Methods, systems and computer program products for measuring critical dimensions of fine patterns using scanning electron microscope pictures and secondary electron signal profiles

A method of measuring a width of a pattern, comprising:

• loading a sample on a stage of a scanning electron microscope;
• moving an observation field of the scanning electron microscope to an inspection pattern on a sample to acquire a secondary electron signal profile and a scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern;
• determining whether the inspection pattern is defective by comparing the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern and the secondary electron signal profile thereof with a scanning electron microscope picture of a standard pattern and a secondary electron signal profile thereof, respectively;
• and
• measuring a width of the inspection pattern that is determined to be non-defective.

A system of measuring a width, comprising:

• a picture forming unit that is configured to form a scanning electron microscope picture of an inspection pattern;
• a secondary electron signal profile forming unit that is configured to form a secondary electron signal profile from the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern;
• a storage unit that is configured to store a scanning electron microscope picture and a secondary electron signal profile of a standard pattern;
• a pattern matching unit that is configured to compare the scanning electron signal microscope picture and the secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern with the scanning electronic microscope picture and the secondary electron signal profile of the standard pattern, respectively, to determine whether the inspection pattern is non-defective or defective;
• and
• a measuring unit that is configured to measure a width of an inspection pattern that is determined to be non-defective.

A computer program product that is configured to measure a width, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• computer-readable program code that is configured to form a scanning electron microscope picture of an inspection pattern in a computer;
• computer-readable program code that is configured to form a secondary electron signal profile from the scanning electron signal microscope picture of the inspection pattern;
• computer-readable program code that is configured to store a scanning electron microscope picture and a secondary electron signal profile of a standard pattern;
• computer-readable program code that is configured to determine whether the inspection pattern is non-defective or defective by comparing the scanning electron signal microscope picture and the secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern with the scanning electronic microscope picture and the secondary electron signal profile of the standard pattern, respectively;
• and
• computer-readable program code that is configured to measure a width of an inspection pattern that is determined to be non-defective.