CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims benefit of priority under 35USC §119 to Japanese patent application No. 2005-083967, filed on Mar. 23, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate inspection method, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device and a substrate inspection apparatus, and is directed to, for example, an inspection of a substrate using a charged particle beam.
2. Related Background Art
Various techniques have been proposed wherein a rectangular electron beam is formed by an electron gun to illuminate a substrate with the electron beam as a primary beam, and a secondary electron, a reflected electron and a back scattering electron which have been generated in accordance with variation in the shape, material and potential of the surface of the substrate are projected as a secondary beam in an expanded form to an electron detection unit by a map/projection optical system, such that an image of the surface of a sample is obtained and thus applied to a defect inspection of a semiconductor pattern (e.g., Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 7-249393 and Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 11-132975).
According to methods disclosed in these patent documents, the secondary beams comprising the secondary electron, the reflected electron and the back scattering electron which have been generated in accordance with the changes in the shape, material and potential of the substrate surface are imaged via the map/projection optical system, and the contrast of a signal of this image allows the sample surface image to be formed. In such an image forming mechanism, the rate of a material of an inspection target to contribute to the contrast (material contrast) of an obtained image is extremely high since efficiency of the secondary beam generation depends on the material of the inspection target. Further, because the secondary beam generated from an edge portion such as minute concave and convex shapes on the substrate surface does not contribute to the imaging, there has been a problem that it is difficult to obtain an image contrast, and that the amount of information is small regarding the concave and convex shapes. Moreover, the track of the generated secondary beam is deflected by an electric field formed immediately on the substrate surface due to, for example, charge-up, and thus the contrast (potential contrast) of the inspection target due to a surface potential is not imaged on the detector, leading to a decreased contrast. There has also been a problem that if, for example, the back scattering electron is used to reduce such influence of an electromagnetic field immediately on the surface, the influence of the electromagnetic field immediately on the surface is indeed reduced, but along with this, inspection sensitivity regarding the electromagnetic field itself on the substrate surface is significantly lowered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate inspection method comprising:
generating a primary charged particle beam;
applying the generated primary charged particle beam to an inspection target of a substrate;
condensing a first secondary charged particle beam including at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles which have been generated from the substrate, or a first transmitted charged particle beam which has transmitted the inspection target, a phase difference being generated in the secondary charged particle beam or in the transmitted charged particle beam in accordance with a structure of the inspection target;
imaging the secondary charged particle beam or the transmitted charged particle beam;
detecting the imaged secondary charged particle beam or transmitted charged particle beam and outputting a signal of a secondary charged particle beam image or a transmitted charged particle beam image including information on the phase difference; and
detecting a defect in the inspection target by use of the information on the phase difference included in the secondary charged particle beam image or the transmitted charged particle beam image.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising a substrate inspection method, said substrate inspection method including:
generating a primary charged particle beam;
applying the generated primary charged particle beam to an inspection target of a substrate;
condensing a first secondary charged particle beam including at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles which have been generated from the substrate, or a first transmitted charged particle beam which has transmitted the inspection target, a phase difference being generated in the secondary charged particle beam or in the transmitted charged particle beam in accordance with a structure of the inspection target;
imaging the secondary charged particle beam or the transmitted charged particle beam;
detecting the imaged secondary charged particle beam or transmitted charged particle beam and outputting a signal of a secondary charged particle beam image or a transmitted charged particle beam image including information on the phase difference; and
detecting a defect in the inspection target by use of the information on the phase difference included in the secondary charged particle beam image or the transmitted charged particle beam image.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate inspection apparatus comprising:
a beam source which generates a primary charged particle beam;
an illumination unit which applies the generated primary charged particle beam to an inspection target;
a condensing unit which condenses a secondary charged particle beam including at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles which have been generated from the inspection target, or a transmitted charged particle beam which has transmitted the inspection target;
an imaging unit which images the secondary charged particle beam or the transmitted charged particle beam;
a charged particle detection unit which detects the imaged secondary charged particle beam or the imaged transmitted charged particle beam, and outputs a signal of a secondary charged particle beam image or a transmitted charged particle beam image including information on a phase difference generated in the secondary charged particle beam or in the transmitted charged particle beam in accordance with a structure of the inspection target; and
a signal processing unit which processes the signal of the secondary charged particle beam image or the transmitted charged particle beam image and outputs data on a defect in the inspection target on the basis of the information on the phase difference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing one example of an inspection target;
FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining one example of a defect inspection method according to a prior art as a comparative example of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another example of the inspection target;
FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining problems of the defect inspection method shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining effects of a substrate inspection method according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing still another example of the inspection target;
FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining problems when the defect inspection method shown in FIG. 3 is applied to the inspection target shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining effects when the substrate inspection method according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied to the inspection target shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one specific example of an illumination beam splitting unit and a map/projection beam superposing unit which are provided in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing one specific example of a beam separator provided in the substrate inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 12; and
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in reference to the drawings. A case will be taken up and explained below wherein an electron beam is used as a charged particle beam, but the present invention is not limited thereto and is applicable to, for example, an ion beam and to a charged particle beam other than electrons such as an ion beam group.
