Abstract: A defect review method and a defect review device using an electron microscope, reduce the number of user processes necessary to set automatic focal adjustment of an electron beam to provide easier sample observation. The review method comprises the steps of: performing focal adjustment for a plurality of coordinate positions pre-registered on the coordinate on an object under observation; creating a criterion for focal adjustment based on a focal position at each of the plurality of coordinate positions; setting a focal probe range based on a deviation between the criterion and the focal position; and determining an automatic focal adjustment range for defect detection on the object under observation based on the set focal probe range.

Abstract: A candidate-defect classification method includes the steps of acquiring a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a candidate defect detected in an inspection from a sample including a pattern formed thereon, the inspection being preliminarily performed by an other inspection device; computing a feature value of the candidate defect by processing the SEM image; executing defect classification of the candidate defect as any one of a pattern shape defect and an other defect by using the computed feature value; acquiring positional information contained in design data of the pattern with respect to a candidate defect classified as the pattern shape defect; and extracting a systematic defect from among candidate defects classified as the pattern shape defects by performing a comparison of the positional information contained in the design data of the acquired candidate defect to positional information of a portion that has a high probability of causing a pattern formation failure and that has been obtained f

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a suitable method of observing a wafer edge by using an electron microscope. The electron microscope includes a column which can take an image in being tilted, and thus allows a wafer edge to be observed from an oblique direction.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a suitable method of observing a wafer edge by using an electron microscope. The electron microscope includes a column which can take an image in being tilted, and thus allows a wafer edge to be observed from an oblique direction.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a suitable method of observing a wafer edge by using an electron microscope. The electron microscope includes a column which can take an image in being tilted, and thus allows a wafer edge to be observed from an oblique direction.

Abstract: A recipe setting method and reviewing apparatus which permit even a novice to analyze the contents of existing recipe settings without trial-and-error attempts in the reviewing apparatus for reviewing a sample and to create a new recipe in a short time based on the results of the analysis. By a reviewing apparatus having a function of reviewing a sample under registered review conditions, based on a recipe in which the review conditions are registered. The reviewing apparatus is configured to display a list of the contents of the settings of plural set items regarding plural recipes and to create a new recipe based on the results of analysis of commonality by using the contents of settings having high degrees of commonality as initial settings.

Abstract: As a result of the improvement in throughput of review SEMs, the volume of defect image data which are collected in a semiconductor mass production line becomes larger. In order to achieve efficiency in management (deletion, search, display, and the like) of the image data in response to the above circumstance, a review SEM according to the present invention is configured to judge the importance levels of defect images taken and the like from information such as the classification results of the defect images, the defect feature computed from the defect images, and the imaging states of the defect images and to provide each of the defect images with the importance level and the like as supplementary information so that a large quantity of image data is managed on the basis of the supplementary information.

Abstract: In a traditional method for automatically obtaining high-magnification images of defects by using an electron microscope for defect-reviewing of a semiconductor wafer, high-magnification images of a voltage contrast changing part are obtained in the case of defects generating voltage contrast change, this made difficult to observe defects themselves generating voltage contrast change. In the present invention, based on energy of secondary electron to be detected, after obtaining two types of images, namely an image making voltage contrast conspicuous easily, and an image not making it easily, and acquiring a shape change area adjacent to a voltage contrast change area based on this area as a defect location, a high-magnification image can automatically be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a defect review apparatus capable of suppressing a reduction in throughput with a minimized deviation-amount measurement, and capable of optimizing an FOV of a monitoring image. To this end, the review apparatus for reviewing a specimen by moving the specimen to pre-calculated coordinate includes: a function to measure a deviation amount between the pre-calculated coordinates and coordinates of an actual position of the specimen; a function to optimize a coordinate correcting expression to minimize the measured deviation amount; and a function to determine that the deviation amounts have converged. When the deviation amounts have converged, the measurement for the coordinate-correcting-expression optimization is terminated. Thereby, the reduction in throughput is suppressed to the minimum level, and furthermore a FOV necessary for the specimen to be within the field of view is set according to a convergence value of the calculated deviation amount.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a report search method, and a reviewing apparatus by which a measure against abnormalities such as a defect of a sample may be quickly obtained by searching desired information in a report recording past information. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a configuration in which an image of a defective appearance and supplementary information on the image are memorized as a report file as one unit in a database for an observation result of the defective appearance of a sample in a manufacturing process, the supplementary information is searched as a search target among a plurality of report files memorized in the database by use of a search condition set from among the supplementary information, when a new defective appearance is generated, and the searched supplementary information and an image related with the supplementary information are output.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting cancer by use of an oncogene, a method of screening for an active compound useful to treat and/or prevent cancer, and a pharmaceutical composition for treatment and/or prevention of cancer. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of detecting cancer based on the expression of the human oculospanin gene as a marker and a pharmaceutical composition containing an antibody capable of specifically recognizing human oculospanin and having cytotoxic activity against cancer cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting cancer by use of an oncogene, a method of screening for an active compound useful to treat and/or prevent cancer, and a pharmaceutical composition for treatment and/or prevention of cancer. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of detecting cancer based on the expression of the human oculospanin gene as a marker and a pharmaceutical composition containing an antibody capable of specifically recognizing human oculospanin and having cytotoxic activity against cancer cells.

