Confocal chromatic sensor systems for determining position of a sample include a beam emitter that emits a multichromatic beam incident on a surface of a sample, and a beam detector that is separate from the beam emitter and which detects a portion of the multichromatic beam reflected by the surface. The beam emitter is configured such that light of different wavelengths within the multichromatic beam have different corresponding focal lengths. The systems can include a memory storing computer readable instructions that cause a processing unit to determine which wavelength(s) are most prevalent in the detected portion of the multichromatic beam, and then determine the distance between the surface and the beam emitter based on the wavelength(s). When the surface is a sample within a charged particle beam system, a focus of the charged particle beam system or a sample position may be adjusted based on the position of the sample.

There is provided a tilting parameters calculating device for use in a charged particle beam device for making a charged particle beam irradiated to a surface of a sample mounted on a sample stage, the tilting parameters calculating device being configured to calculate tilting parameters, the tilting parameters being input parameters to control a tilting direction and a tilting value of the sample and/or the charged particle beam, the input parameters being necessary to change an incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample, the tilting parameters calculating device including a tilting parameters calculating unit for calculating the tilting parameters based on information that indicates the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal lying at a selected position on the surface in a state where the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample is in a predetermined incident direction, the information being designated on a crystal orientation figure, which is a diagram illustrating the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal coordinate system of the crystal.

Provided is an observation method including: acquiring an observed image that has been photographed by the first specimen observation apparatus with the specimen holder being mounted on the first specimen stage, the observed image having an observation target position of a specimen positioned at a center thereof, and including the plurality of markers (Step S104); acquiring pixel coordinates of each of the plurality of markers in the observed image (Step S106); acquiring stage coordinates of each of the plurality of markers on the second specimen stage having the specimen holder mounted thereon (Step S108); and converting, based on the pixel coordinates of the plurality of markers and the stage coordinates of the plurality of markers, pixel coordinates of the center of the observed image into stage coordinates to move the second specimen stage to the obtained stage coordinates (Step S112).

A multi charged particle beam writing method includes assigning, for each unit irradiation region per beam of multi-beams, each divided shot obtained by dividing a shot of a maximum irradiation time and continuously irradiate the same unit irradiation region, to at least one of a plurality of beams that can be switched by collective deflection; calculating, for each unit irradiation region, an irradiation time; determining, for each unit irradiation region, whether to make each divided shot be beam on or off so that the total irradiation time for a plurality of corresponding divided shots to be beam on may become a combination equivalent to the irradiation time calculated; and applying, to the corresponding unit irradiation region, the plurality of corresponding divided shots to be beam on, using the plurality of beams while switching a beam between beams by collective deflection.

An optical system used in a charged particle beam inspection system. The optical system includes one or more optical lenses, and a compensation lens configured to compensate a drift of a focal length of a combination of the one or more optical lenses from a first medium to a second medium.

An observation method includes: preparing a specimen including, as a mark a plurality of metal particles in which localized surface plasmon resonance is excited by irradiation with light; acquiring an optical microscope image by photographing the specimen with an optical microscope; acquiring an electron microscope image by photographing the specimen with an electron microscope; acquiring information of the positions and the colors of the plurality of metal particles in the optical microscope image; acquiring information of the positions and the particle diameters of the plurality of metal particles in the electron microscope image; and determining information for associating the optical microscope image and the electron microscope image based on the information of the positions and the colors of the plurality of metal particles acquired from the optical microscope image, and the information of the positions and the particle diameters of the plurality of metal particles acquired from the electron microscope image.

First shape data representing a three-dimensional shape of a sample unit including a sample is generated based on a result of three-dimensional shape measurement of the sample. Second shape data representing a three-dimensional shape of a structure which exists in a sample chamber is generated. Movement of the sample unit is controlled based on the first shape data and the second shape data such that collision of the sample unit with the structure does not occur.

A stage apparatus for an e-beam inspection apparatus comprising: an object table (3) comprising an supporting surface, the object table configured to support a substrate (190) on the supporting surface; a positioning device (180) configured to a position the object table; a position measurement system (5) comprising a position sensor (8-10) configured to measure a height position of the object table parallel to a first axis, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface, the position sensor comprising an interferometer measurement system having an interferometer sensor (9, 10, 22), wherein a measurement beam (11, 15) of the interferometer sensor is configured to irradiate a reflective surface (13, 17) of the object table in a measurement direction, the measurement direction having a first component parallel to the first axis and a second component parallel to a second axis, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

Provided is a cross-section processing observation method capable of easily and accurately forming a cross-section used to observe a sample's inside, and a cross-section processing observation apparatus for cross-section processing. The method includes a design data acquisition step acquiring design data of a three-dimensional structure of a sample having three-dimensional structure, a moving step moving the sample based on coordinate information of the design data, a surface observation step acquiring an observation image of a surface of the sample, a cross-section forming step irradiating the sample's surface with an ion beam to form a cross-section of the three-dimensional structure, a cross-section observation step acquiring an observation image of the sample's cross-section, and a display step displaying image data, among pieces of the design data, of surface and cross section corresponding to respective locations of the surface and the cross section.

In a substrate support according to one exemplary embodiment, an adhesive is provided between an upper surface of a base and a lower surface of the electrostatic chuck. The base, the adhesive, and the electrostatic chuck provide a supply path for supplying a heat transfer gas between the electrostatic chuck and a substrate. The upper surface of the base defines one or more grooves. The one or more grooves are further away from a center of the upper surface than the supply path. The adhesive is provided to cover an upper end opening of each of the one or more grooves. The heat transfer gas is capable of being supplied to the one or more grooves via the supply path or a different flow path. The substrate support further includes a pressure sensor to measure pressure in the one or more grooves.