Method and apparatus for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images

Abstract

The present application relates to the semiconductor technical field and provides a method and apparatus for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images, the method including: determining a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector based on a design layout; determining a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the corresponding first detection position of the first graphic detector; and detecting a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position to determine defects present in the scanning electron microscope image. This allows the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector to be determined more comprehensively and reliably, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of defect detection in scanning electron microscope images.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images. [Background technology]

[0002] The manufacturing process of an integrated circuit involves many steps, and each step may contaminate the wafer or damage the wafer surface, resulting in certain defects on the wafer.

[0003] Related technologies allow for defect detection based on a design layout in images from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) or the like. In the defect detection process, it is typically necessary to first generate a detector or detection frame that can be used to detect corresponding defects based on graphic description rules (i.e., rules that can describe the graphics in the design layout) based on the design layout. For complex graphics in a design layout, describing the graphics based on graphic description rules can be quite complicated, making it prone to various omissions and errors. To avoid missed detections, the graphic description rules are typically adjusted. However, because there are so many possible actual graphic shapes, even after resolving missed detections of one type of graphic using graphic description rules, it is still unknown whether other missed detections will occur, resulting in low accuracy of defect detection. Therefore, how to improve the accuracy of defect detection is important. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method and apparatus for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a method for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image, the method including: determining a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector based on a design layout; determining a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector; detecting a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, and determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0006] In some embodiments, determining first graphic detectors and corresponding first detection positions in the design layout of the first graphic detectors based on the design layout includes traversing the design layout based on predetermined graphic description rules to determine a type of each first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of each first graphic detector.

[0007] In some embodiments, determining a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position of the second graphic detector in the design layout based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and a first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector includes, if any graphic unit in the design layout has another graphic area other than the first graphic detector, determining the other graphic area as a second graphic detector, and determining the position of the second graphic detector in the design layout as a second detection position.

[0008] In some embodiments, detecting a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, and determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image includes: when the design layout and the scanning electron microscope image are aligned, determining a third detection position in the scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the first detection position and a fourth detection position corresponding to the second detection position; performing detection at the third detection position based on the first graphic detector corresponding to the first detection position to obtain a first detection result; performing detection at the fourth detection position based on the second graphic detector corresponding to the second detection position to obtain a second detection result; and determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image based on the first detection result and the second detection result.

[0009] In some embodiments, determining a defect present in the scanning electron microscope image based on the first detection result and the second detection result includes determining the defect corresponding to the first detection result as a first defect in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the first detection result being greater than a first threshold, determining the defect corresponding to the second detection result as a second defect in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the second detection result being greater than a second threshold, and determining the first defect and the second defect as defects in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining a first region in the design layout that does not include a graphic unit, determining a second region in the scanning electron microscope image that corresponds to the first region, and detecting the second region based on a predetermined detection rule to determine defects present in the second region.

[0011] In some embodiments, detecting the second area based on the predetermined detection rule and determining defects present in the second area includes, if the first area is larger than a reference area, dividing the first area into a plurality of sub-areas, determining target predetermined detection rules corresponding to each of the sub-areas based on a predetermined relationship table, determining target sub-areas corresponding to each of the sub-areas in the scanning electron microscope image, and detecting each of the target sub-areas based on the target predetermined detection rule and determining defects present in each of the target sub-areas.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present application, there is provided a defect determination device for scanning electron microscope images, comprising: a first determination module for determining a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector based on a design layout; a second determination module for determining a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector; and a first detection module for detecting a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, and determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first determination module is specifically configured to traverse the design layout based on preset graphic description rules to determine a type of each first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout for each of the first graphic detectors.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second determination module is specifically configured to, when any one graphic unit in the design layout has another graphic area other than the first graphic detector, determine the other graphic area as a second graphic detector, and determine the position of the second graphic detector in the design layout as a second detection position.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first detection module includes: a first determination unit that determines a third detection position corresponding to the first detection position and a fourth detection position corresponding to the second detection position in the scanning electron microscope image when the design layout and the scanning electron microscope image are aligned; a first detection unit that performs detection at the third detection position based on a first graphic detector corresponding to the first detection position and obtains a first detection result; a second detection unit that performs detection at the fourth detection position based on a second graphic detector corresponding to the second detection position and obtains a second detection result; and a second determination unit that determines defects present in the scanning electron microscope image based on the first detection result and the second detection result.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second determination unit is specifically configured to determine a defect corresponding to the first detection result as a first defect in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the first detection result being greater than a first threshold, to determine a defect corresponding to the second detection result as a second defect in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the second detection result being greater than a second threshold, and to determine the first defect and the second defect as defects in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0017] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a third determination module that determines a first region in the design layout that does not include a graphic unit, a fourth determination module that determines a second region in the scanning electron microscope image that corresponds to the first region, and a second detection module that detects the second region based on a predetermined detection rule and determines defects present in the second region.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second detection module is specifically configured to: divide the first area into a plurality of sub-areas when the first area is larger than a reference area; determine a target predetermined detection rule corresponding to each of the sub-areas based on a preset relationship table; determine a target sub-area corresponding to each of the sub-areas in the scanning electron microscope image; detect each of the target sub-areas based on the target predetermined detection rule; and determine defects present in each of the target sub-areas.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present application, there is provided an electronic device, the electronic device including a processor and a memory having computer program instructions stored therein, which, when executed by the processor, realizes any one of the above-described methods for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions, the computer-readable storage medium being characterized in that, when executed by a processor, the computer program instructions realize any one of the above-described methods for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images.

