Patent ID: 6806456
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
A system to collect image data which is representative of an aerial image of a mask used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, wherein the mask includes features having a line width, the system comprising:an optical system to produce the image of the mask on a wafer plane; a platform moveable between a plurality of discrete locations in a first direction and a plurality of discrete locations in a second direction; an image sensor unit disposed on the moveable platform, the image sensor unit includes a sensor array located in the wafer plane, wherein the sensor array includes a plurality of sensor cells wherein each sensor cell includes an active area to sample light of a predetermined wavelength that is incident thereon, wherein the active area is smaller than the line width, and wherein at each discrete location of the platform the sensor cells samples the intensity of light; a processing unit, coupled to the image sensor unit, to generate image data which is representative of the aerial image, wherein the processing unit generates the aerial image of the mask by interleaving the image data sampled by each sensor at each discrete location of the platform.