Charged particle apparatus, scanning electron microscope, and sample inspection method

Abstract

An object of the invention is to be able to select easily and quickly inspection recipes which are appropriate to samples from any number of inspection recipes. A calculating device displays a plurality of inspection recipes on the GUI. An inspection recipe includes settings for controlling charged particle columns which irradiate charged particles on samples with a plurality of characteristics. Plural inspection recipes are arranged and displayed on a coordinate system which is specified by a plurality of axes having characteristic values (robustness variable of charge up, throughput of defect inspection, and accuracy of defect inspection) which have mutually trade-off relationships.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an outline diagram of the charged particle apparatus which is appropriate for use with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a typical inspection recipe;

FIG. 3 shows typical dependencies with respect to the beam current 73 of the throughput of defect inspection 92;

FIG. 4 shows typical dependencies for a beam current 73 for the robustness variable of charge up;

FIG. 5 explains the operation flow of the charged particle apparatus which is appropriate for use with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 explains the selection processing (S107) for inspection recipes shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows one example of a selection screen for inspection recipes which is formed by the flow shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows one example of the details for inspection recipes which is displayed by FIG. 6's S1076;

FIG. 9 shows one example of observations which are displayed along with a selection screen for inspection recipes in the flow shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 shows a modification of a selection screen for inspection recipes formed by the flow in FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 shows a modification of a selection screen for inspection recipes formed by the flow in FIG. 6;

FIG. 12 shows a modification of the inspection recipes;

FIG. 13 shows a modification of a selection screen for inspection recipes formed by the flow in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 14 explains a modification of the operation flow of the charged particle apparatus shown in FIG. 5.

Claims

1. A charged particle apparatus, comprising: a charged particle beam column which irradiates a charged particle beam on samples;a stage which contains the sample;a detector which detects the particles which are generated from the sample by irradiating on the sample the charged particle beam;a charged particle control means which controls the charged particle column;a display control means which displays on a monitor control parameters for the charged particle control means which has a plurality of characteristics;an input means which indicates the characteristics which apply respectively to a plurality of axes,wherein the display control means displays on the monitor by arranging a plurality of previously described control parameters on a coordinate system which specifies a plurality of axes having characteristic values which are respectively indicated by the input means.

2. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of axes has a vertical and horizontal axis, andwherein the coordinate system is a 2-D coordinate system which is specified by the vertical axis and the horizontal axis.

3. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the characteristic values which are acceptable for the vertical axis and the characteristic values that are acceptable for the horizontal axis have a mutual trade-off relationship for the characteristic values of the control parameters.

4. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an image analysis means which forms image data through image analysis processing on detection signals of the detector; andan inspection means which detects defects by pattern masking processing the image data which was formed by the image analysis means.

5. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control parameters include settings for the charged particle control means, settings for the image analysis means, and characteristics of defect inspection for the detection means as the plurality of characteristics.

6. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting for the charged particle control means are control conditions of pre-irradiation doses, andwherein the settings of the image analysis means are SEM (scanning electron microscope) observation conditions.

7. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control parameters, as previously described inspection characteristics, include at least 2 among throughput of defect inspection, accuracy of defect inspection and the robustness variable of charge up.

8. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input means displays on a previously described monitor selection screen for selecting the characteristic values that are acceptable for everyone of a plurality of axes.

9. A charged particle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of previously described control parameters further has a memory means by which the control parameters are stored, andwherein the display control means displays on a previously described monitor, through arrangement on the coordinate system, the plurality of previously described control parameters which are stored by the memory means.

10. A scanning electron microscope comprising: a stage for placing the sample;a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column which scans the primary electron beam on the sample that was placed on the stage;an image optical system which detects by imaging the electrons which are generated from the sample by the scanning;an image display system which displays by imaging the signal which is detected by the image optical system;a SEM column control device which controls the SEM column;a memory means which stores a plurality of control information for the SEM column control device which has a plurality of characteristics; andan input means which indicates characteristic values that are acceptable for each of the plurality of axes,wherein the display control means displays on the monitor by arranging a plurality of previously described control parameters on a coordinate system which specifies a plurality of axes having characteristic values which are respectively indicated by the input means.

11. A scanning electron microscope according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of axes has a vertical and horizontal axis, and wherein the coordinate system is a 2-D coordinate system which is specified by the vertical axis and the horizontal axis.

12. A scanning electron microscope according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic values which are acceptable for the vertical axis and the characteristic values that are acceptable for the horizontal axis have a mutual trade-off relationship for the characteristic values of the control parameters.

13. A sample inspection method which uses secondary electron signals which are obtained from scanning the charged particle beam on the sample, the method comprising: displaying requested information for characteristic values that are acceptable for each of a plurality of axes which form a coordinate system for displaying a plurality of inspection recipes having respectively a plurality of characteristics;arranging and displaying the plurality of inspection recipes on a coordinate system which is specified by a plurality of axes having characteristic values which are specified in response to the requests, and further receiving the selection of inspection recipes;adjusting the scanning conditions of the electron beam in concert with the selected inspection recipes;detecting the secondary electron signals by scanning the adjusted charged particle beam on the sample; andby processing the detected signal, inspecting the sample.

14. A sample inspection method according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of axes has a vertical and horizontal axis, andthe coordinate system is a 2-D coordinate system which is specified by the vertical axis and the horizontal axis.

15. A sample inspection method according to claim 14, wherein the characteristic values which are acceptable for the vertical axis and the characteristic values that are acceptable for the horizontal axis have a mutual trade-off relationship for the characteristic values of the control parameters.