Abstract: A defect image classification apparatus includes a control unit that selects images obtained from at least some detectors among a plurality of detectors, associated with kinds of defects to be a classification result of an automatic defect classification processing unit, as images displayed initially on a display unit. The control unit associates the kinds of the defects and the images displayed initially on the display unit, on the basis of a switching operation log when a user classifies images of defects determined previously as the same kinds as the kinds of the defects determined by the automatic defect classification processing unit.

Abstract: In automatic defect classification, a classification recipe must be set for each defect observation device. If a plurality of devices operate at the same stage, the classification class in the classification recipes must be the same. Problems have arisen whereby differences occur in the classification class in different devices when a new classification recipe is created. This defect classification system has a classification recipe storage unit; an information specification unit, the stage of a stored image, and device information. A corresponding defect specification unit specifies images of the same type of defect from images obtained from different image pickup devices at the same stage. An image conversion unit converts the images obtained from the different image pickup devices at the same stage into comparable similar images; and a recipe update unit records the classification classes in the classification recipes corresponding to the specified images of the same type of defect.

Abstract: A defect reviewing apparatus includes an illumination optical system that irradiates a sample with laser, a detection optical system that detects reflected light or scattered light from the sample, a processing portion that calculates coordinates of a defect based on the reflected light or scattered light detected, and an electron microscope that reviews the defect based on the coordinates of the defect calculated by the processing portion. In the illumination optical system, inspection modes are switched over based on defect information acquired in another inspection equipment.

Abstract: In performing a programmed-point inspection of a circuit pattern using a review SEM, stable inspection can be performed while suppressing the generation of a false report even when a variation in a circuit pattern to be inspected is large. SEM images that are obtained by sequentially imaging a predetermined circuit pattern using the review SEM are stored into a storage unit. Images that meet a set condition are selected from the stored SEM images, and averaged to create an average image (GP image). By performing pattern check by GP comparison using this GP image, an inspection can be performed while suppressing the generation of a false report even when a variation in the circuit patterns is large.

Abstract: For inspection of a pattern such as a semiconductor device, it is useful to selectively detect a defect on the specific pattern in order to estimate the cause of the occurrence of the defect. An object of the invention is to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of setting, on the basis of the shape of the pattern on a sample, a region to be inspected. The invention is characterized in that the contour of the pattern on the sample is extracted using a template image obtained on the basis of an image of the sample, the region to be inspected is set on the basis of the contour of the pattern, a defect candidate is detected by comparing the image to be inspected with a comparative image, and the sample is inspected using a positional relationship between the region to be inspected and the defect candidate included in the region to be inspected.

Abstract: A method for reviewing defect, comprising the steps of: as an image acquisition step, imaging a surface of a sample using arbitrary image acquisition condition selected from a plurality of image acquisition conditions and obtaining a defect image; as a defect position calculation step, proceeding the defect image obtained by the image acquisition step and calculating a defect position on the surface of the sample; as a defect detection accuracy calculation step, obtaining a defect detection accuracy of the defect position calculated by the defect position calculation step; and as a conclusion determination step, determinating whether the defect detection accuracy obtained by the defect detection accuracy calculation step meets a predetermined requirement or not; wherein until it is determined that the defect detection accuracy obtained by the defect detection accuracy calculation step meets a predetermined in the conclusion determination step, the image acquisition condition is selected from the plurality of

Abstract: A region-of-interest determination apparatus includes: a calculation unit and a region determination unit. The calculation unit calculates a degree of a defect based on at least a plurality of kinds of defect attribute information regarding defect data. The defect data includes an image corresponding to a defect position detected on a specimen by inspection thereof or an image corresponding to a defect position predicted to be likely to develop a defect on the specimen, where both images are obtained by imaging. The region determination unit extracts the defect data of which the degree is higher than a predetermined level, and determines the region to be observed or inspected on the specimen based on the extracted defect data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of inspecting an object to be inspected in a semiconductor manufacturing process, for resolving the problem to increase defect detection sensitivity. An image capture means is used to image capture a designated area of the object to be inspected; a defect is detected in the captured image; a circuit pattern is recognized from the captured image; a characteristic value is computed, relating to an image tone and shape, from the detected defect; a characteristic value is computed, relating to the image tone and shape, from the recognized circuit pattern; either a specified defect or circuit pattern is filtered and extracted from the detected defect and the recognized circuit pattern; a mapping characteristic value is determined from the characteristic value of either the filtered and extracted specified defect or circuit pattern; and the distribution of the determined characteristic values is displayed onscreen in a map format.

Abstract: A plurality of images is captured, and the plurality of images is integrated and displayed after one or more ROIs included in the captured images are extracted and classified. At integration, an integration method is controlled according to a classification result of the ROI.

Abstract: The charged particle beam apparatus automatically judges the good or bad of an observation object on the basis of information obtained from an image of the observation object on a wafer; displays a judgment result on a screen; displays the observation object, extracted from the judgment result, that requires to be corrected on the basis of the good or bad of the observation object from a user; and corrects the judgment result to the extracted and displayed observation object on the basis of an instruction from the user.

