Patents by Inventor Yasutsugu Usami
Yasutsugu Usami has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 6480279Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2001Date of Patent: November 12, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiko Nara, Kazuhisa Machida, Mari Nozoe, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasutsugu Usami, Takashi Hiroi
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Patent number: 6476913Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 1999Date of Patent: November 5, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhisa Machida, Mari Nozoe, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasutsugu Usami, Takashi Hiroi, Maki Ito
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Patent number: 6452178Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2001Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yuko Iwabuchi, Hideo Todokoro, Hiroyoshi Mori, Mitsugu Sato, Yasutsugu Usami, Mikio ichihashi, Satoru Fukuhara, Hiroyuki Shinada, Yutaka Kaneko, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Hiroshi Toyama
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Publication number: 20020117635Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 1998Publication date: August 29, 2002Inventors: HIROYUKI SHINADA, YUSUKE YAJIMA, HISAYA MURAKOSHI, MASAKI HASEGAWA, MARI NOZOE, ATSUKO TAKAFUJI, KATSUYA SUGIYAMA, KATSUHIRO KURODA, KAORU UMEMURA, YASUTSUGU USAMI
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Publication number: 20020113967Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2002Publication date: August 22, 2002Inventors: Yasuhiko Nara, Kazuhisa Machida, Mari Nozoe, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasutsugu Usami, Takashi Hiroi, Kohichi Hayakawa, Maki Ito
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Publication number: 20020109088Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2002Publication date: August 15, 2002Inventors: Yasuhiko Nara, Kazuhisa Machida, Mari Nozoe, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasutsugu Usami, Takashi Hiroi, Kohichi Hayakawa, Maki Ito
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Publication number: 20020105648Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2002Publication date: August 8, 2002Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiko Nara, Kazuhisa Machida, Mari Nozoe, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasutsugu Usami, Takashi Hiroi, Kohichi Hayakawa, Maki Ito
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Publication number: 20020092986Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2002Publication date: July 18, 2002Inventors: Yuko Iwabuchi, Hideo Todokoro, Hiroyoshi Mori, Mitsugu Sato, Yasutsugu Usami, Mikio Ichihashi, Satoru Fukuhara, Hiroyuki Shinada, Yutaka Kaneko, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Hiroshi Toyama
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Patent number: 6421122Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2001Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiko Nara, Kazuhisa Machida, Mari Nozoe, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasutsugu Usami, Takashi Hiroi, Kohichi Hayakawa, Maki Ito
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Patent number: 6388747Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2001Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiko Nara, Kazuhisa Machida, Mari Nozoe, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasutsugu Usami, Takashi Hiroi
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Publication number: 20020053634Abstract: An electron beam apparatus includes a movable table which mounts a specimen, an electron optical system including an electron beam source which emits electron beams, an element for deflecting the emitted electron beams, an objective lens for converging and irradiating the deflected electron beams onto the specimen mounted on the table, and a detector for detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen by the irradiation of the electron beams. A surface height detection unit is provided which optically detects a height of a surface of the specimen by projecting light onto the surface of the specimen from an oblique direction to the surface and detecting light reflected from the specimen. A focus controller is provided for focusing the electron beam onto the surface of the specimen by controlling a position of the table in a height direction in accordance with the height information from the surface height detection unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2001Publication date: May 9, 2002Inventors: Masahiro Watanabe, Takashi Hiroi, Maki Tanaka, Hiroyuki Shinada, Yasutsugu Usami
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Patent number: 6376854Abstract: A method for inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate, includes the steps of moving a table along a first direction on which a substrate to be inspected is mounted, irradiating a converged electron beam on the substrate by scanning the converged electron beam along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; detecting an electron radiated from the substrate by the irradiation of the converged electron beam in which the movement of the table and the scanning of the converged electron beam are synchronized; forming a digital image of the substrate from the detected electron; improving a quality of the digital image by filtering the digital image; and detecting a defect of a pattern formed on the substrate by using the improved quality digital image.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2001Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Chie Shishido, Takashi Hiroi, Haruo Yoda, Masahiro Watanabe, Asahiro Kuni, Maki Tanaka, Takanori Ninomiya, Hideaki Doi, Shunji Maeda, Mari Nozoe, Hiroyuki Shinoda, Atsuko Takafuji, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Yasutsugu Usami
