Adv Antest Corporation

Masayuki Kuribara

Akira Goishi

Koshi Ueda

Jun Matsumoto

Masahiro Seyama

Toshihiko Hara

Kazuhiro Arakawa

An electron-beam dimension measuring apparatus includes: electron-beam irradiating means for irradiating a surface of a sample with an electron beam; a stage on which the sample is placed; a photoelectron generating electrode disposed so as to face the sample; ultraviolet light irradiating means for emitting ultraviolet light; and control means for causing the ultraviolet light irradiating means to irradiate the sample and the photoelectron generating electrode with the ultraviolet light for a predetermined length of time, to cause the sample and the photoelectron generating electrode to emit photoelectrons, for applying a voltage to the photoelectron generating electrode, the voltage applied to supply energy corresponding to a difference between energy of photoelectrons emitted by the sample and energy of photoelectrons emitted by the photoelectron generating electrode, and thereby for controlling an electric potential of the surface of the sample to set the electric potential at 0 V. The control means measures the dimension of the sample after keeping the electric potential constant on the surface of the sample.

Electron-beam dimension measuring apparatus and electron-beam dimension measuring method

A line-width measurement adjusting method, which is used when first and second electron beam intensity distributions for measuring a line width are produced from intensity distribution images of secondary electrons obtained respectively by scanning a first irradiation distance with an electron beam at first magnification, and by scanning a second irradiation distance with an electron beam at second magnification, includes the step of adjusting the second electron beam intensity distribution of the electron beam at the second magnification such that the second electron beam intensity distribution is equal to the first electron beam intensity distribution of the electron beam at first magnification. The second electron beam intensity distribution may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a second irradiation distance when producing the electron beam intensity distribution.

Line-width measurement adjusting method and scanning electron microscope

An electron-beam size measuring apparatus includes: electron beam irradiating means that irradiates an electron beam on a surface of a sample; detection means that detects electrons emitted from the sample; distance measurement means that measures the distance between the sample and a secondary electron control electrode of the detection means; a stage on which the sample is mounted; and control means which adjusts the height of the stage so that the distance measured by the distance measurement means would be equal to a predetermined fixed distance, which applies a control voltage to the secondary electron control electrode of the detection means, the control voltage predetermined so as to allow the sample surface potential to become constant with the sample positioned at the fixed distance, and which causes the electron beam to be irradiated by applying a predetermined accelerating voltage. The stage may include holding means that does not electrically connect the sample thereto, and moving means that moves the sample up and down.

Electron-beam size measuring apparatus and size measuring method with electron beams

There is provided a sample observing apparatus for observing the surface of a sample by irradiating an electron beam thereto, having an electron gun for irradiating the electron beam to the surface of the sample, a potential control section for adjusting electric potential of the surface of the sample to potential set in advance by applying voltage determined based on an amount of electric charge on the surface of the sample to the sample, an electron detecting section for detecting electrons produced when the electron beam is irradiated to the surface of the sample and an appearance acquiring section for acquiring the appearance of surface of the sample per each spot on the surface based on the electrons detected by the electron detecting section.

Sample observing apparatus and sample observing method

An electron beam tester, recording medium and a signal data detecting method capable of detecting whether or not the signal at a predetermined position of an electric component contains a jitter. The electron beam tester includes: a drive circuit which supplies a signal to the electric component; an electron gun which causes to emanate a secondary electron from the electric component by irradiating the electron beam to the electric component; a detector which detects an amount of the secondary electron emanated from the electric component; a first variation detecting unit which detects first variation data indicative of a magnitude of a variation amount of the secondary electron, with a voltage of the secondary electron being constant; a second variation detecting unit which detects second variation data, with a voltage fluctuation of the signal being indeterminate; and a voltage fluctuating data detecting unit which detects voltage fluctuating data indicative of a magnitude of voltage fluctuation when the voltage fluctuation of the signal is indeterminate.

Electron beam tester, recording medium therefor and signal data detecting method

An electric beam tester tests an electric component with a signal generating apparatus which provides a signal to the electric component. An electric gun scans an electric beam on the electric component. The electric component is provided with the signal by the signal generating apparatus. A detector detects secondary electrons radiated from the electric component by irradiating the electric beam on the electric component. An image generating element generates a scanned image that shows a change of electric potential in the electric component with time using the secondary electrons detected by the detector. A selecting element selects a part of an image of the scanned image by selecting a time range in the scanned image. A correcting element corrects the scanned image using the part of The image selected by the selecting element.

Electric beam tester and image processing apparatus

A stop pattern setting part 203 is provided which permits setting therein a plurality of patterns for stopping the test pattern updating operation of a test pattern generator 210, and upon each generation of the test patterns set in the stop pattern setting part 203, the test pattern generator 210 is stopped from the pattern updating operation. Each time the test pattern stops, a stop signal is applied to an electron beam probe system 300, causing it to start an image data acquiring operation. Upon completion of the image data acquisition, a write completion signal generating part 308 generates a write completion signal, which is applied to the test pattern generator 210 to cause it to resume the pattern updating operation. By applying different test patterns to a device under test alternately with each other and displaying image data of the difference between resulting pieces of image data, a potential contrast image can be improved.

IC analysis system and electron beam probe system and fault isolation

An IC test system analyzes a defective part in the inside of an IC chip. The IC test system irradiates an ion beam on the surface of the IC under test and displays a potential contrast image of wiring conductors under the surface of the IC device. The IC test system has improved operability and image quality as well as a capability of specifying a defective part of the IC under test. A stop pattern setting part is provided for setting a plurality of patterns to suspend a renewal operation of pattern generation in a test pattern generator. Whenever this stop pattern occurs, a pattern renewal action of the test pattern generator is stopped and repeatedly generates the stop pattern while an ion beam tester acquires image data. When the acquisition of the image data completes, the test pattern generator resumes the pattern renewal action. Different test patterns are alternatively applied to the IC under test and the resulting image data is either added or subtracted to improve an image quality. By further controlling on and off of a power source to the IC under test, the potential contrast image can be obtained with further certainty.

IC tester joined with ion beam tester and the detection method of the

A stop pattern setting part 203 is provided which permits setting therein a plurality of patterns for stopping the test pattern updating operation of a test pattern generator 210, and upon each generation of the test patters set in the stop pattern setting part 203, the test pattern generator 210 is stopped from the pattern updating operation. Each time the test pattern stops, a stop signal is applied to an electron beam probe system 300, causing it to start an image data acquiring operation. Upon completion of the image data acquisition, a write completion signal generating part 308 generates a write completion signal, which is applied to the test pattern generator 210 to cause it to resume the pattern updating operation. By applying different test patterns to a device under test alternately with each other and displaying image data of the difference between resulting pieces of image data, a potential contrast image can be improved.

IC Analysis system and electron beam probe system and fault isolation

A stop pattern setting part 203 is provided which permits setting therein a plurality of patterns for stopping the test pattern updating operation of a test pattern generator 210, and upon each generation of the test patterns set in the stop pattern setting part 203, the test pattern generator 210 is stopped from the pattern updating operation. Each time the test pattern stops, a stop signal is applied to an electron beam probe system 300, causing it to start an image data acquiring operation. Upon completion of the image data acquisition, a write completion signal generating part 308 generates a write completion signal, which is applied to the test pattern generator 210 to cause it to resume the pa-tern updating operation. By applying different test patterns to a device under test alternately with each other and displaying image data of the difference between resulting pieces of image data, a potential contrast image can be improved.

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Tokyo, Japan

Masayuki Kuribara