Abstract: An electron beam apparatus which includes a sample stage on which a sample is placed, and an electron optical system. The electron optical system includes an electron gun that generates a primary electron beam, an immersion objective lens that converges the primary electron beam on the sample, an ExB deflector that separates a secondary particle, which is generated from irradiation of the primary beam to the sample, from an optical axis of the primary beam, a reflecting member to which the secondary particle collides, an assist electrode which is located under the reflecting member, a plurality of incidental particle detectors that selectively detect a velocity component and an azimuth component of a ternary particle which is generated by the secondary particle colliding to the reflecting member, and a center detector that is located above the reflecting member.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope capable of modifying the focal position of a condenser lens with high speed and high reproducibility in order that low-magnification images are obtained at large depths of focus and that high-magnification images are obtained at high resolution. The microscope has a specimen-holding portion, an electron beam source, a condenser lens for converging the electron beam, an objective lens for focusing the converged beam into a very small spot onto a specimen, scan coils, a detector for detecting a specimen signal emanating from the specimen, and a display portion for displaying the detected specimen signal as an image. An axisymmetric electrode is disposed within the magnetic field produced by the condenser lens. A voltage is applied to the electrode.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope capable of modifying the focal position of a condenser lens with high speed and high reproducibility in order that low-magnification images are obtained at large depths of focus and that high-magnification images are obtained at high resolution. The microscope has a specimen-holding portion, an electron beam source, a condenser lens for converging the electron beam, an objective lens for focusing the converged beam into a very small spot onto a specimen, scan coils, a detector for detecting a specimen signal emanating from the specimen, and a display portion for displaying the detected specimen signal as an image. An axisymmetric electrode is disposed within the magnetic field produced by the condenser lens. A voltage is applied to the electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged-particle beam inspection technology that enables to acquire a shadow contrast enhanced image, and to detect a shallow roughness with sufficient sensitively, which is caused by a micro-scale or nano-scale foreign matter in an inspection of a semiconductor device having a circuit pattern or the like. Immersion objective lens is employed as an objective lens for the high-resolution observation. A converged electron beam is obtained due to the objective lens. An assist electrode, a right detector and a left detector are provided in the objective lens. A velocity component of a secondary electron caused by the irradiation of the sample with an electron beam is discriminated. An azimuth component is further discriminated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning electron microscope capable of checking an abrupt change of probe current due to changes in intensities of the respective condenser lenses when the probe current is intended to be changed by changing the intensities of the respective condenser lenses. The scanning electron microscope includes: an electron source for generating a beam of electrons; a first and second condenser lenses each for condensing the beam of electrons; an object lens for narrowly focusing the beam of electrons on a sample; a deflecting system for two-dimensionally scanning over the sample; and a detecting system for detecting secondary electrons generated from the sample due to the irradiation of the beam of electrons on the sample. In the scanning electron microscope, a first and second aperture plates each for blocking parts of the beam of electrons unnecessary for the sample are sequentially arranged between the first and second condenser lenses.

Abstract: Disclosed herewith is a charged particle beam apparatus capable of controlling each of the probe current and the objective divergence angle to obtain a desired probe current and a desired objective divergence angle in accordance with the diameter of the subject objective aperture. The apparatus is configured to include an objective aperture between first and second condenser lenses to calculate and set a control value of a first condenser lens in accordance with the diameter of the hole of the objective aperture so as to obtain a desired probe current and calculate a control value of a second condenser lens setting device in accordance with the diameter of the hole of the objective divergence angle and the control value of the second condenser lens setting device, thereby setting the calculated control value for the second condenser lens setting device to control the objective divergence angle.

Abstract: The present invention was made in view of a problem of an electron microscope in which a reduction in detection efficiency of electrons detected by a detector should be prevented by eliminating any influence of a leakage magnetic field through a gap in an objective lens onto the electrons emitted from a specimen. To solve the problem, the present invention provides an electron microscope having a configuration with: a pole piece electrode for accelerating primary electrons emitted at an electrons source; and an objective lens including the pole piece electrode. In the objective lens, an electrically and magnetically insulated gap is formed between the pole piece electrode and other pole piece, and an auxiliary coil is concentrically disposed with the objective lens at a middle position between the gap and a detection surface of the electron detector, with an electric current flowing through the auxiliary coil in the opposite direction from that of an electric current flowing through the objective lens coil.

