Abstract: It was hard for conventional SEMs to take measurements at a high speed and take accurate measurements when an insulator exists between an object to probe and the detector, because the conventional SEMs used a continuous electron beam. Also, it was impossible to apply voltage to the sample during the measurement of current. By pulse-modulating the electron beam and extracting a high-frequency signal component from the sample, new SEM equipment disclosed herein detects electrons absorbed in the sample at a high speed and with precision. Precise and high-speed absorption current measurements can be achieved. High-functionality inspection apparatus can be provided.

Abstract: A method of detecting a defect includes of determining an image acquisition condition for irradiating a converged electron beam onto a specimen and detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen, acquiring an image by detecting the secondary electron emanated from the specimen in synchronism with the irradiation of the electron beam, processing the acquired image to detect a defect on the specimen, and outputting information regarding the detected defect. The image acquisition condition is determined based on plural images which are acquired by changing at least one of acceleration condition of the secondary electron and an electrical field in the vicinity of the specimen.

Abstract: According to the invention, techniques for automatically adjusting for astigmatism in a charged particle beam apparatus. Embodiments according to the present invention can provide a charged particle beam apparatus and an automatic astigmatism adjustment methods capable of automatically correcting astigmatism and a focal point in a relatively short period of time by finding a plurality of astigmatism correction quantities and a focal point correction quantity in a single operation from a relatively small number of 2 dimensional images. Specific embodiments can perform such automatic focusing while minimizing damages inflicted on subject samples. Embodiments include, among others, a charged particle optical system for carrying out an inspection, a measurement and a fabrication with a relatively high degree of accuracy by using a charged particle beam.

Abstract: In a circuit pattern inspection apparatus, while an electron beam is irradiated onto a surface of a substrate having a plurality of chips where circuit patterns have been formed, a signal produced from the irradiated substrate is detected so as to form an image, and then, the formed image is compared with another image in order to detect a defect on the circuit patterns. Before the electron beam is irradiated onto either the chip or the plurality of chips so as to acquire the image for an inspection purpose, an electron beam is previously irradiated onto the region to be irradiated, so that charging conditions of the substrate to be inspected are arbitrarily controlled.

Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus including a table which mounts a specimen and is movable in three dimensional directions, an electron beam optical system irradiating an electron beam onto a specimen and for detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen by the irradiation of the electron beam, and a surface height detection system for detecting height of the surface of the specimen mounted on the table. A focus control system controls a relative position between a focus position of the electron optical system and the table in accordance with information of the height, and an image processing system obtains an image from the detected secondary electron and processes the obtained image to detect a defect on the surface of the specimen.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus includes an electron beam system which emits a converged electron beam, a vacuum chamber which is connected to the electron beam system, and a stage which mounts a specimen and moves at least in one direction inside of the vacuum chamber. An electron beam image observation unit observes an electron beam image of a surface of the specimen. A height detector optically detects a height of the specimen mounted on the stage by illuminating the surface of said specimen with light and by detecting reflected light of the illumination reflected from the surface of the specimen, and a controller controls a focus position of the electron beam in accordance with an output from the height detector while the stage is moving at least in one direction.

Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: A method of detecting a defect includes of determining an image acquisition condition for irradiating a converged electron beam onto a specimen and detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen, acquiring an image by detecting the secondary electron emanated from the specimen in synchronism with the irradiation of the electron beam, processing the acquired image to detect a defect on the specimen, and outputting information regarding the detected defect. The image acquisition condition is determined based on plural images which are acquired by changing at least one of acceleration condition of the secondary electron and an electrical field in the vicinity of the specimen.

Abstract: Heights of a sample are calibrated by setting a calibrating substrate on a stage and then irradiating a charged particle beam onto standard marks provided on at least two kinds of surfaces having different substrate heights. Secondary charged particles produced from said irradiated standard marks on the substrate are and detected and a surface height of the irradiated portion of the substrate measured. The difference in height between the standard marks is set to be in a range containing an extent, over the entire sample, to which the height of the sample varies due to warping.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus includes a movable table which mounts a specimen, an electron optical system including an electron beam source which emits electron beams, an element for deflecting the emitted electron beams, an objective lens for converging and irradiating the deflected electron beams onto the specimen mounted on the table, and a detector for detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen by the irradiation of the electron beams. A surface height detection unit is provided which optically detects a height of a surface of the specimen by projecting light onto the surface of the specimen from an oblique direction to the surface and detecting light reflected from the specimen. A focus controller is provided for focusing the electron beam onto the surface of the specimen by controlling a position of the table in a height direction in accordance with the height information from the surface height detection unit.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus and method of detecting an electron beam image of a specimen in which a converged electron beam is irradiated and scanned over a surface of a specimen which is mounted on a movable stage and moves at least in one direction. An electron beam image of the surface of the specimen mounted on the stage is observed and a height of the specimen mounted on the stage is detected. A focus position of the electron beam is controlled in accordance with the height detected.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus includes control of an acceleration voltage of an electron beam, irradiation of the electron beam to an object to be inspected mounted on a stage which is continuously moving at least in one direction, and detection of at least one of secondary electrons and reflected electrons emanated from the object in response to the irradiation. An image of the object is obtained from the detected electron by using positional information of the stage and inspection or measurement of the object is conducted using an obtained image. In the detection, an electric field in the vicinity of the object mounted on the stage is controlled so that at least one of the secondary electrons and the reflected electrons emanated from the object in response to the irradiation of the electron beam are decelerated.