[0021] As described above, the method and apparatus for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image according to the present application have at least the following beneficial effects: First, based on a design layout, a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector are determined, then, based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector, a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector are determined, and then, based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout is detected, thereby determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image. This allows the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position to be determined based on the design layout, and then the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position to be determined, and then defect detection can be performed on the scanning electron microscope image. In the process of determining the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector, by fully taking into account each area of the graphic unit in the design layout, the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector can be determined more comprehensively and reliably, and further, detection omissions can be effectively avoided when performing defect detection, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of defect detection on the scanning electron microscope image. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] In order to more clearly describe the specific embodiments of the present application or the technical means in the prior art, the drawings that need to be used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can further derive other drawings based on these drawings even without creative work.

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart of a method for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a graphic unit and a graphic detector according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart of a method for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] 1 is a structural diagram of a defect determination device for a scanning electron microscope image according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 5] 1 is a structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] In order to clarify the above and other features and advantages of the present application, the present application will be further described below with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the specific examples provided herein are intended to be understood by those skilled in the art and are merely illustrative and not limiting.

[0025] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required to practice the present application. In other instances, well-known steps or operations are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present application.

[0026] The method for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image according to the embodiment of the present application may be performed by an apparatus for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image according to the embodiment of the present application, and the apparatus may be disposed in an electronic device.

[0027] 1, the present application provides a method for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images, the method including the following steps:

[0028] In step 101, a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector are determined based on the design layout.

[0029] Here, a first graphic detector can be generated based on each graphic unit in the design layout, and then the first graphic detector can be used to detect a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image.

[0030] Additionally, the type of the first graphic detector may vary, including, for example, a line-type defect detector, a bridge-type defect detector, a critical dimension (CD) anomaly-type defect detector, etc., but this application is not limited thereto.

[0031] Here, the open-type defect detector may be used to detect defects formed when lines that should be present in a graphic in a design layout, or lines in a graphic in an actual SEM image, are broken; the bridge-type defect detector may be used to detect defects formed when graphics in a design layout, or graphics that should be separated and have spaces between them, are connected in an actual SEM image; and the CD abnormality-type defect detector may be used to detect defects such as those where there is a large difference between the line width or space in an SEM image and the design line width or design space in the design layout, but this application is not limited to these.

[0032] Thus, in an embodiment of the present application, a corresponding first graphic detector can be determined based on the characteristics of a graphic unit in a design layout, and then a first detection position of the first graphic detector in the design layout can be determined based on the position coordinates of the graphic area covered by the first graphic detector.

[0033] Optionally, based on a preset graphic description rule, the design layout can be traversed to determine the type of each first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position in the design layout for each first graphic detector.

[0034] Here, the graphic description rule may be a preset rule, or may be multiple rules. Furthermore, defect features in a large number of scanning electron microscope images may be analyzed in advance to obtain defect rules, and the preset graphic description rule may then be formed. Alternatively, defects in past scanning electron microscope images may be analyzed, and defect rules may be obtained by model training or the like, thereby forming the preset graphic description rule, but this application is not limited to this.

[0035] For example, based on a preset graphic description rule, each graphic unit in a design layout can be traversed to determine the type of a first graphic detector corresponding to the graphic unit, and then the position of the first graphic detector in the design layout can be determined based on the position coordinates of the graphic area covered by the first graphic detector.

[0036] For example, if the preset graphic description rules are such that graphic description rule 1 is "disconnection type," graphic description rule 2 is "bridge type," and graphic description rule 3 is "CD abnormality type," then by traversing the design layout based on the preset graphic description rules and determining that graphic unit 1 matches graphic description rule 1, the location of graphic unit 1 can be determined to be an "disconnection type" defect graphic detector, and the first detection position of the first graphic detector in the design layout can be determined based on the position coordinates of the graphic area covered by the "disconnection type" defect graphic detector, but this application is not limited to this.

