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US 4,734,923 AGranted
Lithographic system mask inspection device
AssigneeHampshire Instruments, Inc.
InventorsRobert D. Frankel, John F. Hoose
Life of this patent
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AssigneeHampshire Instruments, Inc.
InventorsRobert D. Frankel, John F. Hoose
Estimating the term…
A device used to test the features of a mask used in a semiconductor lithographic machine. The device includes an array of charge couple devices and an array of pinholes positioned above the charge couple devices. The array of pinholes includes a small pinhole opening for each of the charge couple devices in that array and the size of each opening is dependent upon the resolution of the mask features desired to be inspected. The array of pinholes and the array of charge couple devices are moved in unison in discrete steps, related to the size of the pinhole openings, across an area of the mask related to the center to center spacing of the charge couple devices of the charge couple device array. By reading the data of each of the charge couple devices after each step, a comparison can be made against data previously obtained from a known good mask and a determination can be made whether the mask under test is acceptable or flawed.
A mask inspection device for inspecting features larger than a given size on an image defining mask used in a semiconductor imaging system, said system being of a type in which energy is provided towards said mask to thereby cause an image of energy to be provided during the semiconductor device fabrication process, said mask inspection system comprising:
A mask inspection system for inspecting features above a given size of a mask used in a semiconductor fabrication machine of a type in which energy is selectively directed through said mask to cause a pattern of energy to expose a resist covered wafer, said system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.