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:
Jul. 24, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 16, 2009
Shuichi Tamamushi, Kanagawa, JP;
Shuichi Tamamushi, Kanagawa, JP;
NuFlare Technology, Inc., Numazu-shi, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides a mask inspection apparatus and method capable of eliminating distortion of each optical image, which is caused by distortions of mirrors and flexure of a mask, and performing a mask inspection with satisfactory accuracy. A stage with the mask held thereon is moved in X and Y directions and an optical image of each pattern written onto the mask is acquired while using the results of measurement by laser interferometers (Step S). A positional displacement of the acquired optical image is corrected using polynomial equations in which pre-measured amounts of positional displacement of optical images have been fitted (Step S). Each positional displacement that remains after the polynomial correction is corrected using a map descriptive of pre-measured amounts of positional displacements (S). Each optical image subsequent to the map correction and a reference image are compared (Step S).