Abstract: A charged particle beam device enabling prevention of degradation of reproducibility of measurement caused by an increase of the beam diameter attributed to an image shift and having a function of dealing with device-to-device variation. The charged particle beam device is used for measuring the dimensions of a pattern on a specimen using a line profile obtained by detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the specimen when the specimen is scanned with a primary charged particle beam converged on the specimen. A lookup table in which the position of image shift and the variation of the beam diameter are associated is prepared in advance by actual measurement or calculation and registered. When the dimensions are measured, image processing is carried out so as to correct the line profile for the variation of the beam diameter while the lookup table is referenced, and thereby the situation where the beam diameter is effectively equal is produced irrespective of the position of the image shift.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inspecting a defect of a circuit pattern formed on a semiconductor wafer includes a defect classifier have a comparison shape forming section for forming a plurality of comparison shapes corresponding to an SEM image of an inspection region by deforming the shape of the circuit pattern in accordance with a plurality of shape deformation rules using design data corresponding to the circuit pattern within the inspection region and a shape similar to the SEM image of the inspection region out of the plurality of comparison shapes formed and selected as the comparison shape, and a shape comparing and classifying section for classifying the SEM image using information of the comparison shape selected in the comparison shape forming section and the inspection shape of the circuit pattern of the SEM image of the inspection region.

Abstract: The invention relates to a technique of improving a contrast of a lower-layer pattern in a multi layer by synthesizing detected signals from a plurality of detectors by using an appropriate allocation ratio in accordance with pattern arrangement. In a charged particle beam device capable of improving image quality by using detected images obtained from a plurality of detectors and in a method of improving the image quality, a method of generating one or more output images from detected images corresponding to respective outputs of the detectors that are arranged at different locations is controlled by using information of a pattern direction, an edge strength, or others calculated from a design data or the detected image.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for achieving detection and measurement of film thickness reduction of a resist pattern with high throughput which can be applied to part of in-line process management. By taking into consideration the fact that film thickness reduction of the resist pattern leads to some surface roughness of the upper surface of the resist, a film thickness reduction index value is calculated by quantifying the degree of roughness of the part corresponding to the upper surface of the resist on an electron microscope image of the resist pattern which has been used in the conventional line width measurement. The amount of film thickness reduction of the resist pattern is estimated by applying the calculated index value to a database previously made for relating a film thickness reduction index value to an amount of film thickness reduction of the resist pattern.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for achieving detection and measurement of film thickness reduction of a resist pattern with high throughput which can be applied to part of in-line process management. By taking into consideration the fact that film thickness reduction of the resist pattern leads to some surface roughness of the upper surface of the resist, a film thickness reduction index value is calculated by quantifying the degree of roughness of the part corresponding to the upper surface of the resist on an electron microscope image of the resist pattern which has been used in the conventional line width measurement. The amount of film thickness reduction of the resist pattern is estimated by applying the calculated index value to a database previously made for relating a film thickness reduction index value to an amount of film thickness reduction of the resist pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged particle beam apparatus used to measure micro-dimensions (CD value) of a semiconductor apparatus or the like which captures images for measurement. For the present invention, a sample for calibration, on which a plurality of polyhedral structural objects with known angles on surfaces produced by the crystal anisotropic etching technology are arranged in a viewing field, is used. A beam landing angle at each position within a viewing field is calculated based on geometric deformation on an image of each polyhedral structural object. Beam control parameters for equalizing the beam landing angle at each position within the viewing field are pre-registered. The registered beam control parameters are applied according to the position of the pattern to be measured within the viewing field when performing dimensional measurement.

