Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Toshiro Kubo

Naomasa Suzuki

Hideo Todokoro

Mitsugu Sato

Yoichi Ose

Noriaki Arai

Toshifumi Honda

Kenji Obara

Mikio Ichihashi

Toshiei Kurosaki

Yuji Sato

Isao Ochiai

Toshiyuki Ohashi

To acquire defect images even when a defect exists below an optically transparent film, an electron optical system of an electron microscope is set to a first imaging condition. A defect position of a specimen is set so as to fall within the visual field of the electron microscope, using position data of a defect of the specimen. The position of the defect is imaged by the electron microscope set to the first imaging condition to obtain a first image corresponding to the defect position. The first image is processed to determine whether a defect exists. The electron optical system is then set to a second imaging condition on the basis of the result of determination. A point imaged under the first imaging condition is imaged by the electron microscope set to the second imaging condition to acquire a second image corresponding to a defect position.

Method and apparatus for collecting defect images

Image observation at high resolution is realized and irregularity information of a sample is obtained. The reflected electronsemitted in a direction at a small angle with the surface of the sampleare detected by the detectorsandarranged on the side of the electron sourceof the magnetic field leakage type object lensand a sample image is formed. Irregularity information of the sample is obtained from the effects of light and shade appearing in the sample image.

Scanning electron microscope

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

An electron lens comprising a first exciting coil, a second exciting coil, a casing for encompassing the first and second exciting coils, and an excitation control apparatus for controlling the excitation state of at least the first exciting coil independently of the second exciting coil. The excitation control apparatus independently controls currents applied to the first and second exciting coils, respectively. At this time, exothermy of each coil can be kept constant and thermal deformation of the casing can be prevented by keeping the sum of the absolute values of the currents applied to the coils.

Electron lens

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Hitachinaka, Japan

Toshiro Kubo