Abstract: The defect marking method comprises the steps of: installing a surface defect tester to detect surface flaw and a marker device to apply marking at defect position, in a continuous processing line of steel sheet; detecting the surface flaw on the steel sheet using the surface defect tester; determining defect name, defect grade, defect length, and defect position in the width direction of the steel sheet, on the basis of thus detected flaw information, further identifying the defect in terms of harmful defect, injudgicable defect, and harmless defect; applying tracking of the defect position for each of the harmful defect and the injudgicable defect; and applying marking to the defect position. The defect marking device comprises a defect inspection means having plurality of light-receiving parts and a signal processing section, and a marking means.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus for evaluating a sample surface, which has a primary electro-optical system for irradiating a sample with a primary electron beam, a detecting system, and a secondary electro-optical system for directing secondary electron beams emitted from the sample surface by the irradiation of the primary electron beam to the detecting system.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide an improved electron beam apparatus with improvements in throughput, accuracy, etc. One of the characterizing features of the electron beam apparatus of the present invention is that it has a plurality of optical systems, each of which comprises a primary electron optical system for scanning and irradiating a sample with a plurality of primary electron beams; a detector device for detecting a plurality of secondary beams emitted by irradiating the sample with the primary electron beams; and a secondary electron optical system for guiding the secondary electron beams from the sample to the detector device; all configured so that the plurality of optical systems scan different regions of the sample with their primary electron beams, and detect the respective secondary electron beams emitted from each of the respective regions. This is what makes higher throughput possible.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus is provided for reliably measuring a potential contrast and the like at a high throughput in a simple structure. The electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample, such as a wafer, formed with a pattern with an electron beam to evaluate the sample comprises an electron-optical column for accommodating an electron beam source, an objective lens, an E×B separator, and a secondary electron beam detector; a stage for holding the sample, and relatively moving the sample with respect to the electron-optical column; a working chamber for accommodating the stage and capable of controlling the interior thereof in a vacuum atmosphere; a loader for supplying a sample to the stage; a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage to the sample, and capable of applying at least two voltages to a lower electrode of the objective lens; and an alignment mechanism for measuring a direction in which dies are arranged on the sample.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.

Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus 1-1 (FIG.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus is provided for reliably measuring a potential contrast and the like at a high throughput in a simple structure. The electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample, such as a wafer, formed with a pattern with an electron beam to evaluate the sample comprises an electron-optical column for accommodating an electron beam source, an objective lens, an E×B separator, and a secondary electron beam detector; a stage for holding the sample, and relatively moving the sample with respect to the electron-optical column; a working chamber for accommodating the stage and capable of controlling the interior thereof in a vacuum atmosphere; a loader for supplying a sample to the stage; a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage to the sample, and capable of applying at least two voltages to a lower electrode of the objective lens; and an alignment mechanism for measuring a direction in which dies are arranged on the sample.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus and a semiconductor device manufacturing method using the same. The inspection apparatus is used for defect inspection, line width measurement, surface potential measurement or the like of a sample such as a wafer. In the inspection apparatus, a plurality of charged particles is delivered from a primary optical system to the sample, and secondary charged particles emitted from the sample are separated from the primary optical system and introduced through a secondary optical system to a detector. Irradiation of the charged particles is conducted while moving the sample. Irradiation spots of the charged particles are arranged by N rows along a moving direction of the sample and by M columns along a direction perpendicular thereto. Every row of the irradiation spots of the charged particles is shifted successively by a predetermined amount in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the sample.

Abstract: A defect marking device includes a flaw inspection device which has a plurality of light-receiving parts that identify reflected lights coming from an inspection plane of a metal strip under two or more of optical conditions different from each other; a signal processing section that judges the presence/absence of surface flaw on the inspection plane based on a combination of reflected light components identified under these optical conditions different from each other; and a marking device which applies marking that indicates information relating to the flaw on the surface of the metal strip.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate by irradiating a charged particle beam onto the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample with primary electron beams to detect secondary electron beams generated from a surface of the sample by the irradiation for evaluating the sample surface. In the electron beam apparatus, an electron gun has a cathode for emitting primary electron beams. The cathode includes a plurality of emitters for emitting primary electron beams, arranged apart from one another on a circle centered at an optical axis of a primary electro-optical system. The plurality of emitters are arranged such that when the plurality of emitters are projected onto a straight line parallel with a direction in which the primary electron beams are scanned, resulting points on the straight line are spaced at equal intervals.

