Abstract:
In the embodiment a charged particle beam system includes a main chamber, an exchange chamber, an x-y positioning stage housed in the main chamber, a substrate-supporting structure supported by or provided by said stage and moveable in first and second perpendicular directions of travel between limits which define a field of travel and a substrate handling device housed inside the main chamber for loading and unloading a substrate into and out of the main chamber, the device comprising a bar and a side member for supporting the substance to one side of the bar. A method of loading a substrate in a charged particle beam system is also disclosed.
Abstract:
Provided is a sample device for a charged particle beam, which facilitates the delivery of a sample between an FIB and an SEM in an isolated atmosphere. An atmosphere isolation unit 10 for putting a lid 9 on an atmosphere isolation sample holder 7 isolated from the air and taking the lid 9 off the sample holder, is provided in a sample exchanger 5 that communicates with a sample chamber 4 of the FIB 1 or the SEM through a gate; and the lid 9 is taken off only by pushing a sample exchange bar 11, and thereby only the sample holder 7 is set in the sample chamber 4. The sample is loaded in the atmosphere isolation sample holder 7 in an atmosphere isolated from the air, for example, in a vacuum, and then the sample is isolated from the outside air by putting the lid 9 on the sample holder; the sample can be processed and observed in the FIB 1 or the SEM only by pushing the sample exchange bar 11 in this state, and further, when the sample exchange bar 11 is pulled out, by putting the rid of the sample holder in the atmosphere isolation unit 10, the state of isolation between the sample and the outside air.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a carrier device for transporting one or more manipulators into a vacuum specimen chamber of an electron microscope, characterized in that the carrier device comprises: (i) a platform having securing means for detachably securing the one or more manipulators to the platform, and (ii) electrical connectors secured to the platform for the electrical connection of the one or more manipulators. The present invention also relates to a method for transporting the carrier device into the vacuum specimen chamber of the electron microscope without altering the vacuum of the vacuum specimen chamber comprising transporting the carrier device of the invention through the specimen exchange chamber of the electron microscope and into the vacuum specimen chamber.
Abstract:
An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a surface inspection method and apparatus for inspecting a surface of a sample, in which a resistive film is coated on the surface, and a beam is irradiated to the surface having the resistive film coated thereon, to thereby conduct inspection of the surface of the sample. In the surface inspection method of the present invention, a resistive film having an arbitrarily determined thickness t1 is first coated on a surface of a sample. Thereafter, a part of the resistive film having the arbitrarily determined thickness t1 is dissolved in a solvent, to thereby reduce the thickness of the resistive film to a desired level. This enables precise control of a value of resistance of the resistive film and suppresses distortion of an image to be detected.
Abstract:
An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.
Abstract:
A sample measuring method and a charged particle beam apparatus are provided which remove contaminants, that have adhered to a sample in a sample chamber of an electron microscope, to eliminate adverse effects on the subsequent manufacturing processes. To achieve this objective, after the sample measurement or inspection is made by using a charged particle beam, contaminants on the sample are removed before the next semiconductor manufacturing process. This allows the contaminants adhering to the sample in the sample chamber to be removed and therefore failures or defects that may occur in a semiconductor fabrication process following the measurement and inspection can be minimized.
Abstract:
A charged-particle optical system (100) such as an electron microscope has a vacuum chamber (102) with a space (104) for accommodating a specific one (114) of multiple specimens in operational use. The charged-particle optical system has a loader (106) with a part (108) that is moveable into and out of the space. The part is configured for attaching a specimen carrier (110), brought from outside the system, to a first holder (112) or to detach the carrier from the first holder and to remove the carrier from inside the system. The carrier accommodates a first specimen. The system has an interface (116) in a wall of the chamber for removably accommodating the first holder (112) or a second holder (118) with a second specimen (120) mounted thereon.
Abstract:
A substrate inspection apparatus 1-1 (FIG. 1) of the present invention performs the following steps of: carrying a substrate “S” to be inspected into an inspection chamber 23-1; maintaining a vacuum in said inspection chamber; isolating said inspection chamber from a vibration; moving succe-ssively said substrate by means of a stage 26-1 with at least one degree of freedom; irradiating an electron beam having a specified width; helping said electron beam reach to a surface of said substrate via a primary electron optical system 10-1; trapping secondary electrons emitted from said substrate via a secondary electron optical system 20-1 and guiding it to a detecting system 35-1; forming a secondary electron image in an image processing system based on a detection signal of a secondary electron beam obtained by said detecting system; detecting a defective location in said substrate based on the secondary electron image formed by said image processing system; indicating and/or storing said defective location in said substrate by CPU 37-1; and taking said completely inspected substrate out of the inspection chamber. Thereby, the defect inspection on the substrate can be performed successively with high level of accuracy and efficiency as well as with higher throughput.
Abstract:
A sample holder used in SEM (scanning electron microscopy) or TEM (transmission electron microscopy) permitting observation and inspection at higher resolution. The holder has a frame-like member provided with an opening that is covered with a film. The film has a first surface on which a sample is held. The thickness D of the film and the length L of the portion of the film providing a cover over the opening in the frame-like member satisfy a relationship given by L/D
Abstract translation:用于SEM(扫描电子显微镜)或TEM(透射电子显微镜)中的样品架,允许以更高分辨率观察和检查。 保持器具有设置有被膜覆盖的开口的框架状构件。 该膜具有保持样品的第一表面。 膜的厚度D和在框状构件的开口上设置盖的膜的部分的长度L满足由L / D <200,000给出的关系。