Method and apparatus for inspecting integrated circuit pattern

• US 6,172,363 B1
• Filed: 03/04/1997
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hiroi, Takashi, Nozoe, Mari, Yajima, Yusuke, Maeda, Shunji, Tanaka, Maki, Kubota, Hitoshi, Kaneko, Yutaka, Yoda, Haruo, Sugimoto, Aritoshi, Yoshimura, Kazushi, Sugiyama, Katsuya, Usami, Yasutsugu, Ando, Kimiaki, Kuroda, Katsuhiro, Ino, Tadao, Takafuji, Atsuko, Shinada, Hiroyuki, Tooyama, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Bruce C.
• Application Number:
  US08/811,511
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 250/310, 250/307, 250/397, 250/492.2
• US Class Current: 850/9
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/305 using electron beams investigating or analysing materials by measuring photoelectric effect G01N23/227
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/307 of integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2817 Pattern inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence

Abstract

A circuit pattern inspection method and an apparatus therefor, in which the whole of a portion to be inspected of a sample to be inspected is made to be in a predetermined charged state, the portion to be inspected is irradiated with an image-forming high-density electron beam while scanning the electron beam, secondary charged particles are detected at a portion irradiated with the electron beam after a predetermined period of time from an instance when the electron beam is irradiated, an image is formed on the basis of the thus detected secondary charged particle signal, and the portion to be inspected is inspected by using the thus formed image.

Claims

1. A circuit pattern inspection method comprising the steps of:

scanning a first region of a surface of a substrate having a circuit pattern formed thereon with a primary electron beam;

detecting a signal generated secondarily from said first region by said primary electron beam;

forming an electron-beam image of said first region from the detected signal;

storing said electron-beam image of said first region;

scanning a second region of said substrate with a primary electron beam;

detecting a signal generated secondarily from said second region by said primary electron beam;

forming an electron-beam image of said second region from the detected signal;

storing said electron-beam image of said second region;

making comparison between the stored image of said first region and the stored image of said second region; and

making a judgment on a defect in said circuit pattern on said substrate from a result of the comparison;

wherein in the steps of scanning said first and second regions with said primary electron beam, said electron-beam image of a target region is formed by scanning with said electron beam in a manner so that said secondarily generated signal is detected at a time when electric charges due to the electron beam begin to be accumulated on the surface of the substrate and before a contrast of said electron-beam image is substantially changed.

2. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, wherein in the steps of forming said first and second electron beams images, said electron-beam image of the target region is formed by scanning with said electron beam in a manner so that an electron beam radiation quantity per unit time onto a region of a specific size on said substrate on which the circuit pattern is formed is substantially uniform over a region to be inspected.

3. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, wherein as the step of scanning with said primary electron beam, said method comprises the step of measuring a height of a sample to be inspected by using a light source other than an electron beam to thereby correct a focal point of said primary electron beam.

4. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, wherein as the step of obtaining inspection conditions of a substrate to be inspected, said method comprises the step of scanning, with an electron beam, a region on said substrate but other than the inspection target region where a circuit pattern equivalent to said inspection target region is formed to thereby obtain an electron-beam image, and obtaining inspection conditions by using said obtained electron-beam image.

5. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

storing image data in advance;

scanning a region to be inspected on a substrate to be inspected with a primary electron beam;

detecting a signal secondarily generated by said primary electron beam from said region to be inspected;

forming an electron-beam image of said region to be inspected from said signal detected;

storing said electron-beam image of said region to be inspected;

reading out said image data stored;

making comparison between said image data and said electron-beam image of said region to be inspected; and

judging a detect in said circuit pattern on said substrate from a result of the comparison.

6. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, wherein as said step of forming an electron-beam image from said signal detected, the image is formed after said detected secondary charge particle signal is converted, in a state of floating at a high voltage, into a digital signal and then transmitted.

7. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 6, characterized in that said method comprises a step of converting said digital signal into a light signal, a step of transmitting said converted light signal, and a step of converting the transmitted light signal into an electric signal, said step of converting said digital signal into a light signal and said step of transmitting said converted light signal being executed in a state of floating at a high voltage.

8. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method further comprises the steps of:

decelerating energy of said primary electron beam radiated onto said substrate to be inspected and accelerating secondary charged particles secondarily generated by said primary electron beam;

generating an electromagnetic field which gives a deflection action to said secondary charged particle by superimposition of an electric field and a magnetic field without giving any influence on said primary electron beam; and

applying said secondary charged particles to a metal piece and detecting second secondary charged particles secondarily generated from said metal piece.

9. A circuit pattern inspection method comprising the steps of:

scanning a first region of a surface of a substrate having a circuit pattern formed thereon with a primary electron beam;

detecting a signal generated secondarily from said first region by said primary electron beam;

forming an electron beam-image of said first region from the detected signal;

storing said electron-beam image of said first region;

scanning a second region of said substrate with a primary electron beam;

detecting a signal generated secondarily from said second region by said primary electron beam;

forming an electron-beam image of said second region from the detected signal;

storing said electron-beam image of said second region;

making comparison between the image of said first region and the image of said second region; and

making a judgment on a defect in said circuit pattern on said substrate from a result of the comparison;

wherein said method further comprises the step of applying a zero or negative potential to a sample, or a sample stage, or to a vicinity of said sample and adjusting the applied voltage to thereby control radiation energy of said electron beam onto said sample substrate in the steps of scanning said first and second regions with said primary electron beam, said electron-beam image of a target region is formed by scanning with said electron beam in a manner so that said secondarily generated signal is detected at a time when electric charges due to the electron beam begin to be accumulated on the surface of the substrate and before electric potential of said surface is substantially changed.

10. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

an electron source for generating a primary electron beam;

a lens means for converging said primary electron beam;

a sample stage for mounting a sample thereon;

a carrying means for carrying a sample to a sample chamber containing said sample stage;

a primary electron beam scanning means for making said converged primary electron beam perform scanning on a sample;

means for detecting secondary charged particles secondarily generated from said sample;

means for forming an image on the basis of a signal from said detector and storing the thus formed image;

means for comparing the image of a concerned region which is stored in said storage means, with another image of another region in which another same circuit pattern is formed; and

means for judging a defect in said circuit pattern from a result of the comparison;

wherein said electron-beam image of a target region is formed by scanning with said electron beam in a manner so that said secondarily generated signal is detected at a time when electric charges due to the electron beam begin to be accumulated on the surface of the substrate and before electric potential of said surface is substantially changed.

11. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 10, comprising:

means for applying a zero or negative potential to said sample, said sample stage or to a vicinity of said sample;

means for controlling said zero or negative potential to thereby control energy of said primary electron beam to be radiated onto said substrate to be inspected;

means for registering potential values in advance in accordance with material and shape of the circuit pattern on said sample substrate; and

means for calling out the registered conditions at the time of inspection to thereby automatically set said negative potential.

12. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus, comprising:

an electron source for generating a primary electron beam;

a lens means for converging said primary electron beam;

a sample stage for mounting a sample thereon;

a carrying means for carrying a sample to a sample chamber containing said sample stage;

a primary electron beam scanning means for making said converged primary electron beam perform scanning on a sample;

means for detecting secondary charged particles secondarily generated from said sample;

means for forming an image on the basis of a signal from said detector and storing the thus formed image;

means for comparing the image of a concerned region, which is stored in said storage means, with another image of another region in which another same circuit pattern is formed; and

means for judging a defect in said circuit pattern from a result of the comparison;

wherein said primary electron beam scanning means is means for performing scanning once with said primary electron beam.

13. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the current value of said primary electron beam radiated onto said sample is not smaller than 270 pA.

14. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the current value of said primary electron beam radiated onto said sample is not smaller than 13 nA.

15. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

an electron source for generating a primary electron beam;

a lens means for converging said primary electron beam;

a sample stage for mounting a sample thereon;

a carrying means for carrying a sample to a sample chamber containing said sample stage;

a primary electron beam scanning means for making said converged primary electron beam perform scanning on a sample;

means for detecting secondary charged particles secondarily generated from said sample;

means for forming an image on the basis of a signal from said detector and storing the thus formed image;

means for comparing the image of a concerned region, which is stored in said storage means, with another image of another region in which another same circuit pattern is formed; and

means for judging a defect in said circuit pattern from a result of the comparison;

wherein said electron-beam image of a target region is formed by scanning with said electron beam in a manner so that said secondarily generated signal is detected at a time when electric charges due to the electron beam begin to be accumulated on the surface of the substrate and before a contrast of said electron-beam image is substantially changed.

16. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

an electron source for generating a primary electron beam;

an object lens for converging said primary electron beam;

a sample stage for mounting a sample thereon;

a carrier for carrying a sample to a sample chamber containing said sample stage;

a scanning deflector for making said converged primary electron beam perform scanning on a sample;

a detector for detecting secondary charged particles secondarily generated from said sample;

a unit for forming an image on the basis of a signal from said detector and storing the thus formed image;

a comparator for comparing the image of a concerned region, which is stored in said unit, with another image of another region in which another same circuit pattern is formed; and

a system coupled to judge a defect in said circuit pattern from a result of the comparison;

wherein said electron-beam image of a target region is formed by scanning with said electron beam in a manner so that said secondarily generated signal is detected at a time when electric charges due to the electron beam begin to be accumulated on the surface of the substrate and before a contrast of said electron-beam image is substantially changed.

17. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

an electron source for generating a primary electron beam;

an object lens for converging said primary electron beam;

a sample stage for mounting a sample thereon;

a carrier for carrying a sample to a sample chamber containing said sample stage;

a scanning deflector for making said converged primary electron beam perform scanning on a sample;

a detector for detecting secondary charged particles secondarily generated from said sample;

a unit for forming an image on the basis of a signal from said detector and storing the thus formed image;

a comparator for comparing the image of a concerned region, which is stored in said unit, with another image of another region in which another same circuit pattern is formed; and

a system coupled to judge a defect in said circuit pattern from a result of the comparison;

wherein said scanning deflector is means for performing scanning once with said primary electron beam.

18. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

an electron source,

a sample stage for mounting a sample thereon,

an electronic optical system for irradiating said sample with an electron beam from said electron source, and

a memory for storing information obtained by scanning a concerned region on said sample only one time, wherein a defect on said sample is inspected on the basis of said information stored in the memory and information obtained by scanning another region on said sample only one time.

19. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means for continuously moving said sample stage.

20. A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprising:

an electron source,

a sample stage for mounting a sample thereon,

an electronic optical system for irradiating said sample with an electron beam from said electron source, and

a memory for storing information obtained by scanning a concerned region on said sample and another region on said sample once, respectively, wherein said information includes information of first and second patterns, and wherein a defect on said sample is extracted from said information of said first and second patterns stored in the memory.