Abstract: A lower pole piece of an electromagnetic superposition type objective lens is divided into an upper magnetic path and a lower magnetic path. A voltage nearly equal to a retarding voltage is applied to the lower magnetic path. An objective lens capable of acquiring an image with a higher resolution and a higher contrast than a conventional image is provided. An electromagnetic superposition type objective lens includes a magnetic path that encloses a coil, a cylindrical or conical booster magnetic path that surrounds an electron beam, a control magnetic path that is interposed between the coil and sample, an accelerating electric field control unit that accelerates the electron beam using a booster power supply, a decelerating electric field control unit that decelerates the electron beam using a stage power supply, and a suppression unit that suppresses electric discharge of the sample using a control magnetic path power supply.

Abstract: In an electric immersion lens having high resolution capability, secondary electrons generated from a specimen are accelerated to suppress the dependency of rotational action of the secondary electrons applied thereto by an objective lens upon energy levels of the secondary electrons and when selectively detecting low and high angle components of elevation and azimuth as viewed from a secondary electron generation site by means of an annular detector interposed between an electron source and the objective lens, the secondary electrons are adjusted and deflected by means of an E×B deflector such that the center axis of secondary electrons converged finely under acceleration is made to be coincident with the center axis of a low elevation signal detection system and the secondary electrons are deviated from an aperture of a high elevation signal detection system.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus for acquiring high-definition and highly contrasted observation images by detecting efficiently secondary signals without increasing aberration of the primary electron beam, detecting defects from observation images and thus increasing the inspection speed and enhancing the sensitivity of inspection. The desired area of the sample is scanned with a primary charged particle beam, and the secondary charged particles generated secondarily from the area by the irradiation of the primary charged particle beam are led to collide with the secondary electron conversing electrode, and then the secondary electrons generated by the first E×B deflector 31 arranged through an insulator on the surface of the secondary electron conversing electrode on the side of the sample is absorbed by the detector.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope, by which an image of unevennesses on the surface of a sample may be obtained in a high-resolution manner and a high contrast one, is provided according to the present invention. A sample image is obtained by use of the scanning electron microscope with a configuration in which a positive voltage is applied in order to accelerate a primary electron beam, and an electric field shielding plate, a magnetic field shielding plate, or an electromagnetic field shielding plate is arranged on the upper side of an object lens.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope capable of modifying the focal position of a condenser lens with high speed and high reproducibility in order that low-magnification images are obtained at large depths of focus and that high-magnification images are obtained at high resolution. The microscope has a specimen-holding portion, an electron beam source, a condenser lens for converging the electron beam, an objective lens for focusing the converged beam into a very small spot onto a specimen, scan coils, a detector for detecting a specimen signal emanating from the specimen, and a display portion for displaying the detected specimen signal as an image. An axisymmetric electrode is disposed within the magnetic field produced by the condenser lens. A voltage is applied to the electrode.

Abstract: In an electric immersion lens having high resolution capability, secondary electrons generated from a specimen are accelerated to suppress the dependency of rotational action of the secondary electrons applied thereto by an objective lens upon energy levels of the secondary electrons and when selectively detecting low and high angle components of elevation and azimuth as viewed from a secondary electron generation site by means of an annular detector interposed between an electron source and the objective lens, the secondary electrons are adjusted and deflected by means of an E×B deflector such that the center axis of secondary electrons converged finely under acceleration is made to be coincident with the center axis of a low elevation signal detection system and the secondary electrons are deviated from an aperture of a high elevation signal detection system.

