A method of inspecting a sample is described which includes a multilevel structure with a first layer that is arranged above a second layer. The method includes: arranging the sample in a vacuum chamber; directing a primary electron beam onto the sample such that first primary electrons of the primary electron beam are backscattered by the first layer to form first backscattered electrons and second primary electrons of the primary electron beam are backscattered by the second layer to form second backscattered electrons; and detecting signal electrons comprising the first backscattered electrons and the second backscattered electrons for obtaining spatial information on both the first layer and the second layer. Further, an apparatus including one or more electron microscopes for inspecting a sample including a multilevel structure is described.

Techniques for yield management in semiconductor inspection systems are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, an electron beam inspection system includes multiple stages or multiple chambers, where the chambers/stages (N2) are organized to form one or more paths for wafer/mask inspection. An inspection procedure in each chamber (or at each stage) is determined by its order in the path and the relative columns used. For a system with N chambers/stages, a maximum number of N wafers/masks can be processed simultaneously.

A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the steps of: (a) placing a semiconductor wafer over a stage provided in a chamber, the pressure in the inside of which is reduced by vacuum pumping; and (b) after the step (a), forming plasma in the chamber in a state where the semiconductor wafer is adsorbed and held by the stage, so that desired etching processing is performed on the semiconductor wafer. Herein, before the step (a), O.sub.2 gas, negative gas having an electronegativity higher than that of nitrogen gas, is introduced into the chamber to form O.sub.2 plasma in the chamber, thereby allowing the charges remaining over the stage to be eliminated.

Embodiments relate to a grid short clearing system is provided for gridded ion beam sources used in industrial applications for materials processing systems that reduces grid damage during operation. In various embodiments, the ion source is coupled to a process chamber and a grid short clearing system includes methods for supplying a gas to the process chamber and setting the gas pressure to a predetermined gas pressure in the range between 50 to 750 Torr, applying an electrical potential difference between each adjacent pair of grids using a current-limited power supply, and detecting whether or not the grid shorts are cleared. The electrical potential difference between the grids is at least 10% lower than the DC electrical breakdown voltage between the grids with no contaminants.

A mass spectrometry device and analysis method for a gas phase molecule-ion reaction. The device comprises a reaction gas introduction device and a gas phase molecule-ion reaction mass spectrometry analysis device, wherein the reaction gas introduction device is connected to the gas phase molecule-ion reaction mass spectrometry analysis device; the reaction gas introduction device is configured to introduce reaction gas into the gas phase molecule-ion reaction mass spectrometry analysis device; and the gas phase molecule-ion reaction mass spectrometry analysis device is configured to enable molecules or ions to be subjected to a reaction and carry out mass spectrometry analysis on a reaction result. The reaction gas introduction device comprises a reaction gas container, the reaction gas container being configured to contain gas or volatile liquid or solid and generate gas molecules needed by a reaction; and a reaction gas quantitation device, configured to carry out flow control on the gas molecules.

An ion source assembly and method is provided for improving ion implantation performance. The ion source assembly has an ion source chamber and a source gas supply provides a molecular carbon source gas such as toluene to the ion source chamber. A source gas flow controller controls a flow of the molecular carbon source gas to the ion source chamber. An excitation source excites the molecular carbon source gas, forming carbon ions and atomic carbon. An extraction electrode extracts the carbon ions from the ion source chamber, forming an ion beam. A hydrogen peroxide co-gas supply provides a predetermined concentration of hydrogen peroxide co-gas to the ion source chamber, and a hydrogen peroxide co-gas flow controller controls a flow of the hydrogen peroxide gas to the ion source chamber. The hydrogen peroxide co-gas decomposes within the ion source chamber and reacts with the atomic carbon from the molecular carbon source gas in the ion source chamber, forming hydrocarbons within the ion source chamber. An inert gas is further introduced and ionized to counteract oxidation of a cathode due to the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide. A vacuum pump system removes the hydrocarbons from the ion source chamber, wherein deposition of atomic carbon within the ion source chamber is reduced and a lifetime of the ion source chamber is increased.

In this charged particle beam device, when a sample chamber is to be placed in a high-vacuum state, a charged particle gun chamber and the sample chamber are evacuated via a main intake of a turbo molecular pump, and when the sample chamber is to be placed in a low-vacuum state, the sample chamber is evacuated via an intermediate intake of the turbo molecular pump while the charged particle gun chamber is evacuated via the main intake. An oil rotation pump for performing back pressure exhausting of the turbo molecular pump does not directly evacuate the charged particle gun chamber or the sample chamber. It is thereby possible to minimize contamination of the device interior in both high-vacuum and low-vacuum states, which makes it possible to prevent contamination of the observed sample and reduce deterioration over time in the ultimate vacuum.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device, wherein the positional relationship between reflected electron detection elements and a sample and the vacuum state of the sample surroundings are evaluated to select automatically a reflected electron detection element appropriate for acquiring an intended image. In this charged particle beam device, all the reflected electron detection elements are selected when the degree of vacuum inside the sample chamber is high and the sample is distant from the reflected electron detectors, while a reflected electron detection element appropriate for acquiring a compositional image or a height map image is selected when the degree of vacuum inside the sample chamber is high and the sample is close to the reflected electron detectors. When the degree of vacuum inside the sample chamber is low, all the reflected electron detection elements are selected.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device that exhibits high performance due to the use of vanadium glass coatings, and to provide a method of manufacturing a component for a charged particle beam device. Specifically provided is a charged particle beam device using a vacuum component characterized by comprising a metal container, the interior space of which is evacuated to form a high vacuum, and coating layers formed on the surface on the interior space-side of the metal container, wherein the coating layers are vanadium-containing glass, which is to say an amorphous substance. Coating vanadium glass onto walls of a space where it is desirable to form a high vacuum, for example walls in the vicinity of an electron source, reduces gas discharge in the vicinity of the electron source, and the getter effect of the coating layer induces localized evacuation and enables the formation of an extremely high vacuum, even in spaces having a complex structure, without providing a large high-vacuum pump.

A permanently sealed vacuum tube is used to provide the electrons for an electron microscope. This advantageously allows use of low vacuum at the sample, which greatly simplifies the overall design of the system. There are two main variations. In the first variation, imaging is provided by mechanically scanning the sample. In the second variation, imaging is provided by point projection. In both cases, the electron beam is fixed and does not need to be scanned during operation of the microscope. This also greatly simplifies the overall system.