Detection of thin lines for selective sensitivity during reticle inspection using processed images

An inspection system for inspecting a mask to identify lithographically significant defects comprising at least one memory and at least one processor that are configured to perform the following operations:

• providing a mask comprising a plurality of printable features and a plurality of non-printable features, the mask configured to achieve lithographic transfer of the printable features onto a substrate using a lithography system;
• producing a transmitted image and a reflected image of the mask;
• constructing a band limited spot image based on the transmitted and reflected images to reduce noise introduced by the inspection system;
• based on the band limited image, generating a non-printable feature map for the non-printable features and printable feature map for the printable features;
• and
• analyzing one or more test images of the mask to detect defects on such mask, wherein a sensitivity level of defect detection is reduced in areas of the one or more test images defined by the non-printable feature map, as compared with areas of the one or more test images that are not defined by the non-printable features map.