# US 2020/0286709 A1 · Multiple electron beam inspection apparatus and multiple electron beam inspection method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0286709 A1 - Document ID: US20200286709A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/777,967 - Filed: 2020-01-31 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-06 - Assignees: NuFlare Technology, Inc. - Applicants: NuFlare Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Masataka SHIRATSUCHI; Riki Ogawa; Hiromu Inoue - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200286709A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor - H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} - H01J 37/22: Optical {, image processing} or photographic arrangements associated with the tube - H01J 37/24: Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for - H01J 2237/153: Correcting image defects, e.g. stigmators - H01J 2237/1532: Astigmatism - H01J 2237/223: Fourier techniques - H01J 2237/2448: Secondary particle detectors - H01J 2237/24578: Spatial variables, e.g. position, distance - H01J 2237/2817: Pattern inspection - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A multiple electron beam inspection apparatus includes a correction circuit that corrects a partial secondary electron image of partial secondary electron images configuring a secondary electron image and obtained by irradiation with a corresponding primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams such that the partial secondary electron image becomes close to a uniform beam partial image when an irradiation region of a primary electron beam corresponding to the partial secondary electron image is irradiated with a uniform beam obtained by equalizing shapes and sizes of all primary electron beams, by using a function for individual correction of each primary electron beam, for each of the plural partial secondary electron images, and an inspection circuit that performs inspection using plural partial secondary electron images each corrected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multiple electron beam inspection apparatus comprising: a secondary electron image acquisition mechanism that acquires a secondary electron image by applying multiple primary electron beams to a substrate where figure patterns are formed, and detecting multiple secondary electron beams emitted from the substrate by irradiation with the multiple primary electron beams; a correction circuit that corrects a partial secondary electron image of partial secondary electron images which configure the secondary electron image such that the partial secondary electron image becomes close to a uniform beam partial image which is acquired by the secondary electron image acquisition mechanism in a case where an irradiation region of a primary electron beam corresponding to the partial secondary electron image is irradiated with a uniform beam obtained by equalizing shapes and sizes of all primary electron beams of the multiple primary electron beams, using a function for individual correction of each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams, for each of the partial secondary electron images; and an inspection circuit that performs inspection using the partial secondary electron images each corrected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a coefficient of the function for individual correction of the each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams is acquired using a secondary electron image of an evaluation pattern which is obtained by the irradiation with the each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, as the uniform beam, a true circle of a predetermined size greater than or equal to a maximum size of each beam size of the multiple primary electron beams is used. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising: a beam shape and size calculation circuit that calculates, in assuming that a beam shape of a primary electron beam on the substrate is an ellipse, a beam radius in a long axis direction of the ellipse, a beam radius in a short axis direction of the ellipse, and an angle in the long axis direction of the ellipse, using the secondary electron image of the evaluation pattern obtained by the irradiation with the primary electron beam, for the each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams; and an extraction circuit that extracts a maximum beam radius in the long axis direction from all beam shapes of the multiple primary electron beams on the substrate, wherein, for the each primary electron beam, the correction circuit corrects, using the function for individual correction of the each primary electron beam, the partial secondary electron image such that a difference between a predetermined beam radius, being greater than or equal to the maximum beam radius, and the beam radius in the long axis direction of the primary electron beam, and a difference between the predetermined beam radius and the beam radius in the short axis direction of the primary electron beam are compensated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the secondary electron image acquisition mechanism includes a multi-detector in which a plurality of detection sensors are arranged, where each of the detection sensors detects a secondary electron beam caused by irradiation with a corresponding primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams, and outputs image data, the correction circuit includes a plurality of sub correction circuits whose number is greater than or equal to that of beams of the multiple primary electron beams, and each sub correction circuit of the sub correction circuits is assigned to a detection sensor such that the each sub correction circuit inputs image data from any one of the detection sensors in the multi-detector, where each of the detection sensors corresponds to one of the sub correction circuits which is different from others. ### Claim 6 A multiple electron beam inspection method comprising: acquiring a secondary electron image by applying multiple primary electron beams to a substrate where figure patterns are formed, and detecting multiple secondary electron beams emitted from the substrate by irradiation with the multiple primary electron beams; correcting a partial secondary electron image of partial secondary electron images which configure the secondary electron image such that the partial secondary electron image becomes close to a uniform beam partial image which is acquired by irradiating an irradiation region of a primary electron beam corresponding to the partial secondary electron image with a uniform beam obtained by equalizing shapes and sizes of all primary electron beams of the multiple primary electron beams, using a function for individual correction of each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams, for each of the partial secondary electron images; and performing inspection using the partial secondary electron images each corrected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein a coefficient of the function for individual correction of the each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams is acquired using a secondary electron image of an evaluation pattern which is obtained by the irradiation with the each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein, as the uniform beam, a true circle of a predetermined size greater than or equal to a maximum size of each beam size of the multiple primary electron beams is used. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7 further comprising: calculating, in assuming that abeam shape of a primary electron beam on the substrate is an ellipse, a beam radius in a long axis direction of the ellipse, a beam radius in a short axis direction of the ellipse, and an angle in the long axis direction of the ellipse, using the secondary electron image of the evaluation pattern obtained by the irradiation with the primary electron beam, for the each primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams; and extracting a maximum beam radius in the long axis direction from all beam shapes of the multiple primary electron beams on the substrate, wherein, for the each primary electron beam, using the function for individual correction of the each primary electron beam, the partial secondary electron image is corrected such that a difference between a predetermined beam radius, being greater than or equal to the maximum beam radius, and the beam radius in the long axis direction of the primary electron beam, and a difference between the predetermined beam radius and the beam radius in the short axis direction of the primary electron beam are compensated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein a secondary electron beam caused by irradiation with a corresponding primary electron beam of the multiple primary electron beams is detected by a plurality of detection sensors in a multi-detector, and image data is output, the correction is performed by a plurality of sub correction circuits, and each sub correction circuit of the sub correction circuits is assigned to a detection sensor such that image data is input from any one of the detection sensors in the multi-detector, where each of the detection sensors corresponds to one of the sub correction circuits which is different from others.