Nippon Kogaku K.k.

Tatsumi Ishizeki

Kinya Kato

Masato Kumazawa

Takeshi Suto

Muneki Hamashima

Kou Sekiba

Hiroaki Iseya

Taro Ototake

Pattern detection and measurement comprises: first irradiation means for irradiating a workpiece with a first energy beam; detection means for receiving a second energy beam emitted from a portion of the workpiece irradiated by the first energy beam, thereby detecting a pattern in the irradiated portion; second irradiation means for irradiating the workpiece with a third energy beam; discrimination means for receiving a fourth energy beam emitted from a portion of the workpiece irradiated by the third energy beam, thereby discriminating whether the portion irradiated by the third energy beam is sensitive to the first energy beam; and control means for controlling, in response to the output of the discrimination means, the first energy beam in irradiating the sensitive portion, thereby preventing the damage of the sensitive portion by the first energy beam.

Pattern detecting apparatus utilizing energy beam

An apparatus for measuring dimensions of a micropattern has a photoelectric sensor for scanning an enlarged image of a pattern and detects the positions of the leading and trailing edges by use of a predetermined slice level from a photoelectric signal which is derived by this sensor, thereby detecting the interval between those edges. The slice level is corrected in accordance with the interval between the edges to be measured. An amount of correction is stored as a predetermined table. A determination is made by an interval discriminating section to see if the correction needs to be performed or not.

Apparatus for measuring dimensions of micropattern

A method and apparatus for the precision measurement of positions, dimensions, etc., of a pattern or mark formed on the surface of a flat object such as a photographic mask or reticle. The amount of vertical deviation of the object with respect to a reference plane is detected at each of a plurality of measuring points and the incline of the surface of the object with respect to the reference plane at each of the measuring points is determined in accordance with the amounts of deviation and the distance between the measuring points. The coordinate positions of each of the measuring points in the reference plane are measured in accordance with the amount of movement of the object parallel to the reference plane and the coordinate positions are corrected in accordance with the corresponding incline.

Method and apparatus for measuring positions on the surface of a flat

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Ohmiya, Japan

Tatsumi Ishizeki