(1) First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A reflective electron beam inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an electron source 10, an electron beam splitting unit 20, an illumination unit 42, a light condensing unit 44, a beam superposing unit 50, a map/projection unit 60, an electron detector 80 and an image processing unit 100. The present embodiment is characterized in that a generated primary electron beam 310 is split into an inspection target illuminating electron beam 311 and a reference target illuminating electron beam 312 which are applied to an inspection target TI and a reference target TR, respectively, and secondary electron beams 315, 316 generated from the targets TI, TR are superposed and imaged, and then, from a signal of an obtained superposed signal, a defect is detected in such a manner as to focus attention on the coherency of the secondary electron beams attributed to surface structures of the inspection target TI and the reference target TR.
The inspection target TI is, for example, a device pattern provided on the surface of a semiconductor substrate S (see FIG. 2) in the present embodiment. The reference target TR is a member from which a reference image for defect inspection is obtained and in which the reference image is superposed on an inspection image. In the present embodiment, the reference target TR is a pattern portion identical with the inspection target TI and provided on the same inspection semiconductor substrate S together with the inspection target TI. When the inspection target is a periodic pattern, an identical periodic pattern adjacent thereto or in the vicinity thereof is used as the reference target. When the patterns for several periods are the inspection targets, periodic patterns adjacent thereto or in the vicinity thereof for the same periods as those of the inspection patterns are the reference targets. Even when the inspection target is a random pattern, an identical pattern portion of a die (chip) adjacent thereto or in the vicinity thereof is the reference target. In addition, when there exists a mirror surface part where no pattern exists on the same wafer, that part can be the reference target. In the present embodiment, the mirror surface part which can be the reference target means a part in which a level difference between a convexity and a concavity on its surface is sized to an electron-optically sufficiently negligible degree as compared with that between the convexity and concavity of the inspection target pattern. It is to be noted that the reference target is not limited to a surface area of an inspection substrate, and that as the reference target, an arbitrary member which is located in an arbitrary place ranging from the electron source 10 to the beam superposing unit 60 can be set as long as it provides the reference image for defect inspection.
The electron source 10 generates a primary electron beam to illuminate the inspection target TI and the reference target TR therewith. Since the primary electron beam generated in the present embodiment needs to have coherency of some kind to utilize the coherency of the secondary electron beam, the electron source 10 preferably has as small an electron emission surface as possible, ideally a point surface. Specific examples of the electron source include a cold field emission electron source having a single crystal or the like of W (tungsten), a thermal field emission electron source having a structure in which a substance such as zircon oxide (ZrO2) is applied on a W (tungsten) single-crystal chip, etc. In addition, a nano-chip having a minuscule emission surface such as a carbon nano-tube (CNT) as the electron emission surface is a promising electron source for its high coherency.
The electron beam splitting unit 20 splits the generated primary electron beam 310 into the inspection target illuminating electron beam 311 and the reference target illuminating electron beam 312. As a technique to split the primary electron beam, for example, a technique utilizing beam deflection by an electromagnetic field is available. More specific splitting methods include a sector magnetic field type splitting method using a magnetic field prism, a biprism method using an electrostatic field, a splitting method combining the magnetic field and electric field, etc.
