Ebara Corporation

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Origin Electric Company, Limited

Yoshihiko Naito

Masahiro Hatakeyama

Kenji Terao

Kenji Watanabe

Takeshi Murakami

Norio Kimura

Kiwamu Tsukamoto

Tatsuya Kohama

Takehide Hayashi

Nobuharu Noji

Hirosi Sobukawa

Shoji Yoshikawa

Tsutomu Karimata

Hiroshi Sobukawa

Yasushi Toma

Hironobu Nishimura

Kazutoshi Nagai

Masahiko Kotoyori

Katsuya Okumura

Osamu Horita

Noboru Kobayashi

Koji Yamaguchi

Masamitsu Itoh

Yutaka Matsumoto

Tatsuhiko Higashiki

Katumi Yamaguchi

Toru Kaga

Naozumi Mizutani

An inspection device for inspecting a surface of an inspection object using a beam includes a beam generator capable of generating one of either charge particles or an electromagnetic wave as a beam, a primary optical system capable of guiding and irradiating the beam to the inspection object supported within a working chamber, a secondary optical system capable of including a first movable numerical aperture and a first detector which detects secondary charge particles generated from the inspection object, the secondary charge particles passing through the first movable numerical aperture, an image processing system capable of forming an image based on the secondary charge particles detected by the first detector; and a second detector arranged between the first movable numerical aperture and the first detector and which detects a location and shape at a cross over location of the secondary charge particles generated from the inspection object.

Inspection device

A technique capable of improving the ability to observe a specimen using an electron beam in an energy region which has not been conventionally given attention is provided. This specimen observation method comprises: irradiating the specimen with an electron beam; detecting electrons to be observed which have been generated and have obtained information on the specimen by the electron beam irradiation; and generating an image of the specimen from the detected electrons to be observed. The electron beam irradiation comprises irradiating the specimen with the electron beam with a landing energy set in a transition region between a secondary emission electron region in which secondary emission electrons are detected and a mirror electron region in which mirror electrons are detected, thereby causing the secondary emission electrons and the mirror electrons to be mixed as the electrons to be observed. The detection of the electrons to be observed comprises performing the detection in a state where the secondary emission electrons and the mirror electrons are mixed. Observation and inspection can be quickly carried out for a fine foreign material and pattern of 100 nm or less.

Specimen observation method and device using secondary emission electron and mirror electron detection

The electron beam apparatus is provided with a stage for mounting a sample thereon, a primary optical system for generating an electron beam having an irradiation area and irradiating the electron beam onto the sample, a secondary optical system for detecting electrons which have been generated through the irradiation of the electron beam onto the sample and have acquired structural information of the sample and acquiring an image of the sample about a viewing area and an irradiation area changing section for changing the position of the irradiation area with respect to the viewing area.

Electron beam apparatus and sample observation method using the same

An electro-optical inspection apparatus is provided that is capable of preventing adhesion of dust or particles to the sample surface as much as possible. A stage () on which a sample () is placed is disposed inside a vacuum chamber () that can be evacuated to vacuum, and a dust collecting electrode () is disposed to surround a periphery of the sample (). The dust collecting electrode () is applied with a voltage having the same polarity as a voltage applied to the sample () and an absolute value that is the same or larger than an absolute value of the voltage. Thus, because dust or particles such as particles adhere to the dust collecting electrode (), adhesion of the dust or particles to the sample surface can be reduced. Instead of using the dust collecting electrode, it is possible to form a recess on a wall of the vacuum chamber containing the stage, or to dispose on the wall a metal plate having a mesh structure to which a predetermined voltage is applied. In addition, adhesion of dust or particles can be further reduced by disposing a gap control plate () having a through hole () at the center above the sample () and the dust collecting electrode ().

Electro-optical inspection apparatus and method with dust or particle collection function

Provided is a method and an apparatus for inspecting a sample surface with high accuracy. Provided is a method for inspecting a sample surface by using an electron beam method sample surface inspection apparatus, in which an electron beam generated by an electron gun of the electron beam method sample surface inspection apparatus is irradiated onto the sample surface, and secondary electrons emanating from the sample surface are formed into an image toward an electron detection plane of a detector for inspecting the sample surface, the method characterized in that a condition for forming the secondary electrons into an image on a detection plane of the detector is controlled such that a potential in the sample surface varies in dependence on an amount of the electron beam irradiated onto the sample surface.

Method and apparatus for inspecting sample surface

An electro-optical inspection apparatus prevents adhesion of dust or particles to a sample surface, wherein a stage on which a sample is placed is disposed inside a vacuum chamber that can be evacuated, and a dust collecting electrode is disposed to surround a periphery of the sample. The dust collecting electrode is applied with a voltage having the same polarity as a voltage applied to the sample and an absolute value that is the same or larger than an absolute value of the voltage. Because dust or particles adhere to the dust collecting electrode, adhesion of the dust or particles to the sample surface can be reduced. Instead of using the dust collecting electrode, it is possible to form a recess on a wall of the vacuum chamber, or to dispose on the wall a metal plate having a mesh structure to which a predetermined voltage is applied.

