Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam device which can specify a position of an initial core with high accuracy even when fine line and space patterns are formed by an SADP in plural times. The charged particle beam device includes a detector (810) which detects secondary charged particles discharged from a sample (807) when a charged particle beam is emitted to the sample having a plurality of patterns of line shape, a display unit (817) which displays image data of a surface of the sample on the basis of a signal of the secondary charged particles, a calculation unit (812) which calculates an LER value with respect to the plurality of the patterns of line shape from the image data, and a determination unit (816) which compares the values to determine a position of the initial core.

Abstract: There is provided a control device for controlling a charged particle beam apparatus, wherein the beam apparatus comprises a workpiece stage having at least two turning axes which are not parallel to each other and an irradiation unit, and the control device comprises an angle calculation unit that based on a direction of a first processing in which a processed surface having a normal line not parallel to any of the turning axes is generated in the workpiece by the irradiation unit and a direction of a second processing to be processed by the irradiation unit from a direction different from the direction of the first processing with respect to the processed surface to be generated by the first processing, calculates turning angles about the turning axes that changes the direction of the stage from the direction of the first processing to the direction of the second processing.

Abstract: A purpose of the present invention is to provide: a pattern height measurement device capable of high-precision measurement of the dimensions of a fine pattern, in the height direction; and a charged particle beam device. In order to achieve the purpose, this pattern height measurement device comprises a calculation device that finds the dimensions of a sample, in the height direction, on the basis of first reflected light information obtained by dispersing light that is reflected when the sample is irradiated with light.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that quickly and precisely measures or evaluates a distortion in a field of view and a charged particle beam apparatus. To attain the object, an image processing apparatus or the like is proposed which acquires a first image of a first area of an imaging target and a second image of a second area that is located at a different position than the first area and partially overlaps with the first area and determines the distance between a measurement point in the second image and a second part of the second image that corresponds to a particular area for a plurality of sites in the overlapping area of the first image and the second image.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method and device for quantitatively evaluating the degree and characteristics of wiggling, which is a phenomenon that occurs in electronic device fabrication processes and consists of the deformation in the same shape of the left and right edges of fine line patterns, and takes advantage of the fact that this wiggling is included in measured values for line edge variation but not line width variation by acquiring the differences between these values. Further, the present invention is configured so as to calculate line center positions and use the distribution of the deviation from the average line center position as an indicator. Additionally, the present invention is configured to quantify wiggling characteristics by outputting a coefficient of wiggling correlation between lines or a wiggling component synchronized between lines as an indicator.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides a pattern measurement method and device for achieving highly accurate measurement in the depth direction of a pattern. The method involves a focused ion beam irradiated to form an inclined surface in a sample area; a field of view of a SEM set to include the boundary between the inclined surface and a sample surface; and an image of the field of view obtained on the basis of a detection signal. Such an acquired image is used to specify a first position, the boundary between inclined surface and non-inclined surface, and a second position, the position of a desired deep hole or deep groove positioned within the inclined surface. The pattern dimension in a height direction is determined on the basis of the distance in the sample surface direction between the first position and second position and the angle of the inclined surface.

Abstract: Provided is a measurement device including: an irradiation optical system which emits a primary charged quantum beam to a sample for scanning; a detector which detects secondary charged particles generated from the sample; and a signal processing unit which processes an output signal from the secondary charged particle detector which has detected the secondary charged particles, in which the signal processing unit includes a measurement unit which measures widths of a first pattern group calibrated with a well-known first dimension and a second pattern group calibrated with a well-known second dimension, and an operation unit which defines a relationship between the well-known dimensions of the first and second pattern groups and length measurement values of the first and second pattern groups as a function.

Abstract: For scanning electron beams and measuring overlay misalignment between an upper layer pattern and a lower layer pattern with high precision, electron beams are scanned over a region including a first pattern and a second pattern of a sample, the sample having the lower layer pattern (the first pattern) and the upper layer pattern (the second pattern) formed in a step after a step of forming the first pattern. The electron beams are scanned such that scan directions and scan sequences of the electron beams become axial symmetrical or point-symmetrical in a plurality of pattern position measurement regions defined within the scan region for the electron beams, thereby reducing measurement errors resulting from the asymmetry of electric charge.

Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam device which can specify a position of an initial core with high accuracy even when fine line and space patterns are formed by an SADP in plural times. The charged particle beam device includes a detector (810) which detects secondary charged particles discharged from a sample (807) when a charged particle beam is emitted to the sample having a plurality of patterns of line shape, a display unit (817) which displays image data of a surface of the sample on the basis of a signal of the secondary charged particles, a calculation unit (812) which calculates an LER value with respect to the plurality of the patterns of line shape from the image data, and a determination unit (816) which compares the values to determine a position of the initial core.

Abstract: An error of an outline point due to a brightness fluctuation cannot be corrected by a simple method such as a method of adding a certain amount of offset. However, in recent years as the miniaturization of the pattern represented by a resist pattern has progressed, it has been difficult to appropriately determine a region that serves as a reference. An outline of the resist pattern is extracted from an image of the resist pattern obtained by a charged particle beam apparatus in consideration of influence of the brightness fluctuation. That is, a plurality of brightness profiles in the vicinity of edge points configuring the outline are obtained and an evaluation value of a shape of the brightness profile in the vicinity of a specific edge is obtained based on the plurality of brightness profiles, and the outline of a specific edge point is corrected, based on the evaluation value.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method and device for quantitatively evaluating the degree and characteristics of wiggling, which is a phenomenon that occurs in electronic device fabrication processes and consists of the deformation in the same shape of the left and right edges of fine line patterns, and takes advantage of the fact that this wiggling is included in measured values for line edge variation but not line width variation by acquiring the differences between these values. Further, the present invention is configured so as to calculate line center positions and use the distribution of the deviation from the average line center position as an indicator. Additionally, the present invention is configured to quantify wiggling characteristics by outputting a coefficient of wiggling correlation between lines or a wiggling component synchronized between lines as an indicator.

