Abstract: A method of determining defect detection sensitivity data, comprises: taking image data from the desired surface areas of each of semiconductor devices, processing at least two of the image data through arithmetic operations and comparing the processed image data with a parameter of defect detection sensitivity substituted by predetermined threshold data to obtain information on defects in the desired areas at least in one-to-one correspondence with any of the image data arithmetically processed, repeating more than once the step of varying the parameter of the defect detection sensitivity to obtain the defect information, so as to obtain more than one sets of combination data on a value of the parameter of the defect detection sensitivity correlated with the defect information, processing more than one sets of the combination data to produce a mathematical function expressing a relation of the desired statistical data with the parameter of the defect detection sensitivity, the mathematical function being use

Abstract: An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.

Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus includes: an electron beam irradiation device which emits an electron beam and causes the electron beam to irradiate a substrate to be inspected as a primary beam; an electron beam detector which detects at least one of a secondary electron, a reflected electron and a backscattered electron that are generated from the substrate that has been irradiated by the electron beam, and which outputs a signal that forms a one-dimensional or two-dimensional image of a surface of the substrate; a mapping projection optical system which causes imaging of at least one of the secondary electron, the reflected electron and the backscattered electron on the electron beam detector as a secondary beam; and an electromagnetic wave irradiation device which generates an electromagnetic wave and causes the electromagnetic wave to irradiate a location on the surface of the substrate at which the secondary beam is generated.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.

Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus includes: an electron beam irradiation device which emits an electron beam and causes the electron beam to irradiate a substrate to be inspected as a primary beam; an electron beam detector which detects at least one of a secondary electron, a reflected electron and a backscattered electron that are generated from the substrate that has been irradiated by the electron beam, and which outputs a signal that forms a one-dimensional or two-dimensional image of a surface of the substrate; a mapping projection optical system which causes imaging of at least one of the secondary electron, the reflected electron and the backscattered electron on the electron beam detector as a secondary beam; and an electromagnetic wave irradiation device which generates an electromagnetic wave and causes the electromagnetic wave to irradiate a location on the surface of the substrate at which the secondary beam is generated.

Abstract: An electron beam inspection system of the image projection type includes a primary electron optical system for shaping an electron beam emitted from an electron gun into a rectangular configuration and applying the shaped electron beam to a sample surface to be inspected. A secondary electron optical system converges secondary electrons emitted from the sample. A detector converts the converged secondary electrons into an optical image through a fluorescent screen and focuses the image to a line sensor. A controller controls the charge transfer time of the line sensor at which the picked-up line image is transferred between each pair of adjacent pixel rows provided in the line sensor in association with the moving speed of a stage for moving the sample.

Abstract: An electron beam inspection system of the image projection type includes a primary electron optical system for shaping an electron beam emitted from an electron gun into a rectangular configuration and applying the shaped electron beam to a sample surface to be inspected. A secondary electron optical system converges secondary electrons emitted from the sample. A detector converts the converged secondary electrons into an optical image through a fluorescent screen and focuses the image to a line sensor. A controller controls the charge transfer time of the line sensor at which the picked-up line image is transferred between each pair of adjacent pixel rows provided in the line sensor in association with the moving speed of a stage for moving the sample.

Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus includes: an electron beam irradiation device which emits an electron beam and causes the electron beam to irradiate a substrate to be inspected as a primary beam; an electron beam detector which detects at least one of a secondary electron, a reflected electron and a backscattered electron that are generated from the substrate that has been irradiated by the electron beam, and which outputs a signal that forms a one-dimensional or two-dimensional image of a surface of the substrate; a mapping projection optical system which causes imaging of at least one of the secondary electron, the reflected electron and the backscattered electron on the electron beam detector as a secondary beam; and an electromagnetic wave irradiation device which generates an electromagnetic wave and causes the electromagnetic wave to irradiate a location on the surface of the substrate at which the secondary beam is generated.

