The present application relates to a scanning probe microscope comprising a probe arrangement for analyzing at least one defect of a photolithographic mask or of a wafer, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises: (a) at least one first probe embodied to analyze the at least one defect; (b) means for producing at least one mark, by use of which the position of the at least one defect is indicated on the mask or on the wafer; and (c) wherein the mark is embodied in such a way that it may be detected by a scanning particle beam microscope.

A method discloses topography information extracted from scanning electron microscope (SEM) images to determine the atomic force microscope (AFM) image scanning speed at each sampling point or in each region on a sample. The method includes the processing of SEM images to extract possible topography features and create a feature metric map (step 1), the conversion of the feature metric map into AFM scan speed map (step 2), and performing AFM scan according to the scan speed map (step 3). The method enables AFM scan with higher scan speeds in areas with less topography feature, and lower scan speeds in areas that are rich in topography features.

Disclosed is a mask defect repair apparatus that is capable of performing defect repair with high accuracy without exposure of a mask to air while being moved between the mask defect repair apparatus and an inspection device. The mask defect repair apparatus emits charged particle beams with an amount of irradiation therewith which is corrected by a correction unit while supplying gas to a defect of the mask, thereby forming a deposition film.

The present invention provides apparatus for an imaging system comprising a multitude of chemical emitting elements upon a substrate. In some embodiments the substrate may be approximately round with a radius of approximately one inch. Various methods relating to using and producing an imaging system of chemical emitters are disclosed.

The disclosure is related to a method and apparatus for transmission electron microscopy wherein a TEM specimen is subjected to at least one thinning step by scratching at least an area of the specimen with an SPM probe, and wherein the thinned area is subjected to an SPM acquisition step, using the same SPM probe or another probe.

Disclosed is a mask defect repair apparatus that is capable of performing defect repair with high accuracy without exposure of a mask to air while being moved between the mask defect repair apparatus and an inspection device. The mask defect repair apparatus emits charged particle beams with an amount of irradiation therewith which is corrected by a correction unit while supplying gas to a defect of the mask, thereby forming a deposition film.

A method of evaluating a region of interest of a sample with a sample evaluation tool that includes a focused ion beam (FIB) column, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column, and an atomic force microscope (AFM) instrument, the method comprising: transferring the sample into in a vacuum chamber of the sample evaluation tool; acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional images of the region of interest over a plurality of iterations of a delayering process by: (a) positioning the region of interest under a field of view of the FIB column; (b) milling a layer of material from the region of interest with the FIB column; (c) moving the region of interest under a field of view of the SEM column; (d) imaging the region of interest with the SEM column and measuring a depth of the milled layer in the region of interest with the AFM instrument; and repeating steps (a)-(d) a plurality of times without removing the sample from the vacuum chamber.

A method is provided for electrically examining electronic components of an integrated circuit including a target region to be examined in which electronic components with contact points are located and further including a remaining, non-target region. The method includes performing an examination with a combined SEM/AFM nanoprobe. The examination includes imaging at least a portion of the non-target region with the scanning electron microscope part of the SEM/AFM nanoprobe in a first step, imaging at least a portion of the target region only with the atomic force microscope part of the SEM/AFM nanoprobe in a subsequent step, and recording, in a further subsequent step, current/voltage curves as characteristic electrical curves at the contact points with the nanoprobe, or performing a conductive AFM technique.

The disclosure is related to a method and apparatus for transmission electron microscopy wherein a TEM specimen is subjected to at least one thinning step by scratching at least an area of the specimen with an SPM probe, and wherein the thinned area is subjected to an SPM acquisition step, using the same SPM probe or another probe.

An apparatus for correlating at least two images of a photolithographic mask that at least partially overlap, in which the apparatus includes a correlation unit that is provided to use at least one random variation, which is present in the at least two images, of at least one structural element of the photolithographic mask for the correlation of the at least two images.