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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8189903 | Photomask evaluation based on lithographic simulation using sidewall angle of photomask pattern According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a photomask evaluation method including, acquiring a pattern image of a photomask, generating sidewall angle data on the sidewall angle of a pattern from the pattern image, extracting a pattern outline from ... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8180140 | Template creation method and image processor therefor To create a template for use in image recognition based on design data, luminance information is set for each area in the template based on the information regarding the region defined by the template. The luminance information may be set based on material informati... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8165383 | Method, system and computer program product for edge detection A method for edge detection, the method includes: obtaining an image of an area of a lithographic mask; wherein the image is generated by an optical system that is partially coherent; calculating a gradient of the image and a second derivative of the image in a dire... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8144969 | Pattern evaluation method, computer-readable recording medium, and manufacturing method of semiconductor device A pattern evaluation method includes: acquiring data of a design pattern for an evaluation pattern to detect a first edge of the design pattern; acquiring an image of the evaluation pattern to detect a second edge of the evaluation pattern; dividing the first edge i... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8146022 | Mask pattern data generation method, mask manufacturing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, and pattern data generation program According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mask pattern data generation method including: a first step of obtaining a mask data representing from a design pattern by performing a process simulation with a process parameter having a first va... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8139843 | Methods and systems for utilizing design data in combination with inspection data Various methods and systems for utilizing design data in combination with inspection data are provided. One computer-implemented method for binning defects detected on a wafer includes comparing portions of design data proximate positions of the defects in design da... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8126256 | Device and method for analysis of signal characteristics with the use of masks An analysis device for analyzing a signal characteristic with the use of a mask. The analysis device includes a buffer device for the provision of a signal-image address of a signal-image point of a signal image and for the provision of a mask-image address of a mas... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8121393 | Pattern defect analysis equipment, pattern defect analysis method and pattern defect analysis program A data processing unit acquires a review image including a pattern defect on a substrate, compares the review image with a reference image thereby to extract a defect image, the reference image including no pattern defect, and performs an alignment between the revie... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8111900 | Computer-implemented methods for detecting and/or sorting defects in a design pattern of a reticle Various computer-implemented methods are provided. One method for sorting defects in a design pattern of a reticle includes searching for defects of interest in inspection data using priority information associated with individual defects in combination with one or ... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8103086 | Reticle defect inspection with model-based thin line approaches Provided are novel inspection methods and systems for inspecting photomasks to identify various defects using a model-based approach and information obtained from modeled images. Modeled or simulation images are generated directly from test or reference images. Some... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8098926 | Method and system for evaluating an evaluated pattern of a mask A method, system and a computer program product for evaluating an evaluated pattern of a mask, the method includes: receiving multiple moments that represent an image of the evaluated pattern; wherein a size of information required for representing the multiple mome... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8090188 | Apparatus including defect correcting system which repeats a correcting of a reticle pattern defect and a correcting method using the apparatus A reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus comprises a lithographic emulation system including an optical emulation system and a micromachining defect correcting system including a reticle defect correcting mechanism with a cantilever. Since correction of a retic... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8090189 | Detection of thin line for selective sensitivity during reticle inspection Methods and apparatus relating to the inspection of photomasks are described. In an embodiment, detection of thin line or sub-resolution assist features may be used for selective sensitivity during photomask inspection. Other embodiments are also described. ... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8068663 | Simulation method of optical image intensity distribution, program, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device The intensity distribution of an optical image in a resist film is calculated (S1); the intensity distribution of the optical image is transformed through a Fourier transform in a periodic direction of the intensity distribution of the optical image (S2 | 11/29/2011 |
| 8064682 | Defect analysis In one embodiment, a method to analyze a semiconductor wafer comprises extracting inline defect data from a data source, counting a total number of inline defects and end-of-line defects, terminating the analysis when the total number of inline defects and end-of-li... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8059884 | Method and system for obtaining bounds on process parameters for OPC-verification Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of performing printability verification of a mask layout. The method includes creating one or more tight clusters; computing a set of process parameters associated with a point on said mask; comparing said set of... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8056027 | Characterizing thermomechanical properties of an organic substrate using three-dimensional finite element analysis A method for characterizing thermomechanical properties of an organic substrate includes the steps of: receiving an image of the substrate, the image including a geometric description of the circuit layers of the substrate; selecting a given one of the circuit layer... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8045786 | Waferless recipe optimization Disclosed are apparatus and methods for optimizing a metrology tool, such as an optical or scanning electron microscope so that minimum human intervention is achievable during the optimization. In general, a set of specifications and an initial input data are initia... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8045787 | System for analyzing mask topography and method of forming image using the system Provided are a system for analyzing a mask topography, which can reduce calculation time and increase calculation accuracy in consideration of a mask topography effect, and a method of forming an image using the system. The system and method simultaneously obtains a... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8041103 | Methods and systems for determining a position of inspection data in design data space Various methods and systems for determining a position of inspection data in design data space are provided. One computer-implemented method includes determining a centroid of an alignment target formed on a wafer using an image of the alignment target acquired by i... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8036445 | Pattern matching method, program and semiconductor device manufacturing method A pattern matching method includes: detecting an edge of a pattern in a pattern image obtained by imaging the pattern; segmenting the detected pattern edge to generate a first segment set consisting of first segments; segmenting a pattern edge on reference data whic... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8036446 | Semiconductor mask inspection using die-to-die and die-to-database comparisons A mask forming method includes preparing design data of mask including pattern regions having identical repetition patterns respectively, generating mask pattern data of mask based on the design data, generating inspection control information for controlling inspect... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8023723 | Mask pattern dimensional inspection apparatus and method A sidewall shape correction function is determined in advance which represents the relationship of the difference between contour positions of two or more items of pattern contour position data of different thresholds obtained from an SEM image and optical pattern c... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7995832 | Photomask inspection and verification by lithography image reconstruction using imaging pupil filters A method and tool for generating reconstructed images that model the high NA effects of a lithography tool used to image patterns produced by a mask. Comparison of the reconstructed images with reference images characterize the mask. The method involves providing a ... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7975245 | Computer-implemented methods for determining if actual defects are potentially systematic defects or potentially random defects Various computer-implemented methods for determining if actual defects are potentially systematic defects or potentially random defects are provided. One computer-implemented method for determining if actual defects are potentially systematic defects or potentially ... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7974457 | Method and program for correcting and testing mask pattern for optical proximity effect A method of testing a mask pattern, includes applying optical proximity-effect compensation to a first pattern to be tested and to be formed onto a mask layer, to thereby form a mask pattern of the mask layer, dividing the first pattern into a plurality of areas in ... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7970198 | Method for performing pattern decomposition based on feature pitch A method for decomposing a target pattern containing features to be printed on a wafer. The method includes the steps of: (a) defining a kernel representing a function having positive values within an inner radius and negative values in an outer radius; (b) defining... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7954071 | Assist feature placement based on a focus-sensitive cost-covariance field One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that determines an assist feature placement within a post-optical proximity correction (post-OPC) mask layout. During operation, the system receives a set of target patterns which represent a set of polygons ... | 05/31/2011 |
| 7949178 | Pattern inspection method and its apparatus In a pattern inspection apparatus for comparing images of corresponding areas of two patterns, which are formed so as to be identical, so as to judge that a non-coincident part of the images is a defect, the influence of unevenness in brightness of patterns caused b... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7916930 | Method and arrangement for repairing photolithography masks A method and apparatus for the repair of photolithography masks, wherein a photolithography mask is examined for the presence of defects and a list of the defects is generated, in which at least one type of defect, its extent, and its location on the photolithograph... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7912275 | Method of evaluating a photo mask and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device A method of evaluating a photo mask, includes measuring each dimension of a plurality of pattern portions of a mask pattern formed on a photo mask, obtaining an inter-pattern distance between the pattern portion and a pattern different from the pattern portion with ... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7907770 | Method for inspecting photomask and real-time online method for inspecting photomask A method for inspecting a photomask is provided, which is applicable for the photomask with a pattern region and a blank region. First, a wafer is performed a photolithography process by the photomask. The wafer includes a plurality of exposure regions, each of whic... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7907771 | Pattern data processing system, pattern data processing method, and pattern data processing program A pattern data processing method comprising, obtaining pattern data on a mask pattern, determining whether a processing time for the mask pattern in a processing software is reduced by rotating the mask pattern by a predetermined angle than a case where the mask pat... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7903866 | Measurement system, lithographic apparatus and method for measuring a position dependent signal of a movable object An encoder-type measurement system is configured to measure a position dependent signal of a movable object, the measurement system including at least one sensor mountable on the movable object a sensor target object mountable on a substantially stationary frame, an... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7876952 | Removal of relatively unimportant shapes from a set of shapes A method for reducing a number of shapes, and a computer readable program code adapted to perform said method. The method forms first and second shape patterns. The second shape pattern includes the first shape pattern and error shapes. The error shapes are extracte... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7873204 | Method for detecting lithographically significant defects on reticles A method for identifying lithographically significant defects. A photomask is illuminated to produce images that experience different parameters of the reticle as imaged by an inspection tool. Example parameters include a transmission intensity image and a reflectio... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7856138 | System, method and computer software product for inspecting charged particle responsive resist A system software product and a method for evaluating a mask, the method including the stages of: defining multiple CD measurement target windows; defining multiple pattern recognition windows such that the multiple CD measurements windows do not overlap the multipl... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7853067 | Systems and methods for lithographic reticle inspection Systems and methods for inspection of lithographic reticles are provided. The method begins with the generation of a topographical map for a reticle surface with the reticle being in a load-free state. The reticle is then loaded onto a reticle chuck in a lithographi... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7844099 | Inspection method for protecting image sensor devices with front surface protection A method for inspecting a semiconductor wafer fabricated for image sensing operation that has had a transparent protective tape layer applied to a front or active wafer surface. The method includes quantifying chip defects in the image sensor wafer that lie under th... | 11/30/2010 |
| 7840057 | Simultaneous computation of multiple points on one or multiple cut lines Methods, and program storage devices, for performing model-based optical proximity correction by providing a region of interest (ROI) having an interaction distance and locating at least one polygon within the ROI. A cut line of sample points representative of a set... | 11/23/2010 |
