Abstract: A pattern inspection method includes: acquiring an image of a pattern; performing matching of CAD data for the pattern and the image; extracting coordinates of a plurality of points on a line segment constituting a polygon figure in the CAD data, to be defined as a first coordinate group; specifying coordinates of edge points in the image corresponding to the plurality of points to be defined as a second coordinate group; calculating differences between the coordinates corresponding to each other from the first and second coordinate group, and calculating statistics each representing a degree of deviation in the matching based on the differences; correct the polygon figure when it is determined that a correction is required as a result of judgment based on the statistics; and inspecting the pattern by comparing the corrected polygon figure with the image.

Abstract: A reclining device capable of controlling angles of a seat back of a vehicle is provided. A ratchet plate is superposed on a base plate such that the ratchet plate is rotatable relative to the base plate. An operation shaft is rotatably disposed on the rotation center axis of the ratchet plate. A circular concavity is formed on a surface of the ratchet plate opposed to the base plate around the operation shaft. Inside teeth are provided on an inner circumferential wall surface of the concavity. Pawls having outside teeth on their front end surfaces are disposed on the concavity, and the outside teeth of the pawls engage with and disengaging from the inside teeth in the radial direction of a teeth end circle. Guide projections provided on the base plate slidingly guide the pawls in the radial direction. A cam disposed in a space on the side of rear end surfaces of the pawls is rotatable with the operation shaft.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes a column, the column having: a charged particle beam source which generates a charged particle beam to apply a charged particle beam to the surface of a substrate, a position where the charged particle beam is irradiated to the substrate being a beam position; and a gas mechanism provided in proximity to the substrate to supply a gas to the surface of the substrate, the gas mechanism having an opening which permits passage of the charged particle beam, a gas supply opening which locally injects the gas to the vicinity of the beam position, and a gas exhaust opening which exhausts the injected gas in the vicinity of the beam position to exhaust the gas.

Abstract: A defect inspection method includes generating and applies a charged beam to a sample with patterns; controlling a shape of the charged beam so that a beam width in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis differs from a beam width in a second direction perpendicular to the optical axis and the first direction, while substantially maintaining a cross-sectional area of the beam; scanning the sample with the charged beam having the controlled shape; and detecting charged particles from the sample by irradiation of the charged beam and detects a defect of the patterns. Assuming that the beam width of the charged beam in the first direction is smaller than that in the second direction, the first direction is set to a direction in which an interval between adjacent patterns becomes a minimum value and the sample is scanned in the second direction.

Abstract: A method of inspecting an interconnection pattern formed by depositing a metal onto a substrate having an interconnection pattern groove formed on a surface thereof includes: selectively measuring a thickness of a part above the substrate of a metal film formed on the substrate, the part above the substrate being a part constituted of the metal deposited upward from substantially the same surface as the surface of the substrate on which an interconnection pattern groove is formed; and evaluating how successfully the interconnection pattern groove is filled with the metal on the basis of a film thickness value obtained by the selective measurement.

Abstract: A pattern inspection method includes: acquiring an image of a pattern; performing matching of CAD data for the pattern and the image; extracting coordinates of a plurality of points on a line segment constituting a polygon figure in the CAD data, to be defined as a first coordinate group; specifying coordinates of edge points in the image corresponding to the plurality of points to be defined as a second coordinate group; calculating differences between the coordinates corresponding to each other from the first and second coordinate group, and calculating statistics each representing a degree of deviation in the matching based on the differences; correct the polygon figure when it is determined that a correction is required as a result of judgment based on the statistics; and inspecting the pattern by comparing the corrected polygon figure with the image.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes: a charged particle beam generator which generates a charged particle beam; a projection optical system which generates a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on an external substrate; and deflectors arranged so as to surround an optical axis of the charged particle beam; the deflectors generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field to deflect the charged particle beam and to control a position to irradiate the substrate, and being configured so that intensity of the deflection field in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate.

Abstract: A pattern inspection method includes scanning a substrate on which patterns are formed with a charged beam, detecting a charged particle generated from the surface of the substrate, and then acquiring an image of the patterns; comparing the image of the patterns with CAD data for the patterns to inspect the patterns; measuring the dimensions of an arbitrary pattern using the image; calculating a statistic of a dimensional value of the arbitrary pattern obtained by the measurement; judging the necessity of a correction on the basis of the calculated statistic; and performing correction processing when the correction is judged to be necessary.

Abstract: A flash memory is arranged to notice the state inside the flash memory to the outside for supporting a garbage collection. The flash memory includes a state information generator and an output unit. The state information generator generates state information that indicates a state of each user area for noticing it to the outside. The output unit outputs the state information to the outside for noticing the state inside the flash memory to the outside.

Abstract: A reclining device capable of controlling angles of a seat back of a vehicle is provided. A ratchet plate is superposed on a base plate such that the ratchet plate is rotatable relative to the base plate. An operation shaft is rotatably disposed on the rotation center axis of the ratchet plate. A circular concave is formed on a surface of the ratchet plate opposed to the base plate around the operation shaft. Inside teeth are provided on an inner circumferential wall surface of the concave. Poles having outside teeth on their front end surfaces are disposed on the concave, and the outside teeth of the poles engage with and disengaging from the inside teeth in the radial direction of a teeth end circle. Guide projections provided on the base plate slidingly guide the poles in the radial direction. A cam disposed in a space on the side of rear end surfaces of the poles is rotatable with the operation shaft.

