Film quality of a deposited semiconductor film, insulating film, or the like is inspected in a non-contact manner. An inspection device 1 for inspecting film quality of a film formed on a sample 16 includes a charged particle source 12 configured to irradiate the sample with a charged particle beam 13, a first light source 21 configured to irradiate the sample with first light 26, a photodetection system configured to detect signal light 28 generated when the sample is irradiated with the first light, a charge control electrode 17 configured to control an electric field on the sample or a second light source 22 configured to irradiate the sample with second light 27, a control device 30 configured to modulate an electronic state of the sample using the charged particle source and the charge control electrode or the second light source, and a computer 31 configured to estimate the film quality of the film formed on the sample based on a detection signal of the signal light modulated according to the modulated electronic state of the sample, the detection signal being output from the photodetection system.

An apparatus for inspecting a sample includes a sample holder for holding the sample; a multi beam charged particle generator for generating an array of primary charged particle beams; an electro-magnetic lens system for directing the array of primary charged particle beams into an array of separate focused primary charged particle beams on the sample; a multi-pixel photon detector arranged for detecting photons created by the focused primary charged particle beams when the primary charged particle beams impinge on the sample or after transmission of said primary charged particle beams through the sample; and an optical assembly for conveying photons created by at least two adjacent focused primary charged particle beams of the array of separate focused primary charged particle beams to distinct and/or separate pixels or to distinct and/or separate groups of pixels of the multi-pixel photon detector.

A circuit for controlling a microscope using a controller includes a slow memory configured to store control information. The controller is configured to control microscope parameters based on the control information. The circuit includes a data loader and at least two fast memories. The data loader is configured such that control information is written from the slow memory alternately into one of the at least two fast memories. The circuit also includes a multiplexer configured to permit access by the controller to one of the at least two fast memories in alternating fashion so as to read control information. The data loader is configured to control the multiplexer in such a way that a write operation by the data loader and a read operation by the controller will not occur simultaneously on the same fast memory.

An electron spectrometer includes: an energy analyzer section that energy-analyzes electrons emitted from a specimen; a micro-channel plate that amplifies the electrons analyzed by the energy analyzer section; a fluorescent screen that converts the electrons amplified by the micro-channel plate into light; a camera that photographs the fluorescent screen; and an effective range calculation section that calculates an effective range of the fluorescent screen within a camera image photographed by the camera, the effective range calculation section performing a process that acquires a plurality of the camera images photographed while causing the energy analyzer section to analyze the electrons with a different center energy, a process that converts the plurality of camera images respectively into a plurality of spectra, and a process that calculates the effective range of the fluorescent screen within the camera image based on the plurality of spectra.

According to the present invention, a design image based on design data is set for each image acquisition condition, and a length measurement cursor is set in each of the design images. This recipe creating system for creating a recipe in which a procedure for measuring the length of an observed object is described, involves executing: a storage process of storing design data of an observed object including a plurality of layers; a layer-setting process of setting, from among the plurality of layers, at least one layer for each image acquisition condition for the observed object; and a length measurement cursor-setting process of setting a length measurement cursor indicating a length measurement region of the observed object in a design image formed by a design present in the at least one layer set in the setting process.

A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an electron source that irradiates a membrane-type holder with an electron beam; a deflector that changes an angle of incidence of the electron beam; a camera that is exposed to the electron beam transmitted through the membrane-type holder; and a control unit that controls the electron source, the deflector, and the camera. The control unit obtains an exposure image by continuously exposing the camera to the electron beam while changing the angle of incidence of the electron beam focused on any one of a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer included in the membrane-type holder.

Provided is a charged particle beam device capable of correcting an aberration that occurs when an outer peripheral portion of a sample is observed.

The charged particle beam device includes: a sample stage configured to hold a sample; a charged particle beam source configured to emit a charged particle beam to be emitted onto the sample; a lens configured to focus the charged particle beam on the sample; an aberration corrector configured to correct an aberration of the charged particle beam; a deflector configured to perform scanning with the charged particle beam; a detector configured to detect a charged particle emitted from the sample by being scanned with the charged particle beam; and a control unit configured to generate an observation image of the sample based on a detection signal output from the detector and control an operation of each of the parts. The control unit controls the aberration corrector by collating a position of the sample stage when an outer peripheral portion of the sample is observed with a correction table indicating a relation between the position of the sample stage and a control amount of the aberration corrector.

A method and an apparatus are provided for inspecting a sample. The apparatus includes a sample holder for holding the sample, a charged particle column for generating and focusing one or more charged particle beams at one or more charged particle beam spots onto the sample, a scanning deflector for moving the charged particle beam spot(s) over the sample, a photon detector configured for detecting photons created when the one or more charged particle beams impinge on the sample or when the one or more charged particle beams impinge onto a layer of luminescent material after transmission through the sample, an optical assembly for projecting or imaging at least part of the photons from the charged particle beam spot(s) along an optical beam path onto the photon detector, and a shifting unit for shifting the optical beam path and/or the photon detector with respect to each other.

A method and a dual beam FIB/(S)TEM apparatus are provided for in-situ sample quality inspection in cryogenic focused ion beam milling. The method comprises the steps of: loading the sample into a sample holder of the dual beam FIB/(S)TEM apparatus, wherein the (S)TEM apparatus comprises an electron column and a detector, wherein the sample holder is arranged in between the electron column and the detector; obtaining an image of the electrons that have passed through the sample using the electron column to direct an electron beam towards the sample and using the detector to detect electrons passing through the sample; and using a scattering pattern in the image of the transmitted electrons to establish a measure for the thickness of the sample and to establish whether or not the image comprises a diffraction signal due to electron diffraction from ice crystals.

An apparatus for analyzing and/or processing a sample with a particle beam includes a providing unit for providing the particle beam, and a shielding element for shielding an electric field (E) generated by charges (Q) accumulated on the sample. The shielding element has a through opening for the particle beam to pass through towards the sample. The apparatus further includes a detecting unit configured to detect an actual position of the shielding element, and an adjusting unit for adjusting the shielding element from the actual position into a target position.