Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Vlsi Engineering Corp.

Other

Nitto-denko Corporation

Fumio Mizuno

Hideo Todokoro

Osamu Komuro

Fumihiro Sasajima

Mitsugu Sato

Haruo Yoda

Makoto Ezumi

Atsushi Takane

Shoji Yoshida

Mitsuji Ikeda

Seiichiro Shirai

Satoru Yamada

Tokuo Kure

Tadashi Otaka

Katsuhiro Kuroda

Ken Ninomiya

Noboru Moriuchi

Kenji Takamoto

Sadao Terakado

Masayuki Morita

Mari Nozoe

Yasuhiro Yoshitake

Kenji Watanabe

Masataka Shiba

Seiji Ishikawa

Yutaka Moroishi

Toshimitsu Hamada

Seiji Isogai

Ikuo Suzuki

Isao Miyazaki

Jun Nakazato

Makoto Sunakawa

Yuichi Ohyama

Michirou Kawanishi

Yoshiharu Shigyo

Masami Ikota

Makoto Ariga

Tetsuji Yokouchi

Terushige Asakawa

Hidekuni Sugimoto

Masamichi Ishihara

Osamu Satoh

Noburu Moriuchi

The edges of the reticle are detected with respect to the microstructured patterns exposed by the stepper, and the shapes of the microstructured patterns at the surface and at the bottom of the photoresist are detected. The microstructured patterns are evaluated by calculating, and displaying on the screen, the dislocation vector that represents the relationship in position between the detected patterns on the surface and at the bottom of the photoresist. Furthermore, dislocation vectors between the microstructured patterns at multiple positions in a single-chip or single-shot area or on one wafer are likewise calculated, then the sizes and distribution status of the dislocation vectors at each such position are categorized as characteristic quantities, and the corresponding tendencies are analyzed. Thus, stepper or wafer abnormality is detected.

Microstructured pattern inspection method

It is an object of the present invention to obtain an image which is focused on all portions of a sample and to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of obtaining a two-dimensional image which has no blurred part over an entire sample. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises means for changing a focus condition of a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source, a charged particle detector for detecting charged particles irradiated from a surface portion of said sample in response to the emitted charged particle beam, and means for composing a two-dimensional image of the surface portion of the sample based on signals on which said charged particle beam is focused, said signals being among signals output from the charged particle detector.

Charged particle beam apparatus

A process management system in accordance with the present invention includes inspection apparatuses for inspecting defects on a wafer, the inspection apparatuses being connected through a communication network, inspection information and image information obtained from these inspection apparatuses being collected to construct a data base and an image file, therein definition of defects is given by combinations of elements which characterize the defect based on the inspection information and the image information obtained from the inspection apparatuses. By giving definition of the defect, characteristics of the defect can be subdivided and known. Therefore, the cause of a defect can be studied.

Process management system

It is an object of the present invention to obtain an image which is focused on all portions of a sample and to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of obtaining a two-dimensional image which has no blurred part over an entire sample. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises means for changing a focus condition of a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source, a charged particle detector for detecting charged particles irradiated from a surface portion of said sample in response to the emitted charged particle beam, and means for composing a two-dimensional image of the surface portion of the based on signals on which said charged particle beam is focused, said signals being among signals output from the charged particle detector.

The edges of the reticle are detected with respect to the microstructured patterns exposed by the stepper, and the shapes of the microstructured patterns at the surface and at the bottom of the photoresist are detected. The microstructured patterns are evaluated by calculating, and displaying on the screen, the dislocation vector that represents the relationship in position between the detected patterns on the surface and at the bottom of the photoresist. Furthermore, dislocation vectors between the microstructured patterns at multiple positions in a single-chip or single-shot. area or on one wafer are likewise calculated, then the sizes and distribution status of the dislocation vectors at each such position are categorized as characteristic quantities, and the corresponding tendencies are analyzed. Thus, stepper or wafer abnormality is detected.

Process control system

Image-formation apparatus using charged particle beams under various focus conditions

Growing community of inventors

Tokorozawa, Japan

Fumio Mizuno