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. 03, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 16, 2010
Kaoru Sakai, Yokohama, JP;
Shunji Maeda, Yokohama, JP;
Takafumi Okabe, Yokohama, JP;
Hiroshi Goto, Ushiku, JP;
Masayuki Kuwabara, Machida, JP;
Naoya Takeuchi, Tokyo, JP;
Kaoru Sakai, Yokohama, JP;
Shunji Maeda, Yokohama, JP;
Takafumi Okabe, Yokohama, JP;
Hiroshi Goto, Ushiku, JP;
Masayuki Kuwabara, Machida, JP;
Naoya Takeuchi, Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A pattern inspection method including: sequentially imaging plural chip formed on a substrate; selecting at least one of pattern sections of each inspection image obtained by the imaging, while discarding other pattern sections, based on a recipe created in advance, the recipe including information for determining which pattern sections to be selected or discarded; calculating position gap between an inspection image of a chip obtained by the imaging and a reference image stored in a memory by using positional information of pattern images included in the inspection image and reference pattern images which are both corresponding to the at least one of pattern sections selected at the selecting; aligning the inspection image and the reference image by using information of the calculated position gap; and comparing the aligned inspection image with the reference image, and extracting a difference between the two images as a defect candidate.