Projection electron beam apparatus and defect inspection system using the apparatus

An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said multi-pole lens is disposed between a magnification lens of said secondary electro-optical system and beam separating means for separating a primary electron beam and a secondary electron beam.

An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said multi-pole lens is disposed between a reducing lens in said primary electro-optical system and beam separating means for separating a primary electron beam and a secondary electron beam.

An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that:

• said primary electro-optical system comprises means for converting an electron beam from said electron gun into multiple electron beams;
• and
• said detector comprises a detection unit for individually detecting multiple electron beams which make up a secondary electron beam emitted from a point on the sample irradiated with the multiple electron beams.

An electron beam apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said multi-pole lens comprises quadrupole lenses at four stages.

An electron beam apparatus for producing an enlarge view from secondary electrons or reflected electrons emitted from a sample using a projection optical lens system, and detecting the enlarged view using a TDI or a CCD detector to capture a sample image, characterized by shaping an electron beam emitted from an electron gun into a rectangular shape through an aperture, causing the electron beam to pass along a trajectory deviated from the secondary electrons or reflected electrons emitted from the sample below an objective lens, said objective lens comprising a magnetic lens, and setting the distance between the sample and a main surface of the objective lens to be larger than a Bohr radius of the objective lens.

An electron beam apparatus for producing an enlarge view from secondary electrons or reflected electrons emitted from a sample using a projection optical lens system, and detecting the enlarged view using a TDI or a CCD detector to capture a sample image,

• characterized by shaping an electron beam emitted from an electron gun into a rectangular shape through an aperture, causing the electron beam to pass along a trajectory deviated from the secondary electrons or reflected electrons emitted from the sample below an objective lens, a lens at a final stage comprises an electrostatic lens having at least five electrodes, and a voltage applied to a central electrode thereof is different in sign from voltages applied to a preceding and a subsequent electrode thereof.

An electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample with a rectangular primary beam and enlarging and projecting secondary electrons emitted from the sample by an electro-optical system to detect the secondary electrons, characterized in that:

• said electro-optical system comprises an aperture plate having apertures arranged in a ring shape for transforming the secondary electrons into hollow beams.

An electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample with a primary beam emitted from an electron gun through an objective optical system to detect secondary electrons emitted from the sample, characterized by comprising:

• an evaluation apparatus for transforming the primary beam into hollow beams when the primary beam passes through said objective optical system to irradiate the sample with the hollow beams, and detecting the secondary electrons to evaluate the sample;
• and
• a correction lens for correcting the primary beam or the secondary electrons for axial chromatic aberration.

An electron beam apparatus for scanning a sample using a plurality of primary beams arranged in m rows and n columns, and detecting secondary beams emitted from the sample to evaluate the sample, characterized by:

• simultaneously scanning m*n beams in a direction inclined by an angle equivalent to sin−1(1/m) in a row direction, wherein the raster pitch of the scanning is an integer multiple of a pixel dimension.

An electron beam apparatus for irradiating a surface of a sample with an electron beam having a rectangular cross-section, enlarging secondary electron beams emitted from the sample using a projection optical system including an NA aperture plate, and capturing an image of the sample, characterized by:

• disposing said NA aperture plate or forming an optical conjugate plane of said NA aperture plate at a position at which aberration is minimized.

An electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample with a plurality of primary beams, separating a plurality of secondary beams emitted from the sample from the primary beams by a beam separator, extending the distances between the plurality of secondary electron beams by a magnification optical system, and directing the secondary electron beams into a detector, characterized by comprising:

• a correction lens for correcting the plurality of primary beam for axial chromatic aberration, wherein said beam separator is disposed between said correction lens and the sample.

An electron beam apparatus for forming a primary beam into a beam having a rectangular cross-section, conversing the primary beam by an objective lens, irradiating a sample with the primary beam, accelerating and converging secondary electron beams emitted from the sample by the objective lens, enlarging the secondary electron beams by a magnification optical system including an NA aperture plate, and detecting the secondary electron beams by a sensor, characterized in that:

• said objective lens is an electromagnetic lens;
• and
• an optical conjugate plane of said NA aperture plate is located at a position which is passed by the secondary electron beams emitted about a specified direction with respect to a normal direction of the sample.