Claims
- 1. A circuit pattern inspection method comprising the steps of:mounting a sample on a sample stage; scanning on said sample with a primary electron beam; registering negative potential values in advance in accordance with material and shape of circuit patterns on samples; applying a zero or one of said registered negative potential values selected in accordance with material and shape of the circuit pattern of said sample to said sample stage or to a vicinity of said sample; controlling said zero or the one of the negative potential values to thereby control energy of the primary electron beam to be radiated onto said sample; detecting secondary charged particles secondarily generated from said sample; forming an image on the basis of a signal from said detector and storing the formed image; comparing the image of a concerned region which is stored in the storage means, with another image of another region in which another same circuit pattern is formed; and judging a defect in the circuit pattern from a result of the comparison.
- 2. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the scanning step is performed before a contrast on a surface of said sample changes.
- 3. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising step for controlling an electric field and magnetic field of a deflector in accordance with the negative potential applied to said sample.
- 4. A circuit pattern inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising step for controlling an electric field and magnetic field of a deflector so as to be interlocked with the negative potential applied to same sample.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8-075243 |
Mar 1996 |
JP |
|
8-141341 |
Jun 1996 |
JP |
|
8-310378 |
Nov 1996 |
JP |
|
9-033476 |
Feb 1997 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 08/811,511, filed Mar. 4, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,363.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
59-155941 |
Sep 1984 |
JP |
59-160948 |
Sep 1984 |
JP |
2-15546 |
Jan 1990 |
JP |
3-167456 |
Jul 1991 |
JP |
6-58220 |
Aug 1994 |
JP |
6-338280 |
Dec 1994 |
JP |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (4)
Entry |
Gekkan Semiconductor World, Aug. 1995, pp. 96-99. |
Journal of Vacuum Science Technology, B, vol. 9, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 1991, pp. 3005-3009. |
Journal of Vacuum Science Technology, B, vol. 10, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 1992, pp. 2804-2808. |
Electron Ion Beam Handbook, Nikkan Kogyo Shinbunsha, pp. 622-623. |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/811511 |
Mar 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/525341 |
|
US |