Method of defect detection and system thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019066291-A1
Application number	US-201715683726-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 22, 2017
Priority date	Aug 22, 2017
Publication date	Feb 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

There are provided system and method of detecting defects on a specimen, the method comprising: capturing a first image from a first die and obtaining one or more second images; receiving: i) a first set of predefined first descriptors each representing a type of DOI, and ii) a second set of predefined second descriptors each representing a type of noise; generating at least one difference image based on difference between pixel values of the first image and pixel values derived from the second images; generating at least one third image, comprising: computing a value for each given pixel of at least part of the at least one difference image based on the first and second sets of predefined descriptors, and surrounding pixels centered around the given pixel; and determining presence of defect candidates based on the at least one third image and a predefined threshold.

First claim

1 . A computerized system of detecting defects on a specimen, the system comprising:
an inspection unit configured to capture a first image from a first die of the specimen and obtain one or more second images; an I/O interface configured to receive: i) a first set of predefined first descriptors each indicative of pixel value distribution in a first image block associated therewith and representing a type of defect of interest (DOI), and ii) a second set of predefined second descriptors each indicative of pixel value distribution in a second image block associated therewith and representing a type of noise; and a processing unit operatively connected to the inspection unit and the I/O interface, the processing unit comprising a memory and a processor operatively coupled thereto, wherein: the processing unit is configured to: generate at least one difference image based on difference between pixel values of the first image and pixel values derived from the one or more second images; generate at least one third image corresponding to the at least one difference image, comprising, computing a value for each given pixel of at least part of the at least one difference image based on the first set of predefined first descriptors, the second set of predefined second descriptors, and surrounding pixels centered around the given pixel; and determine presence of defect candidates in the first image based on the at least one third image and a predefined threshold.

2 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more second images include one or more images captured from one or more second dies, or a simulated image representing the first die.

3 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the computing comprises computing a value for the given pixel in accordance with a predefined formula related to a first set of block operations each using a predefined first descriptor and at least part of the surrounding pixels and a second set of block operations each using a predefined second descriptor and at least part of the surrounding pixels.

4 . The computerized system according to claim 3 , wherein the predefined formula is a polynomial formula.

5 . The computerized system according to claim 3 , wherein the block operations are convolution operations.

6 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the first image block has a size of a predefined number of pixels, the second image block has the same size as the first image block, and wherein the computing comprises:
i) selecting, on the at least one difference image, a surrounding image block each constituted by surrounding pixels centered around the given pixel, the surrounding image block having the same size as the first image block, and ii) computing a value for the given pixel in accordance with a predefined formula related to a first set of block operations each using a predefined first descriptor and the surrounding pixels and a second set of block operations each using a predefined second descriptor and the surrounding pixels.

7 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the first image block has a first size of a first predefined number of pixels, the second image block has a second size of a second predefined number of pixels, and wherein the computing comprises:
i) selecting, on the at least one difference image, a first surrounding image block and a second surrounding image block constituted by surrounding pixels centered around the given pixel, the first surrounding image block having the same size as the first image block, the second surrounding image block having the same size as the second image block; and ii) computing a value for the given pixel in accordance with a predefined formula related to a first set of block operations each using a predefined first descriptor and surrounding pixels in the first surrounding image block and a second set of block operations each using a predefined second descriptor and surrounding pixels in the second surrounding image block.

8 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection unit is further configured to obtain a defect map representative of one or more locations of initial defect candidates on the specimen, and capture one or more first images from the one or more locations, and for each location, obtain one or more second images, wherein the generating at least one difference image and generating at least one third image are performed for each first image, giving rise to one or more third images corresponding to the one or more first images; and wherein the determining presence of defect candidates is based on the one or more third images and the predefined threshold.

9 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the noise includes a non-DOI defect.

10 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the type of noise includes detector noise.

11 . The computerized system according to claim 10 , wherein the detector noise is Spontaneous Emission (SE) noise.

12 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the specimen is selected from a group comprising: a wafer, a reticle, a mask, an integrated circuit and a flat panel display.

13 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first set of predefined first descriptors is indicative of pixel value distribution in a two-dimensional kernel selected from a group comprising: a Gaussian kernel, a polynomial kernel, a uniform kernel, and an exponential kernel.

14 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the second set of predefined second descriptors is indicative of pixel value distribution in a two-dimensional kernel selected from a group comprising: a Gaussian kernel, a polynomial kernel, a uniform kernel, and an exponential kernel.

15 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the first set of predefined first descriptors and the second set of predefined second descriptors are defined based on pixel value distribution learnt from previous inspection results.

16 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one difference image is generated based on a corrected difference between pixel values of the first image and pixel values derived from the one or more second images, giving rise to at least one corrected difference image so as to compensate noises occurred in the first image, and wherein the at least one third image is generated based on the at least one corrected difference image.

17 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined threshold is determined based on a required amount of defect candidates.

18 . The computerized system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to send information of the defect candidates to a review machine for further inspection, and obtain information of defects detected by the review machine to be used for refining definition of the first set of predefined first descriptors and the second set of predefined second descriptors.

19 . A computerized method of detecting defects on a specimen, the method comprising:
capturing, by an inspection unit, a first image from a first die of the specimen and obtaining one or more second images; receiving, by an I/O interface: i) a first set of predefined first descriptors each indicative of pixel value distribution in a first image block associated therewith and representing a type of defect of interest (DOI), and ii) a second set of predefined second desc

Assignees

• Applied Materials Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Martin Limor
• Cohen Elad
• Neistein Eyal
• Amzaleg Moshe

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P72/0616

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• G06T2207/30148

  Semiconductor; IC; Wafer · CPC title

• G06T2207/10061

  from scanning electron microscope · CPC title

• G06T7/001

  using an image reference approach · CPC title