Abstract: Provided is an electron beam system, in which an electron beam emitted from an electron gun is irradiated to a stencil mask, and the electron beam that has passed through the stencil mask is magnified by an electron lens and then detected by a detector having a plurality of pixels so as to form an image of the sample. Further provided is an electron beam system, in which a primary electron beam emitted from an electron gun is directed to a sample surface of a sample prepared as a subject to be inspected, and an electron image formed by a secondary electron beam emanated from the sample is magnified and detected, wherein an NA aperture is disposed in a path common to both of the primary electron beam and the secondary electron beam. An electron lens is disposed in the vicinity of a sample surface, and in this arrangement, a crossover produced by the electron gun, the electron lens and the NA aperture may be in conjugate relationships relative to each other with respect to the primary electron beam.

Abstract: A system for further enhancing speed, i.e. improving throughput in a SEM-type inspection apparatus is provided. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a surface of a substrate produces a crossover from electrons emitted from an electron beam source 25•1, then forms an image under a desired magnification in the direction of a sample W to produce a crossover. When the crossover is passed, electrons as noises are removed from the crossover with an aperture, an adjustment is made so that the crossover becomes a parallel electron beam to irradiate the substrate in a desired sectional form. The electron beam is produced such that the unevenness of illuminance is 10% or less. Electrons emitted from the sample W are detected by a detector 25•11.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus and a semiconductor device manufacturing method using the same. The inspection apparatus is used for defect inspection, line width measurement, surface potential measurement or the like of a sample such as a wafer. In the inspection apparatus, a plurality of charged particles is delivered from a primary optical system to the sample, and secondary charged particles emitted from the sample are separated from the primary optical system and introduced through a secondary optical system to a detector. Irradiation of the charged particles is conducted while moving the sample. Irradiation spots of the charged particles are arranged by N rows along a moving direction of the sample and by M columns along a direction perpendicular thereto. Every row of the irradiation spots of the charged particles is shifted successively by a predetermined amount in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample with primary electron beams to detect secondary electron beams generated from a surface of the sample by the irradiation for evaluating the sample surface. In the electron beam apparatus, an electron gun has a cathode for emitting primary electron beams. The cathode includes a plurality of emitters for emitting primary electron beams, arranged apart from one another on a circle centered at an optical axis of a primary electro-optical system. The plurality of emitters are arranged such that when the plurality of emitters are projected onto a straight line parallel with a direction in which the primary electron beams are scanned, resulting points on the straight line are spaced at equal intervals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate by irradiating a charged particle beam onto the substrate.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus such as a sheet beam based testing apparatus has an electron-optical system for irradiating an object under testing with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and projecting an image of a secondary electron beam emitted by the irradiation of the primary electron beam, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron beam image projected by the electron-optical system.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample with primary electron beams to detect secondary electron beams generated from a surface of the sample by the irradiation for evaluating the sample surface. In the electron beam apparatus, an electron gun has a cathode for emitting primary electron beams. The cathode includes a plurality of emitters for emitting primary electron beams, arranged apart from one another on a circle centered at an optical axis of a primary electro-optical system. The plurality of emitters are arranged such that when the plurality of emitters are projected onto a straight line parallel with a direction in which the primary electron beams are scanned, resulting points on the straight line are spaced at equal intervals.

Abstract: A system for further enhancing speed, i.e. improving throughput in a SEM-type inspection apparatus is provided. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a surface of a substrate produces a crossover from electrons emitted from an electron beam source 25•1, then forms an image under a desired magnification in the direction of a sample W to produce a crossover. When the crossover is passed, electrons as noises are removed from the crossover with an aperture, an adjustment is made so that the crossover becomes a parallel electron beam to irradiate the substrate in a desired sectional form. The electron beam is produced such that the unevenness of illuminance is 10% or less. Electrons emitted from the sample W are detected by a detector 25•11.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus such as a sheet beam based testing apparatus has an electron-optical system for irradiating an object under testing with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and projecting an image of a secondary electron beam emitted by the irradiation of the primary electron beam, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron beam image projected by the electron-optical system; specifically, the electron beam apparatus comprises beam generating means 2004 for irradiating an electron beam having a particular width, a primary electron-optical system 2001 for leading the beam to reach the surface of a substrate 2006 under testing, a secondary electron-optical system 2002 for trapping secondary electrons generated from the substrate 2006 and introducing them into an image processing system 2015, a stage 2003 for transportably holding the substrate 2006 with a continuous degree of freedom equal to at least one, a testing chamber for the substrate 2006, a substrate transport mech