[0037] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, a design layout can be traversed based on a preset graphic description rule to determine a corresponding first graphic detector, and the first graphic detector can detect a simple graphic that conforms to the graphic description rule.

[0038] In step 102, a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector are determined based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the corresponding first detection position of the first graphic detector.

[0039] It should be understood that after determining the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector, computational processing can be performed on the first graphic detector in the design layout to determine a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout for the second graphic detector.

[0040] Here, the operation method may be various, for example, a Boolean subtraction operation, or any other selectable operation, but is not limited thereto in this application.

[0041] In addition, the second graphic detector may be a complex detector different from the first graphic detector, may be a combination of multiple defects, and cannot be described by a simple rule. It is necessary to process the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position, and then determine the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position from the design layout, but this application is not limited to this.

[0042] For example, after determining a design layout, a first graphic detector, and a first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector, a Boolean subtraction operation can be performed on each graphic unit in the design layout and the corresponding first graphic detector to determine a second graphic detector corresponding to each graphic unit, and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector, etc.

[0043] Optionally, if there is another graphic area other than the first graphic detector in any one graphic unit in the design layout, the other graphic area may be determined as the second graphic detector, and then the position of the second graphic detector in the design layout may be determined as the second detection position.

[0044] It should be understood that after the second graphic detector is determined, a second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector can be determined based on the position coordinates of the graphic area covered by the second graphic detector.

[0045] For example, if it is determined that any one graphic unit in the design layout has two first graphic detectors, such as first graphic detector 1 and first graphic detector 2 in (a) of FIG. 2, a Boolean subtraction operation is performed on the one graphic unit and the two first graphic detectors, and another graphic area in the one graphic unit is determined as the second graphic detector. The hatched area in (b) of FIG. 2 is the second graphic detector, and the corresponding position is the position of the second graphic detector. In this case, as shown in (c) of FIG. 2, the one graphic unit may correspond to three graphic detectors, that is, first graphic detector 1, first graphic detector 2, and second graphic detector, respectively.

[0046] It should be noted that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not limit any one graphic unit, the number and position of the first graphic detector, and the number and position of the second graphic detector in the embodiments of the present application.

[0047] In step 103, a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout is detected based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, and defects present in the scanning electron microscope image are determined.

[0048] Here, after determining a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position, and a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position, a corresponding third position in an SEM image corresponding to the design layout can be determined based on the first detection position. Then, a corresponding fourth position in an SEM image corresponding to the design layout can be determined based on the second detection position. The first detector can be used to detect at the third position to obtain a first detection result, for example, to determine a specific simple defect type. The second detector can be used to detect at the fourth position to obtain a second detection result, for example, to determine whether a defect exists. The defects present in the SEM image can then be identified based on the first and second detection results.

[0049] That is, a first graphic detector is used to detect defects that match the graphic rule description, and a second graphic detector can be used to detect complex graphics that cannot be detected by the first graphic detector. Therefore, even if there are missing parts in the detection of the first graphic detector, after performing a Boolean operation on the design layout and the first graphic detector, all areas other than the first detection positions in the design layout become each type of second graphic detector and are not affected by the rule description. Therefore, when defect detection is performed on an SEM image based on the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector, it is guaranteed that there are no missed detection positions in the entire SEM image, and the comprehensiveness and accuracy of defect detection can be improved.

[0050] Therefore, in the embodiments of the present application, SEM images can be detected by a first graphic detector and a second graphic detector, and in the process of determining the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector, each area of the graphic unit in the design layout is fully taken into consideration, so that the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector are determined more comprehensively and reliably. Furthermore, when detecting SEM images using the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector, missed detections can be effectively avoided, and the accuracy and reliability of defect detection in SEM images can be improved.

[0051] In an embodiment of the present application, first, a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector are determined based on a design layout, then a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector are determined based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector, and then a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout is detected based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, to determine defects present in the scanning electron microscope image. This allows the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position to be determined based on the design layout, and then the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position to be determined, and then defect detection can be performed on the scanning electron microscope image. In the process of determining the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector, by fully considering each area of the graphic unit in the design layout, the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector can be determined more comprehensively and reliably. Therefore, when performing defect detection, detection omissions can be effectively avoided, and the accuracy and reliability of defect detection on the scanning electron microscope image can be improved.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, the method for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image can include the following steps:

[0053] In step 301, based on a preset graphic description rule, the design layout is traversed to determine the type of each first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position in the design layout of each first graphic detector.

