Abstract: A single light emitted from a laser source is split into multiple beams. The multiple beams are illuminated by a multi-beam scanner to scan a substrate of interest. An optical system is provided for focusing the multiple beams independently on the substrate and directing a reflected light or a transmitted light of the multiple beams on the substrate. Aperture regulating members are disposed at equal intervals corresponding to the interval between the multiple beams for controlling the multiple beams directed from the substrate by the optical system. The multiple beams passed through their respective aperture regulating members are received by an optical detector assembly which detect a change in the amount of the multiple beams. The substrate is continuously moved by a movable table on a plane substantially vertical to the multiple beams and in a direction arranged at substantially a right angle to the scanning direction of the multiple beams.

Abstract: A position measuring apparatus includes a light source 1, an illumination optical system 100, a light-reception optical system 400 and a light-receiving unit 500. Illuminating beam emitted from the light source 1 is diffracted by a two-dimensional pattern on an object 10, and then enters the light-reception optical system 400. The light-receiving unit 500 receives diffracted lights consisting of a combination of a higher-order diffracted light appearing on the object side for the zero-order diffracted light in the receive diffracted lights with a zero-order diffracted light different in frequency from the higher-order diffracted light and another combination of higher-order diffracted lights different in frequency from one another and appearing on the object side for the zero-order diffracted light, thereby forming a position measuring interference measurement signal within the plane including the object.

Abstract: In a method of inspecting a sample on which a pattern relating to fabrication of a semiconductor device is formed, there are provided a light radiation unit, an acquiring unit, a storage unit, a template, a calculation unit, a correction unit, a defect detection unit and an output unit. Pinhole shape data to be detected of the pattern is stored in the template. The calculation unit calculates the degree of coincidence between the pinhole shape data stored in the template and the measured image data stored in the storage unit in units of a predetermined amount of data. The correction unit corrects a portion of the measured image data corresponding to a value of the degree of coincidence exceeding a second predetermined value in units of the predetermined amount of data, when the degree of coincidence obtained by the calculation unit has exceeded a first predetermined value, thereby correcting the portion of the measured image data including the detected pinhole.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle exposure system which can prevent the shift of an orbit of an electron beam in the vicinity of a periphery of a substrate when drawing a pattern onto the substrate, thereby making it possible to draw the pattern with high accuracy.

Abstract: A sample detection apparatus includes a light radiation unit, having an illumination lens and an objective lens, for radiating light on a sample on which a pattern relating to fabrication of a semiconductor device is formed. A light receiving unit detects a light transmission image of the pattern on the sample on which the light has been radiated by the light radiation unit. A determination unit determines a presence/absence of a defect of the pattern obtained by the light receiving unit with reference data relating to the pattern, and a control unit controls a ratio .sigma. of a numerical aperture of the objective lens, in accordance with a type of the pattern.

Abstract: A photomask defect inspection method is provided by which defects of pin holes with the diameter equal to or less than 0.35 .mu.m can be detected with certainty. According to the inspection method, a pattern whose image is projected onto an imaging position by the use of illumination light (P1) for exposure consists of light transmitting portions (41) formed on a glass base (2) and light intercepting portions (42) which transmit part of the illumination light (P1) in such a way that a phase of the part of the illumination light (P1) passing through the light intercepting portions (42) is delayed with respect to a phase of the illumination light (P1) passing through the light transmitting portions (41).

Abstract: A pattern defect inspection apparatus comprises a light irradiating portion, a light receive element, a light receive element amplifier, a preparation portion for preparing multi-valued design pattern image data, an offset adjusting portion, a gain adjusting portion, and an inspecting portion. The offset adjusting portion adjusts the offset of the light receive element amplifier such that measurement data of a translucent portion of a pattern on a sample surface corresponds to design pattern image data corresponding to the translucent portion, regarding the translucent portion as a non-transparent portion. The gain adjusting portion adjusts the gain of the light receive element amplifier such that measurement data of a transparent portion of the pattern on the sample surface corresponds to design pattern image data corresponding to the transparent portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pattern evaluating device including light irradiating means for irradiating the rays of light from a light source upon an object, an objective lens through which the light having penetrated through the object passes, an aperture member stopping the diameter of a light beam which has passed the objective lens, a photo receiving element receiving the light beam which has had the diameter stopped by the aperture member, and judging means for evaluating the pattern, following the information of the light received by the photo receiving element and which corresponds to the pattern, wherein the aperture member is capable of changing the numerical aperture, depending whether or not the sample is provided with a pericle.

