Patent ID: 6803554
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
A mask inspection system to detect defects in 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 locations in a first direction and a plurality of 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, and wherein the sensor cells sample the intensity of light at a plurality of locations of the platform; a first processing unit, coupled to the image sensor unit, to compare data which is representative of the intensity of light sampled by each sensor cell at the plurality of locations of the platform to associated data of a mask pattern design database, wherein the mask pattern design database includes data which is representative of the features on the mask.