[0054] In step 302, a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector are determined based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the corresponding first detection position of the first graphic detector.

[0055] In step 303, when the design layout and the scanning electron microscope image are aligned, a third detection position corresponding to the first detection position and a fourth detection position corresponding to the second detection position are determined in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0056] Here, various methods may be used to align the design layout and the scanning electron microscope image. For example, the geometric centers of the design layout and the SEM image may be determined first, and then the two may be aligned. Alternatively, the geometric centers of the design layout and the SEM image may be determined first, and then a first central pattern unit closest to the geometric center in the design layout and a second central pattern unit closest to the geometric center in the SEM image may be determined, and the second central pattern unit and the first central pattern unit may be aligned, thereby achieving alignment between the design layout and the SEM image, but this application is not limited to this method.

[0057] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, when a design layout and an SEM image are aligned, a third detection position corresponding to a first detection position in the design layout of a first graphic detector can be determined in the SEM image based on the first detection position, and a fourth detection position corresponding to the second detection position in the SEM image can be determined based on the second detection position in the design layout of a second graphic detector, but this is not limited to this.

[0058] For example, based on the coordinates of the first detection position in the design layout, the corresponding coordinate position in the SEM image may be determined as the corresponding third detection position, and based on the coordinates of the second detection position in the design layout, the corresponding coordinate position in the SEM image may be determined as the corresponding fourth detection position, but this application is not limited to this.

[0059] It should be noted that step 302 may be executed first and then step 303, or step 303 may be executed first and then step 302, or step 302 and step 303 may be executed simultaneously, but this application is not limited to this.

[0060] In step 304, based on the first graphic detector corresponding to the first detection position, detection is performed at a third detection position to obtain a first detection result.

[0061] Here, after determining a third detection position based on the first detection position, a first graphic detector corresponding to the first detection position can be used to detect at the third detection position to obtain a first detection result. For example, if the first graphic detector is an "open line" type, the "open line" detector can be directly used to detect at the third detection position to determine whether an "open line" defect exists at the third detection position. If an "open line" defect exists, the first detection result can be determined to be that an "open line" defect exists at the third detection position. If an "open line" defect does not exist, the first detection result can be determined to be that an "open line" defect does not exist at the third detection position.

[0062] In step 305, based on the second graphic detector corresponding to the second detection position, detection is performed at a fourth detection position to obtain a second detection result.

[0063] Here, after determining the fourth detection position based on the second detection position, a second graphic detector corresponding to the second detection position can be used to detect at the fourth detection position to obtain a second detection result.

[0064] For example, if the second graphic detector is a "complex" type, the "complex" detector can be directly used to detect at a fourth detection position to determine whether a "complex" defect exists at the fourth detection position, etc., but this application is not limited to this.

[0065] It should be understood that the first graphic detector may be a simple graphic detector capable of detecting a specific simple defect type, and the second graphic detector may be a detector different from the first graphic detector, and the second graphic detector may have a graphic description rule different from that of the first graphic detector, and may be capable of detecting any complex defect. For example, the second graphic detector may have a general-purpose complex graphic description rule for detecting any complex graphic, and may be able to determine whether a complex type defect exists, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0066] As a result, in the embodiment of the present application, the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector can realize the detection of all graphic units in the design layout, effectively avoiding missed detections, and improving the accuracy and reliability of defect detection.

[0067] Optionally, after determining a fourth detection position in the SEM image corresponding to the second detection position, calculation and detection may be performed on the graphic unit at the fourth detection position, such as gray level detection, graphic completeness calculation, etc. to determine whether a defect exists. To determine whether a defect exists, calculation and detection may be performed in any selectable manner, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0068] In step 306, defects present in the scanning electron microscope image are determined based on the first detection result and the second detection result.

