# US 9,521,372 B2 · Pattern measuring apparatus, pattern measuring method, and computer-readable recording medium on which a pattern measuring program is recorded > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,372 B2 - Document ID: US9521372B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/898,620 - Filed: 2013-05-21 - Published: 2013-12-05 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-21 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Yoshinori Momonoi; Koichi Hamada; Yuji Takagi; Michio Hatano; Hideyuki Kazumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521372B2 ## CPC - H04N 7/18: Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast - G06T 7/0006: {using a design-rule based approach} - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - G06T 2207/10061: from scanning electron microscope - G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract There is provided a technique to correctly select and measure a pattern to be measured even when contours of the pattern are close to each other in a sample including a plurality of patterns on a substantially same plane. A pattern measuring apparatus that scans a sample with charged particles, forms a detected image by detecting secondary charged particles or backscattered charged particles generated from the sample, and measures a pattern imaged on the detected image includes: an image acquiring section acquiring a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different imaging conditions; a contour extracting section extracting a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; a contour reconstructing section reconstructing a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; and a contour measuring section making a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pattern measuring apparatus that scans a sample with charged particles, forms a detected image by detecting secondary charged particles or backscattered charged particles generated from the sample, and measures a pattern imaged on the detected image, the apparatus comprising: an image acquiring section acquiring a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different imaging conditions; a contour extracting section extracting a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; a contour reconstructing section reconstructing a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; a contour measuring section making a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured; and an interface simultaneously displaying pattern contours extracted from a plurality of detected images acquired at the substantially same location on the sample, wherein the interface has a contour extracting method setting section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pattern measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a position shift detecting section detecting an imaging position shift using a pattern imaged in common among the plurality of detected images, wherein the contour reconstructing section reconstructs the contour to be measured by reflecting the imaging position shift thereon. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pattern measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the position shift detecting section uses a pattern different from the pattern to be measured to detect the imaging position shift. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pattern measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of images in which the imaging position shifts in the plurality of detected images are corrected are stored as a single piece of data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pattern measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample to be measured is constituted by a plurality of layers, and there are a plurality of patterns to be measured each of which including at least one pattern belonging to a layer different from one another. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pattern measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the contour reconstructing section, there are a plurality of pattern contours extracted from at least one image. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pattern measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein said different imaging conditions comprise a first imaging condition and a second imaging condition, wherein images at all measuring locations on said sample are taken under the first and second imaging conditions, wherein said first imaging condition uses 500 V of incident energy of an electron beam, 2 pA of current, and a first scanning speed, and wherein said second imaging condition uses 1600 V of incident energy of an electron beam, 16 pA of current, and a second scanning speed that is less than the first scanning speed. ### Claim 8 A pattern measuring apparatus that scans a sample with charged particles, forms a detected image by detecting secondary charged particles or backscattered charged particles generated from the sample, and measures a pattern imaged on the detected image, the apparatus comprising: an image acquiring section acquiring a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different detecting conditions; a contour extracting section extracting a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; a contour reconstructing section reconstructing a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; a contour measuring section making a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured; and an interface simultaneously displaying pattern contours extracted from a plurality of detected images acquired at the substantially same location on the sample, wherein the interface has a contour extracting method setting section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pattern measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sample to be measured is constituted by a plurality of layers, and there are a plurality of patterns to be measured each of which including at least one pattern belonging to a layer different from one another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The pattern measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the contour reconstructing section, there are a plurality of pattern contours extracted from at least one image. ### Claim 11 A pattern measuring method of scanning a sample with charged particles, forming a detected image by detecting secondary charged particles or backscattered charged particles generated from the sample, and measuring a pattern imaged on the detected image, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different imaging conditions; extracting a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; reconstructing a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; making a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured; and simultaneously displaying, using an interface having a contour extracting method setting section, pattern contours extracted from a plurality of detected images acquired at the substantially same location on the sample. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The pattern measuring method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of: detecting an imaging position shift using a pattern imaged in common among the plurality of detected images, wherein the reconstructing the contour to be measured reconstructs the contour to be measured by reflecting the imaging position shift thereon. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The pattern measuring method according to claim 12 further comprising the steps of: determining whether a measurement value is normal or abnormal; and redoing the detection of the imaging position shift, if the measurement value is abnormal, wherein the step of reconstructing the contour to be measured reconstructs the contour to be measured by reflecting the redetected imaging position shift thereon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The pattern measuring method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of: comparing a plurality of extracted contours to make a determination, wherein if it is determined that the same contour is selected, the extraction of the pattern contour is performed again at the step of extracting a plurality of pattern contours. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The pattern measuring method of claim 11, wherein said different imaging conditions comprise a first imaging condition and a second imaging condition, wherein images at all measuring locations on said sample are taken under the first and second imaging conditions, wherein said first imaging condition uses 500 V of incident energy of an electron beam, 2 pA of current, and a first scanning speed, and wherein said second imaging condition uses 1600 V of incident energy of an electron beam, 16 pA of current, and a second scanning speed that is less than the first scanning speed. ### Claim 16 A pattern measuring method of scanning a sample with charged particles, forming a detected image by detecting secondary charged particles or backscattered charged particles generated from the sample, and measuring a pattern imaged on the detected image, the method including the steps of: acquiring a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different detecting conditions; extracting a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; reconstructing a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; making a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured; and simultaneously displaying, using an interface having a contour extracting method setting section, pattern contours extracted from a plurality of detected images acquired at the substantially same location on the sample. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which a pattern measuring program for causing a computer to execute a measurement of a pattern imaged on a detected image acquired by a charged particle beam device is recorded, the program causes the computer to: read a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different imaging conditions; extract a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; reconstruct a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; make a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured; and simultaneously display, using an interface having a contour extracting method setting section, pattern contours extracted from a plurality of detected images acquired at the substantially same location on the sample. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which the pattern measuring program is recorded according to claim 17, the program further causing the computer to: detect an imaging position shift using a pattern imaged in common among the plurality of detected images, wherein to reconstruct the contour to be measured reconstructs the contour to be measured by reflecting the imaging position shift thereon. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which the pattern measuring program is recorded according to claim 17, wherein said different imaging conditions comprise a first imaging condition and a second imaging condition, wherein images at all measuring locations on said sample are taken under the first and second imaging conditions, wherein said first imaging condition uses 500 V of incident energy of an electron beam, 2 pA of current, and a first scanning speed, and wherein said second imaging condition uses 1600 V of incident energy of an electron beam, 16 pA of current, and a second scanning speed that is less than the first scanning speed.