Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a sample using a scanning electron microscope includes a sample stage, a first electron-optical system to scan an electron beam of a first beam current on the sample, a second electron-optical system to scan an electron beam of a second beam current smaller than the first beam current on the sample, a mechanism to move the sample stage, a detector provided in each of the first and second electron-optical systems to detect a secondary electron. The first electron-optical system is operable in a first mode and the second electron-optical system is operable in a second mode with higher resolution than that of the first mode. In the first mode, the sample is observed while the sample stage is moved continuously, and in the second mode, the sample is observed by detecting a secondary electron using the detector while the sample stage is held stationary.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus irradiates a sample on which a pattern is formed with an electron beam, so that an inspection image and a reference image can be generated on the basis of a secondary electron or a reflected electron emitted by the sample. An abnormal pattern is determined based on a difference in halftone values of each pixel between the inspection image and the reference image. A plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern are obtained from an image of the abnormal pattern, and, based on the distribution of the plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern, a range for classifying the type of the abnormal pattern is designated. Thus, a desired defect can be extracted from many defects extracted by inspection.

Abstract: A circuit pattern inspecting instrument includes an electron-optical system for irradiating an electron beam on a sample, an electron beam deflector, a detector for detecting secondary charged particles from the sample, and a mode setting unit for switching between a first mode and a second mode. An electron beam current is larger in the first mode than in the second mode, and an electron beam scanning speed is higher in the first mode than in the second mode. The circuit pattern inspecting instrument is configured so that first the sample is observed in the first mode, then a particular position on the sample is selected based on image data produced by an output of the detector in the first mode, and then the particular position on the sample is observed in the second mode.

Abstract: A circuit pattern inspection method and apparatus capable of readily setting an optimum threshold value while it is confirmed that a defect detected when a defect is checked can be detected at what threshold value and capable of forming a recipe easily. A circuit pattern inspection of irradiating an electron beam to a specimen formed with a circuit pattern on a surface thereof, forming an inspection image and a reference image in accordance with a secondary electron of a reflected electron from the specimen, and acquiring an abnormal portion from a difference between the inspection image and the reference image, wherein a plurality of characteristic quantities of the abnormal portion are obtained from an image of the abnormal portion, and the abnormal portion is selectively displayed by changing an inspection threshold value virtually set for the characteristic quantities.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus irradiates a sample on which a pattern is formed with an electron beam, so that an inspection image and a reference image can be generated on the basis of a secondary electron or a reflected electron emitted by the sample. An abnormal pattern is determined based on a difference in halftone values of each pixel between the inspection image and the reference image. A plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern are obtained from an image of the abnormal pattern, and, based on the distribution of the plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern, a range for classifying the type of the abnormal pattern is designated. Thus, a desired defect can be extracted from many defects extracted by inspection.

Abstract: An inspection method and an inspection apparatus using an electron beam enabling more detailed and quantitative evaluation at a high throughput level. The method comprises the steps of irradiating, based on previously prepared information concerning a defect position on the surface of a sample, the defect and its vicinity with an electron beam a plurality of times at predetermined intervals; detecting an electron signal secondarily generated from the sample surface by the electron beam; imaging an electron signal detected by the previously specified n-th or later electron beam irradiation; and measuring the resistance or a leakage amount of the defective portion of the sample surface in accordance with the degree of charge relaxation by monitoring the charge relaxation state of the sample surface based on the electron beam image information.

Abstract: A circuit pattern inspection method and apparatus capable of readily setting an optimum threshold value while it is confirmed that a defect detected when a defect is checked can be detected at what threshold value and capable of forming a recipe easily. A circuit pattern inspection of irradiating an electron beam to a specimen formed with a circuit pattern on a surface thereof, forming an inspection image and a reference image in accordance with a secondary electron of a reflected electron from the specimen, and acquiring an abnormal portion from a difference between the inspection image and the reference image, wherein a plurality of characteristic quantities of the abnormal portion are obtained from an image of the abnormal portion, and the abnormal portion is selectively displayed by changing an inspection threshold value virtually set for the characteristic quantities.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus includes an electron beam system which emits a converged electron beam, a vacuum chamber which is connected to the electron beam system, and a stage which mounts a specimen and moves at least in one direction inside of the vacuum chamber. An electron beam image observation unit observes an electron beam image of a surface of the specimen. A height detector optically detects a height of the specimen mounted on the stage by illuminating the surface of said specimen with light and by detecting reflected light of the illumination reflected from the surface of the specimen, and a controller controls a focus position of the electron beam in accordance with an output from the height detector while the stage is moving at least in one direction.