[0069] Here, the first detection result and the second detection result can be identified as defects present in the SEM image. Alternatively, the first detection result and the corresponding third detection position, the second detection result and the corresponding fourth detection position, etc. may be determined as defects present in the SEM image and their positions, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0070] Optionally, in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the first detection result being greater than a first threshold, the defect corresponding to the first detection result is determined as a first defect, and in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the second detection result being greater than a second threshold, the defect corresponding to the second detection result is determined as a second defect, and the first defect and the second defect are determined as defects in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0071] Here, the matching degree can be used to indicate the accuracy of the detection result, and a higher matching degree can indicate a more accurate detection result, and a lower matching degree can indicate a less accurate detection result, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0072] The first and second thresholds may be preset values, may be equal or unequal, and may be adjusted according to actual circumstances. For example, the first threshold may be set to a large value to improve the accuracy of simple defect detection, and the second threshold may be set to a relatively small value to ensure the comprehensiveness and completeness of complex defect detection. For example, the first threshold may be 0.9 and the second threshold may be 0.6. Alternatively, to further improve the accuracy of complex defect detection, the second threshold may be set to a large value, such as 0.85 or 0.9, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0073] For example, when the first threshold is 0.88 and the second threshold is 0.65, the defect types and matching degrees in the first detection result are, respectively, "open line type 1" matching degree 0.93, "bridge type 1" matching degree 0.6, "open line type 2" matching degree 0.95, and "bridge type 2" matching degree 0.96, the first defect can be determined to be open line type 1, open line type 2, or bridge type 2. When the defect types and matching degrees in the second detection result are, respectively, "complex defect 1" matching degree 0.75, "complex defect 2" matching degree 0.6, and "complex defect 3" matching degree 0.4, the second defect can be determined to be complex defect 1.

[0074] Alternatively, if the defects and matching degrees in the second detection result are such that the matching degree of the "combination of open wire type and open wire type" is 0.7, the matching degree of the "combination of bridge type and bridge type" is 0.68, and the matching degree of the "combination of open wire type and bridge type" is 0.55, respectively, it may be determined that the second defect is a combination of open wire type and open wire type, a combination of bridge type and bridge type, etc., but this application is not limited to this.

[0075] Optionally, a certain threshold range may be set, for example, a first threshold range and a second threshold range may be set, and the first threshold range and the second threshold range may be adjusted based on indicators such as the accuracy of defect detection, the completeness and comprehensiveness of defect detection, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0076] It should be noted that the above example is merely illustrative and does not limit the method of determining the first defect and the second defect in the embodiments of the present application.

[0077] After determining the first defect and the second defect, the first defect and the second defect may be determined as defects in the SEM image, or when determining the defects in the scanning electron microscope image, the first defect and the second defect may be determined, or the position corresponding to each defect in the first defect and the position corresponding to each defect in the second defect may be determined, etc., but it should be understood that the present application is not limited to this.

[0078] During the actual production process, there is a possibility that a wafer may be scratched due to a malfunction, which may result in defects such as scratches. Therefore, it should be understood that in this application, defect detection is performed on areas that do not include graphic units, thereby ensuring the completeness and comprehensiveness of defect detection.

[0079] Optionally, a first region in the design layout that does not include a graphic unit may be determined, and then a second region in the scanning electron microscope image that corresponds to the first region may be determined, and the second region may be detected based on a predetermined detection rule to determine defects present in the second region.

[0080] Here, a first region that does not include a graphic unit can be determined based on the position of the graphic unit in the design layout, and it may be a regular region or an irregular region, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0081] There may be multiple types of predetermined detection rules, and for example, it is possible to set an allowable range of gradation values, or a pixel value to be a certain fixed numerical value, but this application is not limited to this.

[0082] For example, the predetermined detection rule may determine that if the allowable range of gradation values is [200, 255], and if the gradation value at a certain position 1 in the current second region is 0 and exceeds the allowable range of the gradation value, a defect may exist at that position, and then analyze the image data at the second position of the SEM image to determine the existing defect, etc., but this application is not limited to this.

[0083] Optionally, the predetermined detection rule may be whether the gradation value is equal to the average gradation value corresponding to the second region, and if the gradation value is equal to the average gradation value corresponding to the second region, no defect exists. For example, if the current average gradation value in the second region is 60, the gradation value at a certain position 6 in the second region is 40, and the gradation value at a certain position 7 in the second region is 80, it can be determined that a defect or the like exists in the second region based on the predetermined detection rule, but this application is not limited to this.

[0084] Optionally, the predetermined detection rule may be whether the deviation between the gradation value and the gradation average value corresponding to the second region is within a certain range, and if the deviation is within the certain range, no defect exists.

[0085] For example, if the predetermined detection rule is that the deviation between the gradation value and the average gradation value is within 5, and the current average gradation value in the second region is 100, and the gradation value at a certain position 2 in the second region is 50, and the deviation between the current average gradation value and the average gradation value of 100 exceeds 5, it can be determined that a defect exists in the second region. Alternatively, if the current average gradation value in the second region is 80, and the gradation value at a certain position 3 in the second region is 120, and the deviation between the current average gradation value and the average gradation value exceeds 5, it can be determined that a defect exists in the second region. Alternatively, if the current average gradation value in the second region is 50, the gradation value at a certain position 4 in the second region is 78, and the gradation value at a certain position 5 in the second region is 41, and the deviation between both of these and the average gradation value exceeds 5, it can be determined that a defect or the like exists in the second region, but this application is not limited to this. It should be understood that a blank region that does not include a graphic unit can be divided into a region close to the design layout region and a region far from the design layout region, and thus, in an embodiment of the present application, the first region can be divided into multiple sub-regions, and the second region can be detected based on each sub-region to determine possible defects in the second region.

