A low voltage scanning electron microscope is disclosed, which includes: an electron source configured to generate an electron beam; an electron beam accelerator configured to accelerate the electron beam; a compound objective lens configured to converge the electron beams accelerated by the electron beam accelerator; a deflection device arranged between the inner wall of the magnetic lens and the optical axis of the electron beam and configured to deflect the electron beam; a detection device comprising a first sub-detection device for receiving secondary and backscattered electrons from the specimen, a second sub-detection device for receiving backscattered electrons, and a control device for changing the trajectories of the secondary electrons and the backscattered electrons; an electrostatic lens comprising the second sub-detection device, a specimen stage, and a control electrode for reducing the moving speed of the electron beam and changing the moving directions of the secondary and the backscattered electrons.

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) system includes an SEM objective that emits an electron beam toward a sample, causing emission of charged particles including secondary electrons, Auger electrons, backscattered electrons, anions and cations. The SEM system includes electron optics elements that are configured to establish electric fields around the sample that accelerate charged particles toward a detector. A two-dimensional distribution of locations of incidence of the charged particles on the detector is indicative of energies of the charged particles and their emission angles from the sample. A three-dimensional spatial distribution of charged particles emitted from the sample is recovered by performing an Abel transform over the distribution on the detector. The energies and emission angles of the charged particles are then determined from the three-dimensional spatial distribution.

Provided is a scanning electron microscope provided with an energy selection and detection function for a SE.sub.1 generated on a sample while suppressing the detection amount of a SE.sub.3 excited due to a BSE in the scanning electron microscope that does not apply a deceleration method. Provided are: an electron optical system that includes an electron source 21 generating an irradiation electron beam and an objective lens 12 focusing the irradiation electron beam on a sample; a detector 13 that is arranged outside an optical axis of the electron optical system and detects a signal electron generated when the sample is irradiated with the irradiation electron beam; a deflection electrode that forms a deflection field 26 to guide the signal electron to the detector; a disk-shaped electrode 23 that is arranged to be closer to the electron source than the deflection field and has an opening through which the irradiation electron beam passes; and a control electrode arranged along the optical axis to be closer to the sample than the deflection field. The sample and the objective lens are set to a reference potential. A potential lower than the reference potential is applied to the disk-shaped electrode, and a potential higher than the reference potential is applied to the control electrode.

This charged particle beam device is provided with: a plurality of detectors for detecting secondary particles, the detectors being disposed in a symmetrical manner around the optical axis of a primary charged particle beam closer to the charged particle source side than an objective lens; electrodes for forming an electric field oriented in directions corresponding to each of the plurality of detectors, the electrodes being provided on the travel routes of secondary particles from a sample to the detectors; and a control power supply for applying a voltage to the electrodes. Adjusting the voltage applied to each of the electrodes makes it possible to detect, upon deflecting, the secondary particles, and to control the range of azimuths of the secondary particles to be detected.

A low voltage scanning electron microscope is disclosed, which includes: an electron source configured to generate an electron beam; an electron beam accelerator configured to accelerate the electron beam; a compound objective lens configured to converge the electron beams accelerated by the electron beam accelerator; a deflection device arranged between the inner wall of the magnetic lens and the optical axis of the electron beam and configured to deflect the electron beam; a detection device comprising a first sub-detection device for receiving secondary and backscattered electrons from the specimen, a second sub-detection device for receiving backscattered electrons, and a control device for changing the trajectories of the secondary electrons and the backscattered electrons; an electrostatic lens comprising the second sub-detection device, a specimen stage, and a control electrode for reducing the moving speed of the electron beam and changing the moving directions of the secondary and the backscattered electrons.

To measure a depth of a three-dimensional structure, for example, a hole or a groove, formed in a sample without preparing information for each pattern or calibration in advance. The invention provides an electron microscope including a detection unit that detects, among emitted electrons generated from a sample by irradiating the sample with a primary electron beam, emitted electrons of which an emission angle is in a predetermined range, the emission angle being an angle formed between an axial direction of the primary electron beam and an emission direction of the emitted electrons from the sample, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the number of the emitted electrons which are detected. In the electron microscope, an emission angle distribution of a detection signal is obtained based on a plurality of detection signals output by the detection unit, the detection signals being obtained by detecting the emitted electrons having emission angles in each of the plurality of set ranges of emission angles and generated by irradiating a bottom portion of the three-dimensional structure with the primary electron beam, and an opening angle is obtained based on a change point of the emission angle distribution, the opening angle being an angle formed between an optical axis direction of the primary electron beam and a straight line that passes through an upper end of a side wall of the three-dimensional structure from a position irradiated with the primary electron beam in the bottom portion of the three-dimensional structure.

A scanning electron microscopy system with improved image beam stability is disclosed. The system includes an electron beam source configured to generate an electron beam and a set of electron-optical elements to direct at least a portion of the electron beam onto a portion of the sample. The system includes an emittance analyzer assembly. The system includes a splitter element configured to direct at least a portion secondary electrons and/or backscattered electrons emitted by a surface of the sample to the emittance analyzer assembly. The emittance analyzer assembly is configured to image at least one of the secondary electrons and/or the backscattered electrons.

A particle beam system for examining and processing an object includes an electron beam column and an ion beam column with a common work region, in which an object may be disposed and in which a principal axis of the electron beam column and a principal axis of the ion beam column meet at a coincidence point. The particle beam system further includes a shielding electrode that is disposable between an exit opening of the ion beam column and the coincidence point. The shielding electrode is able to be disposed closer to the coincidence point than the electron beam column.

A method of measuring with which it is possible to measure with a high accuracy a gas introducing hole provided in an electrode for a plasma etching device, and to provide an electrode provided with a highly-accurate gas introducing hole is described. This method is provided to penetrate through in the thickness direction of a base material of the electrode for the plasma etching device, provided with: a step of radiating light toward the gas introducing hole from one surface side of the substrate; a step of acquiring a two-dimensional image of light which has passed through the gas introducing hole to the other surface side of the substrate; and a step of measuring at least one of the diameter, the inner wall surface roughness, and the degree of verticality of the gas introducing hole, on the basis of the two dimensional image.

An analysis device, possibly having an electrostatic and/or magnetic lens, analyzes the energy of charged particles and has an opposing field grid device to which a voltage is applied in such a way that a portion of the charged particles is reflected by the opposing field grid device. Another portion of the charged particles passes through the opposing field grid device and is detected by a detector. The opposing field grid device has a curvature. A center of curvature is an intersection point of an optical axis with the opposing field grid device. The curvature has a radius of curvature which is given by the section between the center of curvature and a starting point on the optical axis. The opposing field grid device is curved in the direction of the starting point as viewed from the center of curvature and/or is arranged to be displaceable along the optical axis.