A particle-beam inspection system may include a reflective particle-beam imaging system providing an image of a selected portion of a sample and a diffraction pattern of the selected portion of the sample and a controller communicatively coupled to the reflective particle-beam imaging system. The controller may receive two or more sample-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with two or more selected portions of the sample, where at least some of the two or more selected portions of the sample overlap. The controller may further receive two or more diffraction-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with the two or more selected portions of the sample. The controller may further construct one or more output images of the two or more selected portions of the sample from the two or more diffraction-plane images using phase information obtained from the two or more sample-plane images.

A particle-beam inspection system may include a reflective particle-beam imaging system providing an image of a selected portion of a sample and a diffraction pattern of the selected portion of the sample and a controller communicatively coupled to the reflective particle-beam imaging system. The controller may receive two or more sample-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with two or more selected portions of the sample, where at least some of the two or more selected portions of the sample overlap. The controller may further receive two or more diffraction-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with the two or more selected portions of the sample. The controller may further construct one or more output images of the two or more selected portions of the sample from the two or more diffraction-plane images using phase information obtained from the two or more sample-plane images.

The present invention provides apparatuses to inspect small particles on the surface of a sample such as wafer and mask. The apparatuses provide both high detection efficiency and high throughput by forming Dark-field BSE images. The apparatuses can additionally inspect physical and electrical defects on the sample surface by form SE images and Bright-field BSE images simultaneously. The apparatuses can be designed to do single-beam or even multiple single-beam inspection for achieving a high throughput.

To provide a lightweight and highly rigid stage device that can move in X and Y directions and a Z direction, and a charged particle beam device including the stage device. A stage device includes a chuck that is loaded with a sample, an XY stage that moves in X and Y directions, and a Z stage that moves in a Z direction. The Z stage includes: an inclined part that is fixed to the XY stage and includes an inclined surface inclined with respect to an XY plane; a movement part that moves on the inclined surface; and a table that is fixed to the movement part and is provided with the a plane parallel to the XY plane.

In an electron beam device provided with two columns including an irradiation optical system and an imaging optical system, a photoelectron image for use in adjusting the irradiation optical system is made sharper. The electron beam device includes: an irradiation optical system which irradiates a sample placed on a stage with an electron beam; a light irradiation unit 50 which irradiates the sample with light containing ultraviolet rays; a sample voltage control unit 44 which applies a negative voltage to the sample so that, before the electron beam reaches the sample, the electron orbit inverts; and an imaging optical system which acquires a mirror electron image by forming an image of mirror electrons reflected by application of the negative voltage. In the electron beam device, the imaging optical system includes a sensor 32 which obtains a mirror electron image and a stray light suppression part 27 which is provided between the sensor and the stage 31 and which suppresses reaching the sensor of the light emitted from the light irradiation unit.

A composite beam apparatus includes an electron beam column for irradiating an electron beam onto a sample, a focused ion beam column for irradiating a focused ion beam onto the sample to form a cross section, and a neutral particle beam column having an acceleration voltage set lower than that of the focused ion beam column for irradiating a neutral particle beam onto the sample to perform finish processing of the cross section. The electron beam column, the focused ion beam column, and the neutral particle beam column are arranged such that the beams of the columns cross each other at an irradiation point. A controller controls the electron beam column to irradiate and scan the electron beam on the sample during cross section processing by the focused ion beam column and during finish processing by the neutral particle beam column. The composite beam apparatus is capable of suppressing the influence of charge build-up, or electric field or magnetic field leakage from an electron beam column, when subjecting a sample to cross-section processing with a focused ion beam and then performing finishing processing with another beam.

A particle beam system includes a particle source to produce a first beam of charged particles. The particle beam system also includes a multiple beam producer to produce a plurality of partial beams from a first incident beam of charged particles. The partial beams are spaced apart spatially in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the partial beams. The plurality of partial beams includes at least a first partial beam and a second partial beam. The particle beam system further includes an objective to focus incident partial beams in a first plane so that a first region, on which the first partial beam is incident in the first plane, is separated from a second region, on which a second partial beam is incident. The particle beam system also a detector system including a plurality of detection regions and a projective system.

An electron microscope system and a method of measuring an aberration of the electron microscope system are disclosed. A method of controlling an aberration of an electron microscope includes obtaining a dispersed energy distribution for electrons at a diffraction plane of the electron microscope and placing an aperture at a selected location of the dispersed energy distribution in the diffraction plane. The method measures displacement of an image of the aperture in an image plane of the electron microscope for the selected location of the aperture. The method determines an aberration coefficient of the electron microscope from the measured displacement and the selected location of the aperture and alters a parameter of an element of the electron microscope to control the aberration of the electron microscope based at least in part on the determined aberration coefficient.

An electron microscope system and a method of measuring an aberration of the electron microscope system are disclosed. A method of controlling an aberration of an electron microscope includes obtaining a dispersed energy distribution for electrons at a diffraction plane of the electron microscope and placing an aperture at a selected location of the dispersed energy distribution in the diffraction plane. The method measures displacement of an image of the aperture in an image plane of the electron microscope for the selected location of the aperture. The method determines an aberration coefficient of the electron microscope from the measured displacement and the selected location of the aperture and alters a parameter of an element of the electron microscope to control the aberration of the electron microscope based at least in part on the determined aberration coefficient.

The present invention provides apparatuses to inspect small particles on the surface of a sample such as wafer and mask. The apparatuses provide both high detection efficiency and high throughput by forming Dark-field BSE images. The apparatuses can additionally inspect physical and electrical defects on the sample surface by form SE images and Bright-field BSE images simultaneously. The apparatuses can be designed to do single-beam or even multiple single-beam inspection for achieving a high throughput.