Fujitsu Corporation

Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd.

Japan Nus Co., Ltd.

Futjitsu Limited

Satoshi Akutagawa

Yasufumi Ishihara

Masahiro Yumoto

Kiyotaka Mochizuki

Kazuhiko Takahashi

Katsuji Tabara

Yoshimasa Iiduka

Kazuaki Koike

Koujiro Suzuki

An image of an inspection object pattern formed on a photomask is acquired, which is to be transformed into inspection object pattern data as input data of light intensity distribution simulation for finding light intensity distribution in which optical conditions of an exposure system used in pattern transfer are reflected. The light intensity distribution simulation is performed using the inspection object pattern data, and a difference between light intensity distribution of the inspection object pattern obtained by the light intensity distribution simulation and reference light intensity distribution is found. Inverse light intensity distribution simulation having reversibility to the light intensity distribution simulation is performed using the difference, to obtain difference pattern data determining a defect in the inspection object pattern. Consequently, the presence/absence of the defect in the inspection object pattern can be determined highly accurately and defect location in the inspection object pattern can be identified easily and certainly.

Pattern inspection method, pattern inspection system and pattern inspection program of photomask

From the region near the target pattern, patterns whose barycenter positions are not changed even if deformation is generated due to proximity effect or coarse-and-fine difference at the time of pattern forming are selected as alignment patterns, and the barycenter positions thereof are set as alignment reference coordinates. Rough alignment is carried out based on the reference position provided in a region other than the device forming region, thereby detecting the alignment pattern in the device forming region. Positioning is carried out such that the alignment reference coordinates of the alignment patterns and the center coordinates of the target pattern coincide with each other, and the target pattern is detected.

Method of and device for detecting pattern, method of and device for checking pattern, method of and device for correcting and processing pattern, and computer product

In the method for inspecting plate patterns which are formed by exposure and development by use of exposure data patterns having a plurality of patterns, the method executes a fine pattern removal processing step, to a plurality of patterns included in the exposure data patterns, including a logical sum processing for changing a plurality of overlaid patterns into a sole pattern; a minus-sizing processing for fining a side of the patterns in a first width; and a plus-sizing processing for thickening the side of the patterns in the first width, thereby forming a reference data pattern. This fine pattern removal processing can remove the fine patterns acting as a cause of pseudo defect included in the exposure data patterns. In the following pattern inspection process, the plate pattern is compared with the reference data pattern, and the disagreement between both the patterns is detected as defective pattern. As the fine patterns acting as a cause of the pseudo defects are removed from the exposure data patterns, in the pattern inspection process, the disagreement between the plate patterns and the reference data patterns is limited to the intrinsic defective patterns, and it is possible to decrease fairly the number of steps of the pattern inspection process.

Plate pattern forming method and its inspecting method

A graphic processing system for accomplishing high-speed processing of data conversion processing by effectively utilizing file information of input graphic data to improve processing efficiency of data processing inside blocks, and by optimizing block division. This system includes a processing portion for dividing input graphic data in a block unit and executing conversion processing of the graphic data to mask production data, and a storage portion having an optimization condition file for storing the input data information, optimization information of the graphic data to be divided by the processing portion, processing result information, etc, capable of updating and registering the optimization information, and comprises the steps of executing graphic processing by utilizing file data when graphic data existing inside the block is approximate to the graphic data information registered to the optimization condition file; scanning the graphic data inside the block so as to judge whether or not the quantity of the graphic data inside the block exceeds a memory capacity in the processing portion for executing the conversion processing, and to judge the density and the property of the graphic data when the graphic data is not approximate to the graphic data information; and dividing the graphic data into optimum blocks so that the data quantity becomes the quantity that can be processed by the processing portion; and storing the divided information, the input graphic data information and the processing result information.

Parallel graphic processing system using a network

In a program storing unit (14), a dedicated processing program relating to at least one type of specific graphic data in the plurality of types of graphic data and a general purpose processing program which can deal with all of the plurality of types of graphic data are stored. A counting unit (16) counts the number of the specific graphic data included in the graphic data stored in the graphic storing unit. A processing unit (18) compares the counted number of the specific graphic data counted by the counting unit with a predetermined reference value. When the counted value is larger than or equal to the reference value, all of the graphic data are processed by the dedicated processing program, and the graphic data, which cannot be dealt with by the dedicated processing program, are processed by the general purpose processing program. When the count value is less than the reference value, all of the graphic data are processed by the general purpose processing program. Thus, the graphic processing time can be reduced.

Graphic processing apparatus

A method and an apparatus for checking a mask pattern including a plurality of mask pattern regions formed based on different design pattern rules. The method includes the steps of: defining each of the mask pattern regions as a check object region; setting a defect detection reference corresponding to a respective design pattern rule of the mask pattern regions for each of the check object regions; and detecting presence or absence of defects in the mask pattern based on the respective defect detection reference for each of the check object regions. By these steps, it is possible to realize reduction in check time of the mask pattern and improvement in throughput of the checking apparatus, without necessitating discrimination processing of pseudo defects in the mask pattern.

Method and apparatus for checking a mask pattern

A process for forming dicing lines on a wafer which comprises: exposing a wafer region in which a dicing line pattern has not been formed to light irradiated through and patterned by a reticle for forming dicing lines; the reticle having a nonpatterned region of the same size as a device pattern region of a reticle for forming a device pattern on the wafer and a dicing zone which is in contact with the periphery of the nonpatterned region.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Satoshi Akutagawa