Abstract: In order to obtain optimum irradiation conditions of an electron beam according to the material and structure of a circuit pattern to be inspected and the kind of a failure to be detected and inspect under the optimum conditions without delay of the inspection time, an inspection device for irradiating the electron beam 19 to the sample board 9 which is a sample, detecting generated secondary electrons by the detector 7, storing obtained signals sequentially in the storage, comparing the same pattern stored in the storage by the comparison calculation unit, and extracting a failure by comparing the predetermined threshold value with the comparison signal by the failure decision unit is provided, wherein the optimum value of the irradiation energy is stored in the data base inside the device beforehand according to the structure of a sample and a recommended value of the irradiation energy suited to inspection can be searched for by inputting or selecting the irradiation energy by a user or inputting informati

Abstract: A pattern inspecting method and apparatus in which changed particles irradiate an object substrate having patterns formed thereon, sequential detection on a time division basis utilizing a plurality of sensors at, at least one of a secondary electron, reflected electron and transparent electron generated from the object substrate which is irradiated is effected and digital images at a rate higher than a rate obtained with a plurality of the sensors or with a discrete sensor forming divided sensors by a time-series processing of the signal obtained through the detection on a time division basis is obtained. A defect of the patterns formed on the object substrate is detected in accordance with the obtained digital images.

Abstract: In a high-sensitivity X-ray detector, an image of the secondary electrons is little shifted and deformed by the astigmatism or the like even when it approaches very close to a specimen set on the stage of an electron microscope. When a beam of charged particles strike a specimen, the specimen emits backscattered charged particles along with X-rays. To prevent such undesired charged particles from entering into the X-ray detecting element of the X-ray detector, a means for generating a first magnetic field is applied. Another means for generating a second magnetic field is provided to cancel the magnetic filed leaked from the first means for generating magnetic field at the position of the specimen.

Abstract: In order to obtain optimum irradiation conditions of an electron beam according to the material and structure of a circuit pattern to be inspected and the kind of a failure to be detected and inspect under the optimum conditions without delay of the inspection time, an inspection device for irradiating the electron beam 19 to the sample board 9 which is a sample, detecting generated secondary electrons by the detector 7, storing obtained signals sequentially in the storage, comparing the same pattern stored in the storage by the comparison calculation unit, and extracting a failure by comparing the predetermined threshold value with the comparison signal by the failure decision unit is provided, wherein the optimum value of the irradiation energy is stored in the data base inside the device beforehand according to the structure of a sample and a recommended value of the irradiation energy suited to inspection can be searched for by inputting or selecting the irradiation energy by a user or inputting informati

Abstract: Secondary electrons and back scattered electrons generated by irradiating a wafer to be inspected such as a semiconductor wafer with a charged particle beam are detected by a detector. A signal proportional to the number of detected electrons is generated, and an inspection image is formed on the basis of the signal. On the other hand, in consideration of a current value and irradiation energy of a charged particle beam, an electric field on the surface of the inspection wafer, emission efficiency of the secondary electrons and back scattered electrons, and the like, an electric resistance and an electric capacity are determined so as to coincide with those in the inspection image. In a state where a difference between a resistance value in a normal portion and a resistance value in a defective portion is sufficiently increased by using the charging generated by the irradiation of electron beams, an inspection is conducted to thereby detect a defect.

Abstract: A circuit pattern inspecting instrument includes an electron-optical system for irradiating an electron beam on a sample, an electron beam deflector, a detector for detecting secondary charged particles from the sample, and a mode setting unit for switching between a first mode and a second mode. An electron beam current is larger in the first mode than in the second mode, and an electron beam scanning speed is higher in the first mode than in the second mode. The circuit pattern inspecting instrument is configured so that first the sample is observed in the first mode, then a particular position on the sample is selected based on image data produced by an output of the detector in the first mode, and then the particular position on the sample is observed in the second mode.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus and method of detecting an electron beam image of a specimen in which a converged electron beam is irradiated and scanned over a surface of a specimen which is mounted on a movable stage and moves at least in one direction. An electron beam image of the surface of the specimen mounted on the stage is observed and a height of the specimen mounted on the stage is detected. A focus position of the electron beam is controlled in accordance with the height detected.