A substrate surface inspection method inspects for a defect on a substrate including a plurality of materials on a surface thereof. The inspection method comprises: irradiating the surface of the substrate with an electron beam, a landing energy of the electron beam set such that a contrast between at least two types of materials of the plurality of materials is within a predetermined range; detecting electrons generated by the substrate to acquire a surface image of the substrate, with a pattern formed thereon from the at least two types of materials eliminated or weakened; and detecting the defect from the acquired surface image by detecting as the defect an object image having a contrast by which the object image can be distinguished from a background image in the surface image. Defects present on the substrate surface can be detected easily and precisely by using a cell inspection.

Substrate surface inspection method and inspection apparatus

Provided is a defect inspection apparatus and an inspection (or evaluation) method with highly improved accuracy, which would not be provided by the prior art, in the defect inspection apparatus used in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. Provided is a method for inspecting a sample surface with a projection type electron beam inspection apparatus, comprising the steps of: forming such an irradiation area on the sample surface by an electron beam generated from an electron gunthat has approximately a circular or elliptical shape of a size larger than a pattern on the sample surface; irradiating the electron beam substantially onto a center of the pattern on the sample surface; and forming an image on an electron detection plane of a detector from secondary electrons emanating from the sample surface in response to the irradiation of the electron beam for inspecting the sample surface.

Apparatus and method for inspecting sample surface

A surface of a sample is observed by acquiring an image of the surface of the sample. An electron beam I irradiated onto the surface of the sample in which wiring including an insulation material and an electrically conductive material is formed. Electrons that acquired structure information regarding a structure of the surface of the sample are detected. An image of the surface of the sample is acquired by a result of the detection of electrons. The surface of the sample is observed using the acquired image of the surface of the sample. The electron beam is irradiated onto the surface of the sample in a state where a brightness of the insulation material and a brightness of the electrically conductive material in the image of the surface of the sample are set equal to each other.

Sample surface observation method

A molding machinewhich molds two sheets of disc substrates on which the information is recorded simultaneously, a cooling mechanismfor cooling each of the disc substrates, first movably mounting meansfor movably mounting the disc substrate from the molding machine onto the cooling mechanism, and a second movably mounting meansfor mounting each of the disc substrates onto a receiving portion of the turn tableare provided. In addition, a film forming devicefor receiving sequentially each of the disc substrates from this movably mounting meansand forming a reflective film on one of the surfaces of each of the received disc substrates on which the information is recorded; a turn tablehaving a plurality of receiving portions on which the disc substrates are mounted and which rotates intermittently through each constant angle; a reversing mechanismwhich reverses 180 degrees each of the disc substrates; and an overlapping mechanism for overlapping the reversed disc substrates over the other disc substrates are provided. Furthermore, spinnersfor rotating the overlapped two sheets of disc substrates and a curing devicewhich radiates ultra-violet rays onto the disc substrates which are rotated by the spinners to cure the liquid adhesive. According to the above-described structure, an optical disc which is compact, is fast in a production speed, and has a high quality can be achieved.

Optical disk producing device and producing method

Disclosed is an electron beam irradiating apparatus including an electron beam source; an accelerating unit for accelerating electrons emitted from the electron beam source; a deflecting unit for deflecting a highly energized electron beam generated by the accelerating unit in a scanning direction; a vacuum vessel accommodating the electron beam source, the accelerating unit, and the deflecting unit in a vacuum environment; a window foil for ejecting the electron beam from the vacuum environment into a gas environment; a crosspiece for adhering to and supporting the window foil; and a cooling block for shielding the crosspiece from the electron beam in areas that the electron beam intersects the crosspiece.

Electron beam irradiating apparatus

To provide an electron beam irradiation device capable of avoiding a problem of convergence of an electron beam at the maximum scanning points, and constantly obtaining an irradiated region of uniform energy density, an electron beam irradiation device comprising an electron beam source,an accelerating tube,for accelerating electrons emitted from said electron beam source, a focusing electromagnet,for applying a magnetic field to a high energy electron beam, which is formed by the accelerating tube, for controlling the beam diameter of the electron beam, and an electromagnet,for deflecting and scanning the beam-diameter-controlled electron beam by applying a magnetic field to the electron beam, wherein an electric current component I,which is synchronized with an electric current I,of the scanning electromagnet,is superimposed on an electric current IF of the focusing electromagnet,thereby controlling the electric current I,of the focusing electromagnet in a manner that said beam diameter becomes maximum at the maximum scanning points.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yoshihiko Naito