US 7,577,287 B2
Early error detection during fabrication of reticles
Yasuko Saito, Minato-ku (Japan)
Assigned to NEC Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Aug. 17, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/205,095.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-237820 (JP), filed on Aug. 18, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0039594 A1, Feb. 23, 2006
Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 382—145 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A reticle fabrication system comprising:
a first preparatory processing means for performing preparatory processing for converting CAD data, which are reticle design data, to plotting data;
a second preparatory processing means for performing preparatory processing for converting said CAD data to inspection data;
a first preparatory process recording means for recording therein a log file indicative of the content of preparatory processing of said first preparatory processing means as a first processing log;
a second preparatory process recording means for recording therein a log file indicative of the content of preparatory processing of said second preparatory processing means as a second processing log;
a comparison/determination means for comparing said first processing log that has been recorded in said first preparatory process recording means and said second processing log that has been recorded in said second preparatory process recording means, and for permitting conversion of said CAD data upon determining, based on results of this comparison, that said preparatory processing has been carried out correctly;
a first conversion means for converting said CAD data to said plotting data when conversion of said CAD data has been permitted by said comparison/determination means;
a second conversion means for converting said CAD data to said inspection data when conversion of said CAD data has been permitted by said comparison/determination means; and
an inspection means for inspecting a reticle that has been produced from said plotting data that have been converted by said first conversion means, using said inspection data that have been converted by said second conversion means.