Patent Grant
7773213
The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-110550 filed Apr. 21, 2008, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to optical exterior inspection apparatuses and methods, which inspect the existence or nonexistence of foreign matter attached to or defects on masks having fine structures, in particular onto reticles used for photographing patterns of semiconductor integrated circuits.
Due to recent advancement in highly-integrated semiconductor elements, reticles serving as circuit patterns of semiconductor elements have been progressing in terms of fine structure. Accordingly, optical inspection apparatuses, which inspect the existence or nonexistence of foreign matter or structural defects on reticles, should progress in terms of high resolution.
Generally, the resolution of an optical inspection apparatus is inversely proportional to the wavelength of a light source producing an inspection beam and is proportional to the numerical aperture (NA) of an objective lens positioned proximate to an inspected object; hence, the conventionally-known technology achieves high-resolution inspection by reducing the wavelength of a light source or by increasing the numerical aperture. Various technologies have been developed and disclosed in various documents such as Patent Document 1.
Patent Document 1 teaches an exterior inspection apparatus for a high-resolution pattern, in which ultraviolet light having a relatively short wavelength of 363.8 nm is used to achieve high-resolution inspection and to improve defective inspection precision.
Compared to reducing the wavelength of light as taught in Patent Document 1, it is easy to increase the numerical aperture of an objective lens in high-resolution inspection; however, a high numerical aperture reduces focal depth. For example, when the numerical aperture becomes higher than 0.8, the focal depth must be greatly reduced and thereby fall within the range of 0.1 μm to 0.3 μm, whereby it becomes difficult to control a focal point. Even when using an inspection apparatus having an objective lens of a high numerical aperture, it is very difficult to precisely detect foreign matter or defects on a reticle due to errors occurring in controlling the focal point.
The invention seeks to solve the above problem, or to improve upon the problem at least in part.
In one embodiment, there is provided an optical exterior inspection apparatus that includes an inspection beam irradiation unit for irradiating an inspection beam toward an inspected object (e.g., a reticle), a positioning unit for establishing the prescribed positioning of the inspected object relative to the inspection beam, a light reception unit for receiving at least one of a reflected inspection beam reflected by the inspected object and a transmitted inspection beam transmitted through the inspected object, an image processor for performing image processing based on at least one of the reflected inspection beam and the transmitted inspection beam, and a liquid immersion unit for storing the inspected object therein, which is filled with a liquid so as to refract the inspection beam irradiated toward the inspected object.
In another embodiment, there is provided an optical exterior inspection method in which an inspection beam is irradiated toward an inspected object which is stored in a liquid, so that image processing is performed based on at least one of a reflected inspection beam reflected by the inspected object and a transmitted inspection beam transmitted through the inspected object, thus inspecting the exterior of the inspected object.
The present invention demonstrates the following effects.
The above features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention will be now described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many alternative embodiments can be accomplished using the teachings of the present invention and that the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated for explanatory purposes.
The inspection beam irradiation unit a1 irradiates an inspection beam to a reticle 9 (i.e., an inspected object), wherein it includes a laser oscillator 1, a scan optics 3, a propagation optics 5, and an objective lens 7.
The laser oscillator 1 serves as a light source of a laser beam 2, which adopts a far ultraviolet ray of a 266 nm-wavelength in order to improve a resolution.
The scan optics 3 scans the laser beam 2 irradiated by the laser oscillator 1, wherein it uses an acoustic-optical device (AOD), a galvano-mirror, a polygon mirror, or the like.
The propagation optics 5 propagates a scan beam (or an inspection beam) 4 scanned by the scan optics 3. The present embodiment adopts a synthetic-quarts lens, which is optimal for transmitting far ultraviolet light therethrough, as the propagation optics 5.
The objective lens 7 achieves convergence on a small spot which is smaller than the scan beam 4 propagating through the propagation optics 5. The present embodiment adopts the objective lens 7 of NA=0.8. In this connection, it is preferable to use an objective lens whose NA is 0.8 or more in order to achieve sufficient convergence of the scan beam 4.
The positioning unit a2 composed of a stage 8 establishes a prescribed positioning of the reticle 9 relative to the scan beam 4 irradiated by the inspection beam irradiation unit a1. The stage 8 moves the reticle 9 relative to the objective lens 7 so that a laser beam will be irradiated at a prescribed portion of the reticle 9.
The light reception unit a3 includes a half-mirror 6, a collector lens 10, a first photoelectric transducer 11, and a second photoelectric transducer 13.
The half-mirror 6 is positioned between the propagation optics 5 and the objective lens 7 so as to extract a reflected scan beam 4b, which is reflected by the reticle 9, from the scan beam 4 irradiated by the inspection beam irradiation unit a1. It is possible to substitute a polarized beam splitter for the half-mirror 6. Herein, it is preferable to modify the constitution in such a way that a linear polarized beam is controlled using a wavelength plate in polarization, thus improving a beam splitting efficiency.
A transmitted scan beam 4a transmitted through the reticle 9 converges at the collector lens 10, which adopts a high numerical aperture.
The first photoelectric transducer 11 detects an optical intensity of the transmitted scan beam 4a so as to produce an electric signal 11S, while the second photoelectric transducer 13 detects an optical intensity of the reflected scan beam 4b so as to produce an electric signal 13S. The electric signals 11S and 13S are supplied to the image inspection unit a4. It is preferable for the photoelectric transducers 11 and 13 to operate with high response and capability of detecting subtle light, wherein it is possible to use photo-diodes, for example.
