Patent ID: 7817844
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: G06K,G06T

Abstract:
1. A pattern inspection apparatus for inspecting a pattern to-be-inspected by using an image of said pattern to-be-inspected and data for fabricating said pattern to-be-inspected, said pattern inspection apparatus comprising: an image generation device configured to generate said image of said pattern to-be-inspected; and a memory storing a plurality of machine readable instructions that when executed perform the steps of: (a) storing in said memory a reference pattern representing one or both of (i) one or more line segments, and (ii) one or more curves, said reference pattern generated from said data; (b) storing in said memory detected edges of said image; (c) inspecting said pattern to-be-inspected by comparing said detected edge to at least one of said line segment and said curve of said reference pattern to generate defect information; and (d) recognizing repeated defects from said defect information of corresponding inspection areas of each of a plurality of semiconductor devices fabricated using said data.