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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.:

US 9966227 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
May. 08, 2018

Filed:

Nov. 05, 2014

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

Applicant:

Ebara Corporation, Tokyo, JP;

Inventors:

Masahiro Hatakeyama, Tokyo, JP;

Takeshi Murakami, Tokyo, JP;

Yoshihiko Naito, Tokyo, JP;

Kenji Terao, Tokyo, JP;

Norio Kimura, Tokyo, JP;

Kenji Watanabe, Tokyo, JP;

Assignee:

EBARA CORPORATION, Tokyo, JP;

Attorney:

Westerman, Hattori, Daniels & Adrian, LLP

Primary Examiner:

Brooke Purinton

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 37/28 (2006.01); H01J 37/244 (2006.01); H01J 37/29 (2006.01); H01J 37/22 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 37/28 (2013.01); H01J 37/22 (2013.01); H01J 37/244 (2013.01); H01J 37/29 (2013.01); H01J 2237/24475 (2013.01); H01J 2237/24585 (2013.01); H01J 2237/24592 (2013.01); H01J 2237/2805 (2013.01); H01J 2237/2806 (2013.01); H01J 2237/2817 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01);
Abstract

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.

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