Method of inspecting pattern and inspecting instrument

(54) METHOD OF INSPECTING PATTERN AND INSPECTING INSTRUMENT

(75) Inventors: Mari Nozoe, Hino (JP); Hidetoshi

Nishiyama, Kokubunji (JP); Shigeaki
Hijikata, Ome (JP); Kenji Watanabe,
Ome (JP); Koji Abe, Hitachinaka (JP)

(73) Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (JP); Hitachi
Tokyo Electronics Co., Ltd., Tokyo
(JP)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term ol this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 10/463,576

(22) Filed: Jun. 18, 2003

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2003/0213909 Al Nov. 20, 2003

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation of application No. 09/725,900, filed on Nov. 30, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,583,414.

(30) Foreign Application Priority Data

Dec. 2, 1999 (JP) 11-343094

(51) Int. CI.7 H01J 37/28; G01N 23/225

(52) U.S. CI 250/310; 250/307; 282/141

(58) Field of Search 250/306, 307,

250/310, 442.1, 491.1; 382/144, 145, 155.1

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,777,327 A 7/1998 Mizuno

5,909,276 A 6/1999 Kinney et al.

6,038,018 A 3/2000 Yanazaki et al.

6,047,083 A * 4/2000 Mizuno 382/141

6,172,363 Bl 1/2001 Shinada et al.

6,329,826 Bl 12/2001 Shinada et al.

6,348,690 Bl 2/2002 Iwabuchi et al.

6,353,222 Bl * 3/2002 Dotan 250/310

6,426,501 Bl * 7/2002 Nakagawa 250/310

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

JP 3-167456 7/1991

JP 5-258703 10/1993

JP 9-138198 5/1997

JP 9-184715 7/1997

JP 10-135288 5/1998

JP 10-234543 9/1998

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Journal ol Vacuum Science & Technology B, vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 3005-3009 (1991).

Journal ol Vacuum Science & Technology B, vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 2804-2808 (1992).

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—John R. Lee

Assistant Examiner—James J. Leybourne

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Antonelli, Terry, Stout &

Kraus, LLP

(57) ABSTRACT

A pattern inspection system lor inspecting a substrate surlace on which a predetermined pattern is formed with radiation ol an electron beam and an optical beam, the pattern inspection system includes a radiation and which radiates an electron beam to the substrate, a detection unit which detects a secondarily generated signal attributable to the radiation ol the electron beam, a retrieval unit which retrieves an image Irom the signal detected by the detection unit, and an image processing unit which classifies the retrieved image depending on a type ol the image.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets