Patent ID: 7894658
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: G01N,G01R,G03F,G06T,H01J

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for processing a defect candidate image, comprising: a stage for holding and moving a specimen to desired positions; an imager for taking scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the specimen; an image processor for processing the SEM images taken by the imager to detect defect candidates existing on the specimen and classify the detected defect candidates into one of plural defect classes; a memory for storing information of the defect candidates including the SEM images of the defect candidates and the classified defect class data outputted from the image processor; and a display unit having a display screen for displaying information stored in the memory, wherein the display unit displays a map which indicates a position of each detected defect candidates as particular symbols on a layout of a specimen, together with a SEM image of one of the detected defect candidates, the SEM image corresponding to selected one of the particular symbols on the map and being retrieved from the information stored in memory by selecting the one of the particular symbols on the map without removing the specimen from the stage to take SEM images with the imager.