The illumination unit 42 condenses the split electron beams 311 and 312 to apply the same to the inspection target TI and the reference target TR, respectively. Hereupon, if, for example, an illumination condition for a Koehler illumination system or the like is set by an electromagnetic field lens, the electron beams 311 and 312 can be applied as collimation beams to the inspection target TI and the reference target TR, respectively.
The application of the inspection target illuminating electron beam 311 causes a secondary electron, a reflected electron and a back scattering electron to be generated from the inspection target TI, and a secondary electron, a reflected electron and a back scattering electron are also generated from the reference target TR to which the reference target illuminating electron beam 312 is applied. The light condensing unit 44 condenses these electrons as the secondary electron beams 315, 316. The secondary electron beams 315, 316 correspond to, for example, first and second secondary charged particle beams, respectively.
The beam superposing unit 50 superposes these secondary electron beams 315, 316. The map/projection unit 60 projects the superposed secondary electron beams to image them on a detection surface (not shown) of the electron detector 80. The electron detector 80 detects this image and thus transfers an image signal to the image processing unit 100. The electron detector 80 corresponds to, for example, a charged particle detection unit. The image processing unit 100 corresponds to, for example, a signal processing unit, and processes the transferred image signal to provide inspection data on the inspection target.
Specific processing contents of the image signal by the image processing unit 100 will be explained together with the effects of defect inspection by the inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment referring to FIGS. 2 to 9.
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing one example of the inspection target TI. An inspection target TI2 shown in FIG. 2 includes a plurality of line patterns P2 periodically provided on the semiconductor substrate S and having tapered side surfaces. An abnormal defect DF2 formed of a material different from that of the line patterns P2 exists between the two patterns on the right side of the drawing out of the line patterns P2 shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining one example of a defect inspection method according to a prior art. Before explaining the defect inspection method according to the present embodiment, a method shown in FIG. 3 is explained as a comparative example.
A pattern portion identical with that of the inspection target TI is set as the reference target TR to obtain its reference image RM2, and an inspection image IM2 of the inspection target TI is further obtained. Then, the image processing unit 100 calculates a difference of gradations between the images RM2 and IM2 on a pixel-to-pixel basis, and creates a difference gradation histogram HG2. As shown in FIG. 3, the difference gradation histogram HG2 includes a noise component NC2 and a defect component DFC2. Here, if a threshold value Th is set on the difference gradation histogram HG2, a prominently frequent portion exceeding the threshold value in an area of gradation value is judged as the defect component DFC2 such that the existence of the defect DF2 can be detected.
As in the defect DF2 shown in FIG. 2, when a film thickness is relatively large or when it is formed of a material different from that of the substrate surface and the patterns, the defect can be relatively easily detected even by the conventional inspection method. However, for example, as in an inspection target TI4 shown in FIG. 4, when the film thickness of a defect DF4 (DF4a, DF4b) is very small or when it is formed of the same material as that of the underlying substrate surface, the strength of signals from the defects DF4a, DF4b is equal to the strength of a signal from the substrate surface underlying the pattern, and sufficient contrast can not be obtained in the defective portion as shown in an inspection image IM4 in FIG. 5. As a result, the frequency of a defect component DFC4 is lower in a difference gradation histogram HG4 created from the reference image RM2 and the inspection image IM4, and the defect detection is very difficult.
FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining a case where the defect inspection method achieved by the inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is applied to the inspection target TI4 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 6, according to the defect inspection of the present embodiment, a phase difference of the electron beams is generated in each image in accordance with the level difference of parts to which the electron beams are applied, and a coherent pattern emerges in a secondary electron image to be obtained. Especially, in an inspection image IM6, information on the fine concavity and convexity in the defects DF4a, DF4b is constructed as the coherent pattern. This is due to the fact that the coherency of the electrons corresponding to the surface shape of the inspection target TI4 and the reference target TR has become obvious, so that even when an electromagnetic field is formed immediately on the surface of the semiconductor substrate S due to, for example, charge-up, the information on the fine concavity and convexity emerges in each image.
If a difference gradation histogram HG6 is created from these images RM6, IM6, a strength component DFC6 can be obtained from the very thin defect DF4 formed of the same material as that of the surface of the underlying substrate S between the patterns P2 and having a small height, as shown on a right side of the drawing in FIG. 6. Thus, if the threshold value Th is set as in the conventional manner, the defect DF4 can be easily detected.
