JPH0382135A - Inspection of pattern and device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To compare data on a pattern to be inspected with reference data and to detect a defect by a method wherein with the reference data generated on the basis of main lithographic data, the pattern to be inspected is inspected to generated the data on the pattern to be inspected and a correction for making either of both data of the data on the pattern to be inspected and the reference data correspond to the position of the other data be array qualifying data is added. CONSTITUTION:Data on a pattern to be inspected in a sensor data buffer 23 is made to pass through a data correcting circuit 51 and is sent to a comparison data array buffer 41. The circuit 51 is given array qualifying data from a magnetic disc device 31 by a CPU 32 and makes the data on a pattern to be inspected shift on X and Y-coordinates so that the data is moved from patterns P1 to P5 to the positions of patterns p1 to p5. The corrected data on a pattern to be inspected is synchronized with reference data, is read out by the buffer 41 and a signal representing agreement or disagreement of the data with the reference data is sent to a defect judging circuit 42. Here, a defect is detected from the degree of the agreement or disagreement. The coordiantes of the detected defect are stored in a defect information memory 43.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for inspecting a pattern drawn with an energy beam such as an electron beam or a laser beam.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as a method for inspecting defects accompanying the drawing of a pattern as described above, a pattern to be inspected is read with an imaging device.
), generates a binary or multi-valued signal for each pixel from the existence ratio of the pattern in each pixel divided minutely in each of the X and Y force directions, that is, the pattern data to be inspected, and also draws the pattern to be inspected. Using the drawing data used to generate reference data corresponding to the pattern data to be inspected, compare this reference data with the pattern data to be inspected, and if both are within a predetermined matching range, the defect is identified. There is a known method to determine that there is no such thing.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, when there is a matching relationship between the drawing data and the pattern to be inspected drawn using the drawing data, the above-mentioned inspection method can be applied. Circular pattern data plus chip data and this pattern Pi
So-called drawing data (hereinafter referred to as main drawing data) is formed using array data for arranging the drawing material 10 as shown by dotted lines pl-p5 in FIG. The patterns p1 to p5 shown in are drawn, and array modification data is added to this,
Using this arrangement modification data, we can move the energy beam and the material to be drawn relative to each other.
- There is a case where drawing is performed as shown in ps. This drawing method provides array modification data separately from raw drawing data, which is the pattern data for drawing, and is not limited by the address size of pattern data. The pattern Pl~
Although this method has the advantage of being able to perform a pattern arrangement as shown in P5, since the drawing data of this method only generates pattern data corresponding to patterns pi to p5 shown by dotted lines, the pattern shown by solid lines is PI-psi
It cannot be used directly as reference data for inspection.The present invention provides a method and device for more easily inspecting patterns drawn using array modification data as described above. 0 [Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) A pattern inspection method according to the present invention, which is a distant relative of the above-mentioned object, includes chip data representing a predetermined pattern and chip data representing an arrangement of the pattern. The pattern is repeatedly drawn on the material to be drawn using an energy beam based on main drawing data consisting of array data, and at the same time, the arrangement based on the array data is modified by moving the energy beam and the material to be drawn relatively using array modification data. This method generates reference data based on main drawing data, inspects the pattern to be inspected to generate the pattern data to be inspected, and processes either one of the two data using array modification data. After making corrections to correspond to the position of the other data, both data are compared to detect defects.

Among them, standard data based on sequence modification data′! ! Alternatively, the pattern data to be inspected may be modified during the generation process of these data.

In addition, when modifying the reference data, the chip size of the chip data in the main drawing data is expanded in relation to the amount of modification of the array position by the array modification data, and the pattern is arranged within this expanded chip size. It is preferable that the amount of increase in the chip size be made to correspond to the maximum value of the array modification data, although there is no need for movement when the modification data is used.

