Patent ID: 8675949

Claim:
A reviewed defect selection processing method, in which based on information about a plurality of detected defects outputted from a visual inspection tool targeted for a semiconductor wafer, a process of selecting one or more reviewed defects for performing a detailed review from the plurality of detected defects is performed by using information processing of a computer, the method comprising: a process step of inputting information about positions of the plurality of detected defects from the visual inspection tool; a process step of inputting information about positions of hot spots of the wafer calculated by a litho simulator; a process step of inputting pattern layout data on a circuit board of the wafer; a process step of performing a first process of classifying the hot spots into groups based on similarity of pattern layout at the positions and inputting information about the positions of the hot spots of each classified group; a process step of discriminating the plurality of detected defects between defects near the hot spots of the classified groups and defects not near the hot spots of the classified groups; a process step of performing a first grouping of the defects near the hot spots for each of the classified groups of the hot spots and selecting, from the defects subjected to the first grouping, a reviewed defect for each of the classified groups; and a process step of performing a second process of classifying the defects not near the hot spots into groups based on similarity of pattern layout at the positions, performing a second grouping of the defects of each of the classified groups for each classified group, and selecting, from the defects subjected to the second grouping, a reviewed defect for each classified group.