Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to inspect the position, number, and size of fine defects in a variety of solid state materials, including a semiconductor device and metallic materials, with a high spatial resolution of nanometer order. The positron irradiation function is installed in the converged electron beam apparatus. The defect location information is obtained from the converged electron beam location information, and the number and size of defects are obtained from the detected information of ?-rays created by pair annihilation of electrons and positrons, and this two-dimensional distribution information is displayed in the monitor. Information on ultra-fine defects in a crystal can be provided with high-speed and high-resolution, and nondestructively in the case of a semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A scanning transmission electron microscope which enhances correction accuracy of a de-scanning coil for canceling a transmitted-electron-beam position change on an electron detector. Here, this transmitted-electron-beam position change appears in accompaniment with a primary-electron-beam position change on a specimen caused by a scanning coil. First, control over the scanning coil is digitized. Moreover, while being synchronized with a digital control signal resulting from this digitization, values in a de-scanning table registered in a FM (2) are outputted to the de-scanning coil. Here, the de-scanning table is created as follows: Diffraction images before and after activating the scanning coil and the de-scanning coil are photographed using a camera. Then, based on a result acquired by analyzing a resultant displacement quantity of the diffraction images by the image processing, the de-scanning table is created.

Abstract: Magnification errors are reduced in the required range of magnification in electric charged particle beam application apparatuses and critical dimension measurement instruments. To achieve this, a first images whose magnification for the specimen is actually measured, is recorded, a second image, whose magnification for the specimen is unknowns is recorded, and the magnification of the second image for the first image is analyzed by using image analysis. Thereby, the magnification of the second image for the specimen is actually measured. Then, magnification is actually measured in the whole range of magnification by repeating the magnification analysis described above by taking the second image as the first image. Actually measuring the magnification of images for the specimen in the whole range of magnification and calibrating the same permits a reduction of magnification errors by a digit.

Abstract: The present invention provides an analysis of displacement by calculating the phase variance image P? (k, l) between Fourier transformed images of paired images S1 (n, m) and S2 (n, m) to determine the center of gravity of ? peak appearing on the invert Fourier transform image of the images. The present invention provides numerous advantages such as a precision of displacement analysis of a fraction of pixel to thereby allow to improve the precision of focal analysis, or reduced number of pixels required to achieve the same precision, evaluation of reliability of the analysis by using the ? peak intensity, influence of varying background reduced by using a phase variance component. The improved performance by the present invention allows any operator skilled or not to achieve a best focusing.

Abstract: By use of charged particle beam images picked up in different conditions, a positional displacement caused by parallax is analyzed, and an optics of an apparatus for charged particle beam microscopy is corrected automatically. An analysis method using phase difference of Fourier transform images and having analytic accuracy lower than that for one pixel is adopted for the displacement analysis. In addition, a degree of coincidence between images calculated in this analysis method is used as a criterion for evaluating the reliability of an analysis result. Since the analysis method based on parallax is low in specimen dependency, the operation range is expanded. In addition, by adopting a high-accuracy displacement analysis method, the apparatus correction accuracy is improved by one digit. A malfunction preventing flow is added using the degree of coincidence as a judgement criterion. Thus, the apparatus can deal with unmanned operation.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to inspect the position, number, and size of fine defects in a variety of solid state materials, including a semiconductor device and metallic materials, with a high spatial resolution of nanometer order. The positron irradiation function is installed in the converged electron beam apparatus. The defect location information is obtained from the converged electron beam location information, and the number and size of defects are obtained from the detected information of &ggr;-rays created by pair annihilation of electrons and positrons, and this two-dimensional distribution information is displayed in the monitor. Information on ultra-fine defects in a crystal can be provided with high-speed and high-resolution, and nondestructively in the case of a semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an analysis of displacement by calculating the phase variance image P′ (k, l) between Fourier transformed images of paired images S1 (n, m) and S2 (n, m) to determine the center of gravity of &dgr; peak appearing on the invert Fourier transform image of the images. The present invention provides numerous advantages such as a precision of displacement analysis of a fraction of pixel to thereby allow to improve the precision of focal analysis, or reduced number of pixels required to achieve the same precision, evaluation of reliability of the analysis by using the &dgr; peak intensity, influence of varying background reduced by using a phase variance component. The improved performance by the present invention allows any operator skilled or not to achieve a best focusing.

