Fine pattern inspection apparatus and method and managing apparatus and method of critical dimension scanning electron microscope device

An apparatus connectable to CD-SEM devices and which manages the Critical Dimension—Scanning Electron Microscope devices, said managing apparatus comprising:

• a calculation unit which receives data of a secondary electron signal from a plurality of different CD-SEM devices and receives data of an contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns, the secondary electron signal being obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns formed on a test substrate with an electron beam, the test substrate being the same as a substrate on which a pattern to be inspected is formed, the test pattern being formed with different cross-sectional shapes, and which separates said secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal, for each of the CD-SEM devices;
• a storing unit which stores said first function obtained from said calculation unit for each of the CD-SEM devices;
• and
• a monitoring unit which monitors performance differences among the CD-SEM devices by mutually comparing said first functions among the CD-SEM devices.

An apparatus connectable to a CD-SEM device and which manages the CD-SEM device, said managing apparatus comprising:

• a calculation unit which receives data of a secondary electron signal from the CD-SEM device at different times and receives data of an contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns, the secondary electron signal being obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns with an electron beam, the test patterns being formed on a substrate with different cross-sectional shapes, and which separates said secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal, at each of the times;
• a storing unit which stores said first function obtained from said calculation unit in association with each of said times;
• and
• a monitoring unit which monitors time-based variations in the CD-SEM devices by mutually comparing said first functions among said times.

A fine pattern inspection method comprising:

• acquiring data of a first secondary electron signal obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns formed on a test substrate with an electron beam, the test substrate being the same as a substrate on which a pattern to be inspected is formed, the test patterns being formed with different cross-sectional shapes, and acquiring data of an contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns;
• separating said first secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal;
• recording said first through third functions obtained from said separation of variables;
• acquiring data of a second secondary electron signal obtained by irradiating the pattern to be inspected with an electron beam;
• and
• executing calculations so as to extract components relating to the cross-sectional shape of the pattern to be inspected from said second secondary electron signal by using said first through third functions that have been recorded.

A managing method of a CD-SEM device comprising:

• acquiring data of a secondary electron signal from a plurality of different CD-SEM devices, the secondary electron signal being obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns with an electron beam, the test patterns being formed on a substrate with different cross-sectional shapes;
• acquiring data of a contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns;
• separating said secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal, for each of the CD-SEM devices;
• recording said first function for each of the CD-SEM devices;
• and
• monitoring performance differences among the CD-SEM devices by mutually comparing said first functions among the CD-SEM devices.

A managing method of a CD-SEM device comprising:

• acquiring data of a secondary electron signal from the CD-SEM device at different times, the secondary electron signal being obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns with an electron beam, the test patterns being formed on a substrate with different cross-sectional shapes;
• acquiring data of a contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns;
• separating said secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal, at each of the times;
• recording said first function obtained from said separation of variables in association with each of said times;
• and
• monitoring time-based variations in the CD-SEM devices by mutually comparing said first functions among said times.

A program which allows a computer to execute a fine pattern inspection method comprising:

• acquiring data of a first secondary electron signal obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns formed on a test substrate with an electron beam, the test substrate being the same as a substrate on which a pattern to be inspected is formed, the test patterns being formed with different cross-sectional shapes, and acquiring data of an contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns;
• separating said first secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal;
• recording said first through third functions obtained from said separation of variables;
• acquiring data of a second secondary electron signal obtained by irradiating the pattern to be inspected with an electron beam;
• and
• executing calculations so as to extract components relating to the cross-sectional shape of the pattern to be inspected from said second secondary electron signal by using said first through third functions that have been recorded.

A program which allows a computer to execute a managing method of a CD-SEM device comprising:

• acquiring data of a secondary electron signal from a plurality of different CD-SEM devices, the secondary electron signal being obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns with an electron beam, the test patterns being formed on a substrate with different cross-sectional shapes;
• acquiring data of a contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns;
• separating said secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal, for each of the CD-SEM devices;
• recording said first function for each of the CD-SEM devices;
• and
• monitoring performance differences among the CD-SEM devices by mutually comparing said first functions among the CD-SEM devices.

A program which allows a computer to execute a managing method of a CD-SEM device comprising:

• acquiring data of a secondary electron signal from the CD-SEM device at different times, the secondary electron signal being obtained by irradiating a plurality of test patterns with an electron beam, the test patterns being formed on a substrate with different cross-sectional shapes;
• acquiring data of a contour shape of a cross-section of each of the test patterns;
• separating said secondary electron signal into variables of a first function containing said contour shape of the cross-section as arguments, a second function that is defined by a step function depending on respective materials constituting the test patterns and a third function that represents the size of a distortion of the signal, at each of the times;
• recording said first function obtained from said separation of variables in association with each of said times;
• and
• monitoring time-based variations in the CD-SEM devices by mutually comparing said first functions among said times.