Sii Nanotechnology Inc.

Seiko Instruments Inc

Other

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Hitachi High-tech Science Corporation

Shigeru Wakiyama

Masatoshi Yasutake

Naohiko Fujino

Osamu Takaoka

Isamu Karino

Naoya Watanabe

Masashi Ohmori

Kazutoshi Watanabe

Hiroyoshi Yamamoto

Hiroshi Bando

Itaru Kitajima

Fumiki Sakai

Masafumi Watanabe

Masatsugu Shigeno

Akira Inoue

Yoshiteru Shikakura

Hiroshi Murakami

Hiroshi Tokumoto

Kenichi Akamatsu

Wataru Mizutani

Chikara Miyata

Takashi Wakatsuki

Masahi Ohmori

A device for calculating a position of an actuator, the actuator including a movement mechanism configured to move in one direction in proportion to a control signal generated for each minimum movement amount &#x394;M and a movement amount detection sensor configured to detect a movement amount of the movement mechanism in a minimum resolution &#x394;S, where A=&#x394;S/&#x394;M&#x2267;2, and the device includes a position calculation unit configured to calculating a position SA of the movement mechanism at a target position from the control signal at a time point T1, at which the sensor signal becomes (S0+m&#xd7;&#x394;S) or (S0&#x2212;m&#xd7;&#x394;S), where m is a natural number of 1 or more, the control signal at the target position of the movement mechanism is denoted by M0, and the sensor signal is denoted by S0.

Actuator position calculation device, actuator position calculation method, and actuator position calculation program

Provided is an aligning method capable of setting a sample observation unit such as an optical microscope to a probe microscope observation position at high precision. A sample having a known structure is used in advance. A surface of the sample and a shape of a cantilever provided with a probe are observed using the sample observation unit such as the optical microscope. A sample observation position and a probe position which are obtained using the sample observation unit are verified, and a relative positional relationship therebetween is recorded. Then, a first mark indicating a position of the cantilever and a second mark which is displayed in conjunction with the first mark and has the relative positional relationship with the first mark are produced to align the sample relative to the second mark.

Probe aligning method for probe microscope and probe microscope operated by the same

Provided are a structure of an apparatus for analysis, inspection, and measurement in which a support structure supporting a detection unit is resistant to disturbance, suppresses a reduction in resolution during large-sample measurement, and has high rigidity, and a probe microscope using the apparatus structure. The apparatus structure supporting the detection unit which is opposed to a sample which is located on a unit movable in at least one axis direction and is an object to be analyzed has an arch shape. In the apparatus structure having the arch shape and supporting the detection unit, a surface substantially perpendicular to a flat surface portion of a sample holder located immediately under the apparatus structure is formed. The detection unit is supported on the perpendicular surface. The arch-shaped apparatus structure is a curved structure consistent with a catenary curve.

Apparatus structure and scanning probe microscope including apparatus structure

A processing probe for repairing a defective portion in a sample has a cantilever and a probe separate and independent from the cantilever and integrally connected to an end portion of the cantilever for scratch-processing a defective portion of a sample. The cantilever and the probe are conductive for preventing the generation of electrostatic charges by friction of the probe against the sample during scratch-processing of the defective portion of the sample.

Processing probe

A scanning probe microscope has a probe tip for undergoing a scanning operation to scan a sample surface in X- and Y-directions parallel to the sample surface and for undergoing movement in a Z-direction vertical to the sample surface. A vibration unit vibrates the probe tip at a vibration frequency that resonates with of forcedly vibrates the probe tip. An observation unit collects observational data from the sample surface when the probe tip is in proximity or contact with the sample surface. A detection unit detects a variation in the state of vibration of the probe tip when the probe tip is in proximity or contact with the sample surface during a scanning operation. A control controls scanning of the probe tip in the X- and Y-directions and movement of the probe tip in the Z-direction, and controls scanning of the probe tip in a direction parallel to the sample surface after the observational data is collected from the sample surface and until the probe tip reached a next observation position in the X- and Y-direction. During a scanning operation, the control unit controls the probe tip to move in the Z-direction away from the sample surface only when the detection unit detects a variation in the state of vibration of the probe tip.

Scanning probe microscope and scanning method

An indentation is formed by thrusting a probe of a scanning probe microscope for processing, which has a vertical surface or a vertical ridge and is harder than sample material, into sample for measuring the indentation. A high-fidelity AFM observation is performed on the shape of the formed indentation with a thin probe with high aspect ratio, the direction of the vertical surface or the vertical ridge is inspected, and the angle error &#x3b8; is stored. By rotating a sample stage by an angle corresponding to the measured mounting angle error &#x3b8; of the probe, the mounting angle error of the probe is corrected in advance.