Abstract: A charged beam exposure apparatus includes: a first shaping aperture provided with a plurality of rectangular openings which are different from each other in at least one of area and shape thereof; a second shaping aperture provided with a pattern having a shape corresponding to that of a pattern to be drawn onto a substrate; a charged beam generator which generates a charged beam to apply the charged beam to the first shaping aperture; a projector which projects the charged beam that has passed through an arbitrary opening of the first shaping aperture onto the second shaping aperture; a deflection unit provided between the charged beam generator and the projector to deflect the charged beam; a deflection controller which controls the deflection unit so that the opening of the first shaping aperture is selected which enables adjustments of a drawing time and a resolution conforming to requirements/specifications of the pattern to be drawn; and a demagnification projector which projects the charged beam that

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes a column, the column having: a charged particle beam source which generates a charged particle beam to apply a charged particle beam to the surface of a substrate, a position where the charged particle beam is irradiated to the substrate being a beam position; and a gas mechanism provided in proximity to the substrate to supply a gas to the surface of the substrate, the gas mechanism having an opening which permits passage of the charged particle beam, a gas supply opening which locally injects the gas to the vicinity of the beam position, and a gas exhaust opening which exhausts the injected gas in the vicinity of the beam position to exhaust the gas.

Abstract: A charged particle beam lithography system includes: a charged particle beam source which generates a charged particle beam and irradiates a substrate therewith; an aperture in which has been formed a pattern of a shape corresponding to an arbitrary pattern to be drawn; an illuminator which adjusts the diameter of the charged particle beam and illuminates the aperture with the charged particle beam; a first deflector which deflects the charged particle beam by an electrical field to cause the charged particle beam to be incident on an arbitrary pattern, allowing the charged particle beam to pass through the aperture and be reflected back along the optical axis; a first demagnification optical projection system which demagnifies the aperture image of the charged particle beam which has passed through the aperture with the use of an electrical field or electromagnetic field; a second demagnification optical projection system which demagnifies the aperture image of the charged particle beam which has been demagn

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes: a charged particle beam source which generates a charged particle beam to irradiate the charged particle beam onto a specimen; a demagnification optical system which demagnifies the charged particle beam; a deflector which deflects the charged particle beam to scan the specimen; and a first charged particle detector having a detection surface to detect a charged particle generated from the specimen which has been irradiated with the charged particle beam; wherein the detection surface of the first charged particle detector is disposed so as to face towards the charged particle beam source.

Abstract: Disclosed is an oxide catalyst comprising an oxide represented by the formula Mo1VaNbbXcYdZeQfOn (wherein: X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Te and Sb; Y is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al and W; Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements which individually form an oxide having a rutile structure and a Z oxide having a rutile structure is used as a source of Z for producing the catalyst; Q is at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium, tin, germanium, lead, tantalum, ruthenium, rhenium, rhodium, iridium, platinum, chromium, manganese, technetium, osmium, iron, arsenic, cerium, cobalt, magnesium, nickel and zinc, and a Q compound not having a rutile structure is used as a source of Q for producing the catalyst; and a, b, c, d, e, f and n are, respectively, the atomic ratios of V, Nb, X, Y, Z, Q and O, relative to Mo).

Abstract: A method of inspecting an interconnection pattern formed by depositing a metal onto a substrate having an interconnection pattern groove formed on a surface thereof includes: selectively measuring a thickness of a part above the substrate of a metal film formed on the substrate, the part above the substrate being a part constituted of the metal deposited upward from substantially the same surface as the surface of the substrate on which an interconnection pattern groove is formed; and evaluating how successfully the interconnection pattern groove is filled with the metal on the basis of a film thickness value obtained by the selective measurement.

Abstract: A charged beam exposure apparatus includes: a first shaping aperture provided with a plurality of rectangular openings which are different from each other in at least one of area and shape thereof; a second shaping aperture provided with a pattern having a shape corresponding to that of a pattern to be drawn onto a substrate; a charged beam generator which generates a charged beam to apply the charged beam to the first shaping aperture; a projector which projects the charged beam that has passed through an arbitrary opening of the first shaping aperture onto the second shaping aperture; a deflection unit provided between the charged beam generator and the projector to deflect the charged beam; a deflection controller which controls the deflection unit so that the opening of the first shaping aperture is selected which enables adjustments of a drawing time and a resolution conforming to requirements/specifications of the pattern to be drawn; and a demagnification projector which projects the charged beam that

Abstract: A method of inspecting an interconnection pattern formed by depositing a metal onto a substrate having an interconnection pattern groove formed on a surface thereof includes: selectively measuring a thickness of a part above the substrate of a metal film formed on the substrate, the part above the substrate being a part constituted of the metal deposited upward from substantially the same surface as the surface of the substrate on which an interconnection pattern groove is formed; and evaluating how successfully the interconnection pattern groove is filled with the metal on the basis of a film thickness value obtained by the selective measurement.

Abstract: An oxide catalyst composition for use in producing methacrolein or a mixture of methacrolein and methacrylic acid, wherein the oxide catalyst composition is represented by the formula (Mo+W)l2BiaAbBcFedXeSbfOg, wherein: A is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Y and the elements of the lanthanoid series exclusive of Pm; B is at least one member selected from the group consisting of K, Rb and Cs; X is Co solely, or a mixture of Co and at least one member selected from the group consisting of Mg and Ni; and a, b, c, d, e, f and g are, respectively, the atomic ratios of Bi, A, B, Fe, X, Sb and O, relative to twelve atoms of the total of Mo and W, wherein the atomic ratios (a to f) of the elements and the relationship between the amounts of the elements are chosen so as to satisfy specific requirements.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes: a charged particle beam generator which generates a charged particle beam; a projection optical system which generates a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on an external substrate; and deflectors arranged so as to surround an optical axis of the charged particle beam; the deflectors generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field to deflect the charged particle beam and to control a position to irradiate the substrate, and being configured so that intensity of the deflection field in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate.