Patent ID: 7248353
Filing Date: 2007-07-24
Classification: G06T,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method for inspecting patterns within a plurality of dies located approximately regularly along two axial directions that are not parallel with respect to each other on a substrate, said method comprising steps of: (a) generating a target grid according to which said dies on said substrate should be virtually placed; (b) determining an actual position coordinate of each die on said substrate; (c) calculating a position error of said each die with respect to said target grid and; (d) compensating for the position of the image of said each die to be obtained, based on a value of the position error of said each die and thus obtaining the image; and (e) performing an inspection of the pattern to detect defects within the pattern of said die based on the image obtained after said position thereof is compensated for, wherein in said step (a), said target grid is generated in such a manner that at least two dies are selected in each of two axial directions from a plurality of dies formed across a surface of said substrate along the two axial directions that are not parallel to each other, and from a pitch between selected dies, a virtual pitch per die is determined along each of said two directions, and then based on said virtual pitch, said target grid is generated, and wherein in said step (a), said two dies on said sample are selected to thereby detect a pitch between said dies, which is determined as a first pitch; said first pitch is multiplied by a predetermined multiplier, and the thus obtained value is determined as a second pitch; an actual pitch between two dies that are spaced by a distance proximal to said second pitch is detected, which is determined as a third pitch; and a value determined by dividing said third pitch by said multiplier is taken as said virtual pitch, displaying and/or storing the defects detected.