Electron beam apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device using the apparatus

• US 20030207475A1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation, Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kimba, Toshifumi, Murakami, Takeshi, Watanabe, Kenji, Yoshikawa, Shoji, Noji, Nobuharu, Sobukawa, Hirosi, Satake, Tohru, Saito, Mutsumi, Nakasuji, Mamoru, Nishimura, Hiroshi, Karimata, Tsutomu, Oowada, Shin, Hamashima, Muneki, Takagi, Toru, Kihara, Naoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,247,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/225 using electron or ion
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2251 using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/082 Electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/202 Movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/20228 Mechanical X-Y scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/204 Means for introducing and/or outputting objects locks H01J2237/184
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/22 Treatment of data mixing signals H01J2237/24495
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/24564 Measurements of electric or magnetic variables, e.g. voltage, current, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2806 Secondary charged particle
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2816 Length
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2817 Pattern inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/06 Electron sources; Electron guns electron sources in general H01J1/02, H01J19/02; electron guns in general H01J3/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/073 Electron guns using field emission, photo emission, or secondary emission electron sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/185 Means for transferring objects between different enclosures of different pressure or atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/20 Means for supporting or positioning the objects or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support introducing the objects H01J37/18
• 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 37/244 Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus for evaluating a sample surface, which has a primary electro-optical system for irradiating a sample with a primary electron beam, a detecting system, and a secondary electro-optical system for directing secondary electron beams emitted from the sample surface by the irradiation of the primary electron beam to the detecting system.

Claims

1. An electron beam apparatus for evaluating a sample, comprising:

a multi-beam generator having at least an electron gun with an anode and a cathode, for generating a plurality of primary electron beams to be irradiated to the sample;

a beam diameter setting device having at least one lens, for changing a beam diameter of the primary electron beams.

2. An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the beam diameter setting device changes the beam diameter according to an information of a minimum line width of the sample.

3. An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an objective lens having electrodes or magnetic cores for decelerating the primary electron beams generated by the multi-beam generator, and for accelerating secondary electron beams emitted from the sample irradiated with the primary electron beam.

4. An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electron beam separator having at least two opposed magnetic cores, for separating the secondary electron beams accelerated by an objective lens from the primary electron beams.

5. An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detector for detecting secondary electron beams and generating electric signals for image processing.