Method of processing vertical cross-section using atomic force microscope

A processing method uses a probe of a scanning probe microscope. A fine marker is formed in a processing material by thrusting the probe, which is made of a material harder than the processing material, into a portion of the processing material disposed in the vicinity of an area of the processing material to be processed by the probe during a processing operation. A position of the fine marker on the processing material is detected during the processing operation. A drift amount of the area of the processing material is calculated in accordance with the detected position of the fine marker. A position of the area of the processing material is corrected in accordance with the calculated drift amount.

Processing method using probe of scanning probe microscope

The kind of a particle is determined by pressing a hard atomic force microscope stylus having a spring constant equal to or larger than 300 N/m onto a particle to be removed and detecting bending quantity relative to a press force and a kind of a stylus used for removing the particle is changed in accordance with the kind of the particle.

Method of removing particle of photomask using atomic force microscope

It is so adapted that a sample is mounted on three-dimensional stages through a sample holder and a beam light emitted from a beam light oscillator is applied to a sample surface through a polarizing element different from polarization of the beam light or directly. An image of a foreign-matter on the sample surface scattered by the beam light is displayed on a monitor through a polarizing element different from the beam light, through a CCD camera mounted on an optical microscope. As a method of bringing the beam light until it is applied to the sample surface, there are a method of using an optical fiber for the beam light and a method of using an optical part such as a mirror.

Surface analyzing apparatus

Method and apparatus for analyzing minute foreign substance, and process for semiconductor elements or liquid crystal elements by use thereof

A system capable of detecting the presence and location of foreign matter on a sample includes a beam light applying system for projecting a beam of light onto a sample surface, an optical microscope for receiving light reflected from the sample surface in response to application of the beam light and for confirming the existence and location of foreign matter on the sample surface by observing scattering of the applied beam light by the foreign matter, and a polarizing element for polarizing light in such a manner that light scattered by a regular pattern on the sample is reduced by the polarization and light scattered by foreign matter on the sample is not reduced by the polarization. The system may be combined with a probe microscope for detecting a characteristic of the sample by monitoring an affect on a probe caused by the sample surface.

To enable observation, analysis and evaluation of minute foreign substances by adopting a method for enabling performance of linkage between equipment coordinates of a particle examination equipment and apparatus coordinates of an analyzing apparatus such as SEM which is not a particle examination equipment with a precision higher than that with which coordinate linkage is performed between conventional equipment and apparatus coordinates. An analyzing method for analyzing minute foreign substances comprises the steps of determining the position of a minute foreign substance on the surface of a sample in a particle examination equipment, transferring the sample to a coordinate stage of an analyzing apparatus and inputting the position of the minute foreign substance determined by the particle examination equipment to thereby analyze the contents of this minute foreign substance. It is characterized by linking the equipment coordinates adopted by the particle examination equipment with the apparatus coordinates adopted by the analyzing apparatus by use of the same coordinate system based on the configurations of the sample.

Analyzing method and apparatus for minute foreign substances, and manufacturing methods for manufacturing semiconductor device and liquid crystal display device using the same

A probe microscope carries a so-called active anti-vibration table in which a vibration to a anti-vibration table plate by a floor vibration is detected by a shift meter, an acceleration sensor or the like, and a vibration having an opposite phase to that of this vibration is given to the anti-vibration table plate, thereby reducing an external vibration component from the floor vibration also in the apparatus installation site having frequencies from a low frequency component to a high frequency component.

Surface analyzing apparatus with anti-vibration table

To provide a minute foreign matter analysis method and device wherein the observation, analysis and estimation of minute foreign matter is permitted by linking the device coordinate of a particle inspection device and those of other analysis devices with by far higher accuracy. A minute foreign matter analysis method comprising the steps of: determining the position of a minute foreign substance on the surface of a sample in a particle test unit; transferring said sample onto a coordinate stage of an analysis unit; inputting the position determined by said particle test unit for the minute foreign substance to the coordinate stage of the analysis unit; and analyzing the contents of the relevant minute foreign substance wherein at least one of the unit coordinate to be employed in said particle test unit and the unit coordinate to be employed in said analysis unit is previously corrected using a standard wafer which has a scale on the surface so that coordination systems of said particle test unit and said analysis unit can be linked each other.

Method for analyzing minute foreign substance elements

To enable observation, analysis and evaluation of minute foreign substances by adopting a method for enabling performance of linkage between equipment coordinates of a particle examination equipment and apparatus coordinates of an analyzing apparatus such as SEM which is not a particle examination equipment with a precision higher than that with which coordinate linkage is performed between conventional equipment and apparatus coordinates. An analyzing method for analyzing minute foreign substances includes the steps of determining the position of a minute foreign substance on the surface of a sample in a particle examination equipment, transferring the sample to a coordinate stage of an analyzing apparatus and inputting the position of the minute foreign substance determined by the particle examination equipment to thereby analyze the contents of this minute foreign substance. It is characterized by linking the equipment coordinates adopted by the particle examination equipment with the apparatus coordinates adopted by the analyzing apparatus by use of the same coordinate system based on the configurations of the sample.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Shigeru Wakiyama