge and a second edge in the selected reference image in accordance with the parameter setting using a standard coordinate;
• a detecting part to detect a first edge of the optical image corresponding to the first edge of the selected reference image, and a second edge of the optical image corresponding to the second edge of the selected reference image;
• and
• an acquisition part for acquiring an inspection value by measuring a line width difference of the optical image and the reference image using the first edge and second edges of the optical image and the first and second edges of the reference image.

An inspecting system which illuminates light on to an object to be inspected, receiving an image of the object to be inspected in an image sensor, and inspecting a pattern rendered on the object to be inspected, said system comprising:

• an image sensor;
• an optical image acquisition part for acquiring the image from the image sensor;
• a creating part to create reference image from design pattern data;
• a selecting part to select the reference image which corresponds to the template, said part utilizing an inspection recipe comprising one or more templates and a parameter setting necessary for the inspection;
• a detecting part to detect a first edge and a second edge in the selected reference image in accordance with the parameter setting using a standard coordinate;
• a detecting part to detect a first edge of the optical image corresponding to the first edge of the selected reference image, and a second edge of the optical image corresponding to the second edge of the selected reference image;
• an acquisition part for acquiring an inspection value by measuring an amount of positional aberration of the optical image and the reference image using the first edge and second edges of the optical image and the first and second edges of the reference image.