Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus is provided to compare images of regions, corresponding to each other, of patterns that are formed so as to be identical and judge that non-coincident portions in the images are defects. The pattern inspection apparatus is equipped with an image comparing section which plots individual pixels of an inspection subject image in a feature space and detects excessively deviated points in the feature space as defects. Defects can be detected correctly even when the same patterns in images have a brightness difference due to a difference in the thickness of a film formed on a wafer.

Abstract: An ion beam processing apparatus includes an ion beam irradiation optical system that irradiates a rectangular ion beam to a sample on a first sample stage, an electron beam irradiation optical system that irradiates an electron beam to the sample, and a second sample stage to hold a test piece, extracted from the sample. The ion beam can be tilted by rotating the second sample stage about a tilting axis. A controller controls the width of skew of an intensity profile representing an edge of the rectangular ion beam in a direction perpendicular to a first direction in which the tilting axis of the second sample stage is projected on the second sample stage surface so that the width will be smaller than the width of skew of an intensity profile representing another edge of the ion beam in a direction parallel to the first direction.

Abstract: A transmission X-ray analyzer (1) for detecting a transmission X-ray image of a sample (100) that is continuous in a band shape includes: a TDI sensor (14); an X-ray source (12) arranged opposed to a TDI sensor; a pair of support rollers (31, 32) arranged away from the TDI sensor between the TDI sensor and the X-ray source, the pair of support rollers being configured to transport the sample to a detection position of the TDI sensor while keeping a constant interval between the TDI sensor and the sample; and a pair of outside rollers (51, 52) arranged respectively on an outer side of the pair of support rollers in a transportation direction (L). One of the pair of support rollers and one of the pair of outside rollers are arranged at different positions as to apply a tension to the sample between the pair of support rollers.

Abstract: There is proposed a charged particle beam apparatus including: a plurality of noise removal filters that remove noise of an electrical signal; a measurement unit that measures the contrast-to-noise ratio after applying one of the noise removal filters; and a determination unit that determines a magnitude relationship between the contrast-to-noise ratio measured by the measurement unit and a threshold value set in advance.

Abstract: A defect inspection method has the following steps. An irradiation step of irradiating illumination light on an object. A detection step of detecting scattered light from the object. A defect detection step having the following steps. A first pixel-value information acquisition step of dividing an image based on the scattered light into multiple areas and obtaining first pixel value information, information of the pixel value about each of the multiple areas. A second pixel-value information acquisition step of acquiring second pixel value information, information of the pixel value about all the areas by processing the first pixel value information obtained. A similarity calculation step of calculating the similarity between each image of the multiple areas and the image of all the areas by comparing the first and the second pixel value information. A defect extraction step of extracting a defect of the object using the calculated similarity.

Abstract: A defect classification method to classify defects by using a classifier having a binary tree structure based on features of defects extracted from detected signals acquired from a defect inspection apparatus includes a classifier construction process for constructing the classifier by setting a branch condition including defect classes respectively belonging to groups located on both sides of the branch point, a feature to be used for branching, and a discriminant reference, for each branch point in the structure based on instruction of defect classes and feature data respectively associated therewith beforehand. The process includes a priority order specification process for previously specifying target classification performance of purity and accuracy for each defect class, whole and in worst case, with priority order, and an evaluation process for evaluating whether the specified target classification performance under the branching condition is satisfied and displaying a result of evaluation, every item.

Abstract: In order to enable the mass spectroscope to reduce the operation load of the adjustment of the amplitude difference, and to reduce the increase in power consumption caused by the difference between the resonance frequency and the drive frequency, the resonance circuit unit of the ion trap section is configured to control the amplitude difference adjustment section of the resonance circuit unit to adjust that the amplitude difference between the high-voltage RF signals decreases, and controls the frequency synchronizing section of the resonance circuit unit to adjust that the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit is aligned with the drive frequency of the RF signal source, on the basis of the information about the amplitude difference between the high-voltage RF signals and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit unit, which have been measured by a resonance frequency/amplitude difference measuring unit.

Abstract: A phase plate for a charged particle beam system, such as a transmission electron microscope (TEM), is described. The phase plate comprises a support having a through-hole and an elongate member which is magnetisable in a direction along its length and which extends partially across the through-hole and which is narrower than the through-hole.

Abstract: A defect inspection system can suppress an effect of light from a rough surface or a circuit pattern and increasing a gain of light from a defect to detect the defect with high sensitivity. When a lens with a large NA value is used, the diameter is 10a, an angle between the sample surface and a traveling direction of the light from a defect being ?1. A system receives the light from the defect at a reduced elevation angle ?2 with respect to the sample surface to reduce the scattered light, and to increase the light from the defect. The diameter 10a is smaller than the diameter 10b, resulting in a reduction in the ability to focus the scattered light. When a lens having a diameter 10c is used, the lens interferes with the sample. To avoid the interference, a portion of the lens interfering with the sample is removed.

