Abstract: The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus comprising: an electron emitting unit for sequentially emitting an electron beam in the direction of the inspection area of a sample; a decelerating means for drawing back the electron beam in the vicinity of the inspection area; an imaging unit for forming images of the electron beam, which has been drawn back in the vicinity of the inspection area, on multiple different image forming conditions; an image detecting unit for capturing the electron beam that formed an image corresponding to each image forming condition and an image processing unit for comparing the images on different image forming conditions with one another to thereby detect a defect in the inspection area.

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: The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus comprising: an electron emitting unit for sequentially emitting an electron beam in the direction of the inspection area of a sample; a decelerating means for drawing back the electron beam in the vicinity of the inspection area; an imaging unit for forming images of the electron beam, which has been drawn back in the vicinity of the inspection area, on multiple different image forming conditions; an image detecting unit for capturing the electron beam that formed an image corresponding to each image forming condition and an image processing unit for comparing the images on different image forming conditions with one another to thereby detect a defect in the inspection area.

Abstract: An electric field for decelerating an electron beam is formed on a surface of a sample semiconductor to be inspected, an electron beam having a specific area (a sheet electron beam) and containing a component having such an energy as not to reach the surface of the sample semiconductor is reflected in the very vicinity of the surface of the sample semiconductor by action of the electric field for deceleration and then forms an image through an imaging lens. Thus images of plural fields on the surface of the sample semiconductor are obtained and are stored in image memory units. By comparing the stored images of the plural fields with one another, the presence and position of a defect in the fields are determined.

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 microscope includes an illuminating lens system that illuminates an electron beam that is emitted from an electron source onto a specimen as a planar illuminating electron beam having a two-dimensional spread, an imaging lens system that projects and magnifies the reflecting electron beam emitted from the specimen to project and form a specimen image, a beam separator that separates the illuminating electron beam from the reflecting electron beam, and a controller. The controller controls the reflecting electron beam so as to go straight through the beam separator, and the illuminating electron beam so as to keep a deflection angle of the illuminating electron beam which is made by the beam separator substantially constant.

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 defect inspection apparatus is provided which allows a technology for inspecting a pattern on a wafer by using an electron beam to implement a high-resolution and higher-speed inspection. A semiconductor wafer is irradiated with an electron beam and electrons reflected in the vicinity of the wafer are detected. The presence or absence of a defect and the location thereof are measured by forming an image from only a component which changes with a periodicity larger than a size of a circuit pattern or the repetition periodicity thereof by using lenses and comparing an image signal with a preset value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus comprising: an electron emitting unit for sequentially emitting an electron beam in the direction of the inspection area of a sample; a decelerating means for drawing back the electron beam in the vicinity of the inspection area; an imaging unit for forming images of the electron beam, which has been drawn back in the vicinity of the inspection area, on multiple different image forming conditions; an image detecting unit for capturing the electron beam that formed an image corresponding to each image forming condition and an image processing unit for comparing the images on different image forming conditions with one another to thereby detect a defect in the inspection area.

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 (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 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: 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 electric field for decelerating an electron beam is formed on a surface of a sample semiconductor to be inspected, an electron beam having a specific area (a sheet electron beam) and containing a component having such an energy as not to reach the surface of the sample semiconductor is reflected in the very vicinity of the surface of the sample semiconductor by action of the electric field for deceleration and then forms an image through an imaging lens. Thus images of plural fields on the surface of the sample semiconductor are obtained and are stored in image memory units. By comparing the stored images of the plural fields with one another, the presence and position of a defect in the fields are determined.

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: In a pattern inspection device of the present invention having at least three electron-optical systems, detection signals approximately simultaneously obtained from identical circuit patterns are compared with each other. Further, areas around plural electron sources can be maintained at high degrees of vacuum by evacuating an electron gun chamber mounted with plural electron guns independently of a sample chamber. Further, electric fields and magnetic fields are confined in each electron-optical system by a shield electrode which makes it possible to evacuate an electron beam path to a high degree of vacuum, and at the same time, secondary electrons and reflected electrons are detected in the same electron-optical system by setting the samples to a negative voltage and accelerating secondary electrons and reflected electrons toward the electron source side in the direction of the electron beam axis.

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 transmission electron microscope makes it possible to search for defects without applying an undesirable treatment to a specimen by using a reference specimen prepared separately from a specimen to be observed. A pair of specimen holders detachable from the column of the electron microscope are adjacently arranged at upper and lower stages respectively along an electron beam axis to position the specimens closely to each other in an electron beam illuminating position. The pair of holders can be independently set to or removed from the electron beam illuminating position. The specimen holders include devices for selectively finely adjusting the spacing between the specimens, the angle of the specimen with respect to the electron beam axis and with respect to a plane perpendicular to the electron beam axis.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to realize a field-emission transmission electron microscope which is able to cope with both observation of an electron-microscopic image of a high brightness and microanalysis. A low aberration condenser lens 4 is disposed at the farthest position from a specimen 7, and a short focal length lens 5 is disposed at the midpoint between the specimen 7 and the condenser lens 4. In the case of an observation of an electron-microscopic image, the condenser lens unit is operated for enlargement in which the condenser lens 4 and the condenser lens 5 are driven in an interlocking motion. When the size of a beam spot on a specimen is to be reduced, a condenser lens 6 disposed close to the specimen between the condenser lens 5 and the specimen 7 is driven to make the condenser lens unit be operated for reduction.

Abstract: A field emission electron microscope in which a controller is provided to make an electron beam current fixed due to variations in an accelerating voltage or an extracting voltage to thereby make fixed the brightness of an electron beam with which a specimen is illuminated.