Patent ID: 7359546
Filing Date: 2008-04-15
Classification: G01R,G03F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A defect inspection apparatus comprising: a light irradiating device configured to irradiate a sample including a pattern under inspection with light; a data acquisition device configured to acquire measurement pattern data of the pattern based on intensity of light reflected by the sample or light passed through the sample; a data conversion device configured to generate conversion data including a plurality of pixel data corresponding to the measurement pattern data from design data of the sample; a filter processing device configured to apply a finite impulse response filter process to the conversion data; a data reconstruction device configured to reconstruct the conversion data applied the finite impulse response filter process; the data reconstruction device replacing pixel data having a value not larger than a first reference value in the conversion data with first pixel data, replacing pixel data having a value larger than a second reference value which is larger than the first reference value in the conversion data with second pixel data having a value larger than the first pixel data, and replacing pixel data having a value larger than the first reference value and less than the second reference value in the conversion data with third pixel data having a value between the value of the first pixel data and the second pixel data, the pixel data in the conversion having larger value being replaced with the third pixel data having higher value; a reference data producing device configured to produce reference pattern data by applying a blurring filter process which simulates an optical system to reconstructed conversion data; and a defect detecting device configured to detect a defect of the sample by comparing the reference pattern data and the measurement pattern data.