[0086] Optionally, if the first area is larger than the reference area, the first area can be divided into multiple sub-areas, and then a target predetermined detection rule corresponding to each sub-area can be determined based on a preset relationship table, and a target sub-area corresponding to each sub-area can be determined in the scanning electron microscope image, and each target sub-area can be detected based on the target predetermined detection rule to determine defects existing in each target sub-area.

[0087] Here, the reference area may be a predetermined area, and if the first area is smaller than the reference area, it is considered that the first area is close to the design layout, its area range is relatively small, and it does not need to be divided into sub-areas. If the first area is larger than the reference area, it is considered that its area range is relatively large, and it includes an area portion close to the design layout and an area portion far from the design layout. Therefore, the first area can be divided into multiple sub-areas. For example, the first area can be divided into sub-areas 1 and 2, each smaller than the reference area and larger than the reference area, or the first area can be equally divided according to the area size to obtain multiple sub-areas, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0088] In addition, the preset relationship table may include a correspondence relationship between each sub-area and a predetermined detection rule, for example, a mapping relationship between three sub-areas and the corresponding predetermined detection rule, a mapping relationship between four sub-areas and the corresponding predetermined detection rule, or a mapping relationship between ten sub-areas and the corresponding predetermined detection rule, but this application is not limited to this.

[0089] For example, if the first region is divided into three subregions, the relationship table can be traversed to obtain the mapping relationship between the three subregions and the corresponding predetermined detection rules. For example, if the distances between subregion 1, subregion 2, and subregion 3 and the design layout are arranged in descending order, and the predetermined detection rule corresponding to subregion 1 has an allowable range of gradation values of [0, 100], the predetermined detection rule corresponding to subregion 2 has an allowable range of gradation values of [101, 200], and the predetermined detection rule corresponding to subregion 3 has an allowable range of gradation values of [201, 225], it can be determined that the target predetermined detection rule 1 for subregion 1 should satisfy the gradation value of [0, 100], the target predetermined detection rule 2 for subregion 2 should satisfy the gradation value of [101, 200], and the target predetermined detection rule 3 for subregion 3 should satisfy the gradation value of [201, 225], but this is not limited thereto.

[0090] Then, in the SEM image, a target sub-area corresponding to each sub-area can be determined. For example, when the design layout and the SEM image are aligned, the target sub-area corresponding to each sub-area can be determined based on coordinate positions, or the target sub-area corresponding to each sub-area can be determined in any selectable manner, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0091] It should be understood that after determining the target sub-area corresponding to each sub-area in the SEM image, the target predetermined detection rule corresponding to each sub-area can be used to detect the corresponding target sub-area and determine whether a defect exists in each target sub-area.

[0092] For example, target predetermined detection rule 1 for subregion 1 specifies that the grayscale value should satisfy [0, 100], target predetermined detection rule 2 for subregion 2 specifies that the grayscale value should satisfy [101, 200], and target predetermined detection rule 3 for subregion 3 specifies that the grayscale value should satisfy [201, 225]. In this case, target subregion 1 can be detected in the SEM image to determine whether the grayscale value of target subregion 1 satisfies [0, 100]. If both are less than 100, it can be determined that no defect exists in target subregion 1. Then, the grayscale value of target subregion 2 in the SEM image can be detected according to target predetermined detection rule 2, and the grayscale value of target subregion 3 in the SEM image can be detected according to target predetermined detection rule 2 to determine whether defects exist in target subregions 2 and 3.

[0093] It should be noted that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not limit the number of target sub-regions, the number of defects, and the method of determining defects present in each target sub-region in the embodiments of the present application.

[0094] As a result, in the embodiment of the present application, the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector can not only realize detection based on contour extraction of graphic units, but also perform defect detection in blank areas that do not contain graphic units, and by detecting singular points, more possible defects can be determined, thereby realizing defect detection across the entire image, ensuring the completeness and comprehensiveness of defect detection, and further improving the accuracy of overall defect detection.