Abstract: A pattern defect inspection apparatus according to this invention comprises an irradiation circuit for irradiating a substrate on which a given pattern is drawn, a detector circuit for detecting said irradiated pattern on said substrate, a bit pattern generating circuit for quantizing and generating previously given design data by processing said design data based on specified figure information to obtain bit pattern data composed of a finite number of pixels, and a comparator circuit for detecting defects on said substrate by comparing the detected data from said detecting means with the data from said bit pattern generating means, wherein the bit pattern generating circuit has an additional parameter conditioner for setting the dimension of each pixel to be quantized into said bit pattern data to the desired value.

Abstract: A pattern defects inspection system inspects the presence/absence of pattern defects in a photomask as an object to be inspected in which a chromium pattern and a phase shift pattern are formed together. Measurement data output from a sensor circuit for generating measurement pattern data by inspecting measurement patterns corresponding to two types of patterns formed on the object by radiating light on the object, and two identifiable design data stored in a magnetic disk unit in advance, i.e., chromium pattern design data used to form a chromium pattern and phase shift pattern design data used to form a phase shift pattern, are read out by a bit pattern generator for performing development processing. The two types of bit data obtained by the bit pattern generator are synthesized according to the same coordinate definition. The synthesized design data is compared with the measurement data by a comparator. As a result, the presence/absence of pattern defects in the object can be determined.

Abstract: A distance between a mask and a wafer is set such that exposure light beams emerged from the mask are converged by the projection lens to be focused on the wafer. Two light beams with same wavelength of the alignment light beam emerge from a first point (b) which is located far away from the mask, and are focused on the wafer or neighborhood of it by the projection lens. Two mask marks of diffraction gratings are formed on the mask and spaced at a predetermined distance from each other. When the alignment light beams are applied to the mask marks, two diffracted light beams of predetermined order emerge individually from the mask marks in such a manner that the respective optical axes of the two diffracted light beams, which are directed oppositely to of the diffracted light beams, intersect each other on the first point. Thus, the diffracted light beams advance as if the diffracted light beams were the two light beams emerging from the first point.

Abstract: A distance between a mask and a wafer is set such that exposure light beams emerged from the mask are converged by the projection lens to be focused on the wafer. According to the present invention, two mask marks of diffraction gratings are formed on the mask and spaced at a predetermined distance from each other. When the alignment light beams are applied to the mask marks, two diffracted light beams of predetermined order emerge individually from the mask marks in such a manner that the respective optical axes of the two diffracted light beams, which are directed opposite to the advancing direction of the diffracted light beams, intersect each other one the first point. Thus, the diffracted light beams advance as if the diffracted light beams were the two light beams emerging from the first point. Therefore, the two diffracted light beams can be focused on the wafer or neighborhood of it. The diffracted light beams can be incident on a wafer mark which is formed on the wafer and is diffraction grating.

Abstract: In a method for aligning first and second objects relative to each other, according to this invention, the first and second objects are arranged opposite to each other, and are aligned in a direction perpendicular to their opposing direction. A grating pattern is formed, as an alignment mark, on the first object, and a checkerboard-like grating pattern is formed, also as an alignment mark, on the second object. A light beam emitted from an alignment light source is radiated onto the checkerboard-like grating pattern of the second object. The light beam diffracted by the checkerboard-like grating pattern is guided onto the grating pattern of the first object. The light beam diffracted by the grating pattern of the first object is detected by a detector. Since the light beam emitted from the light source is diffracted by the checkerboard-like grating pattern, a relative position of the first and second objects can be detected, irrespective of the distance therebetween.

