| US 7,512,259 B2 | ||
| Defect inspection method and apparatus | ||
| Shunji Maeda, Yokohama (Japan); Kenji Oka, Yokohama (Japan); Yukihiro Shibata, Fujisawa (Japan); Minoru Yoshida, Yokohama (Japan); Chie Shishido, Yokohama (Japan); Yuji Takagi, Kamakura (Japan); Atsushi Yoshida, Yokohama (Japan); and Kazuo Yamaguchi, Sagamihara (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 20, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/858,215. | ||
| Application 11/858215 is a continuation of application No. 11/204181, filed on Aug. 16, 2005, granted, now 7,274,813. | ||
| Application 11/204181 is a continuation of application No. 09/294137, filed on Apr. 20, 1999, granted, now 6,947,587. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 10-110383 (JP), filed on Apr. 21, 1998; and application No. 10-264275 (JP), filed on Sep. 18, 1998. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0101685 A1, May 01, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 382—144 | 4 Claims |
| 1. A method of inspecting patterns, comprising:
illuminating a specimen, on which plural patterns are formed, with light emitted from a lamp;
detecting a first bright field image of a first area of the specimen in which patterns are formed with an image sensor;
detecting a second bright field image of a second area of the specimen in which patterns which are essentially the same patterns
formed in the first area are formed with the image sensor;
adjusting, by using an image processor, a brightness of at least one of the first bright field image and the second bright
field image to match a brightness between the first bright field image and the second bright field image;
comparing, by using the image processor, the first bright field image and the second bright field image which are adjusted
in brightness to match with each other to detect a defect of the pattern, wherein in the step of adjusting the brightness,
by using an image processor, the brightness between the first bright field image and the second bright field image is adjusted
by performing a gradation conversion of at least one of the brightness between the first bright field image and the second
bright field image; and
wherein in the step of comparing, by using an image processor, said defect of the pattern is detected by using information
of a scattered diagram of brightness of the first bright field image and the second bright field image.
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