[0095] In an embodiment of the present application, first, a design layout is traversed based on a predetermined pattern description rule to determine the type of each first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position in the design layout of each first graphic detector; then, based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector, a second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector are determined; when the design layout and the scanning electron microscope image are aligned, a third detection position corresponding to the first detection position and a fourth detection position corresponding to the second detection position are determined in the scanning electron microscope image; then, based on the first graphic detector corresponding to the first detection position, detection is performed at the third detection position to obtain a first detection result, and based on the second graphic detector corresponding to the second detection position, detection is performed at the fourth detection position to obtain a second detection result; and then, based on the first detection result and the second detection result, defects present in the scanning electron microscope image can be determined. This allows the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position to be determined based on the design layout, and then the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position to be determined, and then defect detection can be performed on the SEM image. In the process of determining the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector, by fully considering each area of the graphic unit in the design layout, the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector can be determined more comprehensively and reliably. Furthermore, when performing defect detection, detection omissions can be effectively avoided, and the accuracy and reliability of defect detection on SEM images can be improved.

[0096] The present application provides an apparatus for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images, which includes a first determining module 410, a second determining module 420 and a first detecting module 430, as shown in FIG.

[0097] Here, the first determination module 410 is configured to determine a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector based on a design layout, the second determination module 420 is configured to determine a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and a first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector, and the first detection module 430 is configured to detect a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, and determine defects present in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first determination module 410 is specifically configured to traverse the design layout based on preset graphic description rules to determine the type of each first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position in the design layout for each first graphic detector.

[0099] In some embodiments, the second determination module 420 is specifically configured to, when there is another graphic area other than the first graphic detector in any one graphic unit in the design layout, determine the other graphic area as a second graphic detector, and determine the position of the second graphic detector in the design layout as a second detection position.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first detection module 430 includes a first determination unit for determining a third detection position corresponding to the first detection position and a fourth detection position corresponding to the second detection position in the scanning electron microscope image when the design layout and the scanning electron microscope image are aligned; a first detection unit for detecting at the third detection position based on a first graphic detector corresponding to the first detection position to obtain a first detection result; a second detection unit for detecting at the fourth detection position based on a second graphic detector corresponding to the second detection position to obtain a second detection result; and a second determination unit for determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image based on the first detection result and the second detection result.

[0101] In some embodiments, the second determination unit is specifically configured to determine a defect corresponding to the first detection result as a first defect in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the first detection result being greater than a first threshold, to determine a defect corresponding to the second detection result as a second defect in accordance with the degree of matching corresponding to the second detection result being greater than a second threshold, and to determine the first defect and the second defect as defects in the scanning electron microscope image.

[0102] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a third determination module for determining a first region in the design layout that does not include a graphic unit, a fourth determination module for determining a second region in the scanning electron microscope image that corresponds to the first region, and a second detection module for detecting the second region based on a predetermined detection rule and determining defects present in the second region.

[0103] In some embodiments, the second detection module is specifically configured to: divide the first area into a plurality of sub-areas when the first area is larger than a reference area; determine a target predetermined detection rule corresponding to each of the sub-areas based on a preset relationship table; determine a target sub-area corresponding to each of the sub-areas in the scanning electron microscope image; detect each of the target sub-areas based on the target predetermined detection rule; and determine defects present in each of the target sub-areas.

[0104] The defect determination device for scanning electron microscope images of the present application can first determine a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector based on a design layout, then determine a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and the first detection position corresponding to the first graphic detector, and then detect a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, to determine defects present in the scanning electron microscope image. This allows the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position to be determined based on the design layout, and then the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position to be determined, and then defect detection can be performed on the scanning electron microscope image. In the process of determining the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector, by fully considering each area of the graphic unit in the design layout, the first graphic detector and the second graphic detector can be determined more comprehensively and reliably, and detection omissions can be effectively avoided when performing defect detection, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of defect detection on the scanning electron microscope image.

[0105] It will be understood that specific features, acts, and details described herein with respect to the methods of the present application may equally apply to the apparatus and system of the present application, and vice versa, and that each step of the aforementioned methods of the present application may be performed by a corresponding component or unit of the apparatus or system of the present application.

[0106] All or part of each module / unit of the device of the present application may be realized by software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. Each module / unit may be embedded in a processor of an electronic device in the form of hardware or firmware, or may be independent of the processor, or may be stored in the memory of an electronic device in the form of software and called by the processor to perform the operations of each module / unit. It should be understood that each module / unit may be realized as an independent component or module, or two or more modules / units may be realized as a single component or module.

[0107] 5, the present application provides an electronic device 500 including a processor 501 and a memory 502 having computer program instructions stored therein. The processor 501, when executing the computer program instructions, performs the steps of the above-described method for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images. The electronic device 500 may broadly be a server, a terminal, or any other electronic device having the necessary computing and / or processing capabilities.