Abstract: A method of determining defect detection sensitivity data, comprises: taking image data from the desired surface areas of each of semiconductor devices, processing at least two of the image data through arithmetic operations and comparing the processed image data with a parameter of defect detection sensitivity substituted by predetermined threshold data to obtain information on defects in the desired areas at least in one-to-one correspondence with any of the image data arithmetically processed, repeating more than once the step of varying the parameter of the defect detection sensitivity to obtain the defect information, so as to obtain more than one sets of combination data on a value of the parameter of the defect detection sensitivity correlated with the defect information, processing more than one sets of the combination data to produce a mathematical function expressing a relation of the desired statistical data with the parameter of the defect detection sensitivity, the mathematical function being use

Abstract: A host computer controlling a secondary optical system under such an image focusing condition that secondary beams obtained from an arbitrary region on a substrate form an image on a MCP detector, in accordance with a correlation between a state of the substrate and an energy of the secondary electrons and the reflected electrons upon the secondary optical system, in which the energy of the secondary electron beams is various depending on the state of the substrate. The host computer also measures quantitatively a physical and/or chemical characteristic of the substrate on a basis of the image focusing condition and the image signals.

Abstract: An electron beam inspection system of the image projection type includes a primary electron optical system for shaping an electron beam emitted from an electron gun into a rectangular configuration and applying the shaped electron beam to a sample surface to be inspected. A secondary electron optical system converges secondary electrons emitted from the sample. A detector converts the converged secondary electrons into an optical image through a fluorescent screen and focuses the image to a line sensor. A controller controls the charge transfer time of the line sensor at which the picked-up line image is transferred between each pair of adjacent pixel rows provided in the line sensor in association with the moving speed of a stage for moving the sample.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus using an electron beam according to this invention has an electron beam irradiation unit (1-10) for irradiating a sample (11) with an electron beam (31), a projection optical unit (16-21) for forming a one- and/or two-dimensional image or images of secondary and reflected electrons (32) projected in accordance with changes in shape, material, and electrical potential of the sample surface, an electron beam detection unit (22-27) for outputting a detection signal on the basis of the one- and/or two-dimensional image or images, an image display unit (30) for displaying the one- and/or two-dimensional image or images of the sample surface upon receiving the detection signal, and an electron beam deflection unit (27, 43-44) for changing the incident angle of the electron beam coming from the electron beam irradiation unit onto the sample, and guiding the received secondary and reflected electrons to the mapping projection optical unit.

Abstract: An apparatus having an electron beam irradiation unit (11) for emitting an electron beam having a rectangular cross section from a linear cathode (12), and irradiating the inspection region (1a) of a sample (16) with the electron beam, a secondary optical system projection optical unit (17) for forming an image (defined by secondary and reflected electrons produced from the inspection region (1a) irradiated with the electron beam) onto an electron beam detection unit in a predetermined scale of enlargement, and an electron beam detection unit (22) for generating and outputting a detection signal in accordance with the formed image. The electron beam irradiation unit (11) forms the electron beam to have substantially the same area as the inspection region (1a) of the sample surface (16), and irradiates the inspection region (1a) with a single irradiation of the formed electron beam. In this way, the problems of conventional scanning electron microscopes, (i.e.

Abstract: An electrostatic lens produces a smooth potential distribution along the center axis and is reduced in lens size and in total shape.A metal layer 13 is deposited at a certain position on an inner surface of insulating cylinder 11, and a high-resistance layer 12 is deposited on a portion except for the metal layer 13 on the inner surface of cylinder 11. A negative potential is applied from an external power source 19 to the metal layer 13, and the high-resistance layer 12 is earthed.

Abstract: An electrostatic lens produces a smooth potential distribution along the center axis and is reduced in lens size and in total shape. A metal layer 13 is deposited at a certain position on an inner surface of insulating cylinder 11, and a high-resistance layer 12 is deposited on a portion except for the metal layer 13 on the inner surface of cylinder 11. A negative potential is applied from an external power source 19 to the metal layer 13, and the high-resistance layer 12 is earthed.

Abstract: A magnetic immersion field emission electron gun has a vacuum vessel having a central axis in a predetermined direction, a cathode arranged along the central axis of the vacuum vessel for generating an electron beam, an anode for forming an electron beam path by accelerating a generated electron beam in the central axis direction, an electrostatic lens arranged between the cathode and anode for generating an electric field which focuses an accelerated electron beam toward the central axis, a magnetic field generating element arranged around the electron beam path for generating a magnetic field for focusing the electron beam in order to preventing a diameter of the electron beam from expansion by an aberration of the electrostatic lens, and a moving mechanism for moving the magnetic field generating element at a position where a peak point of a strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating element coincides with a portion where the aberration of the electrostatic lens becomes most