| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pattern inspection method and an inspection apparatus for eliminating reflected light from an irregular circuit pattern edge efficiently with a simple spatial filter, and implementing a high-precision inspection of a semiconductor wafer having an irregular circuit pattern such as logic. SOLUTION: The pattern inspection apparatus comprises a stage 1 for mounting a wafer 9 to be inspected, a floodlight optical system 2, a condenser optical system 3 provided with a spatial filter 13 for shading reflected light, a beam split 4 for splitting light passing through the condenser optical system 3 into two in a predetermined light amount ratio, a laser intensity monitoring optical system 5, an imaging optical system 6 provided with two pieces of one-dimensional CCD cameras 19A and 19B, an image processing unit 7 for processing outputs of the one-dimensional CCD cameras 19A and 19B of the imaging optical system 6 to perform defect discrimination, and a laser power controlling unit 8 for controlling power of respective power source 10A and 10B of the flood light optical system 2 based on outputs of two photoreceptors 16A and 16B of the laser intensity monitoring optical system 5. Reflected light from an irregular circuit pattern edge such as a logic pattern is eliminated with a simple spatial filter, thus making it possible to detect a defect on the circuit pattern with high precision.
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