Apparatus for inspection with electron beam, method for operating same, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device using former

A substrate inspection apparatus comprising:

• a. a beam source for emitting an electron beam having a specified width;
• b. a primary electron optical system for introducing said electron beam to a surface of a substrate subject to an inspection;
• c. a secondary electron optical system for guiding secondary electrons emitted from said substrate to a detecting system;
• d. an image processing system for forming a secondary electron image based on a detection signal of a secondary electron beam obtained by said detecting system;
• e. a stage for holding said substrate in such a manner that said substrate may be moved successively with at least one degree of freedom;
• f. an inspection chamber for said substrate;
• g. a substrate conveying mechanism capable of carrying said substrate into said inspection chamber and taking it out therefrom;
• h. an image processing analyzer capable of detecting a defective location on the substrate loaded into said inspection chamber based on the secondary electron image formed by said image processing system;
• i. a vibration isolating mechanism for said inspection chamber;
• j. a vacuum system capable of controlling a vacuum atmosphere to be maintained in said inspection chamber;
• and
• k. a control system for indicating and/or storing said defective location on said substrate detected by said image processing analyzer, and
• in which said detecting system is incorporated with a feed-through unit, said feed-through unit comprising:
• a feed-through section made of an electrical insulating material;
• at least one electricity introduction pin fixedly attached to said feed-through section;
• and a connecting wiring for connecting said at least one electricity introduction pin with a functional element, wherein said functional element includes a sensor, and both a pressure and a kind of gas in an inside of said feed-through section are different from those of an outside thereof, respectively.

A substrate inspection apparatus comprising:

• a. a beam source for emitting an electron beam having a specified width;
• b. a primary electron optical system for introducing said electron beam to a surface of a substrate subject to an inspection;
• c. a secondary electron optical system for guiding secondary electrons emitted from said substrate to a detecting system;
• d. an image processing system for forming a secondary electron image based on a detection signal of a secondary electron beam obtained by said detecting system;
• e. a state for holding said substrate in such a manner that said substrate may be moved successively with at least one degree of freedom;
• f. an inspection chamber for said substrate;
• g. a substrate conveying mechanism capable of carrying said substrate into said inspection chamber and taking out it therefrom;
• h. an image processing analyzer capable of detecting a defective location on the substrate loaded into said inspection chamber based on the secondary electron image formed by said image processing system;
• i. a vibration isolating mechanism for said inspection chamber;
• j. a vacuum system capable of controlling a vacuum atmosphere to be maintained in said inspection chamber;
• and
• k. a control system for indicating and/or storing said defective location on said substrate detected by said image processing analyzer, and in which said stage is provided with a non-contact supporting mechanism by means of a hydrostatic bearing and a vacuum sealing mechanism by means of a differential pumping, and
• a divider is arranged between a location on said substrate subject to the electron beam irradiation and a hydrostatic bearing supporting section of said stage so as to reduce a conductance, so that
• a pressure difference may be generated between the electron beam irradiated region and said hydrostatic bearing supporting section.

A substrate inspection apparatus comprising:

• a. a beam source for emitting an electron beam having a specified width;
• b. a primary electron optical system for introducing said electron beam to a surface of a substrate subject to an inspection;
• c. a secondary electron optical system for guiding secondary electrons emitted from said substrate to a detecting system;
• d. an image processing system for forming a secondary electron image based on a detection signal of a secondary electron beam obtained by said detecting system;
• e. a stage for holding said substrate in such a manner that said substrate may be moved successively with at least one degree of freedom;
• f. an inspection chamber for said substrate;
• g. a substrate conveying mechanism capable of carrying said substrate into said inspection chamber and taking it out therefrom;
• h. an image processing analyzer capable of detecting a defective location on the substrate loaded into said inspection chamber based on the secondary electron image formed by said image processing system;
• i. a vibration isolating mechanism for said inspection chamber;
• j. a vacuum system capable of controlling a vacuum atmosphere to be maintained in said inspection chamber;
• and
• k. a control system for indicating and/or storing said defective location on said substrate detected by said image processing analyzer, and
• wherein said substrate has a pattern of a minimum line width “d” and said substrate is scanned with a predetermined scanning width, and wherein
• a beam diameter “D” of the primary electron beam is selected such that a modulation transfer function MTF of a signal at a time when the primary electron beam has observed a cycle pattern having a pitch equivalent to a doubled minimum line width “d” should be 0.42≦MTF≦0.8.