Mask inspecting apparatus

Claim 2

A mask inspecting apparatus for inspecting a pattern of a mask, the pattern of which is formed by an opaque material on a radiation-transmitting substrate, on the basis of numerical design data which indicate plural reference patterns, wherein the pattern of said mask is made by inverting at least one of said plural reference patterns and synthesizing said at least one of said plural reference patterns with the remainder of said plural reference patterns, said apparatus comprising: first operation means for attaching a first flag to data indicating said remainder of said reference patterns, and attaching a second flag to data indicating said at least one inverted reference pattern; second operation means for attaching said first flag to data indicating the entire area of said at least one inverted reference pattern; memory means; image forming means for storing in said memory means the data and attached flag from said second operation means and thereafter storing in said memory means the data and attached flags from said first operation means; and comparing means for comparing the data stored in said memory means with the pattern of said mask.

Claim 3

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first flag corresponds to one of two different logic values, and wherein said second flag corresponds to the other of said two different logic values.

Claim 4

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said memory means stores plural bits, wherein bits in at least one portion of said memory means are set to said other of said two different logic values before said memory means stores data from said image forming means, and wherein said image forming means then stores data at said at least one portion of said memory means.

Claim 5

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plural reference patterns do not overlap one another.

Claim 6

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises keyboard means for controlling flag attaching by said first operation means.

Claim 7

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises classifying means for classifying said design data to which are attached said flags by said first and second operation means into plural blocks corresponding to respective areas of said mask.

Claim 8

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said classifying means has another memory means including plural parts corresponding to said plural blocks and storing the blocks of classified design data.

Claim 9

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said image forming means successively reads data from said plural parts of said another memory means and successively stores the read data in the first-mentioned memory means.

Claim 10

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said comparing means compares the data stored in the first-mentioned memory means with the areas of said mask corresponding to the blocks of data stored therein.

Claim 11

A mask inspecting apparatus for inspecting a pattern of a mask, the pattern of which is formed by an opaque material on a radiation-transmitting substrate, on the basis of numerical design data which indicate plural reference patterns, wherein the pattern of said mask is made by inverting at least one of said plural reference patterns and synthesizing said at least one of said plural reference patterns with the remainder of said plural reference patterns, said apparatus comprising: first operation means for attaching a first flag to data indicating said remainder of said reference patterns, and attaching a second flag to data indicating said at least one inverted reference pattern; second operation means for attaching, to data indicating the entire area of either said at least one inverted reference pattern or said remainder of said reference patterns, a flag different from the flag which is attached by said first operation means to a corresponding one of said at least one inverted reference pattern or said remainder of said reference patterns; memory means; image forming means for storing in said memory means the data and attached flag from said second operation means and thereafter storing in said memory means the data and attached flags from said first operation means; and comparing means for comparing the data stored in said memory means with the pattern of said mask.

Claim 12

A mask inspecting apparatus for inspecting a pattern of a mask, the pattern of which is formed by an opaque material on a radiation-transmitting substrate, on the basis of numerical design data which indicate plural reference patterns, wherein the pattern of said mask is made by inverting at least one of said plural reference patterns and synthesizing said at least one of said plural reference patterns with the remainder of said plural reference patterns, said apparatus comprising: first operation means for attaching a first flag to data indicating said remainder of said reference patterns, and attaching a second flag to data indicating said at least one inverted reference pattern; second operation means for attaching, to data indicating the entire area of either said at least one inverted reference pattern or said remainder of said reference patterns, a flag different from the flag which is attached by said first operation means to a corresponding one of said at least one inverted reference pattern or said remainder of said reference patterns; memory means; image forming means for storing in said memory means the data and attached flag from said second operation means and thereafter storing in said memory means the data and attached flags from said first operation means; and comparing means for comparing the data stored in said memory means with the pattern of said mask.

Claim 13

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said first flag corresponds to one of two different logic values, and wherein said second flag corresponds to the other of said two different logic values.

Claim 14

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said memory means stores plural bits, wherein bits in at least one portion of said memory means are set to said other of said two different logic values before said memory means stores data from said image forming means, and wherein said image forming means then stores data at said at least one portion of said memory means.

Claim 15

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said plural reference patterns do not overlap one another.

Claim 16

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 11, which further comprises keyboard means for controlling flag attaching by said first operation means.

Claim 17

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 11, which further comprises classifying means for classifying said design data to which are attached said flags by said first and second operation means into plural blocks corresponding to respective areas of said mask.

Claim 18

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said classifying means has another memory means including plural parts corresponding to said plural blocks and storing the blocks of classified design data.

