Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: Problems encountered in the conventional inspection method and the conventional apparatus adopting the method are solved by the present invention using an electron beam by providing a novel inspection method and an inspection apparatus adopting the novel method which are capable of increasing the speed to scan a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer. The inspection novel method provided by the present invention comprises the steps of: generating an electron beam; converging the generated electron beam on a specimen by using an objective lens; scanning the specimen by using the converged electron beam; continuously moving the specimen during scanning; detecting charged particles emanating from the specimen at a location between the specimen and the objective lens and converting the detected charged particles into an electrical signal; storing picture information conveyed by the electrical signal; comparing a picture with another by using the stored picture information; and detecting a defect of the specimen.

Abstract: A test pattern formed in a scribe line area of a wafer is irradiated with a light beam to measure the width thereof; the test pattern is irradiated with an electron beam so as to measure the width thereof; an amount of change in the width of the test pattern is calculated; a dummy pattern having the same width as that of a semiconductor device of the wafer is irradiated with an electron beam to measure the width thereof; and the width of a pattern is estimated by the use of the calculated amount of width change so as to determine the shape of the pattern. Thus, a shape measuring system and method capable of determining the shape of a micropattern in a semiconductor device without changing the dimensions of the micropattern can be provided.

Abstract: Problems encountered in the conventional inspection method and the conventional apparatus adopting the method are solved by the present invention using an electron beam by providing a novel inspection method and an inspection apparatus adopting the novel method which are capable of increasing the speed to scan a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer. The inspection novel method provided by the present invention comprises the steps of: generating an electron beam; converging the generated electron beam on a specimen by using an objective lens; scanning the specimen by using the converged electron beam; continuously moving the specimen during scanning; detecting charged particles emanating from the specimen at a location between the specimen and the objective lens and converting the detected charged particles into an electrical signal; storing picture information conveyed by the electrical signal; comparing a picture with another by using the stored picture information; and detecting a defect of the specimen.

Abstract: A light beam is emitted to a test pattern place formed in the scribe area on the wafer for height measurement, an electron beam is emitted to the test pattern place for width and contrast measurement and their correlations are stored. The three-dimensional profile of a pattern in a semiconductor device on the wafer is determined by irradiating the pattern with an electron beam to measure the width and contrast and estimating the height of the pattern by inferring from a correlation corresponding to the measured width and contrast. Thus, a three-dimensional profile measuring system and method capable of measuring the three-dimensional profile of a micropattern in a semiconductor device without cutting the wafer are provided.

Abstract: To make possible the in-line inspection of a pattern of an insulating material. A patterned wafer 40 formed with a pattern by a resist film is placed on a specimen table 21 of a patterned wafer inspection apparatus 1 in opposed relation to a SEM 3. An electron beam 10 of a large current is emitted from an electron gun 11 and the pattern of the patterned wafer is scanned only once at a high scanning rate. The secondary electrons generated by this scanning from the patterned wafer are detected by a secondary electron detector 16 thereby to acquire an electron beam image. Using this electron beam image, the comparative inspection is conducted on the patterned wafer through an arithmetic operation unit 32 and a defect determining unit 33. Since an electron beam image of high contrast can be obtained by scanning an electron beam only once, a patterned wafer inspection method using a SEM can be implemented in the IC fabrication method.

Abstract: To make it possible to observe the bottom of a contact hole and internal wires, in observation of the contact hole 102, by scanning it at a predetermined acceleration voltage, the positive charge 106 is formed on the surface of the insulator 101, and the secondary electrons 104 are attracted in the hole by this electric field, and the hole is continuously scanned at an acceleration voltage different from the acceleration voltage, and the sample is observed. When the wires embedded in the insulator are to be observed, by observing the insulator at a predetermined acceleration voltage, an electron beam is allowed to enter the sample, and the sample is continuously scanned at an acceleration voltage different from the acceleration voltage, and hence the existence of wires is reflected as a change in the charge of the surface, and it is observed.

Abstract: Problems encountered in the conventional inspection method and the conventional apparatus adopting the method are solved by the present invention using an electron beam by providing a novel inspection method and an inspection apparatus adopting the novel method which are capable of increasing the speed to scan a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer. The inspection novel method provided by the present invention comprises the steps of: generating an electron beam; converging the generated electron beam on a specimen by using an objective lens; scanning the specimen by using the converged electron beam; continuously moving the specimen during scanning; detecting charged particles emanating from the specimen at a location between the specimen and the objective lens and converting the detected charged particles into an electrical signal; storing picture information conveyed by the electrical signal; comparing a picture with another by using the stored picture information; and detecting a defect of the specimen.

Abstract: A circuit pattern inspection method and an apparatus therefor, in which the whole of a portion to be inspected of a sample to be inspected is made to be in a predetermined charged state, the portion to be inspected is irradiated with an image-forming high-density electron beam while scanning the electron beam, secondary charged particles are detected at a portion irradiated with the electron beam after a predetermined period of time from an instance when the electron beam is irradiated, an image is formed on the basis of the thus detected secondary charged particle signal, and the portion to be inspected is inspected by using the thus formed image.

Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: Problems encountered in the conventional inspection method and the conventional apparatus adopting the method are solved by the present invention using an electron beam by providing a novel inspection method and an inspection apparatus adopting the novel method which are capable of increasing the speed to scan a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer. The inspection novel method provided by the present invention comprises the steps of: generating an electron beam; converging the generated electron beam on a specimen by using an objective lens; scanning the specimen by using the converged electron beam; continuously moving the specimen during scanning; detecting charged particles emanating from the specimen at a location between the specimen and the objective lens and converting the detected charged particles into an electrical signal; storing picture information conveyed by the electrical signal; comparing a picture with another by using the stored picture information; and detecting a defect of the specimen.

Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus including a table which mounts a specimen and is movable in three dimensional directions, an electron beam optical system irradiating an electron beam onto a specimen and for detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen by the irradiation of the electron beam, and a surface height detection system for detecting height of the surface of the specimen mounted on the table. A focus control system controls a relative position between a focus position of the electron optical system and the table in accordance with information of the height, and an image processing system obtains an image from the detected secondary electron and processes the obtained image to detect a defect on the surface of the specimen.

Abstract: Problems encountered in the conventional inspection method and the conventional apparatus adopting the method are solved by the present invention using an electron beam by providing a novel inspection method and an inspection apparatus adopting the novel method which are capable of increasing the speed to scan a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer. The inspection novel method provided by the present invention comprises the steps of: generating an electron beam; converging the generated electron beam on a specimen by using an objective lens; scanning the specimen by using the converged electron beam; continuously moving the specimen during scanning; detecting charged particles emanating from the specimen at a location between the specimen and the objective lens and converting the detected charged particles into an electrical signal; storing picture information conveyed by the electrical signal; comparing a picture with another by using the stored picture information; and detecting a defect of the specimen.

Abstract: A test pattern formed in a scribe line area of a wafer is irradiated with a light beam to measure the width thereof; the test pattern is irradiated with an electron beam so as to measure the width thereof; an amount of change in the width of the test pattern is calculated; a dummy pattern having the same width as that of a semiconductor device of the wafer is irradiated with an electron beam to measure the width thereof; and the width of a pattern is estimated by the use of the calculated amount of width change so as to determine the shape of the pattern. Thus, a shape measuring system and method capable of determining the shape of a micropattern in a semiconductor device without changing the dimensions of the micropattern can be provided.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus including a table which mounts a specimen and is movable in three dimensional directions, an electron beam optical system irradiating an electron beam onto a specimen and for detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen by the irradiation of the electron beam, and a surface height detection system for detecting height of the surface of the specimen mounted on the table. A focus control system controls a relative position between a focus position of the electron optical system and the table in accordance with information of the height, and an image processing system obtains an image from the detected secondary electron and processes the obtained image to detect a defect on the surface of the specimen.

Abstract: Inspection method, apparatus, and system for a circuit pattern, in which when various conditions which are necessary in case of inspecting a fine circuit pattern by using an image formed by irradiating white light, a laser beam, or a charged particle beam are set, its operating efficiency can be improved. An inspection target region of an inspection-subject substrate is displayed, and a designated map picture plane and an image of an optical microscope or an electron beam microscope of a designated region are displayed in parallel, thereby enabling a defect distribution and a defect image to be simultaneously seen. Item names of inspecting conditions and a picture plane to display, input, or instruct the contents of the inspecting conditions are integrated, those contents are overlapped to the picture plane and layer-displayed, and all of the item names are displayed in parallel in a tab format in the upper portion of the picture plane of the contents.

Abstract: Inspection method, apparatus, and system for a circuit pattern, in which when various conditions which are necessary in case of inspecting a fine circuit pattern by using an image formed by irradiating white light, a laser beam, or a charged particle beam are set, its operating efficiency can be improved. An inspection target region of an inspection-subject substrate is displayed, and a designated map picture plane and an image of an optical microscope or an electron beam microscope of a designated region are displayed in parallel, thereby enabling a defect distribution and a defect image to be simultaneously seen. Item names of inspecting conditions and a picture plane to display, input, or instruct the contents of the inspecting conditions are integrated, those contents are overlapped to the picture plane and layer-displayed, and all of the item names are displayed in parallel in a tab format in the upper portion of the picture plane of the contents.

Abstract: A test pattern formed in a scribe line area of a wafer is irradiated with a light beam to measure the width thereof; the test pattern is irradiated with an electron beam so as to measure the width thereof; an amount of change in the width of the test pattern is calculated; a dummy pattern having the same width as that of a semiconductor device of the wafer is irradiated with an electron beam to measure the width thereof; and the width of a pattern is estimated by the use of the calculated amount of width change so as to determine the shape of the pattern. Thus, a shape measuring system and method capable of determining the shape of a micropattern in a semiconductor device without changing the dimensions of the micropattern can be provided.

Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.