Multiple secondary electron beam alignment method, multiple secondary electron beam alignment apparatus, and electron beam inspection apparatus

A multiple secondary electron beam alignment apparatus comprising:

• a stage;
• an electron optical system configured to irradiate a surface of a target object on the stage with multiple primary electron beams;
• a multi-detector configured to include a plurality of first detection elements arrayed in a grid, and to detect a plurality of beams including a corner beam located at a corner in multiple secondary electron beams emitted from the surface of the target object due to irradiation with the multiple primary electron beams by each of a plurality of second detection elements in the plurality of first detection elements;
• a deflector configured to scan the plurality of first detection elements with the multiple secondary electron beams;
• a positional relationship calculation circuit configured to calculate a positional relationship between the plurality of beams including the corner beam and the plurality of second detection elements, which have detected the plurality of beams, in the plurality of first detection elements;
• a shift amount calculation circuit configured to calculate, based on the positional relationship, a shift amount for aligning the plurality of first detection elements with the multiple secondary electron beams;
• and
• a movement mechanism configured to move, using the shift amount, the multi-detector relatively to the multiple secondary electron beams.

An electron beam inspection apparatus comprising:

• a stage;
• an electron optical system configured to irradiate a surface of a target object on the stage with multiple primary electron beams;
• a multi-detector configured to include a plurality of first detection elements arrayed in a grid, and to detect a plurality of beams including a corner beam located at a corner in multiple secondary electron beams emitted from the surface of the target object due to irradiation with the multiple primary electron beams by each of a plurality of second detection elements in the plurality of first detection elements;
• a deflector configured to scan the plurality of first detection elements with the multiple secondary electron beams;
• a positional relationship calculation circuit configured to calculate a positional relationship between the plurality of beams including the corner beam and the plurality of second detection elements, which have detected the plurality of beams, in the plurality of first detection elements;
• a shift amount calculation circuit configured to calculate, based on the positional relationship, a shift amount for aligning the plurality of first detection elements with the multiple secondary electron beams;
• a movement mechanism configured to move, using the shift amount, the multi-detector relatively to the multiple secondary electron beams;
• and
• a comparison circuit configured to compare a secondary electron image of an inspection substrate placed on the stage with a predetermined image, wherein
• the secondary electron image is acquired by irradiating the inspection substrate on the stage with multiple primary electron beams, and detecting, by the multi-detector, the multiple secondary electron beams emitted from the inspection substrate due to the irradiating with the multiple primary electron beams.