Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Tsunehiro Sakai

Tomohiro Funakoshi

Katsuhiko Ichinose

Junko Konishi

Yutaka Tandai

Tamao Ishikawa

Yuji Takagi

Takehiro Hirai

Takuma Yamamoto

Yuichi Hamamura

Seiji Isogai

Kazuhisa Hasumi

Koichi Hayakawa

Tomohiro Tamori

Kazunori Nemoto

Ayumi Doi

Fumiaki Endo

Yuya Isomae

Shigeki Kurihara

A sample observation device of the invention includes: a charged particle optical column for irradiating a sample with charged particle beams at a first acceleration voltage, the sample having a target part to be observed which is a concave part; an image acquisition part for acquiring an image including the target part to be observed on the basis of signals obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beams; a memory part for memorizing in advance, at each of a plurality of acceleration voltages, information indicating a relationship between a brightness ratio of a concave part to a periphery part of the concave part in a standard sample and a value indicating a structure of the concave part in the standard sample; and an operation part for obtaining a brightness ratio of the concave part to a periphery part of the concave part in the image. The operation part judges appropriateness/inappropriateness of the first acceleration voltage with the use of the information indicating the relationship and the brightness ratio in the image.

Sample observation device having a selectable acceleration voltage

A defect image processing apparatus uses a normalized cross correlation to image-match a layout image () acquired from a design data with an image acquired by removing, from a defect image (), the defect area portions thereof, and displays, as a result of that matching, a layout image and defect image () on the display device. In the displayed layout image & defect image (), not only the layout image, the layer of which is the same as that of the defect image (), but also a layout image of another layer is displayed superimposed on the defect image (). This makes it easier to analyze the factor of a systematic defect having occurred due to a positional relationship with another layer.

Defect image processing apparatus, defect image processing method, semiconductor defect classifying apparatus, and semiconductor defect classifying method

The objective is to improve a classification standard. Classification standard data, in which is registered image data information that is the standard when image data is classified, and classification data, in which is registered image data information that is the result when newly input image data is classified using the classification standard data, are stored in a storage unit. An image classification device is characterized in that when any image data information of the image data that is registered in the classification data is selected by means of an input unit, and an instruction to additionally register the selected image data information in the classification standard data is input by means of the input unit, the selected image data information is additionally registered in the classification standard data.

Image classification standard update method, program, and image classification device

A defect is efficiently and effectively classified by accurately determining the state of overlap between a design layout pattern and the defect. This leads to simple identification of a systematic defect. A defective image obtained through defect inspection or review of a semiconductor device is automatically pattern-matched with design layout data. A defect is superimposed on a design layout pattern for at least one layer of a target layer, a layer immediately above the target layer, and a layer immediately below the target layer. The state of overlap of the defect is determined as within the pattern, over the pattern, or outside the pattern, and the defect is automatically classified.

Semiconductor defect classifying method, semiconductor defect classifying apparatus, and semiconductor defect classifying program

Provided is an observation condition determination support device which can improve the defect classification accuracy. The observation condition determination support device includes: a means () for acquiring a plurality of defects images which have captured the same defect under a plurality of observation conditions set in advance in an observation device () in accordance with check data relating to defects of a semiconductor device detected by an inspection device (); a means () for classifying the plurality of the same defects according to the respective defect images and determining a first category to which the same defects belong for each of the observation conditions as a result of the classification; and a means () for determining an observation condition to be used when fabricating the semiconductor device among the plurality of the observation conditions according to the ratio at which the first category is matched with a second category determined by a user of the observation device who has classified the same defects.

Observation condition determination support device and observation condition determination support method

Growing community of inventors

Mito, Japan

Tsunehiro Sakai