Height detection apparatus and charged particle beam apparatus

• US 10,641,607 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Yoshifumi, Nakai, Naoya, Taniguchi, Koichi, Suzuki, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US16/378,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20190323835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/00 Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/049 Focusing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/216 Automatic focusing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2448 Secondary particle detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2482 Optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/21 Means for adjusting the focus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/226 Optical arrangements for illuminating the object; optical arrangements for collecting light from the object
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/244 Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence

Abstract

A height detection apparatus is configured to project a pattern on a sample arranged at any of a plurality of reference positions and configured to detect a height of the sample. The apparatus includes: a projection optical system that generates a plurality of spatially separated light beams each having the pattern and projects the generated spatially separated light beams onto the sample; an imaging element that images the pattern reflected from the sample; a detection optical system that guides the pattern reflected from the sample to the imaging element; and at least one optical path length correction member disposed on an optical path different from an optical path having a shortest optical path length among a plurality of optical paths corresponding to the plurality of light beams at a position where the plurality of light beams is spatially separated.

Claims

1. A height detection apparatus configured to project a pattern on a sample arranged at any of a plurality of reference positions and configured to detect a height of the sample from the reference position on the basis of the pattern reflected from the sample, the apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system that generates a plurality of spatially separated light beams each having the pattern and projects the generated spatially separated light beams onto the sample;

an imaging element that images the pattern reflected from the sample;

a detection optical system that guides the pattern reflected from the sample to the imaging element; and

at least one optical path length correction member disposed on an optical path different from an optical path having a shortest optical path length among a plurality of optical paths corresponding to the plurality of light beams at a position where the plurality of light beams is spatially separated.

2. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detection optical system outputs light beams incident from the plurality of optical paths toward the one imaging element.

3. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the projection optical system generates a light beam having the pattern by a slit group including a plurality of slits.

4. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the projection optical system generates the plurality of light beams by using a slit.

5. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the projection optical system separates and generates the plurality of light beams by using a half mirror.

6. The height detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the detection optical system includes a wedge substrate.

7. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical path length correction member is formed of a transparent material and has an incident surface and an output surface parallel to each other.

8. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical path length correction member is a prism formed of a transparent material and having a reflection surface.

9. The height detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the optical path length correction member is a glass rod.

10. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

an optical path length d_P of a light beam propagating in the optical path length correction member is calculated by the following Formula in a case where an optical path difference between an optical path having the shortest optical path length and an optical path in which the optical path length correction member is arranged is Δ

.

11. The height detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical path length correction members are disposed at a position on the projection optical system side with respect to the sample and at a position on the detection optical system side with respect to the sample.

12. A charged particle beam apparatus including the height detection apparatus according to claim 1.