Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes a charged particle beam generating system for causing a charged particle source to generate a charged particle beam. A focusing system focuses the charged particle beam onto a sample. A deflecting system causes the focused charged particle beam to scan the surface of the sample. An evacuating system evacuates a space through which the charged particle beam passes. A detector detects information obtained by irradiating the charged particle beam onto the sample. An image display system displays as an image the status of distribution of the information over the sample surface based on a detection signal forwarded from the detector. The focusing system is entirely constituted by an electrostatic lens containing a plurality of lens electrodes, one of the lens electrodes being a final electrode located closest to the sample.

Abstract: A combination apparatus having a scanning electron microscope includes equipment for performing any of observing, measuring and processing operations on a sample placed in a sample chamber. The sample chamber contains a focused electron beam irradiating unit apart from the components for performing the observing, measuring and processing operations. The focused electron beam irradiating unit irradiates a finely focused electron beam onto the surface of the sample for electron microscopic observation in scanning fashion. This setup allows the observing, measuring or processing equipment to combine with the scanning electron microscope without appreciably enlarging the construction of the combination apparatus.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes at least a charged particle source and an objective lens for converging onto a sample a charged particle beam emitted by the charged particle source. The objective lens is an electrostatic objective lens constituted by a first and a second electrode positioned opposite to each other and having openings through which the charged particle beam passes. The first electrode and the second electrode are located close to the charged particle source and to the sample, respectively. The first electrode is supplied with a positive potential as opposed to the second electrode when the charged particle beam is a negatively charged particle beam. Conversely, the first electrode is supplied with a negative potential as opposed to the second electrode when the charged particle beam is a positively charged particle beam. The principal plane of the electrostatic objective lens is located on the side of the sample below the bottom plane of the second electrode.

Abstract: An electron microscope and a method for obtaining microscopic images whereby the intensity and distribution of the internal magnetic field of a specimen are acquired with precision. The electron microscope irradiates a focused electron beam at a target specimen and detects the transmitted beam past the specimen. The irradiated position on the specimen is selected by one of three ways: by moving the specimen alone, by deflecting the focused electron beam before it enters the specimen, or by combining these two ways. In this setup, the internal magnetic field of the specimen under its irradiated spot is known through detection of the deflection of the electron beam caused by the Lorentz force and through arithmetic processing of the detected deflection. An actuator that moves the specimen comprises a support with a hole through which the electron beam passes, a specimen stage with a like hole, a plurality of piezoelectric devices, and a structure that lets the electron beam pass therethrough.

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.

Abstract: An oxygen gas introducing apparatus for introducing oxygen gas into a vacuum electron optical column of an electron beam apparatus having an electron beam source as a cathode that needs the oxygen gas is disclosed which comprises a silver cylinder having a closed end and provided on a side wall of the vacuum electron optical column so as to project from an outside atmospheric side to an interior of the vacuum electron optical column, and a heating member electrically insulated and disposed within an interior of the silver cylinder which interior is in communication with the atmosphere.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electron beam metrology system for measuring the width of a pattern on a specimen by scanning the specimen with a deflected electron beam, detecting a pattern image signal provided by secondary electrons emitted from the specimen, and measuring the pattern width on the specimen on the basis of the pattern detection signal. The system comprises a signal detecting device including at least one set of two detectors disposed toward the scanning direction of the electron beam in a relation symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of the electron beam for detecting pattern image signals independently of each other, a device for recognizing surface topography of the pattern using an output signal of the signal detecting device, and a device for measuring the pattern width while discriminating as to whether the pattern is a raised-profile pattern or a hollow-profile pattern.

Abstract: An electron beam metrology system for measuring the width of a pattern on a surface of a sample in such a manner that the surface of the sample is scanned with an electron beam, secondary electrons emitted from the surface are detected to obtain a detection signal, and the width of the pattern is measured by using the detection signal, is disclosed in which a pair of detectors are disposed symmetrically with respect to the optical axis of the electron beam in a scanning direction thereof, a ratio of one of the output signals of the detectors to the other output signal and a ratio of the other output signal to the one output signal are formed, and a sum signal indicative of the sum of two ratios is produced, to be used for measuring the width of the pattern correctly and accurately, without being affected by a change in pattern material.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electron beam pattern line width measurement system wherein an electron beam is converged to a fine spot, the electron beam is scanned on a sample formed with a pattern to-be-measured, secondary electrons generated from a surface of the sample by the projection of the electron beam are detected, and the detected signal is processed to determine a line width of the pattern to-be-measured, comprising a secondary electron detector which detects a signal corresponding to an amount of all secondary electrons generated by the scanning, and a secondary electron energy analyzer which selectively detects a signal corresponding to an amount of secondary electrons of specified energy. With the electron beam pattern line width measurement system, it becomes possible to precisely detect a pattern boundary region defined by different sorts of materials in a stepped structure of a small level difference not having been measurable with a prior-art electron beam pattern line width measurement system.

Abstract: A charged particle beam microprobe apparatus capable of accurately determining the three-dimensional structure of a surface is disclosed in which a detection system including at least a pair of detectors disposed symmetrically with respect to the optical axis of an charged particle beam generating instrument is used for obtaining an image signal from a surface scanned with a charged particle beam, the image signal obtained by difference detection in the detection system is compared with a pair of variable reference levels opposite in polarity to each other, to be converted into positive and negative rectangular wave signals, and information on whether the scanned surface slopes upward or downward when viewed from the detection system and information on the gradient of the scanned surface are obtained from the polarity and pulse width of each of the positive and negative rectangular wave signals, respectively, to determine the three-dimensional structure of the scanned surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for focusing a charged particle beam onto a speciman, which comprises a scanner for scanning a pre-formed standard pattern with a charged particle beam, a converging unit capable of converging the charged particle beam onto a specimen, a detector for detecting secondary charged particles emitted as a result of scanning the standard pattern by the scanner, a circuit for deriving a standard frequency component determined by the period of scanning with the charged particle beam and the shape of the portion of the standard pattern in the region being scanned with the charged particle beam, and a circuit cooperating with the converging unit for finding the maximum value of the amplitude of the standard frequency component thereby identifying attainment of focusing of the charged particle beam with high accuracy.

Abstract: A small-dimension measurement system by scanning electron beam comprises an electron optical column including an electron source for emitting an electron beam to scan a sample, at least one pair of detectors disposed symmetrically with respect to an optical axis of the electron optical column for detecting position information from the sample by scanning of the electron beam, and a signal selecting circuit for subjecting the outputs of the paired detectors to a predetermined signal selection. The signal selecting circuit selectively and alternately provides maximum or peak portions of the outputs of the paired detectors which portions correspond to opposite edge portions of the sample. The output of the signal selecting circuit is applied to a signal processing circuit for conversion into a dimension of a predetermined pattern on the sample.