Abstract: Test pieces necessary to conduct a failure analysis of defects discovered with a defect review apparatus are produced with high quality, with excellent reproducibility, in a short period of time, and at low costs. An impression marking apparatus which can be driven in a direction perpendicular to a surface of a semiconductor wafer and is equipped with an impression needle fixed on the leading end of the mechanism is attached to a wafer defect review apparatus. A position to which impression marking is applied is determined on the basis of coordinate information on a defect previously acquired with the wafer defect review apparatus. In addition, the feed rate of the impression marking mechanism in the vertical direction thereof is determined on the basis of height information acquired with a height detection sensor for detecting the height of a wafer surface provided in the wafer defect review apparatus.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is disclosed for minimizing the non-uniformity of potential distribution around wafer circumference. The apparatus includes a focus ring formed of a dielectric, and a conductor or a semiconductor having RF applied thereto. A surface voltage of the focus ring is determined to be not less than a minimum voltage for preventing reaction products caused by wafer processing from depositing thereon. The surface height, surface voltage, material, and structure of the focus ring are optimized so that the height of an ion sheath formed on the focus ring surface is either equal or has a height difference within an appropriate tolerance range to the height of the ion sheath formed on the wafer surface.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer featured in including an ion source including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric unit having a sample introducing unit and a sample discharging unit and provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, a power source of ionizing a sample by a discharge generated between the first electrode and the second electrode by applying an alternating current voltage to either one of the first electrode and the second electrode, a mass spectrometry unit of analyzing an ion discharged from the sample discharging unit, and a light irradiating unit of irradiating an area of generating the discharge with light.

Abstract: A microstructure transcription apparatus for transcribing microscopic concave-convex patterns on a body to be transcribed includes a stamper, on a surface of which is formed microscopic concave-convex pattern; and a stamper holder portion, which holds the stamper. The stamper holder portion includes a transparent backup member, a stamper backup elastic body attached on the backup portion covering over a central portion thereof, a space, into which a negative pressure is introduced for absorbing said stamper to hold, and a member, which is formed surrounding said stamper holder portion therein and contacts on an outer peripheral portion of said stamper. The contact member is movable with respect to the backup member, and thereby a curvature of a curved surface of said stamper to be suppressed onto said stamper backup elastic body is changeable, enabling to alter a curvature of a spherical shape on the surface of the stamper when transcribing.

Abstract: A plasma etching method that can improve an etching selection ratio of a film to be etched to a film different from the film to be etched compared with the related art is provided. The present invention provides a plasma etching method for selectively etching a film to be etched against a film different from the film to be etched, in which plasma etching of the film to be etched is performed using a gas that can cause to generate a deposited film containing similar components as components of the different film.

Abstract: If an indentation mark is put in the vicinity of a defect under constant conditions regardless of the film type of samples, surroundings of the mark become cracked or the mark may be too small to view, thus causing the problem of difficulty in viewing the mark or the defect. Another problem is that in a patterned wafer, an indentation mark is coincidentally put on a film not suited for marking. To solve such problems, an elemental analysis is conducted of a position to be marked and, on the basis of the analysis results, such indentation marking conditions as the pressing load, descending rate, and marking depth of an indenter are varied to perform marking suited for a film type. If the film type of the location to be marked cannot be concluded to be a registered film type, marking under wrong conditions is prevented by switching to manual setting. It is also possible to avoid putting marks on a material if the material is not suited for marking.

Abstract: In inspection for a magnetic head having a built-in fine-motion actuator, stable servo control is realized without an effect of thermal drift or thermal expansion. A magnetic head inspection apparatus includes a fine-motion stage, a data process circuit, and a servo control circuit. The fine-motion stage performs positioning of a magnetic head in a predetermined position on a magnetic disk. The data process circuit measures the movement characteristic of the fine-motion actuator. The servo control circuit controls the magnetic head to track the servo track on the magnetic disk based on a measurement result of the data process circuit. The servo control circuit drives the fine-motion stage, and controls the magnetic head to move in a manner that the value of movement of the fine-motion actuator remains within an acceptable range.

Abstract: There is provided a head element inspection apparatus that can adjust the position of a cantilever for a short time without using any adjusting jig in the case of replacing a cantilever. A head element inspection apparatus includes a cantilever holder that holds a cantilever, a holder base on which the cantilever holder is mounted, a Z-direction drive shaft that drives the holder base in the Z-direction, and a workpiece table that holds a head element and drives the head element in X- and Y-directions. The cantilever holder and the holder base include adjusting mechanisms (an adjusting screw and an off-center pin) that adjust the position of the cantilever in the X-direction and the Y-direction.

Abstract: Although there has been a method for evaluating pattern shapes of electronic devices by using, as a reference pattern, design data or a non-defective pattern, the conventional method has a problem that the pattern shape cannot be evaluated with high accuracy because of the difficulty in defining an exact shape suitable for the manufacturing conditions of the electronic devices. The present invention provides a shape evaluation method for circuit patterns of electronic devices, the method including a means for generating contour distribution data of at least two circuit patterns from contour data sets on the circuit patterns; a means for generating a reference pattern used for the pattern shape evaluation, from the contour distribution data; and a means for evaluating the pattern shape by comparing each evaluation target pattern with the reference pattern.

Abstract: An automatic chemical analyzer in which a reaction solution is stirred by air ejected from an air ejection hole placed above a reaction container. The reaction region can be washed and cleaned sufficiently without causing damage, such as exfoliation of a coating reagent. A reaction container disk is provided with a pore and a pressure detector connected with the pore. Before and after the stirring operation, the ejection hole (nozzle) ejecting air is moved and the output value of the pressure detector is compared with a previously measured normal value. With a discharge pipe and a suction pipe inserted to the opening of the reaction container to be close to both ends of the opening and the side wall of the container, the reaction region at the bottom of the container is washed by continuous discharge and suction of cleaning fluid.

Abstract: A pattern shape evaluation method and semiconductor inspection system having a unit for extracting contour data of a pattern from an image obtained by photographing a semiconductor pattern, a unit for generating pattern direction data from design data of the semiconductor pattern, and a unit for detecting a defect of a pattern, through comparison between pattern direction data obtained from the contour data and pattern direction data generated from the design data corresponding to a pattern position of the contour data.