Nuflare Technology, Inc.

Fujitsu Corporation

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Kazuhiro Nakashima

Hideo Tsuchiya

Toshiyuki Watanabe

Shinji Sugihara

Kyoji Yamashita

Chosaku Noda

Shingo Yamaguchi

Riki Ogawa

Masataka Shiratsuchi

Ryoichi Hirano

Hideaki Hashimoto

Satoshi Kanbayashi

Takafumi Inoue

Hayato Shida

Tetsuya Hori

Hiroteru Akiyama

Manabu Isobe

Hirohisa Tokunaga

Masayoshi Nakano

Kouji Sakata

Shigeru Nakagawahara

Hiroshi Shiokawa

Tsukasa Iwanaga

A pattern inspection apparatus includes an optical image acquisition mechanism to acquire optical image data of a plurality of regions from a substrate where a plurality of figure patterns are formed, a plurality of comparison circuits each of which performs one of die-to-die inspection processing for comparing the optical image data with each other and die-to-database inspection processing for comparing the optical image data with reference image data generated from design pattern data, and an inspection circuit to individually output, for each region of the plurality of regions, the optical image data of a region concerned to comparison circuits, whose number is variably set for each region, in the plurality of comparison circuits, and to control each comparison circuit, serving as an output destination of the optical image data in the plurality of comparison circuits, to perform one of the die-to-die inspection processing and the die-to-database inspection processing.

Pattern inspection apparatus and pattern inspection method

A multi-charged particle beam image acquisition apparatus includes an image acquisition mechanism, including a stage on which a target object is capable to be disposed and a deflector for deflecting multiple charged particle beams in array arrangement, configured to acquire, in a state where a scan region width to be scanned by each of the multiple beams has been set depending on an image averaging frequency, image data of each beam by scanning the target object with deflected multiple beams while relatively shifting a stage moving direction angle and an array arranging direction angle of the multiple beams from each other, and an averaging circuit configured to average, using image data of each beam, errors of the image data by superimposing image data of the same position at the image averaging frequency.

Multi-charged particle beam image acquisition apparatus and multi-charged particle beam image acquisition method

According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes: a first sub-pixel interpolation processing circuitry configured to calculate a pixel value of a reference image corresponding to a position of each pixel of the inspection target image by performing an interpolation process using at least one pixel value of the reference image for each shift amount while variably and relatively shifting the inspection target image and the reference image by the unit of a sub-pixel using the reference image corresponding to the inspection target image; and an SSD calculation processing circuitry configured to calculate a sum of squared difference between each pixel value of the inspection target image and a corresponding pixel value of the reference image subjected to a filter process for the each shift amount.

An inspection method according to one aspect of the present disclosure, includes: acquiring a plurality of first acquisition images of a first die having a predetermined pattern; acquiring a plurality of second acquisition images of a second die having the predetermined pattern; acquiring a plurality of third acquisition images of a third die having the predetermined pattern; producing a first average image with the first acquisition images; producing a second average image with the second acquisition images: producing a third average image with the third acquisition images; producing a first comparative image with the first average image and the second average image; producing a second comparative image with the second average image and the third average image; producing a third comparative image with the first average image and the third average image; producing a reference image with the first acquisition images, the second acquisition images, and the third acquisition images; performing first comparison between the first comparative image and the reference image; performing second comparison between the second comparative image and the reference image; performing third comparison between the third comparative image and the reference image; determining, when a first defect is detected in the first comparison and the third comparison, that the first die has the first defect; determining, when a second defect is detected in the first comparison and the second comparison, that the second die has the second defect; and determining, when a third defect is detected in the second comparison and the third comparison, that the third die has the third defect.

Inspection method for detecting a die defect

Provided is an inspection method including: irradiating a sample to be inspected with illuminating light; acquiring a first image of the sample to be inspected, with an auto focuser using the illuminating light reflected from the sample to be inspected; storing autofocus function coordinates acquired with the auto focuser in the acquiring the first image; calculating a two-dimensional polynomial approximation of the autofocus function coordinates; and controlling focusing in acquiring a second image of the sample to be inspected, with the two-dimensional polynomial approximation.

Inspection method

In an inspection method, an inspection region of a sample is divided into a plurality of stripe regions, and is divided into a plurality of groups so that a plurality of continuously arranged stripe regions constitutes one group. An optical image of a graphic pattern arranged in a stripe region of one of the groups is acquired while moving a stage in a longitudinal direction of the stripe region. The stage is then moved in a lateral direction of the stripe region. An optical image of a graphic pattern arranged in a stripe region of a group different from one of the groups in which the optical image is acquired, and in a stripe region not continuous to the stripe region whose optical image is acquired immediately before the movement in the lateral direction, is acquired while moving the stage in the longitudinal direction of the stripe region.