Abstract: In order to reduce the amount of time it takes to collect images of defects, this defect inspection device is provided with the following: a read-out unit that reads out positions of defects in a semiconductor wafer that have already been detected; a first imaging unit that takes, at a first magnification, a reference image of a chip other than the chip where one of the read-out defects is; a second imaging unit that takes, at the first magnification, a first defect image that contains the read-out defect; a defect-position identification unit that identifies the position of the defect in the first defect image taken by the second imaging unit by comparing said first defect image with the reference image taken by the first imaging unit; a third imaging unit that, on the basis of the identified defect position, takes a second defect image at a second magnification that is higher than the first magnification; a rearrangement unit that rearranges the read-out defects in an order corresponding to a path that goes

Abstract: detect a fine defect in reviewing To review a fine defect detected by another inspection apparatus, there is disclosed a method for reviewing a defect including a light capturing step that illuminates a sample with light under plural optical conditions, while varying only at least one of illumination conditions, sample conditions, or detection conditions, and detects plural lights scattering from the sample; a signal obtaining step that obtains plural signals based on the lights detected; and a processing step that discriminates a defect from noise according to a waveform characteristic quantity, an image characteristic quantity, or a value characteristic quantity created using the signals and derives the coordinates of defect.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to easily extract, from samples to be observed, defect candidates that can be labeled as a defect or “nuisance” (a part for which a manufacturing tolerance or the like is erroneously detected) and to allow parameters pertaining to observation processing to be easily adjusted. This defect observation method comprises: an imaging step to image, on the basis of defect information from an inspection device, an object to be inspected and obtain a defect image and a reference image corresponding to the defect image; a parameter determining step to determine a first parameter to be used in the defect extraction by using a first feature set distribution acquired from the reference image and the defect image captured in the imaging step and a second feature net distribution acquired from the reference image; and an observing step to observe using the first parameter determined in the parameter determining step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a defect inspection apparatus based on the fact that contrasts of a grain and a void of a semiconductor copper interconnect in a scanning electron microscope are changed depending on electron beam irradiation accelerating voltages. A charged particle beam apparatus of the present invention irradiates the same portion of a specimen with electron beams at a plurality of accelerating voltages, and differentiates a grain (65, 66) from a void (67) on the basis of a contrast change amount of the same portion in a plurality of images (61, 62) acquired so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of accelerating voltages. Consequently, it is possible to automatically detect a grain and a void in a differentiation manner at a high speed without destructing a specimen.

Abstract: Cases in which defects are analyzed in a manufacturing process stage in which a pattern is not formed or in a manufacturing process in which a pattern formed on a lower layer does not appear in the captured image are increasing. However, in these cases, there is a problem of not being able to synthesize a favorable reference image and failing to detect a defect when a periodic pattern cannot be recognized in the pattern. In the present invention, a defect occupation rate, which is the percentage of an image being inspected occupied by a defect region, is found, it is determined whether the defect occupation rate is higher or lower than a threshold, and, in accordance with the determination results, it is determined whether to create, as the reference image, an image comprising pixels having the average luminance value of the luminance values of a plurality of pixels contained in the image being inspected.

Abstract: A defect inspection method for inspecting a defect on a semiconductor wafer, using plural inspection methods includes: merging hot-spot coordinates as coordinates on the semiconductor wafer, designated by a user, or coordinates where a systematic defect can occur, with detected defect coordinates on the semiconductor wafer, acquired from inspection information, after information indicating the type of coordinates are added thereto; deciding an inspection sequence of the coordinates merged with each other; and defect inspection for executing selection using the information indicating the respective types of the coordinates merged with each other, and executing an inspection by selecting an inspection method for every coordinates to be inspected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged-particle radiation apparatus with a defect observation device for observing defects on a sample, the apparatus including a control unit and a display unit. The control unit is configured to execute a drift correction process on one or more images acquired with the defect observation device under a plurality of correction conditions, and display the plurality of correction conditions and a plurality of corrected images obtained through execution of the drift correction process in association with each other, as a first screen on the display unit.

Abstract: In imaging a sample using an electron microscope, in order to reduce a time for focusing, a scanning range of a Z coordinate is reduced to complete focusing by obtaining SEM images such that: for a first predetermined number of portions, focal positions of an electron beam in obtaining each SEM image are moved in a predetermined range; then, a curved surface shape of the surface of the sample is estimated by using information relating to the focal positions of the electron beam in the first predetermined number of portions; after the images are taken, the range in which the focal positions of the electron beam are moved for scanning the electron beam on the surface of the sample is made to be narrower than the predetermined range by using the curved surface information estimated, thereby performing scanning to take the images of the sample.

Abstract: A surface observation apparatus is achieved, which enables even a beginner to easily select an optimal evaluation indicator for each of various patterns to be evaluated without a trial and error approach. A plurality of images to be evaluated are input from an image processing unit (114) to an evaluation image input unit (113a) (in step 901). The input images to be evaluated are displayed on a display (115). A user rearranges the images in accordance with an evaluation criterion of the user while referencing the display (115), and defines an evaluation criterion (in step 902). Evaluation values are calculated for the input images (to be evaluated) using a plurality of evaluation indicators (in step 903). The evaluation values for each of the evaluation indicators are compared with the evaluation criterion defined by the user, and correlation coefficients are then calculated (in step 904).

Abstract: When contamination or local electrification is generated during acquisition of a low-magnification image, if a high-magnification image contains both a portion in which the contamination or local electrification is generated and a portion in which the contamination or local electrification is not generated, a region whose image quality has changed due to the contamination or local electrification is erroneously recognized as a defect. Thus, defect detection fails or it may be impossible to correctly determine the feature quantity of a defect. The invention provides a defect observation system that acquires sample images at a low magnification and a high magnification, and sets the position or size of the field of view of the high-magnification image or the electron beam irradiation range during acquisition of the low-magnification image no that the image acquired at the high magnification does not contain the outer edge of the image acquired at the low magnification.