During electron beam imaging of a semiconductor wafer, the electron beam is adjusted to a first electron dose/nm.sup.2/time value below a damage threshold for an image frame grab of a site on the semiconductor wafer. Then the electron beam is adjusted to a second electron dose/nm.sup.2/time value different from the first electron dose/nm.sup.2/time value for a second image frame grab of the site. The second electron dose/nm.sup.2/time value can be above the damage threshold.

An edge detection system is provided that generates a scanning electron microscope (SEM) linescan image of a pattern structure including a feature with edges that require detection. The edge detection system includes an inverse linescan model tool that receives measured linescan information for the feature from the SEM. In response, the inverse linescan model tool provides feature geometry information that includes the position of the detected edges of the feature.

According to one embodiment, an electron beam device includes a support which supports the sample and an electrode disposed below the sample on the support The electrode is for applying a voltage to the sample and includes a plurality of columnar electrodes that can be independently controlled to apply different voltages to portions of the sample. A controller for generating correction data for correcting the distribution of an electric field generated across the area of the sample. The correction data is generated based on structure information indicating a structure of the sample. The controller controls the plurality of columnar electrodes to apply local voltages set based on the correction data.

The present disclosure provides an electron beam device (500) for inspecting a sample (10) with an electron beam, comprising an electron beam source comprising a cold field emitter (100) for emitting an electron beam, electron beam optics for directing and focusing the electron beam onto the sample (10), and a detector device (540) for detecting secondary charged particles generated by impingement of the electron beam on the sample (10). The cold field emitter (100) includes an emitter tip (110), a base arrangement (120) configured for supporting the emitter tip (110) and comprising a first base element (122) and a second base element (124), and a filament (130) having at least a first filament portion (132) and a second filament portion (134) attaching the emitter tip (110) to the base arrangement (120), wherein the first filament portion (132) extends between the emitter tip (110) and the first base element (122) and the second filament portion (134) extends between the emitter tip (110) and the second base element (124), wherein a length (L) of each of the first filament portion (132) and the second filament portion (134) is 4 mm or less, and wherein a diameter of a cross-section of each of the first filament portion (132) and the second filament portion (134) is 0.13 mm or less.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a height measurement device capable of highly accurate measurement in the depth direction of a structure on a sample. To achieve this objective, proposed are a charged particle beam device and a height measurement device that is provided with a calculation device for determining the size of a structure on a sample on the basis of a detection signal obtained by irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam, wherein the calculation device calculates the distance from a first charged particle beam irradiation mark formed at a first height on the sample and a second charged particle beam irradiation mark formed at a second height on the sample and on the basis of this distance and the charged particle beam irradiation angle when the first charged particle beam irradiation mark and second charged particle beam irradiation mark were formed, calculates the distance between the first height and the second height.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for pattern measurement and a charged particle radiation device in which a pattern formed by using a DSA technique can be very precisely measured and inspected. According to an aspect for achieving the object, a method for pattern measurement or a charged particle radiation device for realizing the measurement is proposed as follows. A charged particle is radiated to a polymer compound used for a self-organization lithography technique, and a specific polymer is considerably contracted as compared to the other polymer among multiple polymers forming the polymer compound. Thereafter, dimensions between multiple edges of the other polymer are measured, based on a signal obtained by scanning a region including the other polymer with the charged particle beam.

The present invention relates to an automatic sequence for repeatedly performing SEM observation and FIB processing by using a low acceleration voltage for a long time. In order to realize very accurate three-dimensional structure/composition analysis, in the automatic sequence for repeatedly performing sample observation using a scanning electron microscope using a CFE electron source and sample processing using a FIB device, low temperature flushing using the CFE electron source is performed at predetermined timing except for a SEM observation time. According to the present invention, the automatic sequence for repeatedly performing the sample observation using the scanning electron microscope using the CFE electron source and the sample processing using the FIB device can be performed for a long time. Therefore, it is possible to acquire a SEM image which achieves high resolution and improved current stability while the low acceleration voltage is used.

A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a three-dimensional evaluation system for providing three dimensional information regarding structural elements of a specimen. The method can include illuminating the structural elements with electron beams of different incidence angles, where the electron beams pass through the structural elements and the structural elements are of nanometric dimensions; detecting forward scattered electrons that are scattered from the structural elements to provide detected forward scattered electrons; and generating the three dimensional information regarding structural elements based at least on the detected forward scattered electrons.

A scanning electron microscope capable of properly determining a step of a step pattern formed on a sample regardless of combination of material of a groove of the step pattern and material of a projection of the step pattern, the scanning electron microscope includes a beam source, a detection unit having a first detection unit that detects a secondary electron emitted from the sample at an angle between an optical axis direction of the primary electron beam which is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and a second detection unit that detects a secondary electron emitted from the sample at an angle between the optical axis direction of the primary electron beam which is greater than the predetermined value, and a processing unit to obtain information on the step pattern using the information on a ratio between signals outputted from the first and the second detection unit.

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving measured linescan information describing a pattern structure of a feature, applying the received measured linescan information to an inverse linescan model that relates measured linescan information to feature geometry information, and identifying, based at least in part on the applying the received measured linescan model to the inverse linescan model, feature geometry information that describes a feature that would produce a linescan corresponding to the received measured linescan information. The method also includes determining, at least in part using the inverse linescan model, feature edge positions of the identified feature, analyzing the feature edge positions to determine errors in the manufacture of the pattern structure, and controlling a lithography tool based on the analysis of the feature edge positions.