[0108] In one embodiment, the electronic device 500 may include a processor, memory, a network interface, a communication interface, etc., connected via a system bus. The processor of the electronic device 500 is used to provide necessary calculation, processing, and / or control capabilities. The memory of the electronic device 500 may include a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium may store an operating system, a computer program, etc. The internal memory may provide an environment for the execution of the operating system and the computer program in the non-volatile storage medium. The network interface and communication interface of the electronic device 500 are used to connect and communicate with external devices via a network. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the method of the present application are performed.

[0109] The present application provides a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the above-described method for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images.

[0110] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the steps of the methods of the present application can be performed by a computer program instructing associated hardware, such as the electronic device 500 or a processor, which may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and the steps of the present application can be performed when the computer program is executed. In some cases, any reference herein to memory, storage, or other medium may include non-volatile or volatile memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic tape, floppy disks, magneto-optical data storage devices, optical data storage devices, hard disks, solid-state disks, etc. Volatile memory includes random access memory (RAM) and external cache memory.

[0111] The technical features described above can be combined in any desired manner. Although not all possible combinations of these features are described, any combination of these features should be considered to be encompassed by this specification unless a contradiction arises.

[0112] It should be noted that the above examples are merely for explaining the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit the same. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above examples, it should be understood that a person skilled in the art may modify the technical solutions described in the above examples or make equivalent substitutions for some or all of the technical features therein, and such modifications or substitutions will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the examples of the present application.

Claims

1. determining, based on a design layout, a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector; determining a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout for the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and a corresponding first detection position for the first graphic detector; detecting a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and the corresponding second detection position, and determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image.

2. Determining a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position in the design layout of the first graphic detector based on the design layout includes:

2. The method for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images of claim 1, further comprising: traversing the design layout based on predetermined graphic description rules to determine the type of each first graphic detector and the corresponding first detection position in the design layout for each of the first graphic detectors.

3. determining a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detection position in the design layout of the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and a corresponding first detection position of the first graphic detector; If any one graphic unit in the design layout has another graphic area other than the first graphic detector, determining the other graphic area as a second graphic detector; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a position of the second graphic detector in the design layout as a second detection position.

4. detecting a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and corresponding first detection location, and the second graphic detector and corresponding second detection location, and determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image; determining, when the design layout and the scanning electron microscope image are aligned, a third detection position corresponding to the first detection position and a fourth detection position corresponding to the second detection position in the scanning electron microscope image; performing detection at the third detection position based on a first graphic detector corresponding to the first detection position to obtain a first detection result; performing detection at the fourth detection position based on a second graphic detector corresponding to the second detection position to obtain a second detection result; 2. The method for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image according to claim 1, further comprising determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image based on the first detection result and the second detection result.

5. determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image based on the first detection result and the second detection result, determining the defect corresponding to the first detection result as a first defect in response to a matching degree corresponding to the first detection result being greater than a first threshold; determining the defect corresponding to the second detection result as a second defect in response to a matching degree corresponding to the second detection result being greater than a second threshold; 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining the first defect and the second defect as defects in the scanning electron microscope image.

6. determining a first region in the design layout that does not include graphics units; determining a second region in the scanning electron microscope image that corresponds to the first region; 2. The method for determining defects in a scanning electron microscope image according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting the second region based on a predetermined detection rule and determining defects present in the second region.

7. Detecting the second region based on the predetermined detection rule and determining defects present in the second region includes: If the first region is larger than a reference region, dividing the first region into a plurality of sub-regions; determining a target predetermined detection rule corresponding to each of the sub-regions based on a preset relationship table; determining a target sub-region in the scanning electron microscope image corresponding to each of the sub-regions; 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: detecting each of the target sub-areas based on a predetermined target detection rule to determine defects present in each of the target sub-areas.

8. a first determination module for determining, based on a design layout, a first graphic detector and a corresponding first detection position of the first graphic detector in the design layout; a second determination module for determining a second graphic detector and a corresponding second detected position in the design layout of the second graphic detector based on the design layout, the first graphic detector, and a first detected position corresponding to the first graphic detector; and a first detection module for detecting a scanning electron microscope image corresponding to the design layout based on the first graphic detector and corresponding first detection position, and the second graphic detector and corresponding second detection position, and determining defects present in the scanning electron microscope image.

9. a processor and a memory having computer program instructions stored therein; 8. When the processor executes the computer program instructions, it implements the method for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images according to any one of claims 1 to 7. An electronic device characterized by:

10. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon, comprising: The computer program instructions, when executed by a processor, result in the method for determining defects in scanning electron microscope images according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

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