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Publication number: 20020027440Abstract: 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 radiated, 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2001Publication date: March 7, 2002Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinada, Mari Nozoe, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Katsuhiro Kuroda, Yutaka Kaneko, Maki Tanaka, Shunji Maeda, Hitoshi Kubota, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Yusuke Yajima, Hiroshi Tooyama, Tadao Ino, Takashi Hiroi, Kazushi Yoshimura, Yasutsugu Usami
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Publication number: 20020024021Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection method using an electron beam and an inspection apparatus therefor, which are capable of enhancing the resolution, improving the inspection speed and reliability, and realizing miniaturization the apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2001Publication date: February 28, 2002Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yuko Iwabuchi, Hideo Todokoro, Hiroyoshi Mori, Mitsugu Sato, Yasutsugu Usami, Mikio Ichihashi, Satoru Fukuhara, Hiroyuki Shinada, Yutaka Kaneko, Atsuko Takafuji, Hiroshi Toyama, Katsuya Sugiyama
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Patent number: 6348690Abstract: 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 novel inspection 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.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 1998Date of Patent: February 19, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yuko Iwabuchi, Hideo Todokoro, Hiroyoshi Mori, Mitsugu Sato, Yasutsugu Usami, Mikio Ichihashi, Satoru Fukuhara, Hiroyuki Shinada, Yutaka Kaneko, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Hiroshi Toyama
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Patent number: 6333510Abstract: An electron beam apparatus and method for at least obtaining an image of a specimen. The apparatus includes an electron optical system having an electron beam source, an element for deflecting electron beams emitted from the electron beam source, an objective lens for converting and irradiating electron beams deflected by the deflection element onto the specimen and a detector for detecting a secondary electron emanated from the specimen by irradiation of the electron beams.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2000Date of Patent: December 25, 2001Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Watanabe, Takashi Hiroi, Maki Tanaka, Hiroyuki Shinada, Yasutsugu Usami
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Patent number: 6329826Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2000Date of Patent: December 11, 2001Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinada, Mari Nozoe, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Katsuhiro Kuroda, Yutaka Kaneko, Maki Tanaka, Shunji Maeda, Hitoshi Kubota, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Yusuke Yajima, Hiroshi Tooyama, Tadao Ino, Takashi Hiroi, Kazushi Yoshimura, Yasutsugu Usami
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Patent number: 6310341Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 1999Date of Patent: October 30, 2001Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hideo Todokoro, Tohru Ishitani, Yasutsugu Usami, Shunroku Taya, Hiroyuki Shinada, Taku Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ohnishi
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Publication number: 20010030294Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2001Publication date: October 18, 2001Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yuko Iwabuchi, Hideo Todokoro, Hiroyoshi Mori, Mitsugu Sato, Yasutsugu Usami, Mikio Ichihashi, Satoru Fukuhara, Hiroyuki Shinada, Yutaka Kaneko, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Hiroshi Toyama
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Publication number: 20010030300Abstract: A method for inspecting a pattern formed on a substrate, includes the steps of moving a table along a first direction on which a substrate to be inspected is mounted, irradiating a converged electron beam on the substrate by scanning the converged electron beam along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; detecting an electron radiated from the substrate by the irradiation of the converged electron beam in which the movement of the table and the scanning of the converged electron beam are synchronized; forming a digital image of the substrate from the detected electron; improving a quality of the digital image by filtering the compensated digital image; and detecting a defect of a pattern formed on the substrate by using the improved quality digital image.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2001Publication date: October 18, 2001Inventors: Chie Shishido, Takashi Hiroi, Haruo Yoda, Masahiro Watanabe, Asahiro Kuni, Maki Tanaka, Takanori Ninomiya, Hideaki Doi, Shunji Maeda, Mari Nozoe, Hiroyuki Shinoda, Atsuko Takafuji, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Yasutsugu Usami