Patent ID: 6509750
Filing Date: 2003-01-21
Classification: G06T,H01J

Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting defects in a patterned substrate, comprising:a mechanical stage for positioning a charged-particle-beam optical column relative to a patterned substrate; the charged-particle-beam optical column having a field of view (FOV) greater than approximately 100 microns with a substantially uniform resolution over the FOV, the charged-particle-beam optical column being operable to acquire a plurality of images of a region of the patterned substrate lying within the FOV by scanning a charged-particle beam over the patterned substrate while the mechanical stage maintains the charged-particle-beam optical column fixed relative to the patterned substrate, each image being that of a subarea of the region and acquired at a sub-FOV; and at least one processor operable to compare the acquired images to a reference to identify defects in the patterned substrate.