Apparatuses, systems, and methods for determining local focus points (LFPs) on a sample are provided. In some embodiments, a controller including circuitry may be configured to cause a system to perform selecting a first plurality of resist pattern designs; performing a plurality of process simulations using the first plurality of resist pattern designs; identifying a hotspot that corresponds to a resist pattern design based on results of the performed process simulations; determining focus-related characteristics that correspond to a plurality of candidate resist patterns, wherein the plurality of candidate resist pattern designs is a subset of the first plurality of resist pattern designs and the subset is selected based on the identified hotspot; and determining locations of a plurality of LFPs based on the generated focus-related characteristics.

An electron microscope includes a monochromator, an image acquiring portion for obtaining an electron microscope image containing interference fringes of the electron beam formed by an aperture located behind the monochromator, a line profile acquiring portion for obtaining a plurality of line profiles passing through the center of the aperture on the EM image, an energy dispersion direction identifying portion for identifying the direction of energy dispersion of the monochromator on the basis of the line profiles obtained by the line profile acquiring portion, and an optics controller for controlling an optical system on the basis of a line profile in the direction of energy dispersion to bring the focal plane for the electron beam exiting from the monochromator into coincidence with the achromatic plane.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a mounting table, an acquisition unit, a calculation unit, and an elevation control unit. The mounting table mounts thereon a target object as a plasma processing target. The elevation mechanism vertically moves a focus ring surrounding the target object. The acquisition unit acquires state information indicating a measured state of the target object. The calculation unit calculates a height of the focus ring at which positional relation between an upper surface of the target object and an upper surface of the focus ring satisfies a predetermined distance based on the state of the target object that is indicated by the state information acquired by the acquisition unit. The elevation control unit controls the elevation mechanism to vertically move the focus ring to the height calculated by the calculation unit.

Nanopantography is a method for patterning nanofeatures over large areas. Transfer of patterns defined by nanopantography using highly selective plasma etching, with an oxide layer of silicon serving as a hard mask, can improve patterning speed and etch profile. With this method, high aspect ratio features can be fabricated in a substrate with no mask undercut. The ability to fabricate complex patterns using nanopantography, followed by highly selective plasma etching, provides improved patterning speed, feature aspect ratio, and etching profile.

An object of the invention is to acquire a high-quality image while maintaining an improvement in throughput of image acquisition (measurement (length measurement)). The present disclosure provides a charged particle beam system including a charged particle beam device and a computer system configured to control the charged particle beam device. The charged particle beam device includes an objective lens, a sample stage, and a backscattered electron detector that is disposed between the objective lens and the sample stage and that adjusts a focus of a charged particle beam with which a sample is irradiated. The computer system adjusts a value of an electric field on the sample in accordance with a change in a voltage applied to the backscattered electron detector.

Wafer-to-wafer and within-wafer image contrast variations can be identified and mitigated by extracting an image frame during recipe setup and then during runtime at the same location. Image contrast is determined for the two image frames. A ratio of the contrast for the two image frames can be used to determine contrast variations and focus variation.

An electron microscope includes a monochromator, an image acquiring portion for obtaining an electron microscope image containing interference fringes of the electron beam formed by an aperture located behind the monochromator, a line profile acquiring portion for obtaining a plurality of line profiles passing through the center of the aperture on the EM image, an energy dispersion direction identifying portion for identifying the direction of energy dispersion of the monochromator on the basis of the line profiles obtained by the line profile acquiring portion, and an optics controller for controlling an optical system on the basis of a line profile in the direction of energy dispersion to bring the focal plane for the electron beam exiting from the monochromator into coincidence with the achromatic plane.

The invention relates to a method for generating an image of an object (114) using a particle beam device (100) generating a beam of charged particles. Moreover, the invention relates to a particle beam device (100) for carrying out this method. In particular, the particle beam device (100) is an electron beam device and/or an ion beam device. The method comprises selecting a desired value of a depth of field from a plurality of values of the depth of field by a user, wherein each value of the plurality of values of the depth of field is associated with a specific resolution of the particle beam device (100), the specific resolution being achieved when using the desired value of the depth of field. Moreover, the method comprises adjusting the depth of field to the desired value of the depth of field by controlling at least one of: (i) a condenser lens (105, 106), (ii) a relative position of the object (114) to an objective lens (107) and (iii) a position of an aperture unit (108, 109) and/or a size of an aperture unit opening (108A, 118), and imaging the object (114) with the desired value of the depth of field and with the specific resolution associated with the value of the depth of field.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a first electrode and a second electrode disposed to face each other, a high frequency power supply unit for applying a high frequency power to either the first electrode or the second electrode, a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas to a processing space, and a main dielectric member provided at a substrate mounting portion on a main surface of the first electrode. A focus ring is attached to the first electrode to cover a peripheral portion of the main surface of the first electrode and a peripheral dielectric member is provided in a peripheral portion on the main surface of the first electrode so that an electrostatic capacitance per unit area applied between the first electrode and the focus ring is smaller than that applied between the first electrode and the substrate by the main dielectric member.

A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a region setting unit configured to set, as an irradiation region for a beam array to be used, the region of the central portion of an irradiation region for all of multiple beams of charged particle beams implemented to be emittable by a multiple beam irradiation mechanism, and a writing mechanism, including the multiple beam irradiation mechanism, configured to write a pattern on a target object with the beam array in the region of the central portion having been set in the multiple beams implemented.