Quantitative Secondary Electron Detection (QSED) using the array of solid state devices (SSD) based electron-counters enable critical dimension metrology measurements in materials such as semiconductors, nanomaterials, and biological samples (FIG. 3). Methods and devices effect a quantitative detection of secondary electrons with the array of solid state detectors comprising a number of solid state detectors. An array senses the number of secondary electrons with a plurality of solid state detectors, counting the number of secondary electrons with a time to digital converter circuit in counter mode.

When an electrode (29) such as a grid applied with a negative voltage is installed in front of an objective lens (23), low energy electrons among secondary electrons (25) generated from a sample (24) by an electron beam or the like is reflected by the electrode to come into a detector (22) installed in the sample (24) side, while electrons of higher energy are not detected, since they are not reflected by the electrode. Accordingly, since only the electrons of lower energy of the secondary electrons can be detected by discriminating the secondary electrons by the energy, it is possible to obtain a detection signal, e.g., rich in the information on the surface state of the sample.

There is disclosed an image generation apparatus which is capable of generating a clear image by reducing vibration of the image. The image generation apparatus includes an electron-optics column having an electron gun, a deflector, a condenser lens, and an objective lens, a displacement detector for detecting a displacement of an XY stage, a stage-position measuring device for specifying a position of the XY stage based on an output signal of the displacement detector, an accelerometer for detecting vibration of the electron-optics column, an acceleration-signal processing device for processing an output signal of the accelerometer, and a deflection-controlling device for controlling operation of the deflector. The deflection-controlling device adds a first vibration signal outputted from the acceleration-signal processing device to a second vibration signal outputted from the stage-position measuring device to generate a deflection correcting signal, and causes the deflector to correct the deflection of a charged-particle beam based on the deflection correcting signal.

An object of the invention is to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of performing high-precision measurement even on a pattern in which a width of edges is narrow and inherent peaks of the edges cannot be easily detected. In order to achieve the above object, there is proposed a charged particle beam apparatus including an opening portion forming member having a passage opening of a charged particle beam and a detector for detecting charged particles emitted from a sample or charged particles generated by causing the charged particles to collide with the opening portion forming member, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a deflector for deflecting the charged particles emitted from the sample; and a control device for controlling the deflector, the control device performing pattern measurement with the use of a first detected signal in which a signal of one edge is emphasized relatively more than a signal of another edge among a plurality of edges on the sample and a second detected signal in which the signal of the another edge is emphasized relatively more than the signal of the one edge among the plurality of edges.

An inspection apparatus according to an embodiment includes an irradiation part configured to irradiate an inspection target substrate with multiple beams including energy beams, a detector, on which a plurality of charged particle beams of charged particles released from the inspection target substrate are imaged, configured to detect each of the charged particle beams as an electrical signal, and a comparing unit configured to compare reference image data and image data that is reproduced based on the detected electrical signals and that represents patterns formed on the inspection target substrate to inspect the patterns. The detector includes a plurality of detecting elements corresponding one-to-one to the charged particle beams. The detecting elements each have a size greater than a size that covers a beam blur of each charged particle beam imaged on the detector.

Since a diffraction phenomenon occurs in the electron beam passing through a differential evacuation hole, an electron beam whose probe diameter is narrowed cannot pass through a hole having an aspect ratio of a predetermined value or more, and accordingly, a degree in vacuum on the electron beam side cannot be improved. By providing a differential evacuation hole with a high aspect ratio in an ion beam device, it becomes possible to obtain an observed image on a sample surface, with the sample being placed under the atmospheric pressure or a pressure similar thereto, in a state where the degree of vacuum on the ion beam side is stabilized. Moreover, by processing the differential evacuation hole by using an ion beam each time it is applied, both a normal image observation with high resolution and an image observation under atmospheric pressure or a pressure similar thereto can be carried out.

An inspection apparatus includes beam generation means, a primary optical system, a secondary optical system and an image processing system. Irradiation energy of the beam is set in an energy region where mirror electrons are emitted from the inspection object as the secondary charged particles due to the beam irradiation. The secondary optical system includes a camera for detecting the secondary charged particles, a numerical aperture whose position is adjustable along an optical axis direction and a lens that forms an image of the secondary charged particles that have passed through the numerical aperture on an image surface of the camera. In the image processing system, the image is formed under an aperture imaging condition where the position of the numerical aperture is located on an object surface to acquire an image.

An object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device which can realize improved contrast of an elongated pattern in a specific direction, such as a groove-like pattern. In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention proposes a charged particle beam device including a detector for detecting a charged particle obtained based on a charged particle beam discharged to a sample. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle passage restricting member that has at least one of an arcuate groove and a groove having a longitudinal direction in a plurality of directions, and a deflector that deflects the charged particle discharged toward the groove from the sample. The charged particle discharged from the sample is deflected to a designated position of the groove.

A charged particle detector with high detection efficiency is presented in this patent. This charged particle detector contains a grid electrode used for attracting charged particles, a convertor with the shape of particle entrance area smaller than the particle exit area, which is used for converging charged particles and converting ions into electrons in the ion detection mode, an electron detection unit used for detecting secondary electrons and amplifying the signal detected, and a metal shielding. This optimized detector has a simple construction, is easy to assemble and has a low manufacturing cost.

A scanning electron microscope includes: a retarding power source configured to apply a retarding voltage to a specimen; a combined objective lens configured to focus the primary beam on a surface of the specimen; an electrostatic deflection system configured to deflect the primary beam to direct the primary beam to each point in a field of view on the surface of the specimen; a first scintillation detector having a first scintillator configured to emit light upon incidence of secondary electrons which have been emitted from the specimen; a Wien filter configured to deflect the secondary electrons in one direction without deflecting the primary beam; and a second scintillation detector having a second scintillator configured to detect the secondary electrons deflected by the Wien filter. The second scintillator has a distal end located away from the axis of the primary beam.