Abstract: A defective part recognition device includes a microscope for obtaining a magnified image of a unit area for recognizing a defective part on the surface of a multi-layer film substrate; a spectral camera having an imaging surface where the magnified image is formed; and an information processing part for processing the spectrum information from the spectral camera. The information processing part includes a machine learning part for a clustering process on the spectrum information for each pixel, and a defect recognition part for recognizing a defective part from the result of the machine learning part. The machine learning part sets a cluster in the unit area and generates a histogram with a frequency, the number of pixels clustered into the cluster. The defect recognition part compares the frequency distribution of the generated histogram with that of a histogram free of defects and recognizes a defective part.

Abstract: In a measurement of a microscope image, a measurement can be conducted with high accuracy when measuring a measuring object including a step having a depth larger than a depth of focus or comparing patterns at different positions along the optical axis of a microscope. A microscope image measuring device includes: a microscope for obtaining a magnified image of a surface of a measuring object by irradiating the surface with white incident light; a spectral camera for obtaining a spectral image of the magnified image; and an image processing part for extracting the spectral image at each wavelength and performs an image measuring process. The microscope forms an image of a different focal position at each wavelength on the imaging surface of the spectral camera, and the image processing part extracts a spectral image with a wavelength where a measuring point has the highest contrast, and performs edge detection.

Abstract: A process apparatus includes a differential pumping device and a focused ion beam column. The differential pumping device includes a head which has a plurality of annular grooves formed in a surface thereof which faces a substrate to be processed. The annular grooves surround the center of the head. An orifice is formed inside an innermost one of the annular grooves and defines a processing space serving to achieve processing of a process surface of the substrate. A vacuum pump is connected to at least one of the annular grooves to suck gas from the one of the annular grooves with the surface of the head facing the processing surface of the substrate to create a high-level vacuum in the processing space. The focused ion beam column is equipped with a cylindrical chamber leading to the orifice in communication with the processing space. The chamber has disposed therein a focused ion beam optical system which works to emit a focused ion beam through the orifice.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus (10) includes a mask mark illumination light source (21) capable of irradiating a mask mark (MM) with exposure light itself or a first alignment light (L1) having substantially the same wavelength as the exposure light, and an alignment unit (30) having a work mark illumination light source (31) capable of irradiating a work mark (WM) with second alignment light (L2) having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the exposure light, an imaging device (32), and an imaging optical system (40).

Abstract: A focused energy beam apparatus includes a substrate support and a focused energy beam column equipped with a differential pumping device movable to a location facing an area of a process target surface of the substrate. The support supports a periphery of the substrate with a horizontal orientation. A positive pressure chamber is disposed below the substrate and exerts a positive pressure on the process target area to cancel deflection of the substrate arising from its own weight. A local depressurizing mechanism is arranged in the positive pressure chamber, out of contact with the substrate, and exerts a negative pressure on a lower surface of the substrate to cancel a suction force created by the differential pumping device. The local depressurizing mechanism is movable relative to the substrate following movement of the differential pumping device while facing the differential pumping device through the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microstructure in which evenly distributed crystal grains line up in parallel lines extending along the surface of the film, and a no-lateral-growth region left at each of locations exposed to both ends of a grain interface, which serves as a partition between the neighboring two crystal grains. According to the present invention, there are also provided: a method for forming a polycrystalline film, such as a thin polycrystalline silicon film, a thin aluminum film, and a thin copper film, which is flat and even, in surface, electrically uniform and stable, and mechanically stable; a laser crystallization device for use in manufacture of polycrystalline films, and a semiconductor device using the polycrystalline film and having good electrical property and increased breakdown voltage.

Abstract: A metal pattern inspection method which applies a pulsed voltage to a metallic pattern, sets a cycle of the pulsed voltage to be shorter than a scanning cycle in which a focused ion beam is swept, indicating only a region of a secondary charged particle image corresponding to a portion of the metallic pattern which is isolated by a wire breakage and to which the pulsed voltage is applied in the form of a first pattern created as a function of surface electrical potentials changing in level with time, detecting, as a disconnection, a boundary between the first pattern and a second pattern created as a function of surface electrical potentials not changing in level with time, and determining whether there is a breaking of or a short circuit in the metallic pattern based on the presence or absence of the disconnection.

Abstract: A focused ion beam system has a differentially-pumped vacuum unit and a focused ion beam column, comprising: a vacuum pad, of a porous material, with a suction surface exposed in a way that surrounds the outer edge of a substrate to be processed; a substrate support on which the substrate and vacuum pad are placed, and a vacuum pump for vacuum evacuation using the vacuum pad. The system provides an arrangement in which, while a head of the differentially-pumped vacuum unit partially falls out of the outer edge of the substrate, the suction surface allows an input of air evacuated from a region between the suction surface and the head, and the processing area on a substrate is expanded by allowing the processing with an ion beam to be performed even in the vicinity of the peripheral substrate surface without requiring a large vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A differential pumping apparatus for creating a high vacuum inside a processing space includes a displacement drive unit configured to move a substrate to be processed or a head, to adjust parallelism and distance between a surface to be processed and a surface of the head. Gap measurement devices are placed at three or more locations along the periphery of the surface of the head to provide distance information. A gap control unit is configured to control the displacement drive unit in response to the distance information between the surface to be processed and the surface adapted to face the surface to be processed, so that the surface to be processed and the surface adapted to face the surface to be processed are parallel.

