Webb Ziesenheim Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
Method of inspecting accuracy in stitching pattern elements
A method of quickly and accurately inspecting the stitching accuracy at which regions of a lithographic pattern are stitched at boundaries. The numerous regions of the lithographic pattern are exposed or delineated, one at a time. Inspected regions are scanned with a charged-particle beam to detect secondary electrons. The obtained signal is stored as an inspected image in an image memory, together with positional data about the inspected regions. After completion of acceptance of images from all the inspected regions, the inspected image is compared with a separately prepared reference image by an image processing unit. Pattern elements in the inspected regions corresponding to the reference image are extracted. Deviations at field boundaries or the like can be detected from the relative positions of these pattern elements, if any.
JEOL Ltd.
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inventional inventional additional inventional
Akira Manabu Setsuo
Tohyama Saito Norioka