IP Library Granted Patent US 8,742,375
Granted Patent B2
US 8,742,375 · App. 13/322,394 · Granted Jun 3, 2014

Scanning electron microscope device, evaluation point generating method, and program

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,742,375
App. No.
13/322,394
Granted
Jun 3, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image acquisition condition necessary to so arrange FOV's as not to overlap along a device shape so that all constituent arreas necessary for electric characteristic measurement may be confined in the FOV's is determined from device shape information (including circuit design data and layout design data) possessed by CAD data. Since, contingently upon the shape of a wiring portion, the wiring portion of a device is expressed by using a plurality of basic constituent figures in combination, a process of arranging FOV's to the individual constituent figures is executed. For a cell portion, a FOV is arranged in reference to a cell outer frame and apexes. At that time, any apex is a starting point of the FOV arrangement process and another apex is an end point of the same process.

Claims (20)

1. A scanning electron microscope device for irradiating an electron beam on an evaluation point on an evaluation device and capturing an image of the evaluation point, comprising:

an input unit for inputting CAD data of said evaluation device;

an evaluation point generation unit for determining an evaluation point of said evaluation device on the basis of said CAD data; and

an output unit for outputting information of said evaluation point determined by said evaluation point generation unit, wherein

said evaluation point generation unit identifies a wiring portion and a cell portion on said evaluation device on the basis of said CAD data, determines a FOV (Field Of View) corresponding to said evaluation point in respect of the identified portion, and arranges the determined FOV at said identified portion.

2. A scanning electron microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein said evaluation point generation unit identifies said wiring portion and said cell portion by collating circuit design data with layout design data, both included in said CAD data.

3. A scanning electron microscope device according to claim 2 further comprising a basic constituent figure database for storing a plurality of kinds of basic constituent figures constituting the device, wherein

said evaluation point generation unit extracts basic constituent figures said layout design data has by consulting said basic constituent figure database,

identifies, for said wiring portion, a plurality of apexes of basic constituent figures constituting the wiring portion, and determines a first apex and a second apex at which arrangement of FOV's starts and ends, respectively, and

arranges said FOV's in a direction of from said first apex to said second apex in such a manner that an mutually overlapping area of FOV's is minimized.

4. A scanning electron microscope device according to claim 3 , wherein in respect of the cell portion, said evaluation point generation unit identifies, from a cell contour, a start apex representing a FOV arrangement start point and an end apex representing a FOV arrangement end point, and arranges FOV's in sequence from the start apex toward the end apex in such a manner that alternate FOV's do not overlap mutually.

5. A scanning electron microscope device according to claim 3 , wherein when said wiring portion is constituted by a plurality of basic constituent figures, said evaluation point generation unit determines said first and second apexes in respect of each of the basic constituent figures and then arranges FOV's.

6. A scanning electron microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein said output unit includes a display processor for displaying a status of the arrangement of said FOV's on said evaluation device when said FOV arrangement process is finished.

7. A scanning electron microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein said evaluation point generation unit applies to each of said arranged FOV's a label indicative of the order of image-pickup.

8. An evaluation point generating method in a scanning electron microscope device for irradiating an electron beam on an evaluation point on an evaluation device and capturing an image of the evaluation point, comprising the steps of:

capturing CAD data of said evaluation device inputted from an input unit;

causing an evaluation point generation unit to determine an evaluation point of said evaluation device on the basis of said CAD data; and

causing an output unit to output information of said evaluation point determined by said evaluation point generation unit, wherein

in said evaluation point determining step, said evaluation point generation unit identifies a wiring portion and a cell portion on said evaluation device on the basis of said CAD data, determines a FOV (Field Of View) corresponding to said evaluation point in respect of the identified portion, and arranges the determined FOV at said identified portion.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for carrying out the evaluation point generating method as recited in claim 8 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052259/0227 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2011
From: KAWASAKI, TAKAHIRO
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027276/0258 →