Method and apparatus for observing a specimen

• US 7,935,927 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Morokuma, Hidetoshi, Miyamoto, Atsushi, Tanaka, Maki
• Primary Examiner(s): Souw; Bernard E
• Application Number:
  US12/110,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20080237456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 250/306, 250/307, 250309-311, 250/396.R, 250397-400, 250/396.ML, 250/491.1, 250/492.1, 250/492.2, 250/492.22, 250/492.3
• US Class Current: 250/311
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 15/04 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2251 using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/226 Image reconstruction
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2814 Measurement of surface topography
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence

Abstract

A method and device for observing a specimen, in which a convergent electron beam is irradiated and scanned from a desired direction, on a surface of a calibration substrate on which a pattern with a known shape is formed, and a beam SEM image of the pattern formed on the calibration substrate is obtained. An actual direction of the electron beam irradiated on the surface of the calibration substrate is calculated by use of the information about an apparent geometric deformation of the known shape on the SEM image, and the actual direction of the electron beam to the desired is adjusted direction by using information of the calculated direction. The pattern with the known shape formed on the calibration substrate has a crystal plane formed by anisotropic chemical etching.

Claims

1. A method for observing a specimen, comprising the steps of:

irradiating and scanning a convergent electron beam, from a desired direction, on a surface of a calibration substrate on which a pattern with a known shape is formed, and obtaining a beam SEM image of the pattern formed on the calibration substrate;

calculating an actual direction of the electron beam irradiated on the surface of the calibration substrate by use of the information about an apparent geometric deformation of the known shape on the SEM image; and

wherein the pattern with the known shape formed on the calibration substrate has a crystal plane formed by anisotropic chemical etching.

2. A method for observing a specimen according to the claim 1, wherein the pattern with the known shape is a quadrangular pyramid and a tilt angle of each plane of the quadrangular pyramid is known.

3. A method for observing a specimen according to claim 1, wherein the pattern with the known shape is a quadrangular pyramid and each plane of the quadrangular pyramid is (111) crystal plane or a plane in a direction equivalent to the (111) crystal plane.

4. A method for observing a specimen according to claim 1, wherein multiple patterns with the known shape are arranged on the calibration substrate.

5. A method for observing a specimen according to claim 1, wherein a direction of the convergent electron beam is changed by tilting the electron beam.

6. A method for observing a specimen according to claim 1, wherein a direction of the convergent electron beam is changed by tilting the calibration substrate.

7. A method for observing a specimen according to claim 1, wherein a direction of the convergent electron beam is changed by tilting the electron optical system.

8. A method for observing a specimen according to claim 1, wherein the calculating of the actual direction of the electron beam includes correction of SEM image distortion.

22. The method for observing a specimen according to the claim 1, further comprising the step of:

adjusting the actual direction of the electron beam to the desired direction by using information of the calculated direction.

9. A device for observing a specimen comprising:

a table which carries a specimen having a calibration substrate;

a SEM imager which obtains a SEM image in a desired direction including a vertical or oblique direction relative to a surface of the calibration substrate, and which detects a secondary electron or reflective electron generated from the specimen by irradiation with an electron beam;

an image processing unit which processes a SEM image obtained by the SEM imager;

a calculator which calculates an actual direction of the electron beam irradiated on the surface of the calibration substrate on which a pattern with a known shape is formed by using information about an apparent geometric deformation of the known shape on the SEM image; and

a controller which controls the SEM imager;

wherein the pattern with the known shape formed on the calibration substrate has a crystal plane formed by anisotropic chemical etching.

10. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein the pattern with the known shape is a quadrangular pyramid and a tilt angle of each plane of the quadrangular pyramid is known.

11. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein the pattern with the known shape is a quadrangular pyramid and each plane of the quadrangular pyramid is (111) crystal plane or a plane in a direction equivalent to the (111) crystal plane.

12. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein multiple patterns with the known shape are arranged on the calibration substrate.

13. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein the SEM imager is adjusted by tilting the table.

14. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein the SEM imager is adjusted by tilting the table.

15. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein the SEM imager is adjusted by tilting the electron optical system.

16. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein the controller further controls the image processing unit to correct a distortion of the SEM image obtained by the SEM imager.

23. The device for observing a specimen according to claim 9, wherein the controller adjusts the actual direction of the electron beam to the desired direction by using information of the calculated direction.

17. A device for observing a specimen comprising:

a table which carries a specimen;

a SEM imager which obtains a SEM image of the specimen by irradiating and scanning an electron beam on a surface of the specimen and detecting a secondary electron or reflected electron generated from the specimen;

an image processing unit which processes a SEM image obtained by the SEM imager;

a display screen which displays the SEM image or an image processed by the image processing unit;

a calculator which calculates a direction of the electron beam incident on a surface of a calibration substrate forming at least a part of the specimen and on which a crystal plane pattern is formed; and

a controller which controls the SEM images to adjust the direction of the electron beam incident on the surface of the surface of the calibration substrate by using information of the calculated direction.

18. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 17, wherein the crystal plane pattern has a quadrangular pyramid shape and tilt angle of each plane of the quadrangular pyramid is known.

19. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 17, wherein the crystal plane pattern has a quadrangular pyramid shape and each plane of the quadrangular pyramid is (11) crystal plane or a plane in a direction equivalent to the (111) crystal plane.

20. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 17, wherein the controller further controls the image processing unit to correct a distortion of the SEM image obtained by the SEM imager.

21. A device for observing a specimen according to claim 17, wherein the image processing unit processes the SEM image obtained by the SEM image obtainer which is controlled by the controller and obtains dimension information of a pattern formed on the specimen.