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Scanning electron microscope and system for inspecting semiconductor device

  • US 20060108525A1
  • Filed: 11/08/2005
  • Published: 05/25/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A scanning electron microscope comprising:

  • electron beam illumination means for irradiating a focused electron beam on a desired region of a specimen while scanning the beam thereon;

    digital image acquisition means for detecting secondary charged particles generated from the desired region of said specimen under scanning irradiation of the electron beam by said electron beam illumination means and digitizing a detected signal at a predetermined sampling clock to obtain a digital image of the surface of said specimen;

    image processing means for processing the digital image acquired by said digital image acquisition means; and

    control means for controlling said electron beam illumination means, said digital image acquisition means and said image processing means, wherein said control means controls said electron beam illumination means and/or said digital image acquisition means to scan the electron beam plural times on said specimen so as to obtain image signals of a plurality of frames for which timing of said sampling clock is shifted and applies to the plural frame image signals for which timing of said sampling clock is shifted an image process including a frame addition process, thereby obtaining a digital image, which is reduced in noise component, of the surface of said specimen.

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