Abstract: A method and an apparatus for inspecting or measuring a sample based on charged-particle beam are provided to relieve charge-up of the sample, so that high-quality electron image is obtained. A UV light irradiation optical system is controlled by an irradiation controller, scanning of the charged-particle beam is controlled by a scanning controller, and the irradiation controller and the scanning controller are controlled by a general controller. They are mutually synchronized, and a signal from an electron detector is imaged by an image slicing circuit and an image processing circuit.

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.

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: A method and apparatus to enable observation of an electron beam image of a specimen surface with an electron beam being always in focus in a convergent charged particle beam apparatus. Using an optical height detection system which does not cause interference with the electron beam, a specimen surface height in the vicinity of an electron beam irradiating point on the specimen surface is detected, and the specimen surface height is adjusted while the electron beam image of the specimen surface is being observed. The optical height detection system is calibrated using a calibration specimen having known step pattern features, and a surface height of an object under inspection is calculated accordingly.

Abstract: An irradiation electron beam emitted from an electron gun is deflected by an energy filter, and passes through a first projective lens and an objective lens, and then irradiated onto a sample to produce secondary electrons. The secondary electron beam accelerated by a negative voltage applied to the sample passes through the objective lens and the first projective lens, and deflected by the energy filter to be energy dispersed. Only the secondary electrons having a specified energy pass through energy selecting aperture, and further pass through a second projective lens to form a projected image of the secondary electrons on an imager. Such an electron-optical system may be used for dimension evaluation or inspection of semiconductor substrates.

Abstract: A method for detecting a period of a periodically varying signal and/or an inclination of a specimen utilizing an exposure apparatus wherein a coherent light is divided into first and second lights and the first light is irradiated onto the specimen at a predetermined angle, and a reflected light thereof and a reference light as the second light interfere with each other so as to form interference fringes, the interference fringes are detected, and the inclination of the specimen is detected from a pitch representing a period of the interference fringes. The method includes detecting a spectrum of a signal intensity obtained from the detected interference fringes or the periodically varying signal, subjecting the detected spectrum data to a fast complex Fourier transformation, calculating a true spectrum peak position j.sub.R in accordance with a relationship j.sub.R =j.sub.0 +.DELTA., where j.sub.0 is a detected spectrum peak position and .DELTA.