Abstract: To establish a technique that enables sorting of the elevation and azimuth angle in the direction of emitting secondary electrons and obtaining images with emphasized contrast, in order to perform the review and analysis of shallow asperities and microscopic foreign particles in a wafer inspection during the manufacture of semiconductor devices, an electromagnetic overlapping objective lens is used to achieve high resolution, an electron beam is narrowly focused using the objective lens, an electric field for accelerating secondary electrons in the vicinity of a wafer in order to suppress the dependence on secondary electron energy of the rotation of secondary electrons generated by irradiation of the electron beam, a ring-shaped detector plate is disposed between an electron source and the objective lens, and the low angle components of the elevation angle of the secondary electrons, as viewed from the place of generation, and the high angle components are separated and also the azimuth components are separa

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning electron microscope capable of checking an abrupt change of probe current due to changes in intensities of the respective condenser lenses when the probe current is intended to be changed by changing the intensities of the respective condenser lenses. The scanning electron microscope includes: an electron source for generating a beam of electrons; a first and second condenser lenses each for condensing the beam of electrons; an object lens for narrowly focusing the beam of electrons on a sample; a deflecting system for two-dimensionally scanning over the sample; and a detecting system for detecting secondary electrons generated from the sample due to the irradiation of the beam of electrons on the sample. In the scanning electron microscope, a first and second aperture plates each for blocking parts of the beam of electrons unnecessary for the sample are sequentially arranged between the first and second condenser lenses.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope with an energy filter which can positively utilize secondary electrons and/or reflected electrons which collide against a mesh electrode and are lost. The scanning electron microscope which has a porous electrode for producing an electric field for energy-filtering electrons produced by applying a primary electron beam to a sample and a 1st electron detector which detects electrons passing through the porous electrode is characterized by further having a porous structure provided near the sample, a deflector which deflects electrons from the axis of the primary electron beam, and a 2nd electron detector which detects the electrons deflected by the deflector.

Abstract: The present invention was made in view of a problem of an electron microscope in which a reduction in detection efficiency of electrons detected by a detector should be prevented by eliminating any influence of a leakage magnetic field through a gap in an objective lens onto the electrons emitted from a specimen. To solve the problem, the present invention provides an electron microscope having a configuration with: a pole piece electrode for accelerating primary electrons emitted at an electrons source; and an objective lens including the pole piece electrode. In the objective lens, an electrically and magnetically insulated gap is formed between the pole piece electrode and other pole piece, and an auxiliary coil is concentrically disposed with the objective lens at a middle position between the gap and a detection surface of the electron detector, with an electric current flowing through the auxiliary coil in the opposite direction from that of an electric current flowing through the objective lens coil.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism which coupled an upper side housing and a lower side housing in such a manner that they can be opened and closed, a push button which opens the hinge mechanism when it was depressed, light emission section which has the push button lighted up at the time of light emission, and control section which turns on the light emission section (step S4) when the hinge mechanism is closed at the time that there was an incoming call (step S2) are disposed. By this means, since the push button for opening the hinge mechanism is lighted up when a portable communication terminal apparatus was folded at the time that there was an incoming call, it becomes possible for a user to easily recognize that the user simply depress the push button for the purpose of a talk over the phone.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus for acquiring high-definition and highly contrasted observation images by detecting efficiently secondary signals without increasing aberration of the primary electron beam, detecting defects from observation images and thus increasing the inspection speed and enhancing the sensitivity of inspection. The desired area of the sample is scanned with a primary charged particle beam, and the secondary charged particles generated secondarily from the area by the irradiation of the primary charged particle beam are led to collide with the secondary electron conversing electrode, and then the secondary electrons generated by the first E×B deflector 31 arranged through an insulator on the surface of the secondary electron conversing electrode on the side of the sample is absorbed by the detector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged-particle beam inspection technology that enables to acquire a shadow contrast enhanced image, and to detect a shallow roughness with sufficient sensitively, which is caused by a micro-scale or nano-scale foreign matter in an inspection of a semiconductor device having a circuit pattern or the like. Immersion objective lens is employed as an objective lens for the high-resolution observation. A converged electron beam is obtained due to the objective lens. An assist electrode, a right detector and a left detector are provided in the objective lens. A velocity component of a secondary electron caused by the irradiation of the sample with an electron beam is discriminated. An azimuth component is further discriminated.