Abstract: An inspection method and an inspection apparatus using an electron beam enabling more detailed and quantitative evaluation at a high throughput level. The method comprises the steps of irradiating, based on previously prepared information concerning a defect position on the surface of a sample, the defect and its vicinity with an electron beam a plurality of times at predetermined intervals; detecting an electron signal secondarily generated from the sample surface by the electron beam; imaging an electron signal detected by the previously specified n-th or later electron beam irradiation; and measuring the resistance or a leakage amount of the defective portion of the sample surface in accordance with the degree of charge relaxation by monitoring the charge relaxation state of the sample surface based on the electron beam image information.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus includes an electron beam system which emits a converged electron beam, a vacuum chamber which is connected to the electron beam system, and a stage which mounts a specimen and moves at least in one direction inside of the vacuum chamber. An electron beam image observation unit observes an electron beam image of a surface of the specimen. A height detector optically detects a height of the specimen mounted on the stage by illuminating the surface of said specimen with light and by detecting reflected light of the illumination reflected from the surface of the specimen, and a controller controls a focus position of the electron beam in accordance with an output from the height detector while the stage is moving at least in one direction.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus irradiates a sample on which a pattern is formed with an electron beam, so that an inspection image and a reference image can be generated on the basis of a secondary electron or a reflected electron emitted by the sample. An abnormal pattern is determined based on a difference in halftone values of each pixel between the inspection image and the reference image. A plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern are obtained from an image of the abnormal pattern, and, based on the distribution of the plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern, a range for classifying the type of the abnormal pattern is designated. Thus, a desired defect can be extracted from many defects extracted by inspection.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus and method of detecting an electron beam image of a specimen in which a converged electron beam is irradiated and scanned over a surface of a specimen which is mounted on a movable stage and moves at least in one direction. An electron beam image of the surface of the specimen mounted on the stage is observed and a height of the specimen mounted on the stage is detected. A focus position of the electron beam is controlled in accordance with the height detected.

Abstract: A circuit pattern inspecting instrument includes an electron-optical system for irradiating an electron beam on a sample, an electron beam deflector, a detector for detecting secondary charged particles from the sample, and a mode setting unit for switching between a first mode and a second mode. An electron beam current is larger in the first mode than in the second mode, and an electron beam scanning speed is higher in the first mode than in the second mode. The circuit pattern inspecting instrument is configured so that first the sample is observed in the first mode, then a particular position on the sample is selected based on image data produced by an output of the detector in the first mode, and then the particular position on the sample is observed in the second mode.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus and method of detecting an electron beam image of a specimen in which a converged electron beam is irradiated and scanned over a surface of a specimen which is mounted on a movable stage and moves at least in one direction. An electron beam image of the surface of the specimen mounted on the stage is observed and a height of the specimen mounted on the stage is detected. A focus position of the electron beam is controlled in accordance with the height detected.

Abstract: A circuit pattern inspecting instrument includes an electron-optical system for irradiating an electron beam on a sample, an electron beam deflector, a detector for detecting secondary charged particles from the sample, and a mode setting unit for switching between a first mode and a second mode. An electron beam current is larger in the first mode than in the second mode, and an electron beam scanning speed is higher in the first mode than in the second mode. The circuit pattern inspecting instrument is configured so that first the sample is observed in the first mode, then a particular position on the sample is selected based on image data produced by an output of the detector in the first mode, and then the particular position on the sample is observed in the second mode.

Abstract: A charged particle beam scanning inspecting apparatus for irradiating a charged particle beam, fetching information of a subject to be inspected at a predetermined beam scanning position and performing an inspection by processing the information. The apparatus is a measurer which measures a scanning position of the beam and an inspection position on said inspection subject to calculate beam target coordinates corrected for an apparatus error, an error correction constant and a deflected distortion correction constant, and a deflection controller for scanning the beam. The deflection controller includes a deflection position operating circuit for performing an operation of the inspection position in a deflection coordinate system, a deflected distortion operating circuit. The deflection position operating circuit and deflected distortion operating circuit are constructed in a pipe line fashion.

Abstract: A convergent charged particle beam apparatus and method includes an electron beam image observation arrangement which observes an electron beam image of a surface of a specimen mounted on a movable stage inside of a vacuum chamber when an electron beam converged by an electron optical system is irradiated and scanned over the surface of the specimen and detecting secondary charged particles produced from the specimen so as to provide electron image data of the surface. A height detector optically detects a surface height of the specimen by irradiating light from outside of the vacuum chamber onto the specimen and detecting reflected light from the specimen with a detector disposed outside of the vacuum chamber. A controller controls a focal point of the converged and focused electron beam in accordance with the output from the height detector, and a display displays the electron image of the surface of the specimen.

Abstract: In order that the deflection scanning position can be corrected at a time point within a period for fetching information from a subject to be inspected and improvements in accuracy of chip comparison inspection and an inspection near the wafer outer periphery where distortion is large can be assured by correcting the inspection position and biased distortion at a high speed with high accuracy, a digital deflection control scheme is employed in which the deflection scanning signal and correction are all calculated digitally in a deflection controller for deflecting and controlling a charged particle beam irradiated onto a subject to be inspected and the digital value is sequentially converted into an analog value by a time-series train of digital control signal to form a deflection scanning waveform.

Abstract: In order that the deflection scanning position can be corrected at a time point within a period for fetching information from a subject to be inspected and improvements in accuracy of chip comparison inspection and an inspection near the wafer outer periphery where distortion is large can be assured by correcting the inspection position and biased distortion at a high speed with high accuracy, a digital deflection control scheme is employed in which the deflection scanning signal and correction are all calculated digitally in a deflection controller for deflecting and controlling a charged particle beam irradiated onto a subject to be inspected and the digital value is sequentially converted into an analog value by a time-series train of digital control signal to form a deflection scanning waveform.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent degradation in performance due to a change in image quality and deflection distortions or the like in the vicinity of both ends of a scan area and detect a defect in a sample such as a semiconductor wafer or the like with high accuracy when the defect is inspected by use of an electron beam image, and allow a monitor to confirm an image area to be checked. The present invention is provided with means for comparing and checking defects in the sample, based on an image signal in which the neighborhoods of both ends of horizontal and vertical scan areas are respectively deleted under control of a blanking signal and a vertical synchronizing signal.