Abstract: The present invention enables highly accurate analysis when visualizing analysis results in spectral imaging. An surface analysis method includes: acquiring spectral image data regarding a sample surface with use of a spectral camera; extracting n wavelengths dispersed in a specific wavelength range in the acquired spectral image data, and converting spectrums of the wavelengths in the spectral image data into n-dimensional spatial vectors for each pixel; normalizing the spatial vectors of the pixels; clustering the normalized spatial vectors into a specific number of classifications; and identifying and displaying pixels clustered into the classifications, for each of the classifications.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microstructure in which evenly distributed crystal grains line up in parallel lines extending along the surface of the film, and a no-lateral-growth region left at each of locations exposed to both ends of a grain interface, which serves as a partition between the neighboring two crystal grains. According to the present invention, there are also provided: a method for forming a polycrystalline film, such as a thin polycrystalline silicon film, a thin aluminum film, and a thin copper film, which is flat and even, in surface, electrically uniform and stable, and mechanically stable; a laser crystallization device for use in manufacture of polycrystalline films, and a semiconductor device using the polycrystalline film and having good electrical property and increased breakdown voltage.

Abstract: Following a determination that the distance along the Z-direction between the substrate and the mask is greater than the distance along the Z-direction to the nearest end of depth of field (DOF) for a camera from the near side of the mask, a control unit reduces the distance between the X-Y position of a substrate-mark and the X-Y position of the associated mask-mark, with a high-speed relative approach along the Z-direction between the substrate and the mask. Following a determination that the distance along the Z-direction between the substrate and the mask is equal to or less than the distance along the Z-direction to the nearest end of depth of field (DOF) from the near side of the mask, the control unit reduces the distance between the X-Y position of the substrate-mark and the X-Y position of the associated mask-mark, with a reduced-speed relative approach along the Z-direction.

Abstract: A defective part recognition device includes a microscope for obtaining a magnified image of a unit area for recognizing a defective part on the surface of a multi-layer film substrate; a spectral camera having an imaging surface where the magnified image is formed; and an information processing part for processing the spectrum information from the spectral camera. The information processing part includes a machine learning part for a clustering process on the spectrum information for each pixel, and a defect recognition part for recognizing a defective part from the result of the machine learning part. The machine learning part sets a cluster in the unit area and generates a histogram with a frequency, the number of pixels clustered into the cluster. The defect recognition part compares the frequency distribution of the generated histogram with that of a histogram free of defects and recognizes a defective part.

Abstract: Even in the case where an underlayer differs or a film thickness varies, high-quality repair is allowed to be performed. When a laser repair method performs repair work by setting a laser irradiation area for a defect part of a multi-layer film substrate and irradiating the defect part with a laser beam under a set laser working condition, the laser repair method includes: identifying a peripheral region of a laser beam irradiation position; dividing the identified peripheral region into a plurality of divided regions for each common reflected light information; inferring a layer structure at the laser beam irradiation position from analogy based on an arrangement pattern of the divided regions positioned around the laser beam irradiation position; and setting the laser working condition of the laser beam to be emitted based on the layer structure inferred from analogy.

Abstract: In a measurement of a microscope image, a measurement can be conducted with high accuracy when measuring a measuring object including a step having a depth larger than a depth of focus or comparing patterns at different positions along the optical axis of a microscope. A microscope image measuring device includes: a microscope for obtaining a magnified image of a surface of a measuring object by irradiating the surface with white incident light; a spectral camera for obtaining a spectral image of the magnified image; and an image processing part for extracting the spectral image at each wavelength and performs an image measuring process. The microscope forms an image of a different focal position at each wavelength on the imaging surface of the spectral camera, and the image processing part extracts a spectral image with a wavelength where a measuring point has the highest contrast, and performs edge detection.

Abstract: A laser repair method includes a repair process of performing repair work by setting a laser radiation range for a defect part in a multi-layer film substrate and irradiating the defect part with a laser beam under set laser working conditions. In the repair process, spectrum data of the defect part is acquired, and the laser working conditions of the laser beam, with which the defect part is to be irradiated, are set using a neural network after learning on the basis of the spectrum data, and the neural network has undergone machine learning using, as learning data, measurement data including multi-layer film structure data, spectrum data of each multi-layer film structure, and laser working experimental data of each multi-layer film structure.

Abstract: The present invention enables a layer to be worked to be properly subjected to a correcting process without being affected by the variations in the material of the underlayer or in the film thickness of the layer. A laser repair method for irradiating a defect portion of a multilayer film structure formed on a substrate, and performing a correcting process is provided. The method includes: acquiring an image of a region including the defect portion; and setting a scan range of the laser beam on the image so as to include the defect portion. At the time of scan of the inside of the scan range with the laser beam, at a scanning position at which color information of the image is recognized as that of the defect portion, an output of the laser beam is controlled to be ON or High.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a plurality of repair devices (3) that are arranged on a support film (2), each of which has a repair element in an opening (7) that is surrounded by a light shielding wall (6) for repairing a defective pixel (21) on a full-color LED display panel.

Abstract: With providing a workpiece that has a seed-crystal zone for microcrystalline silicon at a location proximate to the periphery of and aligned with one of transformation-scheduled regions, each of which is set to coextend with that portion of amorphous silicon which extends over one of gate fins, in a lateral straight line perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the gate fins, a lateral crystal forming process carries out selective crystal growth by moving a continuous wave laser beam along the lateral straight line with the seed-crystal zone as a starting point to irradiate the amorphous silicon to grow crystalline silicon within the transformation-scheduled region.

Abstract: A first laser irradiation, in which an amorphous silicon film is irradiated with a first laser beam for transformation of the amorphous silicon film to a microcrystalline silicon film, and a second laser irradiation, in which a second laser beam moves along a unidirectional direction with the microcrystalline silicon film as a starting point for lateral crystal growth of growing crystals constituting a crystallized silicon film, are carried out to form a microcrystalline silicon film and a crystallized silicon film alternately along the unidirectional direction.