Patent ID: 7756661
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A method for measuring a dimension of a pattern formed on a semiconductor light-exposure mask, the method comprising: performing a preparation arranged to form a first relationship between measured values of dimensions of opaque patterns obtained by a microscope and misalignments of detected edge positions obtained by the microscope, and a second relationship between measured values of dimensions of clear patterns obtained by the microscope and misalignments of detected edge positions obtained by the microscope; performing detection/measurement arranged to detect opposite two edge positions of a measurement target pattern by the microscope wherein the measurement target pattern includes a space pattern, and to measure a dimension of the measurement target pattern bounded by the two edge positions and dimensions of adjacent patterns respectively adjacent to the two edge positions wherein the adjacent patterns includes first and second line patterns; performing correction arranged to respectively correct two detected edge positions of the measurement target pattern, with reference to one or both of the first and second relationships formed in the preparation, and measured values of the dimensions obtained in the detection/measurement; wherein the performing correction comprises: correcting detected first edge position of the space pattern, the first edge position corresponding to a boundary of the first line pattern and the space pattern, the correcting detected first edge position comprising obtaining a first misalignment at the first edge position by using measured value of dimension of first line pattern and the first relationship, obtaining a second misalignment at the first edge position by using measured value of dimension of the space pattern and the second relationship, and summing the first and second misalignments at the first edge position; and correcting detected second edge position of the space pattern, the second edge position corresponding to a boundary of the second line pattern and the space pattern, the correcting detected second edge position comprising obtaining a first misalignment at the second edge position by using measured value of dimension of the second line pattern and the first relationship, obtaining a second misalignment at the second edge position by using measured value of dimension of the space pattern and the second relationship, summing the first and second misalignments at the second edge position; and outputting a distance between the detected edge positions corrected in the correction, as a determined value of the dimension of the measurement target pattern.