Further, in the present invention, drawing is performed using a raster scan method,
Furthermore, the pattern inspection apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is suitable when the array modification data is related to the scan direction. The pattern is repeatedly drawn on the material to be drawn using the energy beam based on the main drawing data consisting of the data, and at the same time, the energy beam and the material to be drawn are moved relatively using the array modification data to modify the arrangement to be based on the array data. This apparatus includes a means for generating reference data based on main drawing data, a means for inspecting a pattern to be inspected and generating data for the pattern to be inspected, and a reference. The reference data ti is provided with means for modifying one of the pattern data to be inspected using array modification data so as to correspond to the position of the other data.

Among them, the correction means using the array modification data may be provided in the reference data generation means or the inspected pattern data generation means.

(Operation) When drawing is performed using the array modification data as described above, what is obtained from the drawing data as described above is the reference data corresponding to the pattern pi-p5 shown by the dotted line in FIG. The drawn pattern, that is, the pattern to be inspected is the pattern pt-ps shown by the solid line in FIG. There is a positional shift.Basically, the present invention is based on the dotted line pattern pl.
The main drawing data representing -95 is used to generate reference data for inspection. Then, the reference data or the pattern to be inspected Pi-ps'fr: the pattern to be inspected data obtained by inspection is corrected by array modification data to erase the positional deviations ΔX1 to ΔX5, and both data are compared. The above pattern can be inspected using simple data processing.

button, when modifying the reference data side, the chip data is the minimum chip size CX, Cy that includes the pattern Pi to be drawn, as shown in Fig. 2, and the array modification data is used to keep the data amount small. There may be cases where there is no area on the chip size to move the pattern P due to the modification. If this is not possible, it is necessary to enlarge the chip size and then move the pattern P.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIG. 1, 2+ is a pattern imaging unit to be inspected, and a pattern P on the drawing target material 10 shown in FIG.
1~p5i, Xh machining Y laser length measurement system 12.13
The image is taken in relation to the position of the stage 11 measured by the method, and the detection is performed in correspondence with the XY coordinates. The electrical signal generated by the inspection pattern imaging unit 21 is amplified by the sensor circuit 22 and A/D converted, and is converted into binary or multivalued data for each pixel finely divided according to the XY coordinates. The sensor data is now stored in the sensor data buffer 23, and this becomes the pattern data to be inspected.

On the other hand, the chip data, array data, and array modification data used when drawing the pattern to be inspected PI-Ps are stored in the magnetic disk device 31 as a recording device and pressed, and among these, the chip data, which is the main drawing data, and the chip data, which is the main drawing data, are The array data is transferred to a design pattern generation circuit 33 under the control of a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 32, where it is converted into, for example, a pit pattern and input to a reference data generation circuit 34. At the same time, the pattern to be inspected P1~
Ps=i When imaging
The position information detected in step 2.13 is input to the reference data generation circuit 34 via the position circuit 35. This reference data generation circuit 34 creates reference data corresponding to the pattern data to be inspected based on the pattern information from the design pattern generation circuit 33 and the position information from the position circuit 35, and stores it in the reference data buffer 36. do. The reference data stored in the reference data buffer 36 corresponds to the form of the pattern pl-p5k pattern data to be inspected, which is indicated by the dotted line in FIG.

Next, the test pattern data in the sensor data buffer 23 and the reference data in the reference data buffer 36 are compared using the comparison data array BUBFA 4I, but both data match the pattern pl-ps shown by the solid line in FIG. The positions are shifted as shown by patterns p1 to p5 indicated by dotted lines. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pattern data to be inspected in the sensor data buffer 23 is sent to the comparison data array buffer 41 through the data correction circuit 51. The data correction circuit 51 receives array modification data from the magnetic disk drive 31 by the CPU 32, and uses this array modification data to change the pattern data to be inspected from patterns P1 to P5 shown by solid lines in FIG. 3 to patterns p1 to p5 shown by dotted lines. ○The inspected pattern data corrected in this way and the reference data are read out to the comparison data array buffer 41 in synchronization, and the matching -
Alternatively, the mismatch signal is sent to the defect determination circuit 42, where a defect is detected based on the degree of match or mismatch. The coordinates of the defects detected here are recorded in the defect information memory 43, and can be retrieved by C)'U 32 as needed.

