A method for operating a multi-beam particle beam microscope includes: scanning a multiplicity of particle beams over an object; directing electron beams emanating from impingement locations of the particle beams at the object onto an electron converter; detecting first signals generated by impinging electrons in the electron converter via a plurality of detection elements of a first detection system during a first time period; detecting second signals generated by impinging electrons in the electron converter via a plurality of detection elements of a second detection system during a second time period; and assigning to the impingement locations the signals which were detected via the detection elements of the first detection system during the first time period, for example on the basis of the detection signals which were detected via the detection elements of the second detection system during the second time period.

The present invention provides: a stage device that can suppress bending deformation of a mirror, and that can reduce the positioning error of a stage by reducing the measurement error of the position of the stage; and a charged particle beam device comprising this stage device. The stage device according to the present invention comprises: a table (105) on which a sample (106) is placed; a bar mirror (111) installed on the table (105); a laser interferometer (104) that irradiates the bar mirror (111) with laser light and receives reflected light from the bar mirror (111), thereby measuring the position of the table (105); a drive mechanism (103) that moves the table (105); and a plurality of elastic members (203) installed between the bar mirror (111) and the table (105)

A process of detecting a thickness of a film layer to be processed or a depth of etching by using a result of detection of a signal indicating intensity of interference light having a plurality of wavelengths formed at a plurality of time instants from when plasma is formed to when the etching is completed. A start time instant is detected by using an amount of change in the intensity of the interference light. Then, a remaining film thickness or the etching amount at an arbitrary time instant is detected from a result of comparing actual data indicating the intensity of the interference light at the arbitrary time instant during the processing after the start time instant with a plurality of pieces of data for detection of the intensity of the interference light obtained in advance and associated with values of a the film thicknesses or the depths of etching.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a multi-beam image acquisition apparatus, includes: an objective lens configured to image multiple primary electron beams on a substrate by using the multiple primary electron beams; a separator configured to have two or more electrodes for forming an electric field and two or more magnetic poles for forming a magnetic field and configured to separate multiple secondary electron beams emitted due to the substrate being irradiated with the multiple primary electron beams from trajectories of the multiple primary electron beams by the electric field and the magnetic field formed; a deflector configured to deflect the multiple secondary electron beams separated; a lens arranged between the objective lens and the deflector and configured to image the multiple secondary electron beams at a deflection point of the deflector; and a detector configured to detect the deflected multiple secondary electron beams.

A plasma processing apparatus and method with an improved processing yield, the plasma processing apparatus including detector configured to detect an intensity of a first light of a plurality of wavelengths in a first wavelength range and an intensity of a second light of a plurality of wavelengths in a second wavelength range, the first light being obtained by receiving a light which is emitted into the processing chamber from a light source disposed outside the processing chamber and which is reflected by an upper surface of the wafer, and the second light being a light transmitted from the light source without passing through the processing chamber; and a determination unit configured to determine a remaining film thickness of the film layer by comparing the intensity of the first light corrected using a change rate of the intensity of the second light.

The present disclosure relates to dual beam device and three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection techniques by cross sectioning of inspection volumes with large depth extension exceeding 1 μm below the surface of a semiconductor wafer, as well as methods, computer program products and apparatuses for generating 3D volume image data of a deep inspection volume inside a wafer without removal of a sample from the wafer. The disclosure further relates to 3D volume image generation and cross section image alignment methods utilizing a dual beam device for three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection.

The present disclosure relates to the determination of a pattern height of a pattern, which has been produced with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography in a resist film. The determination is performed by using an electron beam (e-beam) system, in particular, by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In this respect, the disclosure provides a device for determining the pattern height, wherein the device comprising a processor. The processor is configured to obtain a SEM image of the pattern from an SEM. Further, the processor is configured to determine a contrast value related to the pattern based on the obtained SEM image. Subsequently, the processor is configured to determine the pattern height based on calibration data and the determined contrast value.

A charged particle beam apparatus acquires a scanned image by scanning a specimen with a charged particle beam, and detecting charged particles emitted from the specimen. The apparatus includes a charged particle beam source that emits the charged particle beam; an irradiation optical system that scans the specimen with the charged particle beam; a plurality of detection units that detects the charged particles emitted from the specimen; and an image processing unit that reconstructs a profile of a specimen surface of the specimen, based on a plurality of detection signals outputted from the plurality of detection units. The image processing unit: determines an inclination angle of the specimen surface, based on the plurality of detection signals; processing to determine a height of the specimen surface, based on the scanned image; and reconstructs the profile of the specimen surface, based on the inclination angle and the height.

An electron beam is irradiated on a specimen in a state where a negative voltage is applied to the specimen. The specimen is rotated to establish an optimum orientation of a specimen surface shape relative to an orientation of a detector having two detection surfaces disposed at rotational symmetric positions with respect to an optical axis of the electron beam taken as an axis of rotation, and an image is generated based on a quantity of a signal from reflected electrons detected by the detector.

A specimen machining device for machining a specimen by irradiating the specimen with an ion beam includes an ion source for irradiating the specimen with the ion beam, a shielding member disposed on the specimen to block the ion beam, a specimen stage for holding the specimen, a camera for photographing the specimen, a coaxial illumination device for irradiating the specimen with illumination light along an optical axis of the camera, and a processing unit for determining whether to terminate the machining based on an image photographed by the camera. The processing unit performs processing for acquiring information indicating a target machined width, processing for acquiring the image, processing for measuring a machined width on the acquired image, and processing for terminating the machining when the measured machined width equals or exceeds the target machined width.