Method and apparatus for reviewing defect

An apparatus for reviewing a defect, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber;
• a stage provided in the vacuum chamber;
• an optical height detection system configured to optically detect a vertical position of an upper surface of a sample placed on the stage;
• an optical microscope configured to optically re-detect an existing defect on the sample placed on the stage, the existing defect being previously detected by an external optical inspection apparatus, and configured to obtain position information of the existing defect on the sample;
• a correction means configured to correct position information of the existing defect on the sample, the existing defect being previously detected by the external optical inspection apparatus, the correction of position information being based on the position information obtained by optical re-detection of the existing defect on the sample by the optical microscope;
• and
• a scanning electron microscope configured to review the existing defect on the sample placed on the stage, by positioning the existing defect on the sample within a visual field of the scanning electron microscope by moving the stage based on the position information of the existing defect corrected by the correction means;
• wherein the optical microscope includes:
• an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the existing defect on the sample with light;
• an image detection optical system configured to converge and detect reflected light or scattered light generated from the existing defect on the sample illuminated by the illumination optical system, thereby obtaining an image signal;
• and
• a focus adjusting means configured to adjust a focus position of the optical microscope, based on the vertical position of the upper surface of the sample, is the vertical position being detected by the optical height detection system;
• wherein the illumination optical system and the image detection optical system of the optical microscope, and the optical height detection system, all use a common objective lens to detect a existing defect on the sample in the same location where the height is detected.

A method for reviewing a defect, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining position information of a defect on a sample placed on a stage provided in a vacuum chamber by optically re-detecting the existing defect on the sample with an optical microscope, the existing defect being previously detected by an external optical inspection apparatus;
• correcting position information of the existing defect on the sample, the existing defect being previously detected by the external optical inspection apparatus, and the corrected position information being based on the position information obtained by optically re-detecting with the optical microscope;
• and
• reviewing the existing defect on the sample with a scanning electron microscope by positioning the existing defect on the sample within a visual field of the scanning electron microscope by moving the stage based on the corrected position information of the defect existing defect on the sample;
• wherein the step of obtaining position information of a defect on a sample includes:
• optically detecting a vertical position of an upper surface of the sample placed on the stage with an optical height detection system, and
• adjusting a focus position of the optical microscope based on the detected vertical position of the upper surface of the sample;
• wherein the steps of obtaining position information of a defect, optically re-detecting the existing defect, and optically detecting a vertical position, are performed including detecting light reflected from the sample and passed through an objective lens common to the optical microscope and the optical height detection system, to detect a existing defect on the sample in the same location where the height is detected.

A method for reviewing a defect, the defect being previously detected by an external optical inspection apparatus, the method comprises the steps of:

• obtaining a precise position information of a defect on a sample placed on a stage provided in a vacuum chamber by illuminating with an optical microscope the defect on the sample with illumination light, and optically re-detecting the defect on the sample;
• correcting rough position information of the defect on the sample, the defect being previously detected by the external optical inspection apparatus, based on the precise position information obtained by optically re-detecting with the optical microscope;
• and
• reviewing the defect on the sample with a scanning electron microscope by positioning the defect on the sample within a visual field of the scanning electron microscope, by moving the stage based on the corrected position information of the defect on the sample;
• wherein in the obtaining step, a polarization direction of light used in optically re-detecting the defect on the sample is different from a polarization direction of the illumination light;
• and
• wherein in the obtaining step, a focus position of the optical microscope is adjusted by a focus adjusting means, based on a vertical position information of an upper surface of the sample detected by an optical height detection system through an objective lens common to the optical microscope and the optical height detection system to detect a defect on the sample in the same location where the height is detected.