Provided is a photoelectron emission microscope that facilitates acquisition of a high-contrast photoelectron image. A photoelectron emission microscope starts irradiation of a pulsed electron beam 13 performed by an irradiation electron optical system 10 in a manner of overlapping excitation light after predetermined time has elapsed since start of irradiation of a sample 4 with excitation light 2 performed by an excitation optical system 1, and starts capturing a photoelectron image performed by a camera 6 at the time of the start of the irradiation of the pulsed electron beam performed by the irradiation electron optical system or thereafter.

Provided is a photoelectron emission microscope that facilitates acquisition of a high-contrast photoelectron image. A photoelectron emission microscope starts irradiation of a pulsed electron beam 13 performed by an irradiation electron optical system 10 in a manner of overlapping excitation light after predetermined time has elapsed since start of irradiation of a sample 4 with excitation light 2 performed by an excitation optical system 1, and starts capturing a photoelectron image performed by a camera 6 at the time of the start of the irradiation of the pulsed electron beam performed by the irradiation electron optical system or thereafter.

A method for detecting defects in a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes the following operations. A semiconductor structure having a plurality of conductive structures is received. An electron beam inspection operation is performed on the plurality of conductive structures of the semiconductor structure to obtain an inspection data, wherein a pulsed electron beam utilized in the electron beam inspection operation is selected from the group consisting of a nanosecond pulsed beam, a picosecond pulsed beam, and a femtosecond pulsed beam. A first conductive structure having a non-open defect is identified from the inspection data. A method for classifying semiconductor structure is also provided.

A method for detecting defects in a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes the following operations. A semiconductor structure having a plurality of conductive structures is received. An electron beam inspection operation is performed on the plurality of conductive structures of the semiconductor structure to obtain an inspection data, wherein a pulsed electron beam utilized in the electron beam inspection operation is selected from the group consisting of a nanosecond pulsed beam, a picosecond pulsed beam, and a femtosecond pulsed beam. A first conductive structure having a non-open defect is identified from the inspection data. A method for classifying semiconductor structure is also provided.

A probe for collecting optically stimulated electron emission to inspect chemical reactions of a surface includes a light source to emit light on the surface, a collector, and a controller. The light source emits light on the surface. The collector is configured to detect photoelectrons emitted from the surface in response to the light from the light source impinging on the surface. The collector is further configured to provide a photocurrent based on the detected photoelectrons. The controller includes at least one processor and is operably coupled to the light source and the collector. The controller is configured to cause the light source to emit light on the surface, receive the photocurrent from the collector, and determine at least one chemical reaction of the surface based on the received photocurrent.

A probe for collecting optically stimulated electron emission to inspect chemical reactions of a surface includes a light source to emit light on the surface, a collector, and a controller. The light source emits light on the surface. The collector is configured to detect photoelectrons emitted from the surface in response to the light from the light source impinging on the surface. The collector is further configured to provide a photocurrent based on the detected photoelectrons. The controller includes at least one processor and is operably coupled to the light source and the collector. The controller is configured to cause the light source to emit light on the surface, receive the photocurrent from the collector, and determine at least one chemical reaction of the surface based on the received photocurrent.

An information processing device includes a storage section 50 that stores a history relating to the acquisition of measurement data, a history relating to an analysis position within an analyzer, and a history relating to a predetermined operation performed on a specimen using the analyzer as log information linked to time information, and a display control section 22 that performs a control process that displays these histories within a log display area on a display screen 40 in time series based on the log information, the display control section 22 performing a control process that displays a measurement result image generated based on the measurement data on the display screen, and, when an operation input that selects one measurement result image, performing a control process that displays a history that corresponds to the measurement data used to generate the selected measurement result image.

Systems and approaches for silicon germanium thickness and composition determination using combined XPS and XRF technologies are described. In an example, a method for characterizing a silicon germanium film includes generating an X-ray beam. A sample is positioned in a pathway of said X-ray beam. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) signal generated by bombarding said sample with said X-ray beam is collected. An X-ray fluorescence (XRF) signal generated by bombarding said sample with said X-ray beam is also collected. Thickness or composition, or both, of the silicon germanium film is determined from the XRF signal or the XPS signal, or both.

Methods and systems for feed-forward of multi-layer and multi-process information using XPS and XRF technolgies are disclosed. In an example, a method of thin film characterization includes measuring first XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a first layer above a substrate. A thickness of the first layer is determined based on the first XPS and XRF intensity signals. The information for the first layer and for the substrate is combined to estimate an effective substrate. Second XPS and XRF intensity signals are measured for a sample having a second layer above the first layer above the substrate. The method also involves determining a thickness of the second layer based on the second XPS and XRF intensity signals, the thickness accounting for the effective substrate.

A technique of measuring energy of electrons excited by exposing a semiconductor material to solar ray is proposed. A surface layer having a negative electron affinity is formed on the surface of a semiconductor material. The semiconductor material is placed in a vacuum environment and exposed to solar ray. Photoelectrons emitted from the surface layer having the negative electron affinity are guided to an energy analyzer, and the energy of electrons excited by the solar ray is measured. Since the surface layer having the negative electron affinity is used, the photoelectrons are obtained from the electrons excited by the solar ray, and thereby energy measurement becomes possible.