Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Toshiei Kurosaki

Tsuneo Terasawa

Akihiro Takanashi

Yoshio Kawamura

Shinji Kuniyoshi

Sumio Hosaka

Seiji Isogai

Toshihiko Tanaka

Norio Hasegawa

Yuji Takagi

Shigeru Matsui

Takanori Ninomiya

Hiroshi Fukuda

Kenji Obara

Ryo Nakagaki

Tatsuo Harada

Yasuhiko Ozawa

Yoshitada Oshida

Shigeo Moriyama

Toshiaki Kita

Toshifumi Honda

Chie Shishido

Naomasa Suzuki

Keiji Kataoka

Seiji Yonezawa

Kenji Watanabe

Saburo Nonogaki

Shinji Okazaki

Taku Ninomiya

Atsushi Shimoda

Akira Inagaki

Yoshio Taniguchi

Soichi Katagiri

Isao Ochiai

Toshiro Kubo

Yasuhiro Ozawa

Toshiharu Matsuzawa

Masamoto Akeyama

Yoshihiko Aiba

Seiya Hashimoto

Yataro Kondo

Hideka Bamba

Based on a plurality of defects' position-coordinates and attribute detected by an inspecting apparatus, defects that are easily detectable by an observing apparatus are selected. With these selected defects employed as the indicator, the observing apparatus detects and observes the defects. Moreover, creating a coordinate transformation formula for representing a correlated relationship in the defects' position-coordinates between both the apparatuses, the observing apparatus transforms the defects' position-coordinates so as to observe the defects.

Method for inspecting defect and system therefor

According to the present invention, techniques including a method and apparatus for classifying and displaying images are provided. In an embodiment of the present invention a defect image classification method using inspected objects is provided. The method includes defect images obtained from at least one inspected object. Next a set of defect images is classified into a specified category, which has a feature. The defect images are arranged for display according to the feature and then displayed. The arranging of the defect images may also be based on an evaluation value for each defect image. Another embodiment provides a defect image classification method using inspected objects. Defect images are obtained from at least one inspected object. Next the defect images are classified into a plurality of categories and at least two information items for example, a defect distribution diagram showing locations of defects in the inspected object, information associated with a category of the plurality of categories, and a defect size distribution, are displayed.

Defect image classifying method and apparatus and a semiconductor device manufacturing process based on the method and apparatus

An electron microscope including an apparatus for x-ray analysis, is capable of performing elemental analysis with X-rays emitted from a specimen by electron beam irradiation, that is, inspection of foreign particles, for enhancement of yields in manufacturing, at high speed and with high precision and high space resolving power. The current quantity of the electron beam is automatically controlled such that an X-ray count rate falls within a range of 1000 to 2000 counts per second, a plurality of X-ray energy regions are set up when checking an X-ray spectrum against reference spectra stored in a database for analysis of the X-ray spectrum, matching is performed for each of the X-ray energy regions, and the distribution of the elements observed is analyzed on the basis of an intensity ratio between X-ray sample spectra obtained by electron beam irradiation at not less than two varied acceleration voltages.

Electron microscope including apparatus for X-ray analysis and method of analyzing specimens using same

The present invention improves inspection efficiency in detailed inspections of defects performed based on inspection information from a defect inspection. Particles and defects are detected by a defect inspection device . If the cause of the particles and defects are to be determined by performing a detailed inspection with a details inspection device using an SEM or the like, attributes are determined on the particles and defects detected by the defects inspection device before the detailed inspection is performed. The attributes are determined with an attribute inspection device using an optical microscope or the like. Based on these attributes, the defects and particles are separated into those that require detailed inspection and those that do not require detailed inspection or that cannot be inspected in detail. A details inspection device is used to inspect the particles and defects requiring detailed inspection.

Method and its apparatus for inspecting a specimen

The invention is a scanning electron microscope including a switching control unit for controlling to switch at least scanning unit to switch a digital image signal of a low magnification based on a wide image taking field of view to and from a digital image signal of a high magnification based on a narrow image taking field of view from an A/D conversion unit and a beam spot diameter control unit for controlling to switch a spot diameter of electron beam on a surface of an object substrate in controlling to switch the signals by the switching control unit and a defect portion analyzing method using the scanning electron microscope.

Scanning electron microscope having magnification switching control

In a scanning electron microscope, a couple of fiducial patterns which are so laid out on the X-Y stage as to be separated with a distance equivalent to the distance between the optical axis of the optical microscope and the optical axis of the electronic optical system, the image signals of these patterns are captured by the image processing circuit, the position shift of the optical axis of the optical microscope and the position shift of the optical axis of the electronic optical system with respect to the fiducial patterns are obtained by numerical calculation, and then, this position shift is used as an offset value in the actual measurement by the scanning electron microscope, which leads to an accurate positioning.

Charged particle beam apparatus

A method for detecting a period of a periodically varying signal and/or an inclination of a specimen utilizing an exposure apparatus wherein a coherent light is divided into first and second lights and the first light is irradiated onto the specimen at a predetermined angle, and a reflected light thereof and a reference light as the second light interfere with each other so as to form interference fringes, the interference fringes are detected, and the inclination of the specimen is detected from a pitch representing a period of the interference fringes. The method includes detecting a spectrum of a signal intensity obtained from the detected interference fringes or the periodically varying signal, subjecting the detected spectrum data to a fast complex Fourier transformation, calculating a true spectrum peak position j.sub.R in accordance with a relationship j.sub.R =j.sub.0 +.DELTA., where j.sub.0 is a detected spectrum peak position and .DELTA. is a correcting value estimated from the Fourier transformed spectrum data adjacent to j.sub.0, and calculating the pitch P of the period of the signal intensity information in accordance with a relationship P=N/j.sub.R, where N is the number of sample data points for the complex Fourier transformation. Further, the method includes calculating the inclination of the specimen from the pitch P.

Method of detecting inclination of a specimen and a projection exposure

A projection type exposure apparatus and method comprising an exposure illumination light source, an exposure illumination system, a mask or reticle on which an original pattern to be projected on the exposed matter is drawn, an optical projection system, a stage for retaining the exposed matter and a mechanism for finely moving the stage along the exposure optical axis. The apparatus is provided with an exposure detection pattern area on the mask, detection illumination means for projecting on the exposure detection pattern area a light ray which is the same or almost the same in wavelength as exposure light having a desired directivity, exposure detection means for detecting the transmitted or reflected light diffracted by 1 degree after the light carrying the image formed on the exposed matter by the light passed through the above-noted optical projection system after projection by the detection illumination means onto the exposure pattern and then diffracted goes in reverse through the above-noted optical projection system and forms an image again on the exposure pattern on the above-noted mask and a control circuit for driving and controlling the above-noted fine movement mechanism by using the signal obtained by the exposure detection means.

Projection type exposure method and apparatus

A method of and an apparatus for detecting a defect on a phase-shifting mask for use in a projection aligner in which either or both of respective intensities of transmitted and reflected light beams from the mask illuminated with light are used for detecting a defect on the mask.

Method of and apparatus for detecting defect on photomask

A plane grating, particularly for a monochronomator, is provided with varied-spaced straight and parallel grooves in a light beam path to compensate for other light affecting components, for example a spherical mirror used for collimating or focusing the light beam. The angle of incidence with respect to the light for each of the grooves may vary and the angle of diffraction with respect to the light for each groove may be required to vary with the imperfection of collimation and focusing of the beam. The grooves are varied in their spacing to compensate for the variation of both incidence and diffraction direction.

Monochromator

An area on a photoresist film which is formed on a substrate surface having a topography, is exposed a plurality of times in such a manner that the image plane of a mask pattern is formed at a plurality of positions which are spaced apart from a reference plane in the substrate in the direction of an optical axis, and then the photoresist film is developed to form a resist pattern. According to the above method, the effective focal depth of the projection aligner used is enhanced, and moreover the reduction of the image contrast at the photoresist film is very small by the plural exposure operations. Accordingly, a fine pattern can be formed accurately on the substrate surface having the topography.

Method of forming pattern and projection aligner for carrying out the

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Hitachinaka, Japan

Toshiei Kurosaki