Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hitachi Construction Machinery

Hajime Koyanagi

Sumio Hosaka

Yasunari Sohda

Yoshinori Nakayama

Ryo Imura

Keiichiro Hitomi

Atsushi Kikugawa

Yukio Honda

Kimitoshi Etoh

Atsushi Kikukawa

Kenchi Ito

Tsuyoshi Hasegawa

Shigeyuki Hosoki

Kiyosi Nagasawa

In method and apparatus for obtaining a scanning electron microscope image devoid of distortion by measuring a scanning distortion and calibrating the scanning distortion, there occurs a problem that an error takes place in dimension control owing to a scanning distortion of an electron beam. To cope with this problem, an image is obtained by scanning a predetermined region with the electron beam, a plurality of regions are selected from the image, the pattern pitch is measured in each of the regions and a scanning distortion amount is calculated from the result of measurement and then corrected.

Scanning electron microscope and calibration of image distortion

Correction of widths obtained by measurement of a sample with the use of a scanning electron microscope is executed with greater precision. A standard sample for correction comprises a plurality of correction mark members, the respective correction mark members, being lined up at specified intervals in a specified direction, and respective widths thereof, in the specified direction, differing from each other so as to be of respective sizes as pre-set. Measurement of the respective widths of the correction mark members is made to obtain respective measurement widths while authorized widths of the correction mark members are kept stored in an image processing unit of the scanning electron microscope to thereby find differences between the respective measurement widths, and authorized widths corresponding thereto, and the differences are stored as respective correction functions to correct the measurement width of the sample.

Charged particle beam measurement equipment, size correction and standard sample for correction

The present invention provides a standard reference component for calibration for performing magnification calibration used in the scanning electron microscope with high precision, and provides a scanning electron microscope technique using it. Provided is a standard reference component for calibration for calibrating a scanning electron microscope that measures a length of a pattern in an observation area from information on the intensity of secondary electrons or reflected electrons generated by scanning an incident electron beam in the observation area on a measuring sample, having: a first substrate on which a multiple-layer is laminated and a second substrate with a recess for holding the first substrate, wherein the first substrate is held in the recess of the second substrate so that a normal direction of the multiple-layer surface may be roughly perpendicular to a normal direction of the second substrate surface, and the multiple-layer has a multiple-layer structure of a film containing silicon and a film containing molybdenum.

Standard reference component for calibration, fabrication method for the same, and scanning electron microscope using the same

A recording disk has a surface provided with guide grooves for controlling the position of a recording head, and recording bits formed in the guide grooves for high-density recording. The recording bits have the shape of a tadpole in a plane. The width Ws of the recording bits is greater than the width Wg of the guide grooves. An AFM probe serving as a recording head travels along the guide grooves without running off the guide grooves. When a tip part of the AFM probe coincides with the recording bit, the tip part drops deep into the guide groove, whereby the recording bit is detected.

Recording medium and recording device

A recording and reproducing or observing apparatus based on a laser beam deflection detection method in which an object has a very small area for reflecting light. A laser beam emitted by a semiconductor laser diode passes through a collimator lens and a stop. The beam passes through the lens and stop and is reflected by a polarization beam splitter and focused by an objective lens onto a surface of a cantilever. Reflected light from the cantilever surface is focused by the lens before being received by a position sensor. Either the incident light or the reflected light passes through an optical path that is substantially 90 degrees relative to the optical axis of the other light.

Device using sensor for small rotation angle

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel tracking method and device, suitable for use in a recording means applying the technology of a scanning probe microscope, for recording and/or reproducing high-density information of a size of several tens of nm or less at high speed and with high accuracy. The tracking method and device includes a recording medium having bumpy structures for tracking, which are formed on the surface thereof, a cantilever having a tip for writing in, reading out and erasing information, and means for detecting bending and torsion of the cantilever. Further, the tip and the recording medium are moved relative to each other in the direction in which a fixed end and a free end of the cantilever are coupled to each other, in a state in which the tip has been brought into proximity to or contact with the recording medium. In this state, the amount and direction of the torsion of the cantilever, or the amount of the bending thereof and the direction of the torsion thereof due to the bumpy structures are set as feedback signals so as to perform tracking.

Tracking method and recording means thereby

A method and apparatus for precision machining a surface suitable for use as a data recorder, using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) capable of observing an electrically insulating surface. The SPM includes a probe which comprises a tip having a pointed end, and also including a conductive layer applied on a surface of the tip. The tip is brought into close proximity to the surface which is to be machined and a machining voltage is applied between the tip and the surface to machine the surface.

Precision machining method precision machining apparatus and data

Precision machining method, precision machining apparatus and data

A scanning probe microscope in which the deflection of a cantilever caused by the proximity between a stylus and a sample is detected, the relative distance between the sample and a probe at which the level of the deflection detection signal coincides with a reference level is subjected to servo control thereby to control the force exerted on the stylus to a constant level, and the relative positions of the sample and the probe are scanned to produce a three-dimensional image of the surface of the sample. In order to eliminate the error of servo control attributable to the deformation of the cantilever, the deflection detection signal is held with the cantilever set in free standing state, and the signal thus held is used to correct the level of the cantilever deflection detection signal. The servo control is effected by the detection signal thus corrected.

Scanning probe microscope and method of control error correction

A surface observing apparatus for obtaining information of a specimen comprises a probe disposed in the close vicinity of the specimen, a deformable cantilever for holding the probe, a scanning mechanism for scanning a surface of the specimen with the probe and a detector for detecting displacements of the cantilever to thereby allow information of the specimen to be derived on the basis of the displacement of the cantilever. The apparatus further comprises a first detector for detecting a force acting on the probe from the displacement of the cantilever, and a second detector for measuring a change in the force acting on the probe on the basis of the displacement of the cantilever.

Growing community of inventors

Koshigaya, Japan

Hajime Koyanagi