Inspection system and inspection method

摘要

An inspection system determines, for each detected pattern defect, a defect inspection pattern area of predetermined dimensions containing the coordinates of the defect, then determines the clusters or cells whose reference points are located within the defect inspection pattern area. The system extracts the data of these clusters or cells from design pattern data read from a first magnetic disk unit. The system then generates an output file containing the extracted data. The output file is then converted into the same format as the input design pattern data or into OASIS format, before it is output to a second magnetic disk unit. The extracted pattern data specifying the clusters or cells within each defect inspection pattern area can be output from the mask inspection system to external systems.

主权项

1. An inspection system comprising:
an optical image capture unit configured to photoelectrically capture an optical image of an object to be inspected by irradiating said object with light; a reference image generating unit configured to generate a reference image from design data that was used to form a pattern on said object to be inspected; a reference image filtering unit configured to change a resolution characteristic of the reference image to generate a filtered reference image; a comparing unit configured to compare said optical image with said filtered reference image; and a data extracting unit configured to determine the coordinates of a portion of the pattern on said object determined to be defective by said comparison, and further configured to extract an extracted design data portion including only data of the pattern around each detected defect of predetermined dimensions corresponding to said coordinates from said design data, as well as configured to extract a portion of inspection sensitivity-specifying pattern data paired with said extracted design data portion, then output said extracted design data portion and said extracted sensitivity-specifying pattern data portion, and determine whether to perform a lithography simulation of a detected defect based on the data of the pattern around the detected defect and the inspection sensitivity-specifying pattern data portion paired with the extracted design data portion.