Systems and methods for detecting defects are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a method of performing image processing includes acquiring one or more images of a sample, performing first image analysis on the one or more images, identifying a plurality of first features in the one or more images, determining pattern data corresponding to the plurality of first features, selecting at least one of the plurality of first features based on the pattern data, and performing second image analysis of the at least one of the plurality of first features. Methods may also include determining defect probability of the plurality of first features based on the pattern data. Selecting the at least one of the plurality of first features may be based on the defect probability.

A conduction inspection method for a multipole aberration corrector according to one aspect of the present invention includes applying, in a state where a predetermined potential has been applied to each shield electrode, an inspection charged particle beam to pass through a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, using a multipole aberration corrector which includes an upper-stage substrate where the first opening is formed and a shield electrode is arranged around the first opening, a middle-stage substrate where the second opening is formed, a plurality of control electrodes are disposed to be opposite each other across the second opening, and a plurality of wirings are arranged to be individually connected to one of the plurality of control electrodes which are different from each other, and a lower-stage substrate where the third opening is formed and a shield electrode is arranged around the third opening, and which corrects aberration of a correction charged particle beam passing through the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening by individually variably applying a potential to each of the plurality of control electrodes; measuring, via a wiring individually connected to each control electrode of the plurality of control electrodes in the plurality of wirings, an inflow electron dose of electrons, into each control electrode of the plurality of control electrodes, which are secondarily emitted because the inspection charged particle beam has passed through the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening and has irradiated an object disposed at the downstream side of the lower-stage substrate; and determining individually, for each control electrode, whether there is conduction between a control electrode concerned and a wiring connected to the control electrode concerned, based on a result of measuring the inflow electron dose into each control electrode.

A conduction inspection method for a multipole aberration corrector according to one aspect of the present invention includes applying, in a state where a predetermined potential has been applied to each shield electrode, an inspection charged particle beam to pass through a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, using a multipole aberration corrector which includes an upper-stage substrate where the first opening is formed and a shield electrode is arranged around the first opening, a middle-stage substrate where the second opening is formed, a plurality of control electrodes are disposed to be opposite each other across the second opening, and a plurality of wirings are arranged to be individually connected to one of the plurality of control electrodes which are different from each other, and a lower-stage substrate where the third opening is formed and a shield electrode is arranged around the third opening, and which corrects aberration of a correction charged particle beam passing through the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening by individually variably applying a potential to each of the plurality of control electrodes; measuring, via a wiring individually connected to each control electrode of the plurality of control electrodes in the plurality of wirings, an inflow electron dose of electrons, into each control electrode of the plurality of control electrodes, which are secondarily emitted because the inspection charged particle beam has passed through the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening and has irradiated an object disposed at the downstream side of the lower-stage substrate; and determining individually, for each control electrode, whether there is conduction between a control electrode concerned and a wiring connected to the control electrode concerned, based on a result of measuring the inflow electron dose into each control electrode.

A connecting device for inspection includes a probe head (30) configured to hold electric contacts (10) and optical contacts (20) such that tip ends of the respective contacts are exposed on a lower surface of the probe head (30), and a transformer (40) including connecting wires (41) arranged therein and optical wires (42) penetrating therethrough. The respective proximal ends of the electric contacts (10) and the optical contacts (20) are exposed on an upper surface of the probe head (30), and tip ends on one side of the connecting wires (41) electrically connected to the proximal ends of the electric contacts (10) and connecting ends of the optical wires (42) optically connected to the proximal ends of the optical contacts (20) are arranged in a lower surface of the transformer (40). A positional relationship between the tip end of the respective electric contacts (10) and the tip end of the respective optical contacts (20) on the lower surface of the probe head (30) corresponds to a positional relationship between an electrical signal terminal and an optical signal terminal of a semiconductor device.

The disclosure relates generally to image processing. For example, the invention relates to a method and a device for de-noising an electron microscope (EM) image. The method includes the act of selecting a patch of the EM image, wherein the patch comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the following acts are performed on the patch: i) replacing the value of one pixel, for example of a center pixel, of the patch with the value of a different, for example randomly selected, pixel from the same EM image; ii) determining a de-noised value for the one pixel based on the values of the other pixels in the patch; and iii) replacing the value of the one pixel with the determined de-noised value.