Abstract: The present invention aims at proposing a library creation method and a pattern shape estimation method in which it is possible, when estimating a shape based on comparison between an actual waveform and a library, to appropriately estimate the shape. As an illustrative embodiment to achieve the object, there are proposed a method of selecting a pattern by referring to a library, a method of creating a library by use of pattern cross-sectional shapes calculated through an exposure process simulation in advance, and a method for selecting a pattern shape stored in the library.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to propose a method and an apparatus for selecting a pattern shape, wherein, when estimating a shape based on comparison between an actual waveform and a library, the method and the apparatus can appropriately estimate the shape. As an embodiment to achieve the object, a method and an apparatus for selecting a pattern shape by comparing an obtained shape with pattern shapes memorized in the library are proposed, wherein plural pieces of waveform information are obtained under a plurality of waveform acquiring conditions based on radiation of a charged particle beam onto a specimen; and a pattern shape memorized in the library is selected by referring, with respect to the plural pieces of waveform information, to a library memorizing plural pieces of waveform information acquired under different waveform acquiring conditions for each of a plurality of pattern shapes.

Abstract: An inspection method, including: illuminating a light on a wafer on which plural chips having identical patterns are formed; imaging corresponding areas of two chips formed on the wafer to obtain inspection images and reference images with an image sensor; and processing the obtained inspection image and the reference image to produce a difference image which indicates a difference between the inspection image and the reference image and detect a defect by comparing the difference image with a threshold, wherein a threshold applied to a difference image which is produced by comparing the inspection image and the reference image obtained by imaging peripheral portion of the wafer is different from a threshold applied to a difference image which is produced by comparing the inspection image and the reference image obtained by imaging central portion of the wafer.

Abstract: The present invention is for providing a scanning electron microscope system adapted to output contour information fitting in with the real pattern edge end of a sample, and is arranged to generate a local projection waveform by projecting the scanning electron microscope image in the tangential direction with respect to the pattern edge at each point of the pattern edge of the scanning electron microscope image, estimate the cross-sectional shape of the pattern transferred on the sample by applying the local projection waveform generated at each point to a library, which has previously been created, correlating the cross-sectional shape with the electron beam signal waveform, obtain position coordinate of the edge end fitting in with the cross-sectional shape, and output the contour of the pattern as a range of position coordinates.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device enabling prevention of degradation of reproducibility of measurement caused by an increase of the beam diameter attributed to an image shift and having a function of dealing with device-to-device variation. The charged particle beam device is used for measuring the dimensions of a pattern on a specimen using a line profile obtained by detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the specimen when the specimen is scanned with a primary charged particle beam converged on the specimen. A lookup table in which the position of image shift and the variation of the beam diameter are associated is prepared in advance by actual measurement or calculation and registered. When the dimensions are measured, image processing is carried out so as to correct the line profile for the variation of the beam diameter while the lookup table is referenced, and thereby the situation where the beam diameter is effectively equal is produced irrespective of the position of the image shift.

Abstract: The present invention is for providing a scanning electron microscope system adapted to output contour information fitting in with the real pattern edge end of a sample, and is arranged to generate a local projection waveform by projecting the scanning electron microscope image in the tangential direction with respect to the pattern edge at each point of the pattern edge of the scanning electron microscope image, estimate the cross-sectional shape of the pattern transferred on the sample by applying the local projection waveform generated at each point to a library, which has previously been created, correlating the cross-sectional shape with the electron beam signal waveform, obtain position coordinate of the edge end fitting in with the cross-sectional shape, and output the contour of the pattern as a range of position coordinates.

Abstract: Arrangements for inspecting a specimen on which plural patterns are formed; capturing a first image of a first area; capturing a second image of a second area in which patterns which are essentially the same with the patterns formed in the first area; creating data relating to corresponding pixels of the first and second images, for each pixel; determining a threshold for each pixel for detecting defects directly in accordance with the first and second images; and detecting defects on the specimen by processing the first and second images by using the threshold for each pixel and information of a scattered diagram of brightness of the first and second images, wherein the threshold is determined by using information of brightness of a local region of at least one of the first and second images, with the local region including an aimed pixel and peripheral pixels of the aimed pixel.

