A method for determining a spatial distribution of a radiation damage of a heterogenous material. The steps include some or all of the following. Representing a multiphase microstructure of the heterogenous material as a 2D or 3D image. Determine a first energy of a primary knock-on atom (PKA) ion at a first interface at a first distance from an incident PKA ion to a first phase material of the microstructure image representation. Then determine a second PKA energy in a second phase across a first interface using the first PKA energy and PKA energy-depth-damage profiles of the same PKA in the bulk (isolated) materials of the parent phases. The process is repeated at subsequent interfaces. The radiation damage being determined from the PKA ion energy deposited in each phase material.

There is provided a system and method of examining a defect buried in a semiconductor specimen. The method comprises: scanning the semiconductor specimen using an electron beam with a given landing energy (LE); generating image data by collecting backscattered electrons (BSEs) emitted from the specimen at a specific escape energy (EE), wherein the specific EE is selected from a series of EEs corresponding to the given LE based on a relationship representative of expected measurements obtained at the series of EEs for different expected depths of the defect in the specimen; obtaining a measurement related to the defect based on the image data; and estimating an actual depth of the defect in the specimen based on the measurement and the relationship.

A system to characterize a film layer within a measurement box is disclosed. The system obtains a first mixing fraction corresponding to a first X-ray beam, the mixing fraction represents a fraction of the first X-ray beam inside a measurement box of a wafer sample, the measurement box represents a bore structure disposed over a substrate and having a film layer disposed inside the bore structure. The system obtains a contribution value for the measurement box corresponding to the first X-ray beam, the contribution value representing a species signal outside the measurement box that contributes to a same species signal inside the measurement box. The system obtains a first measurement detection signal corresponding to a measurement of the measurement box using the first X-ray beam. The system determines a measurement value of the film layer based on the first measurement detection signal, the contribution value, and the first mixing fraction.

The particle beam analyzer includes: an uncertainty level evaluation unit that calculates an optimization target position constituting a spatial position specified on the basis of a variation in spatial density distribution for each spatial position with respect to a plurality of spatial density distributions corresponding to the profile selected by the profile selection unit; a differential regression analysis unit that calculates, using regression analysis, a function for obtaining, from the spatial density distribution, a difference from the input profile by using the data held in the profile database and the difference calculated by the profile difference evaluation unit; and a spatial density distribution optimization unit that calculates a spatial density distribution for which the difference of the function calculated by the differential regression analysis unit is minimized, by using, as a variable, only the spatial density in the optimization target position calculated by the uncertainty level evaluation unit.

Determining a property of a layer of an integrated circuit (IC), the layer being formed over an underlayer, is implemented by performing the steps of: irradiating the IC to thereby eject electrons from the IC; collecting electrons emitted from the IC and determining the kinetic energy of the emitted electrons to thereby calculate emission intensity of electrons emitted from the layer and electrons emitted from the underlayer calculating a ratio of the emission intensity of electrons emitted from the layer and electrons emitted from the underlayer; and using the ratio to determine material composition or thickness of the layer. The steps of irradiating IC and collecting electrons may be performed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF).

A method of analysing a subterranean drilled core sample 10 is disclosed. The steps followed are: a) providing a drill core sample 10 taken from a subterranean formation; b) producing high-resolution data of at least a section of the drill core sample 10 and creating a 3D before test skeleton of the sample 10 using that data; c) mimic wellbore operations using reservoir conditions core floods; d) producing high-resolution data of at least a section of the drill core sample 10 and creating a 3D after test skeleton of the sample using that data; e) identifying and/or segregating one or more formation damage mechanisms 12 by subtracting the 3D before test skeleton from the 3D after test skeleton to create a 3D change skeleton which shows all the formation damage mechanisms 12; and f) 1) identify one or more individual formation damage mechanisms 12, by conducting segmentation including performing one or more diagnostic analysis techniques on at least a section of the drill core sample 10 and generating individual or combinations of simulated 3D skeletons; and 2) determining the effect of said formation damage mechanism(s) 12 on a chosen characteristic of interest of said drill core sample 10.

Provided is an operation guide system for an X-ray analysis, including: a sample information acquisition portion for acquiring sample information on a sample to be measured for a predetermined analysis purpose with an X-ray measuring unit; a measurement condition acquisition portion for acquiring a plurality of measurement conditions different from one another; a virtual result acquisition portion for subjecting the sample information to simulations respectively based on the plurality of measurement conditions, to thereby acquire a plurality of virtual measurement results of measurements for the predetermined analysis purpose; and a comparison result output portion for outputting, as comparison results, at least two virtual measurement results among the plurality of virtual measurement results and at least two of the plurality of measurement conditions respectively corresponding to the at least two virtual measurement results.

An inspection system may receive first measurement data of training samples after a first process step with an in-line measurement sub-system, where the first process step is prior to fabrication of a test feature on the one or more training samples; and receive second measurement data of the test feature after a second process step, where the second process step is after fabrication of the test feature. An inspection system may determine delta metrics associated with the first and second measurement data for the test feature. An inspection system may generate a measurement model for determining metrology measurements of the test feature based on at least one of the second measurement data or the delta metrics. An inspection system may determine values of the metrology measurements for additional instances of the test feature based on at least one of the second measurement data or the delta metrics.

A system to characterize a film layer within a measurement box is disclosed. The system obtains a first mixing fraction corresponding to a first X-ray beam, the mixing fraction represents a fraction of the first X-ray beam inside a measurement box of a wafer sample, the measurement box represents a bore structure disposed over a substrate and having a film layer disposed inside the bore structure. The system obtains a contribution value for the measurement box corresponding to the first X-ray beam, the contribution value representing a species signal outside the measurement box that contributes to a same species signal inside the measurement box. The system obtains a first measurement detection signal corresponding to a measurement of the measurement box using the first X-ray beam. The system determines a measurement value of the film layer based on the first measurement detection signal, the contribution value, and the first mixing fraction.

Disclosed herein is a system for non-destructive characterization of specimens. The system includes an electron beam (e-beam) source for projecting e-beams at one or more e-beam landing energies on a specimen; an X-ray detector for sensing X-rays emitted from the specimen, thereby obtaining measurement data; and a processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to: (i) extract from the measurement data key features specified by a vector {right arrow over (f)}.sub.key; and (ii) determine values {right arrow over (p)} of one or more structural parameters, characterizing the specimen, based on {right arrow over (f)}.sub.key and a set of vectors of simulated key features {{right arrow over (f)}.sub.n}.sub.n=1.sup.N. Each of the {right arrow over (f)}.sub.n is a product of a computer simulation of emission of X-rays from a respective simulated specimen due to impinging thereof with e-beams at each of the one or more landing energies.