Abstract: First and second objects are moved relative and parallel to each other, in order to be aligned. More specifically, a first mark formed on the first object has first and second light-passing sections. A second mark formed on the second object has first and second light-reflecting sections. A light beam from a light source is directed to and reflected by the first and second light-reflecting sections of said second mark and transferred onto said first mark. An image of said first light-reflecting section is projected onto the first mark, so that the first light-passing section has a first overlapping region which overlaps a part of the inner of said first light-reflecting section. An image of said second light-reflecting section is projected onto the first mark, so that said second light-passing section has a second overlapping region which overlaps a part of the image of said second light-reflecting section.

Abstract: A device for measuring the position of an object has a light radiation mechanism for causing light to be obliquely incident on a surface of the object, a vibrating mechanism for vibrating the light incident on the surface of the object at a predetermined frequency, and a detecting mechanism for detecting light reflected by the surface of the object, generating a detection signal, and obtaining the position of the object in accordance with the detection signal.

Abstract: In a precise rotation mechanism for slightly rotating an object, a drive disk is placed on a flat and smooth surface of a base and rotating disk is mounted on the disk surface of the drive disk and rotatably supported by a pivot bearing on a coupling section of the drive disk. Fixed sections of the drive disk are fixed on the base and movable sections of the drive disk are tiltably coupled to the fixed sections through the coupling section by elastic hinges and also coupled to the fixed sections by driving members made of piezoelectric elements, which are elongated/contracted upon application of a voltage to slightly move the movable sections. Fixing members made of the piezoelectric elements are respectively fixed to the movable sections. When one of the fixing members is contracted, the rotating disk is urged by one of the fixing members against the movable sections and is movable together with the movable sections.

Abstract: An electron beam pattern transfer system is disclosed which includes a photoelectric transducing mask disposed within a vacuum container and adapted to transfer a photoelectron beam pattern corresponding to a pattern of the mask onto a sample according to an amount of an incident light, a DC voltage generator connected to vary a voltage applied between the mask and the sample, and a focusing coil of a superconductive magnet for creating a magnetic field of a predetermined intensity between the mask and the sample. When a mask-to-sample distance and/or magnetic field intensity varies undesirably, the variation is electrically detected by detectors. In order to compensate for the defocusing of the photoelectron beam pattern on the sample due to the above-mentioned variation, a microprocessor automatically calculates an amount of correction with respect to the intensity of the electric field between the mask and the sample, on a real-time basis and supplies its control signal to the DC voltage generator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for measuring the position of a silicon wafer as a workpiece to be exposed. The method is suitably used in an electron beam exposure system. A wafer has a plurality of chip alignment marks which respectively designate a plurality of chip field areas, included in a dicing line area. When the wafer is contained ion a holder and is fixed in the exposure system, edge portions of the wafer are partially scanned with the electron beam to roughly measure the position of the wafer. In accordance with this wafer position data, a wafer surface portion required for detecting only the marks is defined within the dicing line area. In the mark detection with the electron beam, the electron beam irradiates only the defined wafer surface portion of the wafer surface, thereby providing highly precise measurement of the wafer position and avoiding undesirable irritation of the circuit formation area.

Abstract: An IC tester including a specimen chamber and an electron optical column for radiating an electron beam to a specimen placed in the specimen chamber, wherein a fixed table is attached to a Z table in the specimen chamber and includes downwardly protruding spring contact pins which are connected to lead wires led outside of the specimen chamber. A probe card unit for testing an IC wafer is provided on the upper surface of the fixed table and includes electric terminals having the same positional relation as that of the spring contact pins. A probe card unit fixing mechanism is attached to the undersurface of the fixed table and is so arranged that the probe card unit can be slid laterally along the undersurface of the fixed table and then upward to press the probe card unit against the undersurface of the fixed table and to bring the spring contact pins into electrical contact with their corresponding probe card terminals.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck plate comprises an electrode plate made of electrically conductive material and a dielectric layer formed on one surface of the electrode plate by flame-spraying dielectric material. The surface region of the dielectric layer is impregnated with plastic material, and the surface of the dielectric layer is smooth and flat. A sample is electrostatically attracted toward the electrode plate and is thus held on the smooth and flat surface of the dielectric layer.