# US 2013/0155400 A1 · Method and device for inspecting for defects

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- Number: US 2013/0155400 A1
- Document ID: US20130155400A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/700,520
- Filed: 2011-05-20
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-07-30
- Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Toshiyuki Nakao; Junguo Xu; Yuki Shimizu; Toshihiko Nakata; Toshifumi Honda; Yukihiro Shibata; Yuta Urano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155400A1

## CPC

- G01N 21/95: characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined (G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence)
- G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)}
- G01Q 60/22: Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- B82Y 35/00: Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01Q: SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A defect inspecting method is provided which comprises a pre-scan defect inspecting process including a pre-scan irradiating step for casting irradiation light onto the surface of a sample, a pre-scan detecting step for detecting the scattered lights, and a pre-scan defect information collecting step for obtaining information on preselected defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the scattered lights; a near-field defect inspecting process including a near-field irradiating step in which the distance between the sample surface and a near-field head is adjusted so that the sample surface is irradiated, a near-field detecting step for detecting near-field light response, and a near-field defect information collecting step for obtaining information on the preselected defects on the basis of the near-field light response; and a merging process for inspecting defects present on the sample surface by merging the pieces of information on the preselected defects.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A defect inspecting method comprising:
a pre-scan defect inspecting process including:
a pre-scan irradiating step for casting irradiation light onto the surface of a sample,
a pre-scan detecting step for detecting the scattered lights emanating from the area of the sample surface irradiated in the pre-scan irradiating step, and
a pre-scan defect information collecting step for obtaining information on preselected defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the scattered lights detected in the pre-scan detecting step;
a near-field defect inspecting process including:
a near-field irradiating step in which the distance between the sample surface and a near-field head is adjusted on the basis of the information on the preselected defects obtained in the pre-scan defect information collecting step so that the irradiation of the sample surface is started from the position where the near-field head has been adjusted,
a near-field detecting step for detecting near-field light response generated from that area on the sample surface which is irradiated in the near-field irradiating step, and
a near-field defect information collecting step for obtaining information on the preselected defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the near-field light response detected in the near-field detecting step; and
a merging process for inspecting defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the result obtained by merging the information on the preselected defects on the sample surface obtained in the pre-scan defect information collecting step and the information on the preselected defects present on the sample surface obtained in the near-field defect information collecting step.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A defect inspecting method according to claim 1, wherein defects present on the sample surface and having sizes larger than a predetermined size are detected in the pre-scan defect information collecting step.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A defect inspecting method according to claim 1, wherein the information on the sizes and the positions of the preselected defects present on the sample surface is obtained in the pre-scan defect information collecting step.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

A defect inspecting method according to claim 2, wherein defects present on the sample surface and having a diameter not less than 40 nm are detected in the pre-scan defect information collecting step.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A defect inspecting method according to claim 1, wherein in the near-field irradiating step, the distance between the near-field head and the sample surface is adjusted by controlling the amount of current conducted through an actuator that adjusts the position of the near-field head.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A defect inspecting method according to claim 5, wherein the amount of current is determined on the basis of the information on the preselected defects present on the sample surface, obtained in the pre-scan defect inspecting process.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A defect inspecting method according to claim 1, wherein raised defects present on the sample surface and having a diameter not larger than a predetermined value and depressed defects are detected in the near-field defect information collecting step.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A defect inspecting method according to claim 1, wherein raised defects present on the sample surface and having a diameter not larger than 40 nm and depressed defects are detected in the near-field defect information collecting step.

### Claim 9

A defect inspecting device comprising:
a pre-scan defect inspecting section including:
a pre-scan irradiating system for casting irradiation light onto the surface of a sample,
a pre-scan detecting system for detecting the scattered lights emanating from the area of the sample surface irradiated by the pre-scan irradiating system, and
a pre-scan defect information collecting section for obtaining information on preselected defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the scattered lights detected by the pre-scan detecting system;
a near-field defect inspecting section including:
a near-field irradiating section in which the distance between the sample surface and a near-field head is adjusted on the basis of the information on the preselected defects obtained by the pre-scan defect information collecting section so that the irradiation of the sample surface is started from the position where the near-field head has been adjusted,
a near-field detecting section for detecting near-field light response generated from that area on the sample surface which is irradiated by the near-field irradiating section, and
a near-field defect information collecting section for obtaining information on the preselected defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the near-field light response detected by the near-field detecting section; and
a merging section for inspecting defects present on the sample surface on the basis of the result obtained by merging the information on the preselected defects on the sample surface obtained by the pre-scan defect information collecting section and the information on the preselected defects on the sample surface obtained by the near-field defect information collecting section.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A defect inspecting device as claimed in claim 9, wherein defects present on the sample surface and having sizes larger than a predetermined size are detected by the pre-scan defect information collecting section.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

A defect inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein the sizes and the positions of the preselected defects present on the sample surface are obtained by the pre-scan defect information collecting section.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A defect inspecting device according to claim 10, wherein defects present on the sample surface and having a diameter not less than 40 nm are detected by the pre-scan defect information collecting section.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

A defect inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein the near-field irradiating section adjusts the distance between the near-field head and the sample surface by controlling the amount of current conducted through an actuator that adjusts the position of the near-field head.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

A defect inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein the amount of current is determined on the basis of the information on the preselected defects present on the sample surface, obtained by the pre-scan defect inspecting section.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

A defect inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein raised defects present on the sample surface and having a diameter not larger than a predetermined value and depressed defects are detected by the near-field defect information collecting section

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

A defect inspecting device according to claim 9, wherein raised defects present on the sample surface and having a diameter not larger than 40 nm and depressed defects are detected in the near-field defect information collecting section.