The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 03, 1992
Filed:
Feb. 07, 1991
Yasuhiro Kaga, Yokohama, JP;
Kei Hattori, Yokohama, JP;
Isahiro Hasegawa, Zushi, JP;
Fumio Komatsu, Fuchu, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
A pattern profile measuring method and apparatus for measuring the profile of a measuring portion of a pattern of a specimen placed on a specimen stage by controlling a deflector of a scanning electron microscope capable of setting a desired inclination angle of one of the specimen stage and an electron optical column, applying an electron beam to the measuring portion of the specimen, and image processing a secondary electron signal from the measuring portion. The method comprises: a first step of calculating the distance at the bottom portion of the measuring portion of the pattern by image processing the secondary electron signal when the electron beam is applied to the measuring portion at an inclination angle of zero; a second step of obtaining the number of pixels at a taper portion of the measuring portion of the pattern by image processing the secondary electron signal when the electron beam is applied to the measuring portion at a first predetermined inclination angle; a third step of obtaining the number of pixels at the taper portion by image processing the secondary electron signal when the electron beam is applied to the measuring portion at a second predetermined inclination angle different from the first inclination angle; a fourth step of calculating the taper angle and depth of the pattern in accordance with the numbers of pixels of the taper portion obtained at the second and third steps and the first and second predetermined inclination angles; and a fifth step of obtaining the profile of the taper portion in accordance with the strength change of the secondary electron signal from the taper portion.