1. A reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus, comprising:
a lithographic emulation system for generating a transferred image for a reticle pattern, the lithographic emulation system including an optical emulation system and an image processing unit; and
a defect correcting system for correcting a defect in the reticle pattern based on the transferred image, the defect correcting system including a defect correcting unit and a control unit for controlling the defect correcting unit,
wherein the image processing unit, based on observed information of a corrected area on a wafer transferred image through the optical emulation system, calculates a difference between a current correction level and predetermined permissible specifications for the wafer transferred image and transmits information on the difference to the control unit, and
wherein the defect correcting system repeats the correcting of the reticle pattern defect and the image processing unit repeats the calculating of the difference until the calculated difference is within a permissible range.
2. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing unit has a function of running a simulation based on light information received by said light receiving device and patterning characteristic information on a photo resist, which has been previously input to said image processing unit, to produce a simulation display of a photoresist pattern to be transferred onto a semiconductor wafer.
3. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit calculates a difference between a level of correction in the transferred image and a permissible specification, and
if the difference is not within a permissible range, then the control unit controls the defect correcting unit to continue an operation of correcting the defect, and
if the difference is within a permissible range, then the control unit moves the defect correcting unit to a position of another defect in the reticle pattern.
4. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the defect correcting unit further includes a microscope for monitoring a shape of the defect in the reticle pattern and generating a defect shape observation image, and
wherein the control unit compares the transferred image and the defect shape observation image and controls the defect correcting unit to correct the defect based on the comparison.
5. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical emulation system comprises a projection optical lens system which focuses irradiation light that has passed through the reticle pattern onto an image-forming surface as a transfer optical image, and the image processing unit transforms the transfer optical image into the transferred image by simulation.
6. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transferred image comprises a simulated image of a pattern to be transferred onto a semiconductor wafer by the reticle pattern.
7. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the defect correcting system corrects the defect in the reticle pattern while the lithographic emulation system observes the transferred image for the reticle pattern.
8. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said defect correcting unit comprises a micromachining defect correcting mechanism including a cantilever.
9. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical emulation system includes an illumination optical lens system for leading irradiation light from a light source to a reticle, a projection optical lens system for projecting and focusing the irradiation light having passed through said reticle onto a photo receiver and a light receiving device provided in said photo receiver.
10. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said illumination optical lens system and said projection optical lens system have optical characteristics equivalent to optical characteristics of an illumination optical lens system and projection optical lens system for transferring said reticle pattern to a semiconductor wafer surface.
11. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, as a part of said defect correcting system, and said image processing unit, as a part of said lithographic emulation system, are connected to each other.
12. The reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control unit can monitor the image displayed on said image processing unit.
13. A reticle pattern defect correcting method for correcting a reticle pattern defect, the method comprising:
in a reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus comprising a lithographic emulation system including an optical emulation system and an image processing unit; and a defect correcting system including a defect correcting unit and a control unit:
mounting a reticle on said optical emulation system and locating a reticle pattern defect;
correcting said reticle pattern defect using said defect correcting system;
running a simulation based on light information received by a light receiving device provided for a photo receiver of said optical emulation system and patterning characteristic information on a photo resist which has been previously input to said image processing unit, to produce a simulation transferred image comprising a simulation display of a photoresist pattern to be transferred onto a semiconductor wafer;
calculating a difference between a correction level in the transferred image of the photoresist pattern, simulation-displayed on said image processing unit, and predetermined permissible specifications; and
repeating the correcting of the reticle pattern defect, the running of the simulation and the calculating of the difference until said calculated difference has been eliminated.
14. The reticle pattern defect correcting method according to claim 13, wherein said defect correcting unit comprises a micromachining defect correcting unit including a cantilever.
15. The reticle pattern defect correcting method according to claim 13, wherein the correction of the reticle pattern defect at said correcting said reticle pattern defect is carried out while the simulation transferred image of the reticle pattern to be transferred on the semiconductor wafer is being observed.
16. The reticle pattern defect correcting method according to claim 15, wherein said simulation transferred image is obtained using an apparatus having optical characteristics equivalent to optical characteristics of a light source used in an actual exposure device, an illumination optical lens system and a projection optical lens system, by performing a simulation based on the light information received by the light receiving device provided on an image forming surface and parameters that contribute to a patterning shape of the photo resist.
17. The reticle pattern defect correcting method according to claim 16, wherein a result of said simulation executed by the image processing unit as a part of said lithographic emulation system is transmitted to the control unit as a part of said defect correcting system, so that the reticle pattern defect is corrected using said defect correcting unit while the simulation transferred image on the semiconductor wafer, which is displayed on said control unit, is being monitored.
18. A reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus, comprising:
an optical emulation system which focuses irradiation light that has passed through a reticle pattern to form a transfer optical image on a surface;
an image processing unit which transforms the transfer optical image into a transferred image by simulation and calculates a difference between a current correction level and predetermined permissible specifications for the transferred image; and
a defect correcting unit which corrects a defect in the reticle pattern; and
a control unit which controls the defect correcting unit to correct the defect based on the transferred image while the optical emulation system observes the transferred image,
wherein the defect correcting unit repeats the correcting of the reticle pattern defect and the image processing unit repeats the calculating of the difference until the calculated difference is within a permissible range.
19. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by using a reticle having a pattern defect repaired by a reticle pattern defect correcting method, the reticle pattern defect correcting method comprising:
in a reticle pattern defect correcting apparatus comprising a lithographic emulation system including an optical emulation system and an image processing unit, and a defect correcting system and a control unit:
mounting a reticle on said optical emulation system and locating a reticle pattern defect;
correcting said reticle pattern defect using said defect correcting system;
running a simulation based on light information received by a light receiving device provided for a photo receiver of said optical emulation system and patterning characteristic information on a photo resist, which has been previously input to said image processing unit, to produce a simulation transferred image comprising a simulation display of a photoresist pattern to be transferred onto a semiconductor wafer;
calculating a difference between a correction level in the transferred image of the photoresist pattern, simulation-displayed on said image processing unit, and predetermined permissible specifications; and
repeating the correcting of the reticle pattern defect, the running of the simulation and the calculating of the difference until said calculated difference has been eliminated.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of assessing a hydrocarbon source rock candidate, comprising:
providing seismic data for a region of the Earth;
analysing the data to determine the presence, thickness, and lateral extent of candidate source rock based on the seismic behaviour of hydrocarbon source rocks, wherein the presence of the candidate source rock is determined from
an upper boundary having a fall in acoustic impedance greater than a first threshold value, andor
a lower boundary having a rise in acoustic impedance greater than a second threshold value;
providing an estimate of the organic content of the candidate source rock from acoustic impedance; and
providing an estimate of the hydrocarbon generation potential of the candidate source rock from the thickness and lateral extent of the candidate source rock and from the estimate of the organic content.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the organic content may comprise hydrocarbon, and in which the step of providing an estimate of the hydrocarbon generation potential of the candidate source rock comprises providing an estimate of the amount andor distribution, or at least an indication of the presence, of hydrocarbon contained in or held by the candidate source rock.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the organic content may comprise natural gas, and in which the step of providing an estimate of the hydrocarbon generation potential of the candidate source rock comprises providing an estimate of the amount andor distribution, or at least an indication of the presence, of natural gas contained in or held by the candidate source rock.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3, in which the candidate source rock comprises a shale gas reservoir, and wherein the natural gas comprises shale gas.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the step of providing an estimate of the hydrocarbon generation potential comprises providing an estimate of the hydrocarbon already generated.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the analysing step comprises determining the thickness of the candidate source rock from the lower boundary having a rise in acoustic impedance greater than a second threshold value.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, in which the organic content estimate is derived from the acoustic impedance profile between the upper and lower boundaries and a predetermined relationship between acoustic impedance and organic content.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the organic content estimate is derived from the acoustic impedance and a predetermined relationship between acoustic impedance and organic content.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which, in the case that the presence of the candidate source rock is determined from an upper boundary having a fall in acoustic impedance greater than a first threshold value, the analysing step comprises determining the presence of the candidate source rock from an upper boundary having an Amplitude Versus Offset Class 4 response.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, comprising determining the presence of the candidate source rock from an upper boundary having an Amplitude Versus Offset Class 4 response with a wider extent than non-source rock exhibiting an Amplitude Versus Offset Class 4 response.
11. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which, in the case that the presence of the candidate source rock is determined from a lower boundary having a rise in acoustic impedance greater than a second threshold value, the analysing step comprises determining the presence of the candidate source rock from a lower boundary having an Amplitude Versus Offset Class 1 response.
12. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the organic content estimate is derived from well-log data in or adjacent the region of interest.
13. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the analysing step comprises determining the presence of the candidate source rock by analysing the lateral extent of continuous boundaries having an expected seismic response.
14. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the analysing step comprises determining the presence of the candidate source rock on the basis of faults which detach near a lower boundary and which do not reach higher than substantially 100 meters above an upper boundary.
15. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the further step of performing basin modelling based on the seismic characteristics of the candidate source rock.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15, comprising the further step of ranging basins, plays and prospects on the basis of the basin model.
17. The method as claimed in claim 15, comprising the further step of controlling exploration or production on the basis of the basin model.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, in which the step of controlling production comprises selecting a location or area for drilling a well.
19. A computer program for performing a method as claimed in claim 1.
20. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program as claimed in claim 19.
21. A computer programmed by a program as claimed in claim 19.
22. An apparatus comprising means for performing a method as claimed in claim 1.
23. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source rocks are organic rich rock which have produced or are able to produce hydrocarbons if heated sufficiently.
24. A method of assessing a hydrocarbon source rock candidate in relation to its hydrocarbon content, comprising:
providing seismic data for a region of the Earth;
analysing the data to determine the presence, thickness, and lateral extent of candidate source rock based on the seismic behaviour of hydrocarbon source rocks, wherein the presence of the candidate source rock is determined from
an upper boundary having a fall in acoustic impedance greater than a first threshold value, andor
a lower boundary having a rise in acoustic impedance greater than a second threshold value;
providing an estimate of the organic content of the candidate source rock from acoustic impedance, the organic content possibly comprising hydrocarbon; and
providing an estimate of the amount andor distribution, or at least an indication of the presence, of hydrocarbon contained in or held by the candidate source rock from the thickness and lateral extent of the candidate source rock and from the estimate of the organic content.
25. A method of assessing a hydrocarbon source rock candidate in relation to its natural gas content, comprising:
providing seismic data for a region of the Earth;
analysing the data to determine the presence, thickness, and lateral extent of candidate source rock based on the seismic behaviour of hydrocarbon source rocks, wherein the presence of the candidate source rock is determined from
an upper boundary having a fall in acoustic impedance greater than a first threshold value, andor
a lower boundary having a rise in acoustic impedance greater than a second threshold value;
providing an estimate of the organic content of the candidate source rock from acoustic impedance, the organic content possibly comprising natural gas; and
providing an estimate of the amount andor distribution, or at least an indication of the presence, of natural gas contained in or held by the candidate source rock from the thickness and lateral extent of the candidate source rock and from the estimate of the organic content.