Abstract: A new reticle inspection system with laser UV imaging has been developed to detect defects on advanced reticles for DUV steppers. The extension to UV wavelength improves the resolution of the imaging optics while maintaining compatibility with current inspection algorithms, thus improving sensitivity and minimum linewidth capability. A system level description of the changes made to the optics, mechanics, and software are presented. Using both programmed defect test masks and real production reticles, initial observations of the nature and frequency of defects detected with this 150 nm sensitivity instrument will be presented. Preliminary characteristics of this system include the number and types of defects captured at multiple pixel sizes. Comparisons with non-UV systems illustrate the advantage of utilizing shorter wavelengths for reticle inspection. The quality of defect review images has a direct impact on the effectiveness and ease-of-use of reticle inspection systems. The high quality, UV images available from the new system can be viewed in both normal and sharpened defect review displays. The defect review images show the result of high NA, UV laser imaging and image sharpening applied at defect review. !0
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