A voltage contrast defect analysis method including the following steps is provided. A voltage contrast defect detection is performed on a die to be tested by using an electron beam inspection machine to find out a defect address of a voltage contrast defect. A first scanning electron microscope image at the defect address of the die to be tested is obtained by using a scanning electron microscope. A first critical dimension of the first scanning electron microscope image at the defect address of the die to be tested is measured. The first critical dimension on the die to be tested is compared with a corresponding second critical dimension on a reference die where no voltage contrast defect occurs at the defect address to determine whether the first critical dimension and the second critical dimension are the same.

A voltage contrast defect analysis method including the following steps is provided. A voltage contrast defect detection is performed on a die to be tested by using an electron beam inspection machine to find out a defect address of a voltage contrast defect. A first scanning electron microscope image at the defect address of the die to be tested is obtained by using a scanning electron microscope. A first critical dimension of the first scanning electron microscope image at the defect address of the die to be tested is measured. The first critical dimension on the die to be tested is compared with a corresponding second critical dimension on a reference die where no voltage contrast defect occurs at the defect address to determine whether the first critical dimension and the second critical dimension are the same.

There is provided a semiconductor inspection device capable of detecting an abnormality with high sensitivity in a failure analysis of a fine-structured device. The semiconductor inspection device includes: a sample stage 6 on which a sample is placed; an electron optical system 1 configured to radiate an electron beam to the sample; a measurement probe 3 configured to come into contact with the sample; a measurement device 8 configured to measure an output from the measurement probe; and an information processing device 9 configured to acquire a measurement value of the output from the measurement probe in response to radiation of the electron beam to the sample. The information processing device sets a timing to start the radiation of the electron beam to the sample and a timing to freeze the radiation of the electron beam, a first measurement period in which the measurement device measures the output from the measurement probe in a state where the electron beam is radiated to the sample, and a second measurement period in which the measurement device measures the output from the measurement probe after the radiation of the electron beam is frozen, and obtains the measurement value of the output from the measurement probe in response to the radiation of the electron beam to the sample from a difference between a first measurement value measured in the first measurement period and a second measurement value measured in the second measurement period.

There is provided a semiconductor inspection device capable of detecting an abnormality with high sensitivity in a failure analysis of a fine-structured device. The semiconductor inspection device includes: a sample stage 6 on which a sample is placed; an electron optical system 1 configured to radiate an electron beam to the sample; a measurement probe 3 configured to come into contact with the sample; a measurement device 8 configured to measure an output from the measurement probe; and an information processing device 9 configured to acquire a measurement value of the output from the measurement probe in response to radiation of the electron beam to the sample. The information processing device sets a timing to start the radiation of the electron beam to the sample and a timing to freeze the radiation of the electron beam, a first measurement period in which the measurement device measures the output from the measurement probe in a state where the electron beam is radiated to the sample, and a second measurement period in which the measurement device measures the output from the measurement probe after the radiation of the electron beam is frozen, and obtains the measurement value of the output from the measurement probe in response to the radiation of the electron beam to the sample from a difference between a first measurement value measured in the first measurement period and a second measurement value measured in the second measurement period.

Provided is a semiconductor inspection device capable of high-speed response analysis as defect analysis of a fine-structured device constituting an LSI. Therefore, the semiconductor inspection device includes a vacuum chamber 3, a sample table 4 which is disposed in the vacuum chamber and on which a sample 6 is placed, an electron optical system 1 disposed such that an electron beam is emitted from above the sample, a plurality of probe units 24 connected to external devices 11 and 12 disposed outside the vacuum chamber via a coaxial cable 10, and an electrode 5 provided on or in the vicinity of the sample table. The probe unit 24 includes a measurement probe 8 configured to come into contact with the sample, a GND terminal 9 configured to come into contact with the electrode 5, and a probe holder 7 configured to hold the measurement probe and the GND terminal, connect a signal line of the coaxial cable to the measurement probe, and connect a GND line of the coaxial cable to the GND terminal. When the measurement probe of the probe unit comes into contact with the sample, the GND terminal comes into contact with the electrode.