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AssigneeEbara Corporation
InventorsMamoru Nakasuji, Takao Kato, Kenji Watanabe, Shoji Yoshikawa, Tohru Satake, Nobuharu Noji
Estimating the term…
An electron beam apparatus is provided for reliably measuring a potential contrast and the like at a high throughput in a simple structure. The electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample, such as a wafer, formed with a pattern with an electron beam to evaluate the sample comprises an electron-optical column for accommodating an electron beam source, an objective lens, an E×B separator, and a secondary electron beam detector; a stage for holding the sample, and relatively moving the sample with respect to the electron-optical column; a working chamber for accommodating the stage and capable of controlling the interior thereof in a vacuum atmosphere; a loader for supplying a sample to the stage; a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage to the sample, and capable of applying at least two voltages to a lower electrode of the objective lens; and an alignment mechanism for measuring a direction in which dies are arranged on the sample. When the sample is evaluated, a direction in which the stage is moved is corrected to align with the direction in which the dies are arranged.
An electron beam apparatus having an electro-optical column for illuminating a sample by an electron beam emitted from a thermal electron emitting cathode to detect any one of a secondary electron, a reflected electron and an absorbed electron, wherein a signal/noise ratio or an amount of noise in detecting means is estimated when the sample is illuminated by the electron beam while electric power for heating the cathode is changed to determine a value of the electric power for heating the cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.