# US 7,411,191 B2 · Inspection system by charged particle beam and method of manufacturing devices using the system

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- Number: US 7,411,191 B2
- Document ID: US7411191B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/806,573
- Filed: 2007-06-01
- Published: 2007-10-11
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2000-06-27
- Assignees: Ebara Corporation; Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Mamoru Nakasuji; Nobuharu Noji; Tohru Satake; Masahiro Hatakeyama; Toshifumi Kimba; Hiroshi Sobukawa; Shoji Yoshikawa; Takeshi Murakami; Kenji Watanabe; Tsutomu Karimata; Shin Oowada; Mutsumi Saito; Yuichiro Yamazaki; Takamitsu Nagai; Ichirota Nagahama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7411191B2

## CPC

- H01J 29/70: Arrangements for deflecting ray or beam {(H01J29/467, H01J29/525 take precedence)}
- G01N 23/225: using electron or ion
- G01N 23/2251: using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM]
- G01N 23/227: Measuring photoelectric effect, e.g. photoelectron emission microscopy [PEEM]
- H01J 37/06: Electron sources; Electron guns
- H01J 37/073: Electron guns using field emission, photo emission, or secondary emission electron sources
- H01J 37/185: {Means for transferring objects between different enclosures of different pressure or atmosphere}
- H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support
- H01J 37/222: {Image processing arrangements associated with the tube}
- H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor
- H01J 37/266: {Measurement of magnetic or electric fields in the object; Lorentzmicroscopy (spot analysing H01J37/252; emission microscopes H01J37/285; reflecting microscopes H01J37/29)}
- H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)}
- H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers}
- H10P 72/0471: {comprising at least one ion or electron beam chamber}
- H01J 37/141: Electromagnetic lenses
- H01J 2237/082: Electron beam
- H01J 2237/202: Movement
- H01J 2237/20228: Mechanical X-Y scanning
- H01J 2237/204: Means for introducing and/or outputting objects
- H01J 2237/22: Treatment of data
- H01J 2237/24564: Measurements of electric or magnetic variables, e.g. voltage, current, frequency
- H01J 2237/2806: Secondary charged particle
- H01J 2237/2816: Length
- H01J 2237/2817: Pattern inspection
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An inspection apparatus according for inspecting a sample for defects, comprising;
a sample chamber for holding a substrate in a vacuum environment;
a charged particle irradiation means capable of irradiating a primary charged particles against said sample;
a projecting means for projecting secondary charged particles emanated from said sample by the irradiation of said primary charged particles so as to form an image;
a detection means for detecting an image formed by said projecting means as an electron image of said sample; and
a defect evaluation means for determining a defect in said sample based on an electron image detected by said detection means;
a UV lamp located outside said sample chamber;
a photoelectron emission plate disposed in said sample chamber; and
wherein said sample chamber having a transparent window for passing through UV ray from said UV lamp to said photoelectron emission plate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An inspection apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said UV photoelectron emission plate is applied a negative voltage.

### Claim 3

An inspection method for inspecting a sample for any defects, comprising:
a locating process for locating a sample in a sample chamber being evacuated to a vacuum;
an irradiating process for irradiating primary charged particles against said sample:
a projecting process for projecting secondary charged particles emanated from said sample by the irradiation of said primary charged particles so as to form an image;
a detecting process for detecting said image formed in said projecting process as an electron image of said sample; and
a defect evaluating process for determining a defect in said sample based on said electron image detected in said detecting process, said method further comprising:
a UV emitting process for emitting UV ray from a UV lamp located outside said sample chamber to a photoelectron emission plate located in said sample chamber said UV ray passes through a transparent window disposed at a side wall of said sample chamber; and
a photoelectron supplying process for supplying said sample from said photoelectron emission plate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

An inspection method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said photoelectron emission plate is applied a negative voltage.