The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 18, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 11, 2007
Mark J. Wihl, Tracy, CA (US);
Yalin Xiong, Union City, CA (US);
Lih-huah Yiin, Mountain View, CA (US);
Mark J. Wihl, Tracy, CA (US);
Yalin Xiong, Union City, CA (US);
Lih-Huah Yiin, Mountain View, CA (US);
KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for identifying lithographically significant defects. A photomask is illuminated to produce images that experience different parameters of the reticle as imaged by an inspection tool. Example parameters include a transmission intensity image and a reflection intensity image. The images are processed together to recover a band limited mask pattern associated with the photomask. A model of an exposure lithography system for chip fabrication is adapted to accommodate the band limited mask pattern as an input which is input into the model to obtain an aerial image of the mask pattern that is processed with a photoresist model yielding a resist-modeled image. The resist-modeled image is used to determine if the photomask has lithographically significant defects.