Applied Materials Israel Limited

Ori Petel

Boaz Cohen

Ariel Shkalim

Evgeny Bal

Oren Shmuel Cohen

Ronen Madmon

Vladimir Ovechkin

Alexander Chereshnya

Sergey Khristo

Shay Attal

Sergey Latinsky

There is provided a mask inspection system and a method of mask inspection. The method comprises: detecting, by the inspection tool, a runtime defect at a defect location on a mask of a semiconductor specimen during runtime scan of the mask, and acquiring, by the inspection tool after runtime and based on the defect location, a plurality sets of aerial images of the runtime defect corresponding to a plurality of focus states throughout a focus process window, each set of aerial images acquired at a respective focus state. The method further comprises for each set of aerial images, calculating a statistic-based EPD value of the runtime defect, thereby giving rise to a plurality of statistic-based EPD values each corresponding to a respective focus state, and determining whether the runtime defect is a true defect based on the plurality of statistic-based EPD values.

Mask inspection of a semiconductor specimen

There is provided a mask inspection system and a method of mask inspection. The method comprises: during a runtime scan of a mask of a semiconductor specimen, processing a plurality of aerial images of the mask acquired by the mask inspection system to calculate a statistic-based Edge Positioning Displacement (EPD) of a potential defect, wherein the statistic-based EPD is calculated using a Print Threshold (PT) characterizing the mask and is applied to each of the one or more acquired aerial images to calculate respective EPD of the potential defect therein; and filtering the potential defect as a 'runtime true' defect when the calculated statistic-based EPD exceeds a predefined EPD threshold, and filtering out the potential defect as a 'false' defect when the calculated statistic-based EPD is lower than the predefined EPD threshold. The method can further comprise after-runtime EPD-based filtering of the plurality of &#x201c;runtime true&#x201d; defects.

According to an embodiment of the invention there may be provided a system for assigning lithographic mask inspection process parameters. The system may include a search module, a decision module and a memory module. The memory module may be configured to store an expected image expected to be formed on a photoresist during a lithographic process that involves illuminating the lithographic mask. The search module may be configured to search in the expected image for printable features. The decision module may be configured to assign a first lithographic mask inspection process parameter to lithographic mask areas related to printable features and assign a second lithographic mask inspection process parameter to at least some lithographic mask areas that are not associated with printable features. The second lithographic mask inspection process parameter may differ from the first lithographic mask inspection process parameter.

System and method for printability based inspection

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Ramat Gan, Israel

Ori Petel