IP Library Granted Patent US 7,491,945
Granted Patent B2
US 7,491,945 · App. 11/038,161 · Granted Feb 17, 2009

Charged particle beam apparatus, charged particle beam control method, substrate inspection method and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,491,945
App. No.
11/038,161
Granted
Feb 17, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A charged particle beam apparatus includes: a charged particle beam generator which generates a charged particle beam; a projection optical system which generates a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on an external substrate; and deflectors arranged so as to surround an optical axis of the charged particle beam; the deflectors generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field to deflect the charged particle beam and to control a position to irradiate the substrate, and being configured so that intensity of the deflection field in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate.

Claims (11)

1. A charged particle beam apparatus comprising: a charged particle beam generator which generates a charged particle beam; a projection optical system which generates a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on an external substrate; and

a single stage deflector arranged so as to surround an optical axis of the charged particle beam, the deflector generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field to deflect the charged particle beam and to control a position to irradiate the substrate, the deflector, comprising a pair of opposed electrodes, being configured so that space between surfaces of the opposed electrodes across the optical axis changes stepwise in a direction of the optical axis and an intensity of the deflection field is changed in a direction of the optical axis in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate.

2. A charged particle beam apparatus comprising: a charged particle beam generator which generates a charged particle beam; a projection optical system which generates a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on an external substrate; and

a single stage deflector arranged so as to surround an optical axis of the charged particle beam, the deflector generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field to deflect the charged particle beam and to control a position to irradiate the substrate, the deflector being formed so that surfaces across the optical axis thereof have an angle of inclination tapering in a direction of the optical axis from an image surface side to an object surface side and an intensity of the deflection field is changed in a direction of the optical axis in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate.

3. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the angle of inclination changes in the optical axis direction.

4. A method of controlling a charged particle beam which is generated and applied to a substrate, the method comprising: generating a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on the substrate; and generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field with the use of a single stage deflector to control a position to irradiate the substrate by deflecting the charged particle beam, the deflector, comprising a pair of opposed electrodes, being configured so that space between surfaces of the opposed electrodes across the optical axis changes stepwise in a direction of the optical axis and the deflection field being configured so that intensity thereof in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate.

5. A substrate inspection method comprising: generating a charged particle beam to irradiate a substrate; generating a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on the substrate; generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field with the use of a single stage deflector arranged so as to surround an optical axis of the charged particle beam to control a position to irradiate the substrate by deflecting the charged particle beam, the deflector, comprising a pair of opposed electrodes, being configured so that space between surfaces of the opposed electrodes across the optical axis changes stepwise in a direction of the optical axis and the deflection field being configured so that intensity thereof in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate; and detecting at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles produced from the wafer by the irradiation of the charged particle beam, in order to create a two-dimensional image representing a state in a surface of the substrate.

6. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a substrate inspection method, the substrate inspection method including: generating a charged particle beam to irradiate a substrate; generating a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on the substrate; generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field with the use of a single stage deflector to deflect the charged particle beam and control a position to irradiate the substrate, the deflector, comprising a pair of opposed electrodes, being configured so that space between surfaces of the opposed electrodes across the optical axis changes stepwise in a direction of the optical axis and the deflection field being configured so that intensity thereof in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate; and detecting at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles produced from the wafer by the irradiation of the charged particle beam, in order to create a two-dimensional image representing a state in a surface of the substrate.

7. A method of controlling a charged particle beam which is generated and applied to a substrate, the method comprising: generating a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on the substrate; and generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field with the use of a single stage deflector to control a position to irradiate the substrate by deflecting the charged particle beam, the deflector being formed so that surfaces thereof across the optical axis have an angle of inclination tapering in a direction of the optical axis from an image surface side to an object surface side and the deflection field being configured so that intensity thereof in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate.

8. A substrate inspection method comprising: generating a charged particle beam to irradiate a substrate; generating a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on the substrate; generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field with the use of a single stage deflector arranged so as to surround an optical axis of the charged particle beam to control a position to irradiate the substrate by deflecting the charged particle beam, the deflector being formed so that surfaces thereof across the optical axis have an angle of inclination tapering in a direction of the optical axis from an image surface side to an object surface side and the deflection field being configured so that intensity thereof in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate; and detecting at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles produced from the wafer by the irradiation of the charged, particle beam, in order to create a two-dimensional image representing a state in a surface of the substrate.

9. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a substrate inspection method, the substrate inspection method including: generating a charged a charged particle beam to irradiate a substrate; generating a lens field to focus the charged particle beam on the substrate; generating a deflection field which is superposed on the lens field with the use of a single stage deflector to deflect the charged particle beam and control a position to irradiate the substrate, the deflector being formed so that surfaces thereof across the optical axis have an angle of inclination tapering in a direction of the optical axis from an image surface side to an object surface side and the deflection field being configured so that intensity thereof in a direction of the optical axis is changed in accordance with an angle with which the charged particle beam should fall onto the substrate; and detecting at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles produced from the wafer by the irradiation of the charged particle beam, in order to create a two-dimensional image representing a state in a surface of the substrate.

Assignments (5)
MERGER Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: K.K. PANGEA
Reel/Frame 055659/0471 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: K.K. PANGEA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0401 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2018
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 045433/0337 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2005
From: NAGANO, OSAMU
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 016647/0511 →