# US 6,724,005 B2 · Substrate defect inspection method and substrate defect inspection system

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- Number: US 6,724,005 B2
- Document ID: US6724005B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 09/982,339
- Filed: 2001-10-17
- Published: 2002-04-25
- Granted: 2004-04-20
- Earliest claimed: 2000-10-18
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Toshifumi Tokumoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6724005B2

## CPC

- G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)}
- 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)

## Abstract

When performing a defect inspection of a wafer W, defect observation equipment 3 first inputs defect position data from defect detection equipment 2. After a plurality of measurement points are set, the amount of position shift between the detection coordinate system and the observation coordinate system is measured for each measurement point. Then, the defect observation equipment 3 creates a first-order defect position correction formula in order to make reasonable the defect position in the detection coordinate system, based on the position shift amounts of the measurement points. This first-order defect position correction formula has three terms, for the offset component, the magnification component, and the rotation component of the observation coordinate system with respect to the detection coordinate system. Next, using the defect position correction formula, a defect position detected by the defect detection equipment 2 is corrected. By this means, the resolution of the defect observation equipment is raised, and the precision of substrate defect inspection is improved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate defect inspection method, comprising:
detecting a substrate defect position by the use of defect detection equipment, and sending information including the defect position to defect observation equipment;
setting a plurality of measurement points on said substrate, and measuring an amount of shift in position of each of said measurement points between the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment and the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment;
creating a defect position correction formula, having terms for the offset component and the magnification component of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment, based on the amount of position shift for each of said measurement points;
correcting said defect position detected by said defect detection equipment by using said defect position correction formula; and
generating an image of said corrected defect position by the scanning electron microscope of said defect observation equipment, and inspecting the defect based on said image data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate defect inspection method according to claim 1, wherein
measuring the amounts of shift in position of each of said measurement points comprises setting at least six measurement points on said substrate; and
correcting said defect position by using said defect correction formula comprises using the defect position correction formulae dX=a+b*X−c*Y, dY=d+e*Y+f*X to calculate the constants a through f, wherein the defect position in the x-axis direction in the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is X, the defect position in the y-axis direction is Y, the constant for the offset component in the x-axis direction of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is a, the constant for the magnification component in the x-axis direction is b, the constant for the rotation component in the x-axis direction is c, the constant for the offset component in the y-axis direction is d, the constant for the magnification component in the y-axis direction is e, the constant for the rotation component in the y-axis direction is f, the position correction amount in the x-axis direction is dX, and the position correction amount in the y-axis direction is dY.

### Claim 3

A substrate defect inspection method, comprising:
detecting a substrate defect position by the use of defect detection equipment, and sending information including the defect position to defect observation equipment;
setting a plurality of measurement points on said substrate, and measuring an amount of shift in position of each of said measurement points between the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment and the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment;
creating a defect position correction formula, having terms for the offset component and the rotation component of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment, based on the amount of position shift for each of said measurement points;
correcting said defect position detected by said defect detection equipment using said defect position correction formula; and
generating an image of said corrected defect position by the scanning electron microscope of said defect observation equipment, and inspecting the defect based on said image data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The substrate defect inspection method according to claim 3, wherein
measuring the amounts of shift in position of each of said measurement points comprises setting at least six measurement points on said substrate; and,
correcting said defect position by using said defect correction formula comprises using the detect position correction formulae dX=a+b*X−c*Y, dY=d+e*Y+f*X to calculate the constants a through f, wherein the defect position in the x-axis direction in the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is X, the defect position in the y-axis direction is Y, the constant for the offset component in the x-axis direction of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is a, the constant for the magnification component in the x-axis direction is b, the constant for the rotation component in the x-axis direction is c, the constant for the offset component in the y-axis direction is d, the constant for the magnification component in the y-axis direction is e, the constant for the rotation component in the y-axis direction is f, the position correction amount in the x-axis direction is dX, and the position correction amount in the y-axis direction is dY.

### Claim 5

A substrate defect inspection system, comprising defect detection equipment which detects substrate defect positions and defect observation equipment which observes defects detected by said defect detection equipment using a scanning electron microscope and performs defect inspections, wherein said defect observation equipment comprises:
position shift measurement means, which sets a plurality of measurement points on said substrate, and measures an amount of position shift of each of said measurement points between the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment and the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment;
correction formula creation means, which creates a defect position correction formula having terms for the offset component and the magnification component of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment, based on the amount of position shift of each of said measurement points;
position correction means, which corrects said defect position detected by said defect detection equipment, using said defect position correction formula; and
means for generating an image of said corrected defect position using said scanning electron microscope, and inspecting the defect based on the image data.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The substrate defect inspection system according to claim 5, wherein
said position shift measurement means sets at least six measurement points on said substrate, and measures an amount of position shift for each measurement point; and
if the defect position in the x-axis direction in the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is X, the defect position in the y-axis direction is Y, the constant for the offset component in the x-axis direction of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is a, the constant for the magnification component in the x-axis direction is b, the constant for the rotation component in the x-axis direction is c, the constant for the offset component in the y-axis direction is d, the constant for the magnification component in the y-axis direction is e, the constant for the rotation component in the y-axis direction is f, the position correction amount in the x-axis direction is dX, and the position correction amount in the y-axis direction is dY, then said correction formula creation means uses dX=a+b*X−c*Y, dY=d+e*Y+f*X as said defect position correction formula to calculate the constants a through f.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The substrate defect inspection system according to claim 5, wherein said defect detection equipment has a defect position precision equivalent to that of said defect observation equipment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The substrate defect inspection system according to claim 5, wherein said defect detection equipment has image pickup means which performs image pickup of said substrate, and means to extract the defect position of said substrate based on image pickup data for said substrate.

### Claim 9

A substrate defect inspection system, comprising defect detection equipment which detects substrate defect positions and defect observation equipment which observes defects detected by said defect detection equipment using a scanning electron microscope and performs defect inspections, wherein said defect observation equipment comprises:
position shift measurement means, which sets a plurality of measurement points on said substrate, and measures an amount of position shift of each of said measurement points between the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment and the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment;
correction formula creation means, which creates a defect position correction formula having terms for the offset component and the rotation component of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment, based on the position shift amount of each of said measurement points;
position correction means, which corrects said defect position detected by said defect detection equipment, using said defect position correction formula; and
means which generates an image of said corrected defect position using said scanning electron microscope, and which inspects the defect based on the image data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The substrate defect inspection system according to claim 9, wherein
said position shift measurement means sets at least six measurement points on said substrate, and measures an amount of position shift for each measurement point; and
if the defect position in the x-axis direction in the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is X, the defect position in the y-axis direction is Y, the constant for the offset component in the x-axis direction of the coordinate system of said defect observation equipment with respect to the coordinate system of said defect detection equipment is a, the constant for the magnification component in the x-axis direction is b, the constant for the rotation component in the x-axis direction is c, the constant for the offset component in the y-axis direction is d, the constant for the magnification component in the y-axis direction is e, the constant for the rotation component in the y-axis direction is f, the position correction amount in the x-axis direction is dX, and the position correction amount in the y-axis direction is dY, then said correction formula creation means uses dX=a+b*X−c*Y, dY=d+e*Y+f*X as said defect position correction formula to calculate the constants a through f.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The substrate defect inspection system according to claim 9, wherein said defect detection equipment has a defect position precision equivalent to that of said defect observation equipment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The substrate defect inspection system according to claim 9, wherein said defect detection equipment has image pickup means which performs image pickup of said substrate, and means to extract the defect position of said substrate based on image pickup data for said substrate.