Claim 19

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said image forming means successively reads data from said plural parts of said another memory means and successively stores the read data in the first-mentioned memory means.

Claim 20

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said comparing means compares the data stored in the first-mentioned memory means with the areas of said mask corresponding to the blocks of data stored therein.

Claim 21

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said comparing means has a linear image sensor for detecting the pattern of said mask and producing an output, means for providing a relative displacement between said linear image sensor and said mask in a predetermined direction which is substantially perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of said linear image sensor, and reading means for successively reading the data from said first-mentioned memory means in a direction corresponding to the lengthwise direction of said linear image sensor, and wherein said comparing means compares the data read by said reading means with the output of said linear image sensor.

Claim 22

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said linear image sensor has a predetermined number of photoelectric elements, and wherein said memory means stores a number of bits along the direction corresponding to the lengthwise direction of said linear image sensor that is equal to said predetermined number of photoelectric elements.

Claim 23

A mask inspecting apparatus for inspecting a pattern of a mask, the pattern of which is formed by an opaque material on a radiation-transmitting substrate, on the basis of numerical design data having two different logic values indicating plural reference patterns, wherein the pattern of said mask is made by inverting at least two of said plural reference patterns and synthesizing said at least two reference patterns with the remainder of said plural reference patterns, said apparatus comprising: memory means provided with first and second memory parts; first operation means for attaching a first flag to data indicating said remainder of said reference patterns, and attaching a second flag to data indicating said at least two reference patterns, said first flag being indicated by one of said two different logic values, said second flag being indicated by the other of said two different logic values; second operation means for attaching said first flag to data indicating the areas occupied by said at least two reference patterns; first image forming means for storing in said first memory part the data indicating said remainder of said plural reference patterns and the first flag attached by said first operation means; second image forming means for repeatedly storing in said second memory part the data indicating the area occupied by each of said at least two reference patterns and the data indicating said at least two reference patterns to which said second flag is attached by said first operation means; means for transmitting the data stored in said second memory part to said first memory part upon completion of storing all of the data indicating one of said at least two reference patterns in said second memory part, and forming the logic sum of the data stored in said first memory part and the transmitted data; and comparing means responsive to the completion of transmitting all of the data indicating said at least two reference patterns for comparing the data stored in said first memory part with the pattern of said mask.

Claim 24

A mask inspecting apparatus for inspecting a pattern of a mask, the pattern of which is formed by an opaque material on a radiation-transmitting substrate, on the basis of numerical design data having two different logic values indicating plural reference patterns, wherein the pattern of said mask is made by inverting at least two of said plural reference patterns and synthesizing said at least two reference patterns with the remainder of said plural reference patterns, said apparatus comprising: memory means provided with first and second memory parts; first operation means for attaching a first flag to data indicating said remainder of said reference patterns, and attaching a second flag to data indicating said at least two reference patterns, said first flag being indicated by one of said two different logic values, said second flag being indicated by the other of said two different logic values; second operation means for attaching said first flag to data indicating the areas occupied by said at least two reference patterns; first image forming means for storing in said first memory part the data indicating said remainder of said plural reference patterns and the first flag attached by said first operation means; second image forming means for repeatedly storing in said second memory part the data indicating the area occupied by each of said at least two reference patterns and the data indicating said at least two reference patterns to which said second flag is attached by said first operation means; means for transmitting the data stored in said second memory part to said first memory part upon completion of storing all of the data indicating one of said at least two reference patterns in said second memory part, and forming the logic sum of the data stored in said first memory part and the transmitted data; and comparing means responsive to the completion of transmitting all of the data indicating said at least two reference patterns for comparing the data stored in said first memory part with the pattern of said mask.

Claim 25

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein each of said first and second memory parts stores plural bits, and wherein bits in said first and second memory parts are set to said other of said two different logic values before data is stored in said first and second memory parts by said first and second image forming means.

Claim 26

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 22, which further comprises keyboard means for controlling flag attaching by said first operation means.

Claim 27

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 23, which further comprises classifying means for classifying said design data to which are attached said flags by said first and second operation means into plural blocks corresponding to respective areas of said mask.

Claim 28

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said classifying means has another memory means including plural parts corresponding to said plural blocks and storing the blocks of classified design data.

Claim 29

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said first and second image forming means successively read data from said plural parts of said another memory means and successively store the read data in said first and second memory parts of the first-mentioned memory means.

Claim 30

A mask inspecting apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said comparing means compares the data stored in the first-mentioned memory means with the areas of said mask corresponding to the blocks of data stored therein.