Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning electron microscope for reducing a process concerning inspection positioning or an input operation, thereby functioning with high precision at high speed. To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope having a function for identifying a desired position on the basis of a pattern registered beforehand, which includes a means for setting information concerning the pattern kind, the interval between a plurality of parts constituting the pattern, and the size of parts constituting the pattern and a means for forming a pattern image composed of a plurality of parts on the basis of the information obtained by the concerned means.

Abstract: The present invention is relates to a method for measuring average line width of line and space patterns in a simplified manner and at high speed without measuring at many positions. An average line width, an average space width, and an average pitch width are calculated from peak intervals of auto-correlation values of a differentiated image of the line and space patterns or peak patterns corresponding to line edges on projection data of the differentiated image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for setting a sample observation condition and a method and apparatus for sample observation which allow sample observation by speedily and simply finding an optimum condition while suppressing damage to the sample are provided. The setting of a sample observation condition according to the present invention is realized by an electron beam apparatus acquiring a profile at a predetermined evaluation location of a sample under a reference observation condition, by a processing section judging whether or not the above described acquired profile is located within a predetermined setting range and setting an optimum observation condition to be used for sample observation based on this judgment result.

Abstract: Equipment extracts components of spatial frequency that need to be evaluated in manufacturing a device or in analyzing a material or process out of edge roughness on fine line patterns and displays them as indexes. The equipment acquires data of edge roughness over a sufficiently long area, integrates a components corresponding to a spatial frequency region being set on a power spectrum by the operator, and displays them on a length measuring SEM. Alternatively, the equipment divides the edge roughness data of the sufficiently long area, computes long-period roughness and short-period roughness that correspond to an arbitrary inspection area by performing statistical processing and fitting based on theoretical calculation, and displays them on the length measuring SEM.

Abstract: As measurement accuracy required for the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for measuring a pattern width becomes stringent, a technique of reducing the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's is desired. However, the conventional technique of evaluating the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's cannot separate the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's themselves and a dimensional change resulting from deformation of the pattern itself. Moreover, the technique of reducing the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's needs an operator for reducing the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's for each measurement pattern shape.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus of an electric junction box is provided, by which improper mounting of electric parts can be detected. The inspection apparatus 1 has a CCD camera 5, an image-processing device 7 and a control device 8. The CCD camera picks up images of fuse 14 in the electric junction box 12 as a subject of the inspection. The image-processing device 7 stores an image consulting data 60. The image consulting data 60 includes a plurality of images of each fuse 14 having the same item symbol with regard to every item symbol, the fuses 14 being used in the electric junction box 12. The control device 8 stores normal data indicating the proper item symbol of the fuse 14 to be mounted on a corresponding mount 13. The image-processing device 7 extracts the image most analogous to the image picked up by the CCD camera 5 from the images in the image consulting data. The control device 8 judges the quality of the item symbol of the fuse 14 having the most analogous image on the basis of the normal data.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus capable of automatically measuring an image magnification error of an apparatus and capable of automatically calibrating the image magnification in high precision is provided. To this end, while an image processing operation of either an auto-correlation function or an FFT transformation is employed with respect to a scanning image of a reference material having a periodic structure, the averaged pitch dimension of which is known, averaged periodic information owned by the scanning image is detected so as to measure an image magnification error of the apparatus. Also, the information as to the acquired image magnification error is fed back to an image magnification control means of the apparatus so as to automatically execute a calibration as to the image magnification in high precision.

Abstract: Equipment extracts components of spatial frequency that need to be evaluated in manufacturing a device or in analyzing a material or process out of edge roughness on fine line patterns and displays them as indexes. The equipment acquires data of edge roughness over a sufficiently long area, integrates a components corresponding to a spatial frequency region being set on a power spectrum by the operator, and displays them on a length measuring SEM. Alternatively, the equipment divides the edge roughness data of the sufficiently long area, computes long-period roughness and short-period roughness that correspond to an arbitrary inspection area by performing statistical processing and fitting based on theoretical calculation, and displays them on the length measuring SEM.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged particle beam apparatus used to measure micro-dimensions (CD value) of a semiconductor apparatus or the like which captures images for measurement. For the present invention, a sample for calibration, on which a plurality of polyhedral structural objects with known angles on surfaces produced by the crystal anisotropic etching technology are arranged in a viewing field, is used. A beam landing angle at each position within a viewing field is calculated based on geometric deformation on an image of each polyhedral structural object. Beam control parameters for equalizing the beam landing angle at each position within the viewing field are pre-registered. The registered beam control parameters are applied according to the position of the pattern to be measured within the viewing field when performing dimensional measurement.

Abstract: A system for controlling a tool-to-tool matching between a plurality of scanning electron microscopes for pattern dimension measurement includes a measuring unit for, at regular intervals, measuring a tool-to-tool disparity between scanning electron microscopes based on secondary electron image data, and measuring indicators indicating states of the microscopes, a tool-to-tool-disparity causing factor analyzing unit for analyzing a relationship between the tool-to-tool disparity and the values of the indicators measured by the measuring unit to estimate a factor that has caused said tool-to-tool disparity, and an output unit for displaying and outputting the tool-to-tool disparity causing factor estimated by the tool-to-tool-disparity causing factor analyzing unit.