Although the above-mentioned embodiment describes an example in which the pattern data stored in the sensor data buffer 23 and formed as the pattern data to be inspected is modified by the array modification data, the present invention is not limited to this. When imaging by the inspection pattern imaging unit 21 or sensor data buffer 2
Modifications may be made using array modification data during the process of generating the pattern data to be inspected, such as when storing it in the data storage area 3. Furthermore,
After making the same correction as mentioned above on the reference data side, as shown in , the chip size of the chip data CX+C)'f
By setting the minimum size that includes pattern P,
Minimize the amount of data.

For this reason, even if reference data is generated from main drawing data having such chip data, it cannot be modified using array modification data. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to enlarge the chip size Cx by CΔX as shown in FIG. 4 to provide an area for moving the pattern P. The amount of expansion of this chip size is the maximum value of the amount of movement of pattern P based on the array modification data, that is, ΔX3 in the case of patterns pl and ps in FIG.
For each modification of P5, there are 3 total △x3, among which Δxi
It is preferable to move the pattern P corresponding to ~ΔX5. 1. If the pattern P is also moved in the negative X direction in Fig. 3, the chip size is increased by twice the maximum positive or negative movement amount ΔX rrIaX, as shown in Fig. 5. At the same time as enlarging, the pattern Pi is moved to the center of the enlarged chip size, and processed so that this center position corresponds to the dotted line patterns p1 to p5 in FIG. Preferably, a correction is made.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a pattern drawn using array modification data can be inspected using reference data created from the data used for drawing, and moreover, this is possible with relatively simple data processing. The following effect can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern represented by chip data, and FIG. 3 is a partial plane showing an example of a pattern to be inspected and a stage on which it is attached. 4 and 5 are diagrams showing examples of increasing the chip size when modifying the reference data side. P...Pattern on chibubu data, p1-p5...Pattern on main drawing data, P1-P
5... Pattern to be inspected (pattern actually drawn), 10... Material to be drawn, 11... Stage, 2...
...X laser length measurement system, 13...Y laser length measurement system, 2+, 22.23...Test pattern data generation means, 31-36...Reference data generation means, 41.42.
...Comparison means, 31.32.51...Correction means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The pattern is repeatedly drawn on the material to be drawn using an energy beam using main drawing data consisting of chip data representing a predetermined pattern and array data representing the arrangement of the pattern, and at the same time, array modification data is written. A method for inspecting a pattern drawn by relatively moving an energy beam and a material to be drawn by modifying the arrangement based on the array data, the method includes generating reference data based on the main drawing data, and The pattern is inspected to generate inspected pattern data, one of the two pieces of data is modified to correspond to the position of the other data using the array modification data, and then both pieces of data are compared to identify defects. A pattern inspection method characterized by detecting. 2. The pattern inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the reference data or the pattern data to be inspected is modified by the array modification data during the generation process of the data. 3. The chip size of the chip data in the main drawing data is expanded in relation to the amount of modification of the array position by the array modification data, and the pattern is moved within this expanded chip size using the array modification data to perform array modification. 3. The pattern inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying the reference data using the data. 4. The pattern inspection method according to claim 3, wherein the amount of increase in chip size corresponds to the maximum value of the array modification data. 5. The pattern inspection method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the drawing is performed using a raster scan method, and the array modification data relates to the scan direction. 6. Repeatedly draw the pattern on the material to be drawn using an energy beam using main drawing data consisting of chip data representing a predetermined pattern and array data representing the arrangement of the pattern; An apparatus for inspecting a pattern drawn by relatively moving a material and modifying the arrangement based on the arrangement data, comprising means for generating reference data based on the main drawing data, and means for inspecting the pattern to be inspected. Between either one of the means for generating inspection pattern data and the means for comparing reference data and pattern data to be inspected, one of the reference data or the pattern data to be inspected is placed in the position of the other data by the array modification data. A pattern inspection device characterized in that a means for correcting the pattern is provided. 7. The pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the correction means using the array modification data is provided in the reference data generation means or the inspected pattern data generation means.