METHODS AND APPARATUS TO IMPROVE DETECTION OF DEFECTS IN PHOTOMASK BLANKS

Abstract: systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods to improve detection of defects in photomask blanks are disclosed. an example apparatus includes: interface circuitry; machine readable instructions; and programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to: identify a first potential defect in a photomask blank based on an intensity value not satisfying a first threshold but satisfying a second threshold, the intensity value based on pixel data associated with a first type of inspection of the photomask blank; and designate the first potential defect as a detected defect based on first coordinates for the first potential defect being within a threshold distance of second coordinates for a second potential defect, the second potential defect identified based on a second type of inspection of the photomask blank.

Inventor(s): Yoshihiro Tezuka, Annelise Rachel Beck, Chang Ju Choi, Eric Alan Frendberg, Richard Seiji Oka

CPC Classification: G03F1/84 (PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices ; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes ; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor ))

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