TOPOLOGY-BASED IMAGE RENDERING IN CHARGED-PARTICLE BEAM INSPECTION SYSTEMS

摘要

The embodiments provided herein disclose systems and methods of image alignment, particularly alignment of inspection images with reference images or rendered images for wafer metrology and inspection. One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to an image alignment method. The method may include obtaining an image of a sample and obtaining information associated with a corresponding reference image. The method may further include generating a modified rendered image by modifying a rendered image of the corresponding reference image such that a topology of the rendered image is substantially preserved; and aligning the image of the sample with the modified rendered image. Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to an image alignment system. The system may comprise a memory storing a set of instructions, and a processor configured to execute the set of instructions to cause the image alignment system to obtain an image of a sample and obtain information associated with a corresponding reference image. The executable set of instructions may further cause the image alignment system to generate a modified rendered image by modifying a rendered image of the corresponding reference image such that a topology of the rendered image is substantially preserved; and align the image of the sample with the modified rendered image. Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions that is executable by one or more processors of an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform a method of image alignment. The method may comprise obtaining an image of the sample and obtaining information associated with a corresponding reference image. The method may further include generating a modified rendered image by modifying a rendered image of the corresponding reference image such that a topology of the rendered image is substantially preserved; and aligning the image of the sample with the modified rendered image. Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to an image alignment method. The method may include obtaining an image of the sample, obtaining information associated with a corresponding reference image, generating a modified rendered image by blurring a rendered image of the corresponding reference image such that a Topology of the rendered image is substantially preserved, wherein a degree of blurring is based on a characteristic of the topology; and aligning the image of the sample with the blurred rendered image. Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to an image alignment system. The system may comprise a memory storing a set of instructions, and a processor configured to execute the set of instructions to cause the image alignment system to obtain an image of the sample and obtain information associated with a corresponding reference image. The executable set of instructions may further cause the image alignment system to generate a modified rendered image by blurring a rendered image of the corresponding reference image such that a topology of the rendered image is substantially preserved, wherein a degree of blurring is based on a characteristic of the topology; and align the image of the sample with the blurred rendered image. Other advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of the present invention.