Next, the defect inspection will be described when the inspection target is a contact pattern or a via pattern (hereinafter simply referred to as “contact/via pattern”). FIG. 7 is a sectional view schematically showing an inspection target TI8 comprising a contact/via pattern P4 formed in an insulating film IS to connect to an underlying wiring line WR. In the inspection target TI8 shown in FIG. 7, a defect DF8 is generated which causes poor conduction to the underlying wiring line WR due to high resistance.
FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining problems when the defect inspection method shown in FIG. 3 is applied to the inspection target TI8 shown in FIG. 7, as a comparative example of a substrate inspection method of the present embodiment. As shown in an inspection image IM8 in the center of the drawing of FIG. 8, a potential contrast generated by a surface potential is low in an electron beam image, and it is thus impossible to obtain sufficient contrast for the defect DF8. As a result, the frequency of a defect component DFC8 is low in a difference gradation histogram HG8 as shown on the right side of the drawing of FIG. 8, and the defect detection has heretofore been difficult.
FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining a case where the defect inspection method achieved by the inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is applied to the inspection target TI8 shown in FIG. 7. On the surface of the defect DF8, the electric field is subtly changed due to irradiation of the primary electron beam and the phase difference of the electron beams is produced due to this change. Therefore, according to the substrate inspection of the present embodiment, the coherent pattern in the defect DF8 is changed and becomes obvious in the image in such a manner as to be apparently different from the coherent patterns in other normal parts, as shown in an inspection image IM10 in the center of FIG. 9. The use of such a difference in the coherent patterns makes it possible to easily detect a defect component DFC10 on a difference gradation histogram HG10, as shown on the right side of the drawing of FIG. 9.
Here, a specific configuration example of the electron beam splitting unit 20 and the beam superposing unit 50 provided in the substrate inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram including the electron beam splitting unit 20 and the beam superposing unit 50 using an electrostatic biprism. It is to be noted that the map/projection unit 60 is omitted in FIG. 10 for simplification of explanation.
The electron beam splitting unit 20 includes a line electrode 22 connected to a power source 26, and parallel plane-type electrodes 24a, 24b oppositely arranged to sandwich the line electrode 22. As shown in FIG. 10, while the parallel plane electrodes 24a, 24b are grounded, a negative voltage is applied to the line electrode 22 from the power source 26, such that the primary electron beam 310 can be split into two directions by electrostatic fields generated between the line electrode 22 and the parallel plane electrode 24a and between the line electrode 22 and the parallel plane electrode 24b, respectively. In the same manner, the beam superposing unit 50 is also constructed using the electrostatic biprism, and includes a line electrode 52 connected to a power source 56, and parallel plane electrodes 54a, 54b oppositely arranged to sandwich the line electrode 52. While the parallel plane electrodes 54a, 54b are grounded, a positive voltage is applied to the line electrode 52 from the power source 56, such that the secondary electron beams 315, 316 generated from the inspection target TI and the reference target TR, respectively, are superposed by electrostatic fields generated between the line electrode 52 and the parallel plane electrode 54a and between the line electrode 52 and the parallel plane electrode 54b, respectively.
As methods of splitting and superposing the beams, if a use is made of, in addition to the example shown in FIG. 10, a prism utilizing deflection by the magnetic field and deflection by an electromagnetic field deflecting field in which the magnetic field and electric field are mixed, similar effects can be expected.
