Provided herein in an apparatus, including a substrate; a functional layer, wherein the functional layer has a composition characteristic of a workpiece of an analytical apparatus; and pre-determined features configured to calibrate the analytical apparatus. Also provided herein is an apparatus, including a functional layer overlying a substrate; and pre-determined features for calibration of an analytical apparatus configured to measure the surface of a workpiece, wherein the functional layer has a composition similar to the workpiece. Also provided herein is a method, including providing a lithographic calibration standard having a functional layer to an analytical apparatus, wherein the functional layer has a composition characteristic of a workpiece of the analytical apparatus; providing calibration standard specifications to a computer interfaced with the analytical apparatus; and calibrating the analytical apparatus in accordance with calibration standard readings and the calibration standard specifications.

A scanning electron microscope comprises three objective lenses, including a distant objective lens and a close objective lens, which are of conventional type, and an immersion objective lens of the immersion type below the distant objective lens and the close objective lens. These three objective lenses can be controlled independently, therefor different combinations of active objective lenses can be achieved. The scanning electron microscope therefore offers various imaging modes. There is a possibility to switch between these imaging modes and therefore, choose the most suitable way of imaging for given application.

According to one embodiment, an inspection apparatus includes an irradiation device irradiating an inspection target substrate with multiple beams, a detector detecting each of a plurality of charged particle beams formed by charged particles emitted from the inspection target substrate as an electrical signal, and a comparison processing circuitry performing pattern inspection by comparing image data of a pattern formed on the inspection target substrate, the pattern being reconstructed in accordance with the detected electrical signals, and reference image data. The detector includes a plurality of detection elements that accumulate charges, and a detection circuit that reads out the accumulated charges. The plurality of detection elements are grouped into a plurality of groups. The detection circuit operates in a manner of, during a period in which the charged particle beams are applied to the detection elements included in one group, reading out the charges accumulated in the detection elements included in one or more other groups.

Disclosed is a charged particle beam apparatus wherein a partitioning film capable of transmitting a charged particle beam is provided between a charged particle optical system and a sample, said charged particle beam apparatus eliminating a contact between the sample and the partitioning film even in the cases where the sample has recesses and protrusions. On the basis of detection signals or an image generated on the basis of the detection signals, a distance between a sample and a partitioning film is monitored, said detection signals being outputted from a detector that detects secondary charged particles discharged from the sample due to irradiation of a primary charged particle beam.

To improve the workability of the task of adjusting the position of a limit field diaphragm. An electron microscope provided with an image-capturing means for capturing an image of an observation visual field prior to insertion of a limit field diaphragm as a map image, a recording means for recording the map image, an extraction means for capturing an image of the observation visual field after insertion of the limit field diaphragm and extracting the outline of the diaphragm, a drawing means for drawing the outline on the map image, and a display means for displaying the image drawn by the drawing means.

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.

A method for evaluating a secondary optical system of an electron beam inspection device provided with a primary optical system that irradiates a sample placed at an observation target position with an electron beam emitted from an electron source, and the secondary optical system that forms, on a detector, an enlarged image of an electron beam generated from the sample or an electron beam transmitted through the sample. The method includes: placing a photoelectric surface at the observation target position; irradiating the photoelectric surface with laser; forming an enlarged image of an electron beam generated from the photoelectric surface on the detector by the secondary optical system; and evaluating the secondary optical system based on an electron beam image obtained by the detector.

To provide a scanning electron microscope having an electron spectroscopy system to attain high spatial resolution and a high secondary electron detection rate under the condition that energy of primary electrons is low, the scanning electron microscope includes: an objective lens 105; primary electron acceleration means 104 that accelerates primary electrons 102; primary electron deceleration means 109 that decelerates the primary electrons and irradiates them to a sample 106; a secondary electron deflector 103 that deflects secondary electrons 110 from the sample to the outside of an optical axis of the primary electrons; a spectroscope 111 that disperses secondary electrons; and a controller that controls application voltage to the objective lens, the primary electron acceleration means and the primary electron deceleration means so as to converge the secondary electrons to an entrance of the spectroscope.

The present invention relates to a diffractometer for charged-particle crystallography of a crystalline sample, in particular for electron crystallography of a crystalline sample. The diffractometer comprises a charged-particle source for generating a charged-particle beam along a charged-particle beam axis, a charged-particle-optical system for manipulating the charged-particle beam such as to irradiate the sample with the charged-particle beam and a charged-particle detection system at least for collecting a diffraction pattern of the sample based on the beam of charged-particles transmitted through the sample. The diffractometer further comprises a sample holder for holding the sample and a manipulator operatively coupled to the sample holder for positioning the sample relative to the beam axis. The manipulator comprises a rotation stage for tilting the sample holder with respect to the incident charged-particle beam around a tilt axis, and a multi-axes translation stage for moving the sample holder at least in a plane perpendicular to the tilt axis. The multi-axes translation stage is operatively coupled between the sample holder and the rotation stage such that the multi-axes translation stage is in a rotational system of the rotation stage and the sample holder is in a moving system of the multi-axes translation stage.

Provided is a technique capable of achieving both throughput and robustness for a function of adjusting brightness (B) and contrast (C) of a captured image in a charged particle beam device. The charged particle beam device includes a computer system having a function (ABCC function) of adjusting the B and the C of an image obtained by imaging a sample. The computer system determines whether adjustment is necessary based on a result obtained by evaluating a first image obtained by imaging an imaging target of the sample (step S2), executes, when the adjustment is necessary based on a result of the determination, the adjustment on a second image of the imaging target to set an adjusted B value and an adjusted C value (step S4), and captures a third image of the imaging target based on the adjusted setting values to generate an image for observation (step S5).