Abstract: An autoadjusting electron microscope in which an image processor derives a third image constituting an analysis image from first and second images of a specimen by Fourier-transforming the first and second images to produce Fourier-transformed first and second images, computing a phase variant image from the Fourier-transformed first and second images, and Fourier-transforming or inverse Fourier-transforming the phase variant image to obtain the third image. A computer determines an amount of displacement between the first image and the second image based on a peak appearing in the third image. An identifier determines whether a consistency between the first image and the second image is within a predetermined range based on a magnitude of the peak appearing in the third image. A transformer transforms results obtained by the computer and the identifier into an amount of defocus of an electron lens relative to the specimen.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solution business for serving high speed and diversified analysis work/result and apparatus maintenance, and provides a function to control the apparatus of a customer and analysis organization with a common command through a network. The analysis organization provides the work involving high level operation and apparatus maintenance, and the interpretation and analysis of the acquired data. The customer participates to the analysis work on line through the video conference. The charge system corresponding to the analysis apparatus and operation content is set in a host computer of the network, the charge is presented to the customer on line as the analysis work proceeds, and the final cost is collected through a bank. Furthermore, the host computer is provided with a library function that stores the past data and literatures for viewing.

Abstract: By use of charged particle beam images picked up in different conditions, a positional displacement caused by parallax is analyzed, and an optics of an apparatus for charged particle beam microscopy is corrected automatically. An analysis method using phase difference of Fourier transform images and having analytic accuracy lower than that for one pixel is adopted for the displacement analysis. In addition, a degree of coincidence between images calculated in this analysis method is used as a criterion for evaluating the reliability of an analysis result. Since the analysis method based on parallax is low in specimen dependency, the operation range is expanded. In addition, by adopting a high-accuracy displacement analysis method, the apparatus correction accuracy is improved by one digit. A malfunction preventing flow is added using the degree of coincidence as a judgement criterion. Thus, the apparatus can deal with unmanned operation.

Abstract: 3-dimensional observation on the atomic arrangement and atomic species in a thin-film specimen are carried out at high speed and accuracy by an electron microscope which measures electrons emitted at high angle from the specimen. A scanning transmission electron microscope has an electron detection device comprising a scintillator converting electrons detected thereby to photons, a photoconductive-film converting photons from the scintillator detected thereby to c.a. 1000 times as many electron-hole pairs as these photons.

Abstract: A scanning transmission electron microscope including an electron detection system having a scattering angle limiting aperture (for the inner angle) and a scattering angle limiting aperture (for the outer angle) between a specimen and an electron detector (comprising a scintillator and a light guide) and only one electron detector is installed.

Abstract: The composition change and strained structure in a heterointerface or thin film of a multilayer thin film specimen are observed. When the composition change and strained structure are observed, comparison between a dark-field image and a bright-field image and comparison between two dark-field images are required. The position of an objective aperture disposed between the specimen and a detector is moved rapidly so that diffracted wave or transmitted wave corresponding to the dark-field image or bright-field image of a desired plane index is transmitted. As a result, the dark-field image or bright-field image of a desired plane index can be observed correspondingly to the position of the objective aperture.

Abstract: A composition change and a 3-dimensional strained structure in an interface or thin film of a layered thin film specimen are detected with a resolution of atom order and quantitatively analyzed. An accelerated electron beam is impinged upon a specimen cleaved in a wedge form. An equal thickness fringe appearing on a transmitted image is detected. By utilizing such a phenomenon that the distance t of the equal thickness fringe is changed by a lattice plane inclination, angle distribution of lattice plane inclination is measured. An analysis of the strained structure is made. Furthermore, processing is conducted so that the equal thickness fringe may represent only the composition change, and a quantitative analysis of the composition distribution is also made.