Charged Particle Beam Device and Sample Thickness Measurement Method

• US 20200132448A1
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: SATO, Takahiro, NOMAGUCHI, Tsunenori
• Granted Patent: US 11,067,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 15/02 for measuring thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/633 thickness, density, surface weight (unit area)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2206 Combination of two or more measurements, at least one measurement being that of secondary emission, e.g. combination of secondary electron [SE] measurement and back-scattered electron [BSE] measurement
• 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 2237/24578 Spatial variables, e.g. position, distance
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/30466 Detecting endpoint of process for plasma apparatus H01J37/32963, for sputtering apparatus H01J37/3479
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31732 Depositing thin layers on selected microareas ion plating H01J2237/3142
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31745 for preparing specimen to be viewed in microscopes or analyzed in microanalysers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3005 Observing the objects or the point of impact on the object
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography

Abstract

Provided is a charged particle beam device which includes a storage unit that stores relationship information indicating a relationship between intensity or an intensity ratio of a charged particle signal obtained when a layer disposed on the sample is irradiated with the charged particle beam and a thickness of the layer; and a calculation unit that calculates the thickness of the layer as a thickness of the sample by using the relationship information and the intensity or the intensity ratio of the charged particle signal.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A charged particle beam device, comprising:

a charged particle beam column that is configured to emit a charged particle beam;

a sample support mechanism that is configured to support a sample to be measured;

a detector that is configured to detect a charged particle signal obtained when the sample is irradiated with the charged particle beam;

a storage unit that is configured to store in advance relationship information indicating a relationship between intensity or an intensity ratio of a charged particle signal obtained when a reference layer disposed on the sample is irradiated with the charged particle beam and a thickness of the reference layer; and

a calculation unit that is configured to calculate the thickness of the reference layer based on the relationship information and the intensity or the intensity ratio of the charged particle signal obtained by irradiating the reference layer with the charged particle beam, wherein

the thickness of the sample is measured based on the calculated thickness of the reference layer.

16. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the intensity ratio of the charged particle signal is a value obtained by dividing each signal intensity value by a signal intensity value in a range in which the signal intensity is constant.

17. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the reference layer is formed of a carbon film, a tungsten film, a platinum film, or an oxide film.

18. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the storage unit stores the relation information for each piece of energy of the charged particle beam.

19. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the storage unit stores the relation information for each incident angle of the charged particle beam.

20. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the storage unit stores the relation information for each type of the charged particle beam.

21. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the storage unit stores the relation information for each type of signal to be detected by the detector.

22. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the storage unit stores the relation information for each manufacturing method of the reference layer, composition of the reference layer, or crystallinity of the reference layer.

23. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a function of forming the reference layer on a surface of the sample using the charged particle beam and compound gas.

24. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the sample has

a shape having a uniform thickness in a direction parallel to a lengthwise direction of the sample,

a shape in which the thickness changes continuously or discontinuously in the direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the sample, or

a shape in which the thickness changes continuously or discontinuously in a direction parallel to a widthwise direction of the sample.

25. The charged particle beam device according to claim 15, wherein

the charged particle signal is a signal that detects (1) transmitted electrons, (2) reflected electrons, (3) secondary charged particles, or (4) tertiary charged particles caused by the transmitted electrons, the reflected electrons, or the secondary charged particles.

26. A composite charged particle beam device, comprising:

an ion beam column that is configured to emit an ion beam;

an electron beam column that is configured to emit an electron beam;

a sample support mechanism that is configured to support a sample;

a detector that is configured to detect a charged particle signal obtained when the sample is irradiated with the electron beam;

a function of forming a reference layer on a surface of the sample using the ion beam or the electron beam and compound gas;

a storage unit that is configured to store relationship information indicating a relationship between intensity or an intensity ratio of a charged particle signal obtained when the reference layer is irradiated with the electron beam and a thickness of the reference layer; and

a calculation unit that is configured to calculate the thickness of the reference layer based on the relationship information and the intensity or the intensity ratio of the charged particle signal obtained by irradiating the reference layer with the charged particle beam, wherein

the thickness of the sample is measured based on the calculated thickness of the reference layer.

27. A thickness measurement method of a sample, the method comprising:

forming a reference layer on a surface of the sample;

processing the reference layer and the sample using an ion beam;

irradiating the processed sample with an electron beam;

detecting a charged particle signal obtained when the processed reference layer is irradiated with the electron beam; and

calculating a thickness of the reference layer based on (i) relationship information prepared in advance indicating a relationship between intensity or an intensity ratio of the charged particle signal and the thickness of the reference layer and (ii) the intensity or the intensity ratio of the charged particle signal obtained by irradiating the processed reference layer with the electron beam, and measuring a thickness of the sample based on the calculated thickness of the reference layer.

28. The sample thickness measurement method according to claim 27, wherein

the processed sample has

a shape having a uniform thickness in a direction parallel to a lengthwise direction of the sample,

a shape in which the thickness changes continuously or discontinuously in the direction parallel to the long direction of the sample, or

a shape in which the thickness changes continuously or discontinuously in a direction parallel to a widthwise direction of the sample.