US 11,989,876 B2
Method and apparatus for inspecting pattern collapse defects
Shin-Yee Lu, Pleasanton, CA (US); and Ivan Maleev, Pleasanton, CA (US)
Assigned to Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on May 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/143,949.
Application 18/143,949 is a division of application No. 17/089,158, filed on Nov. 4, 2020, granted, now 11,676,266.
Prior Publication US 2023/0274413 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06N 3/08 (2023.01); G06T 5/20 (2006.01); G06T 5/40 (2006.01)
CPC G06T 7/001 (2013.01) [G06N 3/08 (2013.01); G06T 5/20 (2013.01); G06T 5/40 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20061 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20081 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20084 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30148 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting defects on a sample based on a defect inspection apparatus, comprising:
capturing an inspection image through the defect inspection apparatus,
performing an enhancement process on the inspection image to improve a contrast of the inspection image and remove noisy features of the inspection image; and
performing a Hough transform on the inspection image that receives the enhancement process so as to identify defects on the sample, wherein:
the sample includes uniformly repeating structures, and
the inspection image is captured by filtering out signals of the uniformly repeating structures of the sample.