Pattern inspection method and apparatus with high-accuracy pattern image correction capability

摘要

A high-accuracy image correction device adaptable for use in pattern inspection apparatus is disclosed. The device includes a correction region designation unit which designates a correction region including a pattern and its nearby portion within each of an inspection reference pattern image and a pattern image under test. The device also includes an equation generator which generates by linear predictive modeling a set of simultaneous equations for a reference pattern image within the correction region and an under-test pattern image within the correction region, a parameter generator for solving the equations to obtain more than one model parameter, and a corrected pattern image generator for using the model parameter to apply the linear predictive modeling to the reference pattern image to thereby generate a corrected pattern image. A pattern inspection method using the image correction technique is also disclosed.