The reticle inspection apparatus A is equipped with an optical scanner 20 including the inspection beam irradiation unit a1, the positioning unit a2, and the light reception unit a3.
The image inspection unit a4 includes an image processor 14, which performs image processing using the electric signals 11S and 13S so as to perform a comparison based on circuit pattern data 15S, a database 15 storing the circuit pattern data 15S, and a user interface 16 which is used to display an inspection result and to perform various operations.
The liquid immersion unit a5 includes an immersion cassette 100 serving as a storage space 100S for storing the reticle 9 and containing pure water W therein. That is, the reticle 9 immersed in the pure water W is fixed inside the immersion cassette 100.
The immersion cassette 100 has a window 101 for transmitting the scan beam 4 therethrough. The window 101 introduces the scan beam 4 irradiated by the inspection beam irradiation unit a1 into the storage space 100S of the immersion cassette 100.
The immersion cassette 100 is arranged independently of the inspection beam irradiation unit a1 and the positioning unit a2 and is detachably attached to the stage 8. As shown in
Next, the operation of the reticle inspection apparatus A having the above constitution will be described with reference to
First, the outline operation of the reticle inspection apparatus A will be described below.
In
Thereafter, the transmitted scan beam 4a further transmitted through the reticle 9 converges on the collector lens 10 and is then incident on the first photoelectric transducer 11. Based on the optical intensity of the transmitted scan beam 4a, the first photoelectric transducer 11 produces and outputs the electric signal 11S to the image processor 14. The reflected scan beam 4b is split by the half-mirror 6 and is then supplied to the second photoelectric transducer 13, which in turn produces and outputs the electric signal 13S to the image processor 14.
The image processor 14 performs image processing based on the electric signals 11S and 13S so as to produce an inspected image. Then, the image processor 14 compares the inspected image representing the circuit pattern of the reticle 9 with the circuit pattern data 15S given by the database 15 so as to detect defects by way of Die-DB inspection. Instead of Die-DB inspection, it is possible to perform Die-Die inspection for comparing real images.
Next, the characteristics of the reticle inspection apparatus A will be described with reference to
In the foregoing reticle inspection apparatus B shown in
Generally, the relationship between the numerical aperture (NA) of an objective lens and a refraction factor n is given by relational expression (1).
NA=n×sin θ (1)
In the relational expression (1), θ designates an angle between incidence light (corresponding to the scan beam 4) and an optical axis P. The relationship between a resolution ε and a wavelength λ of an inspection beam as well as the numerical aperture (NA) of an objective lens is given by relational expression (2).
ε=k×λ/NA (2)
In the relational expression (2), k designates a constant dependent upon optics.
The relational expression (1) indicates that NA increases by the factor n as the refraction factor n of a medium becomes higher than n=1 when the angle θ is constant. The relational expression (2) indicates that the resolution ε becomes smaller as NA becomes higher when the wavelength λ is constant, wherein the resolution ε decreases by the factor 1/n.
As described above, it is possible to increase the focal depth while increasing the resolution by use of the liquid immersion.
In the reticle inspection apparatus A shown in
Since the reticle inspection apparatus A is designed to incorporate only the reticle 9 into the immersion cassette 100, which is detachably attached thereto, it is unnecessary to arrange a new immersion-specified device; hence, the existing system can be easily modified to cope with liquid immersion by introducing a simple optics for correcting an optical aberration occurring due to liquid immersion in the immersion cassette 100.
Since the reticle inspection apparatus A allows the immersion cassette 100 to be detached therefrom and subjected to maintenance, it is possible to improve operability and maintainability.
Due to the scanning method, no flow occurs in the pure water W even when the stage 8 normally moves for the purpose of photographing the reticle 9; hence, it is possible to avoid variations of the refraction factor, variations of optics, degradation of the resolution, and unwanted deviations of the image quality.
Since the objective lens 7 is not brought into direct contact with the pure water W, it is possible to avoid the contamination of the objective lens 7.
The present embodiment shows an illustrative example in terms of procedures, shapes of parts, and combinations of parts; hence, it can be modified in various ways based on design requirements or the like.
The reticle inspection apparatus A1 is equipped with a liquid-filler 200 filled with a liquid medium, which is positioned to contain the objective lens 7 in proximity to the window 101 of the immersion cassette 100. That is, two liquid media are arranged in connection with the window 101; hence, it is possible to avoid contamination of the objective lens 7 and to set different refraction factors with respect to two liquid media. This yields a certain degree of freedom in designing the objective lens 7. It is noticed that the total optics of the reticle inspection apparatus A1 including the objective lens 7 should be designed to cope with liquid immersion.
The present invention is not necessarily limited to reticle inspection apparatuses for inspecting the existence and nonexistence of foreign matter and structural defects on reticles. The present invention is applicable to other types of optical inspection apparatuses for inspecting MEMS parts and electronic devices with fine structures.
The liquid immersion unit a5 is not necessarily designed to use the pure water W but can be redesigned to use other liquid media.
In the present embodiment, the stage 8 normally moves to scan the reticle 9; but this is not a restriction. That is, the stage 8 can be driven in units of steps.
The light reception unit a3 is not necessarily equipped with both of the first photoelectric transducer 11 and the second photoelectric transducer 13. For the purpose of only inspecting structural defects, it is sufficient to produce an inspected image of the reticle 9 based on the reflected scan beam 4b. For the purpose of only inspecting foreign matter attached to the reticle 9, it is sufficient to produce an inspected image of the reticle 9 based on the transmitted scan beam 4a.
Lastly, it is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and variations, but may be further modified and changed without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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