(2) Second Embodiment
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A substrate inspection apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 11 comprises an electron beam expansion unit 30 and a collimation unit 46 instead of the electron beam splitting unit 20 and the illumination unit 42 provided in the substrate inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. The substrate inspection apparatus 3 does not split a primary electron beam 310 generated by an electron source 10 into an inspection target illuminating electron beam 311 and a reference target illuminating electron beam 312. The substrate inspection apparatus 3, however, forms an illumination beam 320 with a large illumination area, simultaneously illuminates both an inspection target and a reference target with the illumination beam 320 collimated in the collimation unit 46, maps/projects, in a map/projection unit 60, a secondary electron, a reflected electron and a back scattering electron generated from target parts as secondary electron beams 315, 316, and superposes them in a beam superposing unit 50 to image them on a detection surface (not shown) of an electron detector 80, thereby detecting a signal of an electron beam image including coherent patterns and processing it in an image processing unit 100. The inspection method of the present embodiment is suitable for the inspection of, for example, a memory pattern in which semiconductor patterns are periodically arranged, and allows the inspection of the inspection target every few periods. This is an approach called a cell to cell method in a defect inspection technique. Since the degree of integration is extremely high in a memory cell of a semiconductor pattern reaching a submicron level, it is enough for the inspection target of several periods to be illuminated in an area of several μm with the illumination beam. Therefore, a less burden is imposed on the electron beam expansion unit 30, and it is thus possible for the electron beam expansion unit 30 to also serve as the collimation unit 46.
(3) Third Embodiment
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. A substrate inspection apparatus 5 shown in FIG. 12 is characterized in that it comprises a beam separator 140 and an illumination/condensation unit 150 instead of the illumination unit 42 and the light condensing unit 44 provided in the substrate inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, and in that an inspection substrate is vertically illuminated by an inspection target illuminating electron beam 311 and a reference target illuminating electron beam 312 split from a primary electron beam 310 by an electron beam splitting unit 20. The substrate inspection apparatus 5 in other parts is substantially the same as the substrate inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. A secondary electron, a reflected electron and a back scattering electron generated from an inspection target TI and a reference target TR on the inspection substrate are condensed by the illumination/condensation unit 150 to become secondary electron beams 315, 316, which are deflected in the beam separator 140, and then superposed by a beam superposing unit 50 and projected by a map/projection unit 60, thus being imaged on a detection surface (not shown) of an electron detector 80.
One example of the beam separator 140 is shown in FIG. 13. The beam separator 140 shown in FIG. 13 comprises parallel plane electrodes 142a, 142b connected to power sources 144a, 144b, respectively, and oppositely arranged magnetic poles 146a, 146b connected to power sources 148a, 148b, respectively. The beam separator 140 orients an electric field excited by the parallel plane electrodes 142a, 142b and a magnetic field excited by the magnetic poles 146a, 146b perpendicular to each other (forms an E×B field) to deflect an incident illumination beam so that it vertically enters the inspection substrate. On the other hand, the beam separator 140 linearly moves, in the E×B field, the secondary electron, the reflected electron and the back scattering electron which have been generated from the inspection target TI and the reference target TR on the inspection substrate and which come in from a direction opposite to that of the illumination beam. Thus, the illumination beams 311, 312 and the secondary electron beams 315, 316 can be separated from each other. The illumination beams and the secondary electron beams can be separated not only by such a method using the E×B field but also by a sector magnetic field.
(4) Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate inspection apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A substrate inspection apparatus 7 shown in FIG. 14 is one example of a transmitted electron beam inspection apparatus, and suitable for defect inspection of an EB exposure mask such as a CP mask or an LEEPLE mask. The substrate inspection apparatus 7 comprises an electron source 710, an electron beam illumination unit 720, an electron beam splitting unit 730, a light condensing unit 740, a transmitted beam superposing unit 770, an imaging unit 780, an electron image detection unit 790 and an inspection image processing unit 800. The substrate inspection apparatus 7 superposes electron beams 912, 911 transmitted an inspection target TI and a reference target TR in the same mask, respectively, in the transmitted beam superposing unit 770, and then image them in the electron image detection unit 790, thereby making it possible to obtain a transmitted beam image including coherent patterns. Specific functions of components and an inspection method of the present embodiment are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore, redundant explanations are omitted here.
(5) Manufacturing Method of Semiconductor Device
If the substrate inspection methods in the embodiments described above are incorporated into a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, a substrate surface can be inspected for faults and defects with high sensitivity, and it is therefore possible to manufacture a semiconductor device with a high yield.
While some of the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it should be understood that various modifications can be made and applied within the scope thereof. A coherent pattern image of an inspection part and a coherent pattern image of a reference part are obtained and compared with each other in the embodiments described above, but when it is possible to create a reference coherent pattern from, for example, design data on software, the coherent pattern image of the inspection part alone may be obtained and compared therewith.
Patent Application
20060243907