Abstract: The objective of the invention is to provide a measuring method that can determine pattern contours and dimensions with high precision even if an object to be measured shrinks due to electron beam radiations. In order to achieve this objective, a method, which performs measurements by irradiating an electron beam onto a sample having a pattern formed on a primary coating thereof, prepares an SEM image and contour of the pattern (S201, S202), material parameters of the pattern part and primary coating part of the sample (S203, S204), and a beam condition in irradiating the electron beam onto the sample (S205), and uses these prepared things to calculate a pattern shape or dimensions before the irradiation of the electron beam (S206).

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a pattern dimension measurement method for accurately measuring an amount of shrinkage of a pattern that shrinks and an original dimension value before the shrinkage and a charged particle beam apparatus. In order to attain the above-mentioned object, there are proposed a pattern dimension measurement method and a charged particle beam apparatus that are characterized by: forming a thin film on a sample including the pattern after carrying out beam scanning onto a first portion of the pattern; acquiring a first measurement value by scanning a beam onto a region corresponding to the first portion on which the thin film is formed; acquiring a second measurement value by scanning a beam onto a second portion that has identical dimensions as those of the first portion on design data; and finding the amount of shrinkage of the pattern based on subtraction processing of subtracting the first measurement value from the second measurement value.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor inspection device and a semiconductor inspection method such that in a specimen image in a single field of view obtained by an electron microscope, it is possible to suppress variations in the edge position measurement error attributable to the materials and structures of the lower layers of measured patterns by a first method, wherein the area in the field of view obtained by electron beam scanning is divided into a plurality of regions on the basis of information regarding the structures and materials of the object to be observed and the electron beam scanning conditions are changed for individual regions (805, 806), a second method, wherein, the image processing conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from division of the obtained images, or a third method, wherein the edge detection conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from the division within the edge inspection regions of the obtained images.

Abstract: An error of an outline point due to a brightness fluctuation cannot be corrected by a simple method such as a method of adding a certain amount of offset. However, in recent years as the miniaturization of the pattern represented by a resist pattern has progressed, it has been difficult to appropriately determine a region that serves as a reference. An outline of the resist pattern is extracted from an image of the resist pattern obtained by a charged particle beam apparatus in consideration of influence of the brightness fluctuation. That is, a plurality of brightness profiles in the vicinity of edge points configuring the outline are obtained and an evaluation value of a shape of the brightness profile in the vicinity of a specific edge is obtained based on the plurality of brightness profiles, and the outline of a specific edge point is corrected, based on the evaluation value.

Abstract: In order that a displacement between patterns of different heights, formed on a sample in a plurality of different pattern-forming steps, can be measured at fixed throughput and with high accuracy, correspondence between parameters of lenses and beam deflector of an electron optical system and an angle of incidence of a beam upon the sample is recorded as data, then a correction value for the amount of displacement or edge positions is calculated, and a true amount of displacement is calculated from the correction value and an image under observation.

Abstract: In the present invention, at the time of measuring, using a CD-SEM, a length of a resist that shrinks when irradiated with an electron beam, in order to highly accurately estimate a shape and dimensions of the resist before shrink, a shrink database with respect to various patterns is previously prepared, said shrink database containing cross-sectional shape data obtained prior to electron beam irradiation, a cross-sectional shape data group and a CD-SEM image data group, which are obtained under various electron beam irradiation conditions, and models based on such data and data groups, and a CD-SEM image of a resist pattern to be measured is obtained (S102), then, the CD-SEM image and data in the shrink database are compared with each other (S103), and the shape and dimensions of the pattern before the shrink are estimated and outputted (S104).

Abstract: The objective of the invention is to provide a measuring method that can determine pattern contours and dimensions with high precision even if an object to be measured shrinks due to electron beam radiations. In order to achieve this objective, a method, which performs measurements by irradiating an electron beam onto a sample having a pattern formed on a primary coating thereof, prepares an SEM image and contour of the pattern (S201, S202), material parameters of the pattern part and primary coating part of the sample (S203, S204), and a beam condition in irradiating the electron beam onto the sample (S205), and uses these prepared things to calculate a pattern shape or dimensions before the irradiation of the electron beam (S206).

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a pattern dimension measurement method for accurately measuring an amount of shrinkage of a pattern that shrinks and an original dimension value before the shrinkage and a charged particle beam apparatus. In order to attain the above-mentioned object, there are proposed a pattern dimension measurement method and a charged particle beam apparatus that are characterized by: forming a thin film on a sample including the pattern after carrying out beam scanning onto a first portion of the pattern; acquiring a first measurement value by scanning a beam onto a region corresponding to the first portion on which the thin film is formed; acquiring a second measurement value by scanning a beam onto a second portion that has identical dimensions as those of the first portion on design data; and finding the amount of shrinkage of the pattern based on subtraction processing of subtracting the first measurement value from the second measurement value.

Abstract: In order that a displacement between patterns of different heights, formed on a sample in a plurality of different pattern-forming steps, can be measured at fixed throughput and with high accuracy, correspondence between parameters of lenses and beam deflector of an electron optical system and an angle of incidence of a beam upon the sample is recorded as data, then a correction value for the amount of displacement or edge positions is calculated, and a true amount of displacement is calculated from the correction value and an image under observation.