Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for illuminating a sample during a sample inspection, for example, for finding defects, and to provide an apparatus for the method. SOLUTION: The illumination apparatus includes optical fiber bundles with respective first ends and second ends in a certain aspect. The illumination apparatus further includes an illumination selector so as to output one or more selected incident beams from the second ends corresponding to one or more fibers, by selectively transmitting one or more incident beams to the first ends corresponding to one or more selected incident beams. The illumination apparatus includes a lens arrangement for receiving one or more selected incident beams selected from one or more second ends corresponding to the fibers to introduce the selected incident beams toward the sample. The lens arrangement and the fibers are constituted with respect to one another so that the imaging plane of the sample is imaged at a second end of the fiber. The incident beams are laser beam in an aspect. In a specific exemplary application, the sample is selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor device, a semiconductor wafer, and a semiconductor reticle. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
An EUV integrated circuit fabrication method and system EUV that includes blank inspection, defect characterization, simulation, pattern compensation, modification of the mask writer database, inspection and simulation of patterned masks, and patterned mask repair. The system performs blank inspection to identify defects at multiple focal planes within the blank. The mask can be relocated on the blank and alterations to the pattern can be developed to compensate for the defects prior to prior to patterning the mask. Once the mask has been patterned, the reticle is inspected to identify any additional or remaining defects that were not picked up during blank inspection or fully mitigated through pattern compensation. The patterned reticle can then be repaired prior to integrated circuit fabrication.
Abstract:
Inspection of photomasks for defects in phase-shifters is enhanced using optical techniques based on multiple modified radiation collection techniques, which allows allow for errors in phase-shifters to be more accurately detected. The system includes an illumination system (105), at least on collection system (107R, 107T), and a data analysis section (108). In one embodiment, the intensities of two slightly defocused images of phase objects corresponding to the same photomask location are compared. In a second embodiment, radiation having two Zernike point spread functions is used to obtain two slightly different phase sensitive images. Data collected and analyzed by the data analysis section (108) using this method provides much greater sensitivity to phase objects and errors in phase objects than prior art inspection systems. Embodiments include both scanning-type and projector type optical architectures and may utilize radiation transmitted or reflected by a sample.