| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080230697 | CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM APPARATUS - A charged particle beam apparatus that can achieve both high defect-detection sensitivity and high inspection speed for a sample with various properties in a multi-beam type semiconductor inspection apparatus. The allocation of the primary beam on the sample is made changeable, and furthermore, the beam allocation for performing the inspection at the optimum inspection specifications and at high speed is selected based on the property of the sample. In addition, many optical parameters and apparatus parameters are optimized. Furthermore, the properties of the selected primary beam are measured and adjusted. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20090039258 | Scanning Electron Microscope And Method For Detecting An Image Using The Same - A scanning electron microscope includes an electron beam source which emits an electron beam, a beam current controller which controls a beam current of the electron beam, an electron beam converger which converges the electron beam on a surface of a sample, an electron beam scanner which scans the electron beam on the surface of the sample, a table which mounts the sample and moves at least in one direction, a detector which detects a secondary electron or a reflected electron emanated from the sample by the scan of the electron beam, an image former which forms an image of the sample based on a detection value of the detector, an image processor which processes the image formed by the image former. The beam current controller controls the beam current of the electron beam by changing transmittance of the electron beam in an irradiation path of the electron beam. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090166557 | Charge control apparatus and measurement apparatus equipped with the charge control apparatus - The invention solves charge nonuniformity of a specimen surface resulting from emission variation of a carbon nanotube electron source and individual difference of emission characteristics. During charge control processing, charge of the specimen surface is measured in real time. As means for solving charge nonuniformity resulting from nonuniformity of electron illumination density, electrons illuminating the specimen and the specimen are moved relatively to average electron illumination density. Moreover, an absorption current flowing into the specimen and the numbers of secondary electrons emitted from the specimen and of backscattered electrons are measured as means for monitoring charge of the specimen surface in real time. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090261252 | Method and apparatus for pattern inspection - Because a mirror electron imaging type inspection apparatus for obtaining an inspection object image with mirror electrons has been difficult to optimize inspection conditions, since the image forming principles of the apparatus are different from those of conventional SEM type inspection apparatuses. In order to solve the above conventional problem, the present invention has made it possible for the user to examine such conditions as inspection speed, inspection sensitivity, etc. intuitively by displaying the relationship among the values of inspection speed S, inspection object digital signal image pixel size D, inspection object image size L, and image signal acquisition cycle P with use of a time delay integration method as a graph on an operation screen. The user can thus determine a set of values of a pixel size, an inspection image width, and a TDI sensor operation cycle easily with reference to the displayed graph. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090309022 | APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING A SUBSTRATE, A METHOD OF INSPECTING A SUBSTRATE, A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE, AND A METHOD OF PRODUCING AN IMAGE USING A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE - An object of the present invention provides an inspection apparatus and an inspection method which use an electron beam image to accurately detect a defect that is difficult to detect in an optical image, the apparatus and method also enabling prevention of a possible decrease in focus accuracy of an inspection image which affect the defect detection. To accomplish the object, the present invention includes a height measurement section which measures height of the electron beam irradiation position on the substrate after the substrate is loaded onto a movable stage, a height correction processing section which corrects the measured height, and a control section which adjusts a focus of the electron beam according to the height corrected by the height correction processing section, wherein a stage position set when the height measurement section measures the height differs from a stage position set when the substrate is irradiated with the electron beam, and the height correction processing section corrects a possible deviation in height resulting from movement from the stage position for the height measurement to the stage position for the electron beam irradiation. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100133433 | ELECTRON BEAM APPARATUS - A plurality of primary beams are formed from a single electron source, the surface charge of a sample is controlled by at least one primary beam, and at the same time, the inspection of the sample is conducted using a primary beam other than this. Also, for an exposure area of the primary beam for surface charge control and an exposure area of the primary beam for the inspection, the surface electric field strength is set individually. Also, the current of the primary beam for surface charge control and the interval between the primary beam for surface charge control and the primary beam for inspection are controlled. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20110139985 | CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM APPARATUS - A charged particle beam apparatus that can achieve both high defect-detection sensitivity and high inspection speed for a sample with various properties in a multi-beam type semiconductor inspection apparatus. The allocation of the primary beam on the sample is made changeable, and furthermore, the beam allocation for performing the inspection at the optimum inspection specifications and at high speed is selected based on the property of the sample. In addition, many optical parameters and apparatus parameters are optimized. Furthermore, the properties of the selected primary beam are measured and adjusted. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110204228 | CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM APPARATUS - It has been difficult to obtain pattern contrast required for inspecting a specific layer of a circuit pattern in a charged particle beam apparatus which inspects, by using a charged particle beam, the position and type of a defect on a wafer having a circuit pattern which is in semiconductor manufacturing process. At the time of inspecting the position and type of a defect on a wafer having a circuit pattern which is in semiconductor manufacturing process by using a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source ( | 08-25-2011 |