Abstract: Line-edge roughness or line width roughness is evaluated while preventing influence of noise caused by a device or an environment. Therefore, an averaged signal profile 405 in which a moving average of S pixels (S is an integer greater than 1) is taken in a Y direction is obtained from a signal profile showing a secondary electron signal amount distribution in an X direction with respect to a predetermined Y coordinate obtained from a top-down image, an edge position 406 of a line pattern is extracted based on the averaged signal profile, and a noise floor height is calculated based on a first power spectral density 407 of LER data or LWR data based on the extracted edge position and a second power spectral density 409 of a rectangular window function corresponding to the moving average of the S pixels.

Abstract: To provide a technique capable of quantitatively grasping a change in three-dimensional shape including a cross-sectional shape of a pattern within a surface of a wafer or between wafers in a non-destructive manner before cross-sectional observation.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an ion beam device that can measure structures existing at different positions in a thickness direction of a sample. The ion beam device according to the invention irradiates a sample with an ion beam obtained by ionizing elements contained in a gas. After obtaining a first observation image of a first shape of a first region using a first ion beam, the ion beam device processes a hole in a second region of the sample using a second ion beam, and uses the first ion beam on the processed hole to obtain a second observation image of a second shape of the second region. By comparing the first observation image and the second observation image, a relative positional relation between the first shape and the second shape is obtained (refer to FIG. 7C).

Abstract: An object of the invention is to quantitatively evaluate crystal growth amount in a wide range from an undergrowth state to an overgrowth state with nondestructive inspection. By using a plenty of image feature values such as pattern brightness, a pattern area and a pattern shape which are extracted from an SEM image, and depending on whether brightness inside a pattern is lower than brightness outside the pattern (401), undergrowth and overgrowth is determined (402, 405). Based on a brightness difference or the pattern area, a growth amount index or a normality index of crystal growth in a concave pattern such as a hole pattern or a trench pattern is calculated (404, 407).

Abstract: Line-edge roughness or line width roughness is evaluated while preventing influence of noise caused by a device or an environment. Therefore, an averaged signal profile 405 in which a moving average of S pixels (S is an integer greater than 1) is taken in a Y direction is obtained from a signal profile showing a secondary electron signal amount distribution in an X direction with respect to a predetermined Y coordinate obtained from a top-down image, an edge position 406 of a line pattern is extracted based on the averaged signal profile, and a noise floor height is calculated based on a first power spectral density 407 of LER data or LWR data based on the extracted edge position and a second power spectral density 409 of a rectangular window function corresponding to the moving average of the S pixels.

Abstract: An inspection system is provided that includes a microscope that scans a sample with a beam that is an incident electron beam, and an image processing device that controls the microscope.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to quantitatively evaluate crystal growth amount in a wide range from an undergrowth state to an overgrowth state with nondestructive inspection. By using a plenty of image feature values such as pattern brightness, a pattern area and a pattern shape which are extracted from an SEM image, and depending on whether brightness inside a pattern is lower than brightness outside the pattern (401), undergrowth and overgrowth is determined (402, 405). Based on a brightness difference or the pattern area, a growth amount index or a normality index of crystal growth in a concave pattern such as a hole pattern or a trench pattern is calculated (404, 407).

Abstract: In order to provide an inspection device capable of quantitatively evaluating a pattern related to a state of a manufacturing process or performance of an element, it is assumed that an inspection device includes an image analyzing unit that analyzes a top-down image of a sample in which columnar patterns are formed at a regular interval, in which an image analyzing unit 240 includes a calculation unit 243 that obtains a major axis, a minor axis, an eccentricity, and an angle formed by a major axis direction with an image horizontal axis direction of the approximated ellipse as a first index and a Cr calculation unit 248 that obtains a circumferential length of an outline of a columnar pattern on the sample and a value obtained by dividing a square of the circumferential length by a value obtained by multiplying an area surrounded by the outline and 4? as a second index.

Abstract: An inspection system is provided that includes a microscope that scans a sample with a beam that is an incident electron beam, and an image processing device that controls the microscope.

Abstract: A pattern measurement method and measurement apparatus are provided that appropriately evaluate the deformation of a pattern occurring due to a micro loading effect. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there are provided pattern measurement method and apparatus that measure a dimension of a pattern formed on a sample. In the pattern measurement method and apparatus, distances between a reference pattern and a plurality of adjacent patterns adjacent to the reference pattern or inner diameters of the reference pattern in a plurality of directions are measured, and the measurement results of the plurality of distances between the reference pattern and the adjacent patterns or the measurement results of the inner diameters of the reference pattern in the plurality of directions are classified according to distances between the reference pattern and the adjacent patterns or directions of the patterns adjacent to the reference pattern.

Abstract: In order to provide an inspection device capable of quantitatively evaluating a pattern related to a state of a manufacturing process or performance of an element, it is assumed that an inspection device includes an image analyzing unit that analyzes a top-down image of a sample in which columnar patterns are formed at a regular interval, in which an image analyzing unit 240 includes a calculation unit 243 that obtains a major axis, a minor axis, an eccentricity, and an angle formed by a major axis direction with an image horizontal axis direction of the approximated ellipse as a first index and a Cr calculation unit 248 that obtains a circumferential length of an outline of a columnar pattern on the sample and a value obtained by dividing a square of the circumferential length by a value obtained by multiplying an area surrounded by the outline and 4? as a second index.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for pattern measurement and a charged particle radiation device in which a pattern formed by using a DSA technique can be very precisely measured and inspected. According to an aspect for achieving the object, a method for pattern measurement or a charged particle radiation device for realizing the measurement is proposed as follows. A charged particle is radiated to a polymer compound used for a self-organization lithography technique, and a specific polymer is considerably contracted as compared to the other polymer among multiple polymers forming the polymer compound. Thereafter, dimensions between multiple edges of the other polymer are measured, based on a signal obtained by scanning a region including the other polymer with the charged particle beam.

