Mask pattern inspecting method, inspection apparatus, inspecting data used therein and inspecting data generating method

Abstract

A method of inspecting a photomask for a semiconductor integrated circuit formed based on drawing pattern data, includes the steps of classifying a drawing pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of ranks in accordance with a predetermined reference and extracting the same, determining inspecting accuracy for each of the ranks, and deciding quality of the photomask depending on whether the determined inspecting accuracy is satisfied.

1 . A method of inspecting a photomask for a semiconductor integrated circuit formed based on drawing pattern data, comprising the steps of: 
 classifying a drawing pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of ranks in accordance with a reference depending on a feature of the drawing pattern and extracting the same;    determining inspecting accuracy for each of the ranks; and    deciding quality of the photomask depending on whether the determined inspecting accuracy is satisfied for each drawing pattern thus extracted.    
   
   
       2 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the reference is a functional feature of the drawing pattern, and 
 the extracting step serves to classify the drawing pattern into a plurality of ranks and to extract the same depending on a circuit-functional feature of a pattern formed by the drawing pattern.    
   
   
       3 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 2 , wherein the extracting step includes a step of classifying the drawing pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of ranks and a step of extracting the same depending on whether the drawing pattern is a dummy pattern.  
   
   
       4 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 3 , wherein the extracting step further includes a step of classifying the drawing pattern into a plurality of ranks depending on whether a pattern adjacent to the drawing pattern is a dummy pattern.  
   
   
       5 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the extracting step a step of classifying the drawing pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of ranks and to extract the same depending on whether the drawing pattern has the same node.  
   
   
       6 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the reference is a feature of a shape of the drawing pattern, and 
 the extracting step includes a step of classifying the drawing pattern into a plurality of ranks and to extract the same depending on the feature of the shape of the drawing pattern.    
   
   
       7 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 6 , wherein the extracting step serves to classify the drawing pattern into a plurality of ranks and to extract the same based on a distance from the closest pattern.  
   
   
       8 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 6 , wherein the extracting step serves to classify the drawing pattern into a plurality of ranks and to extract the same based on a distance from a corner of the drawing pattern.  
   
   
       9 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the extracting step serves to classify the drawing pattern into the ranks and to extract the same depending on the reference for each pattern.  
   
   
       10 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the extracting step serves to classify the drawing pattern into the ranks and to extract the same depending on the reference for each pattern edge.  
   
   
       11 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the extracting step serves to classify the drawing pattern into the ranks and to extract the same depending on the reference for each area.  
   
   
       12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the deciding step serves to detect whether the drawing pattern is a dummy pattern and to relax the accuracy condition when the drawing pattern is the dummy pattern.  
   
   
       14 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 13 , wherein the deciding step serves to further relax the accuracy condition when a pattern adjacent to the drawing pattern is the dummy pattern.  
   
   
       15 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the deciding step serves to detect whether at least two patterns have the same node and to relax the accuracy condition when they have the same node.  
   
   
       16 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the deciding step serves to detect whether at least two patterns have the same node based on a pattern in the same layer and to relax the accuracy condition when they have the same node.  
   
   
       17 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the deciding step serves to detect whether at least two patterns have the same node by a contact through a pattern in a layer positioned on or under the layer, and to relax the accuracy condition when they have the same node.  
   
   
       18 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein when the drawing pattern is a wiring pattern including a contact array, 
 the deciding step serves to detect whether one contact array or more is/are taken and to change the accuracy condition depending on whether one contact array or more is/are taken.    
   
   
       19 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein when the drawing pattern is a pattern for forming a contact hole, 
 the deciding step serves to detect whether one contact array or more is/are taken and to change the accuracy condition depending on whether one contact array or more is/are taken.    
   
   
       20 . The method of inspecting a photomask according to  claim 1 , wherein the feature is a relational expression of a manufacturing defect density and a manufacturing defect size, and 
 the extracting step includes a step of classifying the drawing pattern into two ranks and a step of extracting the same depending on whether a critical point determined by an intersection of the relational expression of the manufacturing defect density and the manufacturing defect size in a photomask and a relational expression of a pattern area weighed by a manufacturing defect generation probability on a pattern and the manufacturing defect size is exceeded based on the critical point.    
   
   
       21 . An apparatus for inspecting a photomask for a semiconductor integrated circuit formed based on drawing pattern data, comprising: 
 means for classifying a drawing pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of ranks in accordance with a predetermined feature reference and extracting a plurality of pattern data;    means for determining inspecting accuracy which is required for each of the ranks and generating accuracy data; and    means for deciding whether the pattern data satisfy the accuracy data for each of the classified pattern data.    
   
   
       22 . Inspecting data of a photomask for a semiconductor integrated circuit formed based on drawing pattern data, comprising: 
 a plurality of pattern data extracted by a classification of a drawing pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of ranks in accordance with a predetermined feature reference; and    accuracy data indicative of inspecting accuracy which is required for each of the ranks.    
   
   
       23 . A method of generating inspecting data of a photomask for a semiconductor integrated circuit formed based on drawing pattern data, comprising the steps of: 
 classifying a drawing pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of ranks in accordance with a predetermined feature reference and extracting a plurality of pattern data; and    determining inspecting accuracy which is required for each of the ranks and generating accuracy data.