Abstract: The invention proposes a system that interrupts a processing associated with an ADC having low priority when an ADC processing cannot catch up with ADR by an ADC alone that is not under execution but uses an ADC for an ADR having high priority. To preferentially execute ADR/ADC having high priority, the invention employs an algorithm for serially selecting ADR/ADC in the order of higher processing capacity (in the order of greater numerical values in the expression by a DPH unit) from among ADR/ADCs that have the lowest priority, no matter whether the ADR/DC is now under execution or not.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of correcting coordinates so as to quickly and properly arrange a sample in a field of view in a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto the specified coordinates to review the sample. A review apparatus according to the present invention, which is a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto coordinates previously calculated by a checking apparatus to review the sample, has a function of retaining a plurality of coordinate correction tables to correct a deviation between a coordinate value previously calculated by a checking apparatus and an actual sample position detected by the review apparatus. The review apparatus evaluates correction accuracy of the plurality of coordinate correction tables and applies one of the coordinate correction tables with the maximum evaluation value.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to realize, in a semiconductor defect review apparatus, a function of easily searching for an image similar to a reference image at high speed. To this end, an embodiment of this invention has a function of saving, as text information, pieces of information accompanying an image such as acquisition date and time, an acquisition condition, the result of analyzing a piece of information other than the image, and a user's comment, in association with the image. The embodiment is configured to narrow down similar image candidates by a keyword search using the pieces of accompanying information, calculate similarity of each image to a search reference image on the basis of the features of the image, and output search results in descending order of similarity.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: a plurality of devices under test formed on a substrate; a selection circuit formed on the substrate which selects two of the plurality of devices under test; a magnitude comparison circuit formed on the substrate which measures an electrical characteristic of the two selected devices under test and makes a magnitude comparison between values of the measured electrical characteristic; an address memory circuit formed on the substrate which stores addresses of the two devices under test between which the magnitude comparison has been made; and a control circuit formed on the substrate and connected to the selection circuit, the magnitude comparison circuit, and the address memory circuit.

Abstract: Generated is a template edition screen on which to display components of a report as modules by OSD by use of icons. One of the icons is selected by use of a pointing device including a mouse. By a drag-and-drop operation, the icon is placed at a desired position in an output format setup area formed in the same screen. The icon is set in a desired size by another drag-and-drop operation. Details of a module shown by the icon thus placed can be set up in a detail setup area in the same screen. Information on a format thus set up is retained as a template through a retention function, and accordingly can be used easily by simply calling the information. Moreover, the retained template can be edited as well. This makes it possible not only to create a new template, but also to modify an existing template.

Abstract: In a traditional method for automatically obtaining high-magnification images of defects by using an electron microscope for defect-reviewing of a semiconductor wafer, high-magnification images of a voltage contrast changing part are obtained in the case of defects generating voltage contrast change, this made difficult to observe defects themselves generating voltage contrast change. In the present invention, based on energy of secondary electron to be detected, after obtaining two types of images, namely an image making voltage contrast conspicuous easily, and an image not making it easily, and acquiring a shape change area adjacent to a voltage contrast change area based on this area as a defect location, a high-magnification image can automatically be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting cancer by use of an oncogene, a method of screening for an active compound useful to treat and/or prevent cancer, and a pharmaceutical composition for treatment and/or prevention of cancer. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of detecting cancer based on the expression of the human oculospanin gene as a marker and a pharmaceutical composition containing an antibody capable of specifically recognizing human oculospanin and having cytotoxic activity against cancer cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting cancer by use of an oncogene, a method of screening for an active compound useful to treat and/or prevent cancer, and a pharmaceutical composition for treatment and/or prevention of cancer.