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:
May. 31, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 24, 2007
Nobuharu Noji, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshihiko Naito, Tokyo, JP;
Hirosi Sobukawa, Tokyo, JP;
Masahiro Hatakeyama, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Terao, Tokyo, JP;
Takeshi Murakami, Tokyo, JP;
Katsuya Okumura, Tokyo, JP;
Tatsuhiko Higashiki, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuharu Noji, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshihiko Naito, Tokyo, JP;
Hirosi Sobukawa, Tokyo, JP;
Masahiro Hatakeyama, Tokyo, JP;
Kenji Terao, Tokyo, JP;
Takeshi Murakami, Tokyo, JP;
Katsuya Okumura, Tokyo, JP;
Tatsuhiko Higashiki, Tokyo, JP;
Ebara Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
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.