Cross-section processing-and-observation method and cross-section processing-and-observation apparatus

• US 10,096,449 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Man, Xin, Asahata, Tatsuya, Uemoto, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): OSENBAUGH-STEWART, ELIZA W
• Application Number:
  US15/162,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20160343541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/32 Polishing; Etching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/418 electron microscope
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/20091 Measuring the energy-dispersion spectrum [EDS] of diffracted radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2202 Preparing specimens therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2251 using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2811 Large objects
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31749 Focused ion beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/222 Image processing arrangements associated with the tube image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/292 using scanning ray
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3053 for evaporating or etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3056 for microworking, e.g. etching of gratings, trimming of electrical components trimming of resistors H01C17/22

Abstract

A cross-section processing-and-observation method includes: a cross-section exposure step of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam to expose a cross-section of the sample; a cross-sectional image acquisition step of irradiating the cross-section with an electron beam to acquire a cross-sectional image of the cross-section; and a step of repeatedly performing the cross-section exposure step and the cross-sectional image acquisition step along a predetermined direction of the sample at a setting interval to acquire a plurality of cross-sectional images of the sample. In the cross-sectional image acquisition step, a cross-sectional image is acquired under different condition settings for a plurality of regions of the cross-section.

Claims

1. A cross-section processing-and-observation method comprising:

a cross-section exposure step of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam to expose a cross-section of the sample;

a cross-sectional image acquisition step of irradiating the cross-section with an electron beam to acquire a cross-sectional image of the cross-section,

a step of repeatedly performing the cross-section exposure step and the cross-sectional image acquisition step along a predetermined direction of the sample at a setting interval to acquire a plurality of cross-sectional images, including a first sectional image and a second sectional image, of the sample; and

a specific observation target detection step of detecting a predetermined specific observation target,

wherein an area of the second sectional image is set within an area of the first sectional image,

wherein the second sectional image is acquired with a magnification higher than a magnification with which the first sectional image is acquired,

wherein in the specific observation target detection step, after a predetermined specific observation target is detected, a condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and a condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are updated, and

wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step is updated, the setting interval is set to be shorter than that before the specific observation target is detected.

2. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1 wherein the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of any one of the plurality of regions, or the pixel size is an integer multiple of the setting interval.

3. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1, wherein

plural types of the specific observation targets are set, and

different condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and different condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set for individual regions where the respective specific observation targets are detected.

4. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1, wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and the condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set, the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of the cross-sectional image.

5. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1, wherein in the specific observation target detection step, an EDS measurement or an EBSD measurement of the cross-section is performed.

6. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1, wherein the specific observation target detection step includes observing a contrast change of a cross-sectional image obtained in the cross-sectional image acquisition step.

7. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1, wherein in the specific observation target detection step performed after the specific observation target is detected, cross-section processing-and-observation method is not performed on other portions of the sample when the specific observation target is not detected anymore.

8. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 1, wherein in the cross-sectional image acquisition step, the first cross-sectional image is acquired by irradiating the cross-section with the electron beam a first number of times, and the second cross-sectional image is acquired by irradiating the cross-section with the electron beam a second number of times different from the first number.

9. A cross-section processing-and-observation method comprising:

a cross-section exposure step of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam to expose a cross-section of the sample;

a cross-sectional image acquisition step of irradiating the cross-section with an electron beam to acquire a cross-sectional image of the cross-section; and

a step of repeatedly performing the cross-section exposure step and the cross-sectional image acquisition step along a predetermined direction of the sample at a setting interval to acquire a plurality of cross-sectional images of the sample,

wherein in the cross-sectional image acquisition step, when a target material is detected, the setting interval is reduced and the magnification is increased.

10. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 9 wherein the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of any one of the plurality of regions, or the pixel size is an integer multiple of the setting interval.

11. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 9, further comprising a specific observation target detection step of detecting a predetermined specific observation target,

wherein in the specific observation target detection step, after a predetermined specific observation target is detected, a condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and a condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are updated.

12. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 11, wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step is updated, the setting interval is set to be shorter than that before the specific observation target is detected.

13. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 11, wherein

plural types of the specific observation targets are set, and

different condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and different condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set for individual regions where the respective specific observation targets are detected.

14. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 11, wherein when the condition setting of the cross-section exposure step and the condition setting of the cross-sectional image acquisition step are set, the setting interval is equal to or an integer multiple of a pixel size of the cross-sectional image.

15. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 11, wherein in the specific observation target detection step, an EDS measurement or an EBSD measurement of the cross-section is performed.

16. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 11, wherein the specific observation target detection step including observing a contrast change of a cross-sectional image obtained in the cross-sectional image acquisition step.

17. The cross-section processing-and-observation method according to claim 11, wherein in the specific observation target detection step performed after the specific observation target is detected, cross-section processing-and-observation method is not performed on other portions of the sample when the specific observation target is not detected anymore.