Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Osamu Nasu

Hideyuki Kazumi

Yoichi Ose

Hiroki Kawada

Minoru Yamazaki

Akira Ikegami

Tatsuya Maeda

Katsuhiko Sakai

Muneyuki Fukuda

Tadashi Otaka

Makoto Ezumi

Osamu Komuro

Mitsuji Ikeda

Fumihiro Sasajima

Ritsuo Fukaya

Hiromasa Yamanashi

Yasunari Sohda

Zhaohui Cheng

Kei Sakai

Atsuko Yamaguchi

Takeyoshi Ohashi

Sayaka Tanimoto

Takashi Furukawa

Tatsuaki Ishijima

Tasuku Yano

Yasunari Souda

Akemi Kono

Takuji Miyamoto

The present invention has an object to perform specimen charge measurement or focusing at a high speed and with high precision also for a specimen in which fixed charge and induced charge may be mixedly present. As one mode to achieve the object, there are proposed a specimen potential measuring method and a device to implement the method characterized in that when specimen potential information obtained by a first specimen potential measuring device disposed outside a specimen chamber or specimen potential information beforehand obtained is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value or is more than the threshold value, measurement of specimen potential is selectively conducted by use of a second specimen potential measuring device in the specimen chamber.

Specimen potential measuring method, and charged particle beam device

In order that a displacement between patterns of different heights, formed on a sample in a plurality of different pattern-forming steps, can be measured at fixed throughput and with high accuracy, correspondence between parameters of lenses and beam deflector of an electron optical system and an angle of incidence of a beam upon the sample is recorded as data, then a correction value for the amount of displacement or edge positions is calculated, and a true amount of displacement is calculated from the correction value and an image under observation.

Method and apparatus for measuring displacement between patterns and scanning electron microscope installing unit for measuring displacement between patterns

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for measuring a potential on a surface of a sample using a charged particle beam while restraining a change in the potential on the sample induced by the charged particle beam application, or detecting a compensation value for a change in a condition for the apparatus caused by the sample being electrically charged. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for applying a voltage to a sample so that a charged particle beam does not reach the sample (hereinafter, this may be referred to as 'mirror state') in a state in which the charged particle beam is applied toward the sample, and detecting information relating to a potential on the sample using signals obtained by that voltage application.

Method for detecting information of an electric potential on a sample and charged particle beam apparatus

Method for detecting information of an electronic potential on a sample and charged particle beam apparatus

A charged particle beam system wherein the output of the secondary electron detector is detected while the retarding voltage is varied between the values for which the secondary electrons do not reach the sample and the values for which the secondary electrons reach the sample, and the surface potential of the sample is determined on the basis of the relationship between the retarding voltage and the detected output of the secondary electron detector.

Charged particle beam system

Provided are a method for adjusting the optical axis of a charged particle beam and a device therefor, wherein an artificial criterion is quantified, and whether or not the adjustment of the axis of a charged particle beam is necessary is judged on the basis of the quantified criterion. In the method for adjusting the optical axis and the device therefor, the conditions for adjusting an optical element for adjusting a charged particle beam are changed; a plurality of images are captured under the changed conditions; images the qualities of which are allowed or images the qualities of which are not allowed are selected from the captured images; a first image quality evaluation value is obtained on the basis of the selected images; the obtained first image quality evaluation value is compared with a second image quality evaluation value obtained from images obtained by scanning an object using the charged particle beam; and the optical axis is adjusted when the second image quality evaluation value is equal to or below the first image quality evaluation value.

Method for adjusting optical axis of charged particle radiation and charged particle radiation device

In a method and apparatus for measuring a potential on a surface of a sample using a charged particle beam while restraining a change in the potential on the sample induced by the charged particle beam application, or detecting a compensation value for a change in a condition for the apparatus caused by the sample being electrically charged, a voltage is applied to a sample such that a charged particle beam does not reach the sample (referred to as 'mirror state') when the charged particle beam is applied toward the sample. Information is detected, relating to a potential on the sample using signals obtained by the voltage application.

Information indicating the reason for a failure of template matching is provided. Difference information between a first image, which is referred to as a template, and a third image that is selected by the operator from a second image and that is larger than the template is displayed.

Image processing apparatus for analysis of pattern matching failure

The present invention suppresses decreases in the volumes of the patterns which have been formed on the surfaces of semiconductor samples or of the like, or performs accurate length measurements, irrespective of such decreases. In an electrically charged particle ray apparatus by which the line widths and other length data of the patterns formed on samples are to be measured by scanning the surface of each sample with electrically charged particle rays and detecting the secondary electrons released from the sample, the scanning line interval of said electrically charged particle rays is set so as not to exceed the irradiation density dictated by the physical characteristics of the sample. Or measured length data is calculated from prestored approximation functions.

Sample dimension measuring method and scanning electron microscope

Potentials at a plurality of points on a diameter of a semiconductor waferare measured actually. Then, a potential distribution on the diameter is obtained by spline interpolation of potentials between the actually-measured points adjacent in the diameter direction. Thereafter, a two-dimensional interpolation function regarding a potential distribution in the semiconductor waferis obtained by spline interpolation of potentials between points adjacent in the circumferential direction around the center of the semiconductor wafer. Then, a potential at a observation point on the semiconductor waferis obtained by substituting the coordinate value of this observation point into the two-dimensional interpolation function. As a result, a potential distribution due to electrification of the wafer can be estimated accurately, and the retarding potential can be set to a suitable value.

Charged particle beam apparatus and control method therefor

Electrification affected on a surface of a sample which is caused by irradiation of a primary charged particle beam is prevented when plural frames are integrated to obtain an image of a predetermined area of the sample in a charged particle beam apparatus. The predetermined area of the sample is scanned with a primary electron beam from an electron gun, and plural frames are generated and integrated while detecting generated secondary electrons with a detector to obtain the image of the predetermined area. If it is determined by a detection signal of the detector that an electrification amount at the predetermined area becomes a specified value when generating plural frames, an electricity removal voltage is applied to a boosting electrode to remove or reduce the electrification, prior to generation of the next frame. Accordingly, the signal-to-noise ratio of the image obtained by integrating plural frames can be improved.

Charged particle beam apparatus

Method for measuring dimensions of sample and scanning electron microscope

When a charged beam is irradiated on a sample, charge up of electric charge of the same polarity as that of the charged beam is built up on the sample surface. In order to neutralize the charge up electric charge, an apparatus for suppressing electrification of sample in charged beam irradiation apparatus is provided in which electric charge of opposite polarity to that of the charged beam is generated near the sample surface to neutralize the charged beam or charge up electric charge on the sample surface. The electric charge for neutralization is generated by admitting electric charge from a plasma generation unit to the vicinity of the sample surface ionizing gas generated from the sample surface by causing the charged beam to collide the gas or by irradiating electrons from an electron source on the sample surface. Especially when there is a possibility that impurities other than the electric charge for neutralization affect the sample adversely, an impurity generation source is blind folded with a cover so as not to be seen through from the sample and charged beam so that the impurities may be prevented from impinging upon the sample surface or intersecting the charged beam path.

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Hitachinaka, Japan

Osamu Nasu