Hitachi High-tech Corporation

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Tomohiko Ogata

Masaki Hasegawa

Noriyuki Kaneoka

Katsunori Onuki

Hisaya Murakoshi

Hironori Ogawa

Minoru Sasaki

Akira Doi

Yuko Okada

Kentaro Ohira

In an electron beam device provided with two columns including an irradiation optical system and an imaging optical system, a photoelectron image for use in adjusting the irradiation optical system is made sharper. The electron beam device includes: an irradiation optical system which irradiates a sample placed on a stage with an electron beam; a light irradiation unitwhich irradiates the sample with light containing ultraviolet rays; a sample voltage control unitwhich applies a negative voltage to the sample so that, before the electron beam reaches the sample, the electron orbit inverts; and an imaging optical system which acquires a mirror electron image by forming an image of mirror electrons reflected by application of the negative voltage. In the electron beam device, the imaging optical system includes a sensorwhich obtains a mirror electron image and a stray light suppression partwhich is provided between the sensor and the stageand which suppresses reaching the sensor of the light emitted from the light irradiation unit.

Electron beam device

The present disclosure provides a wafer inspection technology that involves less degradation of the image quality even when an object to be observed has a variation in height due to warpage, etc. of a wafer. This wafer inspection apparatus obtains an image with less degradation by: adjusting the focal point of an observation optical system to a height measured by a height sensor for measuring wafer surface heights; and further, correcting a switching signal for a CCD line sensor on the basis of stage position data and optical magnification data corresponding to the height so as to make a correction corresponding to the wafer surface height.

Wafer inspection apparatus and wafer inspection method

It is necessary to guarantee performance by quantitatively evaluating the defect detection sensitivity of an inspection device for using the mirror electron image to detect defect in a semiconductor substrate. The size and position of accidentally formed defects are random, however, and this type of quantitative evaluation has been difficult. This semiconductor substratefor evaluation is for evaluating the defect detection sensitivity of an inspection device and comprises a plurality of first indentationsthat are formed through the pressing, with a first pressing load, of an indenter having a prescribed hardness and shape into the semiconductor substrate for evaluation. Further, a mirror electron image of the plurality of first indentations of the semiconductor substrate for evaluation is acquired, and the defect detection sensitivity of an inspection device is evaluated through the calculation of the defect detection rate of the plurality of first indentations in the acquired mirror electron image.

Semiconductor substrate for evaluation and method using same to evaluate defect detection sensitivity of inspection device

In order to optimize defect contrast in a charged particle beam device that inverts charged particles directly above a sample and observes the electrons, this charged particle beam device is provided with a charged particle source, an electron gun control device which applies a first voltage to the charged particle source, a substrate voltage control device which applies a second voltage to a sample, an image forming optical system which includes an imaging lens for imaging charged particles incident from the direction of the sample, a detector which includes a camera for detecting the charged particles, and an image processing device which processes the detected signal, wherein the imaging optical system is configured so as not to image secondary electrons emitted from the sample, but forms an image with mirror electrons bounced back by the electric field formed on the sample by means of the potential difference between the first and the second voltages. The image processing device generates a control signal for controlling the potential difference on the basis of the acquired signal, and optimizes defect contrast by controlling the reflection surface of the mirror electrons.

Charged particle beam device

A defect inspection device includes a sample support member, a negative voltage, an imaging element, an ultraviolet light source, a movement stage, and a control device. The control device controls the movement stage such that a portion of a linear part included in the image or a location on an extensional line of the linear part is positioned at a specific location in an irradiated region of the electron beam. The control device also repeats the control of the movement stage until an end of the linear part is positioned within the irradiated region of the electron beam.

Defect inspection method and defect inspection device

A purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam apparatus that performs apparatus adjustment based on a proper evaluation of a beam. To achieve the abovementioned purpose, with the present invention, proposed is a charged particle beam apparatus comprising: an irradiation optical system including a lens for converging charged particle beams emitted from a charged particle source; and an imaging optical system for imaging the charged particles obtained by irradiating the charged particle beams toward a sample on an imaging element, wherein the charged particle beam apparatus comprises a control apparatus for controlling the lens, and the control apparatus evaluates for each lens condition the size of a specific brightness area obtained by the charged particle beam being made to reach the sample, and selects the lens condition for which the size information fulfills a designated condition.

Charged particle beam apparatus, and method of adjusting charged particle beam apparatus

The objective of the present invention is to propose a charged particle beam device with which an imaging optical system and an irradiation optical system can be adjusted with high precision. In order to achieve this objective, provided is a charged particle beam device comprising: a first charged particle column which serves as an irradiation optical signal; a deflector that deflects charged particles which have passed through the inside of the first charged particle column toward an object; and a second charged particle column which serves as an imaging optical system. The charged particle beam device is provided with: a light source that emits light toward the object; and a control device that obtains, on the basis of detection charged particles generated according to irradiation of light emitted from the light source, a plurality of deflection signals which maintain a certain deflection state, and that selects or calculates, from the plurality of deflection signals or from relationship information produced from the plurality of deflection signals, a deflection signal that satisfies a predetermined condition.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tomohiko Ogata