The purpose of the present invention is to correct a beam irradiation position shift caused by charging phenomena with high accuracy. A charged particle beam writing method includes virtually dividing a writing region of the substrate so as to have a predetermined mesh size and calculating a pattern density distribution representing an arrangement ratio of the pattern for each mesh region, calculating a dose distribution using the pattern density distribution, calculating an irradiation amount distribution using the pattern density distribution and the dose distribution, calculating a fogging charged particle amount distribution, calculating a charge amount distribution due to direct charge and a charge amount distribution due to fogging charge, calculating a position shift of a writing position based on the charge amount distribution due to direct charge and the charge amount distribution due to fogging charge, correcting an irradiation position using the position shift, and irradiating the corrected irradiation position with the charged particle beam with which a potential of a surface of the substrate becomes higher than a potential of a bottom surface of ae potential regulation member.

An improved leveling sensor and method for adjusting a sample height in a charged-particle beam inspection system are disclosed. An improved leveling sensor comprises a light source configured to project a first pattern onto a sample and a detector configured to capture an image of a projected pattern after the first pattern is projected on the sample. The first pattern can comprise an irregularity to enable a determination of a vertical displacement of the sample.

A charged particle beam device 100 includes: an irradiation unit 110 configured to irradiate a sample S with a charged particle beam; a particle detection unit 130 configured to detect a particle caused by the irradiation of the sample with the charged particle beam; and a control unit 151 configured to generate an image of the sample based on an output from the particle detection unit, wherein the control unit 151 inputs the image of the sample S into models M1 and M2 for detecting a first structure 401 and a second structure 402, acquires a first detection result related to the first structure 401 and a second detection result related to the second structure 402 from the models M1 and M2, determines locations or regions of the first structure 401 and the second structure 402 based on the first detection result and the second detection result, and outputs an integration result image 203 representing the location or the region of the first structure 401 and the location or the region of the second structure 402.

Provided is a charged particle beam drawing apparatus including a measurement unit that scans a reference mark disposed on a stage with a charged particle beam to detect a position of the reference mark, and measures a positional deviation amount of the charged particle beam, based on the detected position; and a positional correction unit that corrects a drawing position based on the measured positional deviation amount. A plurality of the reference marks is disposed on the stage, and the measurement unit switches from one of the reference marks used for the measurement of the positional deviation amount to another one of the reference marks that is not used yet, when a predetermined condition has been satisfied.

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.

An ignition controlling method is performed in a film forming apparatus including: a processing container that accommodates a substrate; a plasma box formed on the processing container; a pair of electrodes arranged to sandwich the plasma box therebetween; and an RF power supply connected to the pair of electrodes via a matching box including a variable capacitor. The ignition controlling method includes: storing first information indicating a voltage between the electrodes for each of a plurality of adjustment positions of the variable capacitor, and second information indicating a voltage between the electrodes and the substrate; determining an initial position of the variable capacitor based on the first and second information; and selecting an area where a plasma ignition is to be performed from the plasma box and the processing container, by setting the adjustment positions of the variable capacitor to the initial position.

Embodiments herein provide plasma processing chambers and methods configured for fine-tuning and control over a plasma sheath formed during the plasma-assisted processing of a semiconductor substrate. Embodiments include a sheath tuning scheme, including plasma processing chambers and methods, which can be used to tailor one or more characteristics of a plasma sheath formed between a bulk plasma and a substrate surface. Generally, the sheath tuning scheme provides differently configured pulsed voltage (PV) waveforms to a plurality of bias electrodes embedded beneath the surface of a substrate support in an arrangement where each of the electrodes can be used to differentially bias a surface region of a substrate positioned on the support. The sheath tuning scheme disclosed herein can thus be used to adjust and/or control the directionality, and energy and angular distributions of ions that bombard a substrate surface during a plasma-assisted etch process.

Analyzing a buried layer on a sample includes milling a spot on the sample using a charged particle beam of a focused ion beam (FIB) column to expose the buried layer along a sidewall of the spot. From a first perspective a first distance is measured between a first point on the sidewall corresponding to an upper surface of the buried layer and a second point on the sidewall corresponding to a lower surface of the buried layer. From a second perspective a second distance is measured between the first point on the sidewall corresponding to the upper surface of the buried layer and the second point on the sidewall corresponding to the lower surface of the buried layer. A thickness of the buried layer is determined using the first distance and the second distance.

A semiconductor analysis system includes a machining device that machines semiconductor wafer to prepare a thin film sample for observation, a transmission electron microscope device that acquires a transmission electron microscope image of the thin film sample, and a host control device that controls the machining device and the transmission electron microscope device. The host control device evaluates the thin film sample based on the transmission electron microscope image, updates machining conditions based on an evaluation result of the thin film sample, and outputs the updated machining conditions to the machining device.

The inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate treating apparatus includes a chamber having an entrance for taking in and taking out a substrate at a side wall; a support unit provided inside of the chamber and supporting the substrate; an imaging unit for imaging a substrate being taken in by a transfer robot through the entrance; and a controller is configured to control a position of the transfer robot based on an image data from the imaging unit.