A waterproof type switch includes: a waterproof sheet including a flat portion and a side wall portion disposed around the flat portion, an upper portion of the side wall portion coupled to an edge portion of the flat portion; a switch disposed below the flat portion; and an electronic component coupled to an upper surface of the flat portion, the electric component being used as a key top, wherein the waterproof sheet includes a rubber and a reinforcing plate including a first reinforcing plate disposed on the upper surface of the flat portion and coupled to the electric component.

Waterproof type switch and electronic device

A test packet generator of an entry device generates a delay test packet including priority information. A test packet transmitter of the entry device transmits the delay test packet to an exit device through a route corresponding to the priority information. A test packet receiver of the exit device receives the delay test packet. A reply packet transmitter of the exit device returns a reply-delay test packet toward the entry device through the same route in the counter direction. A reply packet receiver of the entry device receives the reply-delay test packet. A delay calculator of the entry device calculates a delay time on the basis of the time of transmitting the delay test packet and the time of receiving the reply-delay test packet. A route changer of the entry device changes routing appropriately on the basis of the delay time.

Network system, network apparatus, route change method, and program storage medium storing program thereof

In a method of processing a call in response to a connection request that includes reported bandwidths in both upstream and downstream directions, a communication node on the calling side (1) manages available bandwidths in upstream and downstream directions on a per-path basis; (2) searches for a path having upstream/downstream available bandwidths, which are greater than the upstream/downstream reported bandwidths; (3) if such a path can be found, accepts the call connection request as a call communicated in both directions on this path; (4) if such a path cannot be found, searches independently for a path having an available bandwidth greater than the upstream reported bandwidth and a path having an available bandwidth greater than the downstream reported bandwidth; and (5) if these two paths can be found, accepts the call connection request as a call communicated on the separate paths on a per-upstream- and downstream-direction basis.

Method of call processing at communication node

A network device with integrated topology discovery functions adapted to virtual local area networks (VLANs). VLAN segments are mapped on a network system formed from multiple network devices. One network device creates and broadcasts a query packet for topology discovery in each VLAN, in response to a command from a management console linked to that network device. At each receiving network device, a query packet receiver receives the query packet, and a reply packet is produced by a reply packet generator. A reply packet transmitter sends the produced reply packet back to the requesting network device. A query packet transmitter forwards the received query packet to neighboring subordinate network devices.

Network device with VLAN topology discovery functions

A pattern inspection apparatus determines a difference of the measured dislocation of respective alignment marks of an opaque pattern and a phase shifting pattern (measurement difference), in addition to a difference between the both alignment mark positions in design (design difference). A difference between the measurement difference and the design difference is set as a difference in alignment mark position between the opaque pattern and the phase shifting pattern in a reference pattern which is later used in inspection. In this manner, by correcting one pattern data with respect to the other pattern data in the reference pattern, the displacement generated in the both patterns can be reflected, and the reference pattern data regarding an image of a sample which is actually observed can be created.

Pattern inspection apparatus

A pattern data converting method comprises reconstructing the design data into column regions, segmenting the column region into apparatus strips, and extracting unit data of the design data for each apparatus strip, wherein reconstructing the design data includes defining an rectangular region start code and a rectangular region end code to the rectangle regions, collating the rectangular region start and end codes, dividing the rectangular regions at the Y coordinate of the other rectangular region, and subjecting the rectangular region start code and rectangular region end code having the same Y coordinates to the region operation.

Pattern data converting method and apparatus

A network monitoring system which alleviates workloads imposed on network devices being monitored, reduces network traffic, improves the quality of data transmission, and increases the efficiency of monitoring activities. The system comprises a connection set-up unit which establishes a point-to-multipoint connection between a network device to a plurality of monitoring stations. This point-to-multipoint connection passes through a broadcast unit that serves as a branching point of multiple connections. A status message transmission unit, disposed in the network device, transmits status messages over the point-to-multipoint connection when a status change is detected in the network device. The broadcast unit distributes these messages toward a plurality of monitoring stations in the system. Before reaching the destinations, the status messages are subjected to a status message format conversion unit so as to make their data format suitable for the recipient monitoring stations.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Kazuhiro Nakashima