METHOD FOR SUPERIMPOSING AND DISPLAYING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE IMAGE AND OPTICAL IMAGE

• US 20120326033A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Masako, Shiono, Masamichi
• Application Number:
  US13/580,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326033A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/225 Displaying image using synthesised colours
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/24475 Scattered electron detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2817 Pattern inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/228 whereby illumination and light collection take place in the same area of the discharge
• 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

Firstly, displacement between an electron microscope image and an optical image is minimized; secondly, color information obtained by an optical image device having a digital picture function is added to an electron0 microscope image; and thirdly, a whole structure of equipment is simplified. The main character is that a mirror and backscattered electron detector is used and an electron beam to strike on a specimen and an optical axis from the optical image device coincide with each other. Addition of a function of an optical mirror to a backscattered electron detector permits a whole structure of equipment to be simplified, and a beam axis of an electron microscope and the optical axis of the optical image device to coincide with each other.

Claims

1. An electron microscope including an electron optical lens barrel for scanning an electron beam on an observation specimen;

and a vacuum specimen chamber holding a specimen holder having the observation specimen placed thereon,

the electron microscope characterized by

an optical image imaging device held in the vacuum specimen chamber; and

a backscattered electron detector provided on an optical path joining on the observation specimen from the optical image imaging device,

the backscattered electron detector having a reflection electron detection surface composed of a mirror surface.

2. The electron microscope according to claim 1,

wherein an optical axis of the optical image imaging device and the mirror surface of the backscattered electron detector have an angle of 45 degree therebetween,

wherein an optical axis of an electron beam and the mirror surface of the backscattered electron detector have an angle of 45 degree therebetween.

3. The electron microscope according to claim 1,

wherein the backscattered electron detector is located to be horizontally offset from position being directly below an objective lens of an electron microscope.

4. The electron microscope according to claim 1,

wherein the optical image imaging device is located diagonally below the backscattered electron detector.

5. The electron microscope according to claim 1, further comprising image processing means for performing a processing of reducing opacity of an optical image obtained, by performing an image processing of superimposing the optical image on an electron microscope image obtained.

6. The electron microscope according to claim 5,

wherein the image processing means sets opacity of the optical image to 75% or 45%.