Abstract: The invention discloses a technique that estimates micro roughness from a total sum of detection signals from plural detection systems and signal ratios, using a light scattering method. The technique rotates and translates a wafer at high speed to measure the entire surface of the wafer with high throughput. The relationship between the micro roughness and the intensity of scattered light varies according to a material of the wafer and a film thickness thereof. Moreover, calibration of an apparatus is also necessary. Thus, for instance, the invention provides a technique that has a function of correcting an optically acquired detection result using a sample which is substantially the same as a measurement target and makes the optically acquired detection result come close to a result measured by an apparatus, such as an AFM, using a different measurement principle.

Abstract: A pattern measurement method and measurement apparatus are provided that appropriately evaluate the deformation of a pattern occurring due to a micro loading effect. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there are provided pattern measurement method and apparatus that measure a dimension of a pattern formed on a sample. In the pattern measurement method and apparatus, distances between a reference pattern and a plurality of adjacent patterns adjacent to the reference pattern or inner diameters of the reference pattern in a plurality of directions are measured, and the measurement results of the plurality of distances between the reference pattern and the adjacent patterns or the measurement results of the inner diameters of the reference pattern in the plurality of directions are classified according to distances between the reference pattern and the adjacent patterns or directions of the patterns adjacent to the reference pattern.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for pattern measurement and a charged particle radiation device in which a pattern formed by using a DSA technique can be very precisely measured and inspected. According to an aspect for achieving the object, a method for pattern measurement or a charged particle radiation device for realizing the measurement is proposed as follows. A charged particle is radiated to a polymer compound used for a self-organization lithography technique, and a specific polymer is considerably contracted as compared to the other polymer among multiple polymers forming the polymer compound. Thereafter, dimensions between multiple edges of the other polymer are measured, based on a signal obtained by scanning a region including the other polymer with the charged particle beam.

Abstract: Patent Document 1 discloses height measurement using an atomic force microscope (AFM) as means for measuring micro roughness. However, since it takes time for this measurement, it is difficult to apply a single display to inspection of all wafers and the entire surface thereof in an in-line manner. The invention provides a technique that estimates micro roughness from a total sum of detection signals from plural detection systems and signal ratios, using a light scattering method. The technique rotates and translates a wafer at high speed to measure the entire surface of the wafer with high throughput. Further, the relationship between the micro roughness and the intensity of scattered light varies according to a material of the wafer and a film thickness thereof. Further, calibration of an apparatus is also necessary.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a defect inspection method which can prevent the failure in detecting a defect, caused by saturation of a pattern signal obtained by inspecting an inspected object, so that the investigation of the cause for defect occurrence can be done earlier. To achieve this object, according to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a defect inspection that irradiates laser light on an inspected object having a pattern formed thereon, detects a signal from the inspected object and thereby detects a defect, the inspection including: inputting pattern information contained in layout data on the inspected object; determining based on the inputted pattern information, at least one of arrangement, repetitiveness and density for each of a plurality of inspected areas of the inspected object; estimating a saturation level of the detected signal based on the determination result; and determining a transmittance condition so that the signal does not saturate.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a defect inspection method which can prevent the failure in detecting a defect, caused by saturation of a pattern signal obtained by inspecting an inspected object, so that the investigation of the cause for defect occurrence can be done earlier. To achieve this object, according to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a defect inspection that irradiates laser light on an inspected object having a pattern formed thereon, detects a signal from the inspected object and thereby detects a defect, the inspection including: inputting pattern information contained in layout data on the inspected object; determining based on the inputted pattern information, at least one of arrangement, repetitiveness and density for each of a plurality of inspected areas of the inspected object; estimating a saturation level of the detected signal based on the determination result; and determining a transmittance condition so that the signal does not saturate.

Abstract: A process management system in accordance with the present invention includes inspection apparatuses for inspecting defects on a wafer, the inspection apparatuses being connected through a communication network, inspection information and image information obtained from these inspection apparatuses being collected to construct a data base and an image file, therein definition of defects is given by combinations of elements which characterize the defect based on the inspection information and the image information obtained from the inspection apparatuses. By giving definition of the defect, characteristics of the defect can be subdivided and known. Therefore, the cause of a defect can be studied.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting foreign matter in repeated micro-miniature patterns formed upon a surface of an object to be inspected, comprising: an inspection light illuminating device for irradiating an inspection light directed upon the surface of the object to be inspected, on which the repeated micro-miniature patterns are formed; a scattered light detector for detecting scattered light of the inspection light being scattered upon the surface said object to be inspected; means for obtaining a first information related to a foreign matter attaching upon the surface of said object to be inspected, which is obtained on a basis of the detection of said scattered light by said scattered light detector; an illumination means for applying a bright field illumination upon the surface of the object to be inspected, on which the repeated micro-miniature patterns are formed; means for picking up the image of the foreign matter, under a bright field illumination by said illumination means; means for obtaining a second