Abstract: There is provided a device which may easily and visually judge which chip in an FEM wafer has a normal exposure condition, or which chip has an abnormal exposure condition. A feature quantity for a sectional shape of a resist pattern of an FEM wafer is calculated for each chip region on an FEM wafer using an image of a resist pattern for an FEM wafer. The feature quantity of a sectional shape is displayed for each chip in a chip table of a map representing a position of a chip region on the FEM wafer. Deviations in feature quantities of sectional shapes of resist patterns of a FEM wafer to an appropriate value are displayed in color in the chip table.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inspecting a defect of a circuit pattern formed on a semiconductor wafer includes a defect classifier have a comparison shape forming section for forming a plurality of comparison shapes corresponding to an SEM image of an inspection region by deforming the shape of the circuit pattern in accordance with a plurality of shape deformation rules using design data corresponding to the circuit pattern within the inspection region and a shape similar to the SEM image of the inspection region out of the plurality of comparison shapes formed and selected as the comparison shape, and a shape comparing and classifying section for classifying the SEM image using information of the comparison shape selected in the comparison shape forming section and the inspection shape of the circuit pattern of the SEM image of the inspection region.

Abstract: A system for controlling a tool-to-tool disparity between a plurality of scanning electron microscopes includes a measuring unit for measuring a tool-to-tool disparity between plural scanning electron microscopes based on information extracted from secondary electron images which are captured by imaging a reference pattern, a tool state monitoring unit for monitoring tool states of each of the plural scanning electron microscopes, and an output unit for displaying on a screen a relationship between the tool-to-tool disparity between the plural scanning electron microscopes and tool states of each of the plural scanning electron microscopes monitored by the tool state monitoring unit. The tool state monitoring unit monitors the tool states of each of the plural scanning electron microscopes while imaging the reference pattern by using each of the plural scanning electron microscopes.

Abstract: Provided is a method for evaluating superimposition of a pattern, wherein an alignment shift quantity and a shift direction can be evaluated at a discretionary position within an exposure shot. The method uses a superimposition evaluation pattern, and the image of the superimposition evaluation pattern is acquired (S1) using electron microscopes (10, 109), the shift quantity and direction in each exposure step are calculated (S2) by comparing the acquired image with layout information, which has been registered in a storage section (111) and is on the layout with which the superimposition evaluation pattern is to be arranged, and the evaluation results are displayed (S3).

Abstract: In the inspection apparatus for a defect of a semiconductor and the method using it for automatically detecting the defect on a semiconductor wafer and presuming the defect occurrence factor using the circuit design data, a plurality of shapes are formed from the circuit design data by deforming the design data with respect to shape deformation items stipulated for respective defect occurrence factor for comparison with the inspection object circuit pattern. The defect is detected by comparison of the group of shapes formed and the actual pattern. Further, the occurrence factors of these defects are presumed, and the defects are classified according to respective factor.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a resolution of a scanning electron microscope includes picking up a first image of a concave and convex pattern formed on a surface of a sample utilizing a first scanning electron microscope, picking up a second image of the concave and convex pattern on the sample utilizing a second scanning electron microscope, respectively processing the first image and the second image in order to evaluate unevenness in resolution between the first scanning electron microscope and the second scanning electron microscope, and determining whether a height of the concave and convex pattern as measured from a bottom thereof is sufficient so that no affection by a secondary electron emitted from the bottom of the concave and convex pattern is exhibited.

Abstract: A system for controlling a tool-to-tool disparity between a plurality of scanning electron microscopes includes a measuring unit for measuring a tool-to-tool disparity between plural scanning electron microscopes based on information extracted from secondary electron images which are captured by imaging a reference pattern formed on a wafer, a tool state monitoring unit for monitoring tool states of each of the plural scanning electron microscopes, and an output unit for displaying on a screen a relationship between the tool-to-tool disparity between the plural scanning electron microscopes and tool states of each of the plural scanning electron microscopes monitored by the tool state monitoring unit. The tool state monitoring unit monitors the tool states of each of the plural scanning electron microscopes while imaging the reference pattern formed on the wafer by using each of the plural scanning electron microscopes.