Abstract: Information indicating the reason for a failure of template matching is provided. Difference information between a first image, which is referred to as a template, and a third image that is selected by the operator from a second image and that is larger than the template is displayed.

Abstract: A program creation apparatus creates a program for a microcomputer that includes an input section, a processor and an output section. The apparatus includes a GUI display section displaying a plurality of icons, each corresponding to each operation of the input section, the processor and the output section, and a program creator creating a program according to manipulation of the icons by a user.

Abstract: It is facilitated in a scanning electron microscope to save the labor of executing the reproduction test, conduct basic analysis on a problem caused in execution of the automatic observation process, and confirm details resulting in the error. Upon detecting an error from an abnormality, the scanning electron microscope extracts a sample image Im(t2) obtained by retroceding from a sample image Im(te) stored so as to be associated with time te of error occurrence by a predetermined video quantity (for example, total recording time period t2) previously set and registered by an input-output device, from sample images stored in a recording device while being overwritten, and stores a resultant sample image in another recording device.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning electron microscope for reducing a process concerning inspection positioning or an input operation, thereby functioning with high precision at high speed. To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope having a function for identifying a desired position on the basis of a pattern registered beforehand, which includes a means for setting information concerning the pattern kind, the interval between a plurality of parts constituting the pattern, and the size of parts constituting the pattern and a means for forming a pattern image composed of a plurality of parts on the basis of the information obtained by the concerned means.

Abstract: As measurement accuracy required for the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for measuring a pattern width becomes stringent, a technique of reducing the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's is desired. However, the conventional technique of evaluating the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's cannot separate the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's themselves and a dimensional change resulting from deformation of the pattern itself. Moreover, the technique of reducing the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's needs an operator for reducing the difference in a measured dimension between the SEM's for each measurement pattern shape.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus of an electric junction box is provided, by which improper mounting of electric parts can be detected. The inspection apparatus 1 has a CCD camera 5, an image-processing device 7 and a control device 8. The CCD camera picks up images of fuse 14 in the electric junction box 12 as a subject of the inspection. The image-processing device 7 stores an image consulting data 60. The image consulting data 60 includes a plurality of images of each fuse 14 having the same item symbol with regard to every item symbol, the fuses 14 being used in the electric junction box 12. The control device 8 stores normal data indicating the proper item symbol of the fuse 14 to be mounted on a corresponding mount 13. The image-processing device 7 extracts the image most analogous to the image picked up by the CCD camera 5 from the images in the image consulting data. The control device 8 judge the quality of the item symbol of the fuse 14 having the most analogous image on the basis of the normal data.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning electron microscope for reducing a process concerning inspection positioning or an input operation, thereby functioning with high precision at high speed. To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope having a function for identifying a desired position on the basis of a pattern registered beforehand, which includes a means for setting information concerning the pattern kind, the interval between a plurality of parts constituting the pattern, and the size of parts constituting the pattern and a means for forming a pattern image composed of a plurality of parts on the basis of the information obtained by the concerned means.

Abstract: Equipment extracts components of spatial frequency that need to be evaluated in manufacturing a device or in analyzing a material or process out of edge roughness on fine line patterns and displays them as indexes. The equipment acquires data of edge roughness over a sufficiently long area, integrates a components corresponding to a spatial frequency region being set on a power spectrum by the operator, and displays them on a length measuring SEM. Alternatively, the equipment divides the edge roughness data of the sufficiently long area, computes long-period roughness and short-period roughness that correspond to an arbitrary inspection area by performing statistical processing and fitting based on theoretical calculation, and displays them on the length measuring SEM.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus of an electric junction box is provided, by which improper mounting of electric parts can be detected. The inspection apparatus 1 has a CCD camera 5, an image-processing device 7 and a control device 8. The CCD camera picks up images of fuse 14 in the electric junction box 12 as a subject of the inspection. The image-processing device 7 stores an image consulting data 60. The image consulting data 60 includes a plurality of images of each fuse 14 having the same item symbol with regard to every item symbol, the fuses 14 being used in the electric junction box 12. The control device 8 stores normal data indicating the proper item symbol of the fuse 14 to be mounted on a corresponding mount 13. The image-processing device 7 extracts the image most analogous to the image picked up by the CCD camera 5 from the images in the image consulting data. The control device 8 judges the quality of the item symbol of the fuse 14 having the most analogous image on the basis of the normal data.

Abstract: The present invention is relates to a method for measuring average line width of line and space patterns in a simplified manner and at high speed without measuring at many positions. An average line width, an average space width, and an average pitch width are calculated from peak intervals of auto-correlation values of a differentiated image of the line and space patterns or peak patterns corresponding to line edges on projection data of the differentiated image.