Charged particle beam device and image forming method using same

1. A charged particle beam device comprising:

a charged particle optical system that irradiates a surface of a sample with a converged charged particle beam so as to perform scanning;

a detection unit that detects secondary charged particles generated from the sample irradiated with the charged particle beam by the charged particle optical system;

an image forming unit that receives a detection signal from the detection unit and forms an image of the sample;

an image processing unit that processes the image formed in the image forming unit; and

a display unit that displays a result processed by the image processing unit,

wherein the image forming unit includes

an analog signal processing portion that processes an analog signal component of the detection signal in the detection unit,

a pulse count method signal processing portion that processes a pulse signal component of the detection signal in the detection unit, and

an image combination processing portion that combines a signal from the analog signal processing portion with a signal from the pulse count method signal processing portion.

2. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the analog signal processing portion receives a detection signal output from the detection unit when the charged particle optical system irradiates and scans the same region on the sample surface with the charged particle beam a plurality of times, so as to form a plurality of frame images, forms an addition image by adding the plurality of formed frame images together, and outputs the formed addition image to the image combining portion.

3. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the pulse count method signal processing portion receives a detection signal output from the detection unit when the charged particle optical system irradiates and scans the same region on the sample surface with the charged particle beam a plurality of times, so as to detect pulses exceeding a preset threshold value, stores position information of the detected pulses over a plurality of frames, generates an image by adding the position information of the detected pulses corresponding to the plurality of frames, and outputs the generated image to the image combining portion.

4. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the analog signal processing portion extracts a low frequency signal component from a detection signal in the detection unit through a low-pass filter, and processes the extracted low frequency signal component so as to form an image.

5. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the pulse count method signal processing portion extracts a high frequency signal component from a detection signal in the detection unit through a high-pass filter, and processes the extracted high frequency signal component so as to form an image.

6. The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the detection unit includes

a first detector that detects a secondary charged particle having relatively low energy generated from the sample irradiated with the charged particle beam by the charged particle optical system, and

a second detector that detects a secondary charged particle having relatively high energy generated from the sample irradiated with the charged particle beam by the charged particle optical system, and

wherein the analog signal processing portion processes a detection signal output from the first detector, and the pulse count method signal processing portion processes a detection signal output from the second detector.

7. An image forming method using a charged particle beam device, the method comprising:

causing a charged particle optical system to irradiate a surface of a sample with a converged charged particle beam so as to perform scanning;

causing a detection unit to detect secondary charged particles generated from the sample irradiated with the charged particle beam by the charged particle optical system;

causing an image forming unit to receive a detection signal from the detection unit having detected the secondary charged particles and to form an image of the sample;

causing an image processing unit to process the image formed in the image forming unit; and

causing a display unit to display a result processed by the image processing unit,

wherein forming an image of the sample in the image forming unit includes

causing an analog signal processing portion to process an analog signal component of the detection signal in the detection unit so as to form an image,

causing a pulse count method signal processing portion to process a pulse signal component of the detection signal in the detection unit so as to form an image, and

causing an image combination processing portion to combine the image formed in the analog signal processing portion with the image formed in the pulse count method signal processing portion.

8. The image forming method using a charged particle beam device according to claim 7 ,

wherein forming an image in the analog signal processing portion includes causing the analog signal processing portion to receive a detection signal output from the detection unit when the charged particle optical system irradiates and scans the same region on the sample surface with the charged particle beam a plurality of times, so as to form a plurality of frame images, to form an addition image by adding the plurality of formed frame images together, and to output the formed addition image to the image combining portion.

9. The image forming method using a charged particle beam device according to claim 7 ,

wherein forming an image in the pulse count method signal processing portion includes causing the pulse count method signal processing portion to receive detection signals corresponding to a plurality of frames output from the detection unit when the charged particle optical system irradiates and scans the same region on the sample surface with the charged particle beam a plurality of times, so as to detect pulses exceeding a preset threshold value, to store position information of the detected pulses over a plurality of frames, to generate an image by adding the position information of the detected pulses corresponding to the plurality of frames, and to output the generated image to the image combining portion.

10. The image forming method using a charged particle beam device according to claim 7 ,

wherein forming an image in the analog signal processing portion includes causing the analog signal processing portion to extract a low frequency signal component from a detection signal in the detection unit through a low-pass filter, and to process the extracted low frequency signal component so as to form an image.

11. The image forming method using a charged particle beam device according to claim 7 ,

wherein forming an image in the pulse count method signal processing portion includes causing the pulse count method signal processing portion to extract a high frequency signal component from a detection signal in the detection unit through a high-pass filter, and to process the extracted high frequency signal component so as to form an image.

12. The image forming method using a charged particle beam device according to claim 7 ,

wherein the detection unit detects a secondary charged particle having relatively low energy generated from the sample irradiated with the charged particle beam by the charged particle optical system, by using a first detector, and detects a secondary charged particle having relatively high energy generated from the sample irradiated with the charged particle beam by the charged particle optical system, by using a second detector, and

wherein the analog signal processing portion processes a detection signal output from the first detector so as to form an image, and the pulse count method signal processing portion processes a detection signal output from the second detector so as to form an image.