A pattern measuring device ensures highly accurately measuring a depth and a three-dimensional shape irrespective of a formation accuracy of a deep trench and/or a deep hole. Therefore, in the present invention, the measuring system detects backscattered electrons from a pattern caused by an irradiation, compares backscattered electron signal intensities from a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall of the pattern, and calculates a three-dimensional shape (or height information) of the sidewall based on a difference in heights of the top surface and the lower surface. The measuring system compares the calculated three-dimensional shape of the sidewall with a three-dimensional shape of the sidewall estimated based on an intensity distribution (open angle) of a primary electron beam, corrects the estimated three-dimensional shape of the sidewall based on a difference in the comparison, and corrects until the difference in the comparison becomes an acceptable value.

Provided is a process for lamella thinning and endpointing that substitutes a series of automated small angle tilts for the motions in the conventional endpointing sequence. STEM images or through-surface BSE scans are acquired at each tilt. The results are analyzed automatically to determine feature depths, and an intervention request is made requesting a user decision based on marked-up images and summary information displayed.

Analyzing a sidewall of a hole milled in a sample to determine thickness of a buried layer includes milling the hole in the sample using a charged particle beam of a focused ion beam (FIB) column to expose the buried layer along the sidewall of the hole. After milling, the sidewall of the hole has a known slope angle. From a perspective relative to a surface of the sample, a 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. The thickness of the buried layer is determined using the known slope angle of the sidewall, the distance, and the angle relative to the surface of the sample.

A method of determining a depth of a hole milled into a first region of a sample, comprising: positioning the sample in a processing chamber having a charged particle beam column; milling a hole in the first region of the sample using a charged particle beam generated by the charged particle beam column; identifying a first registration mark at an upper level of the milled hole; identifying a second registration mark at a lower level of the milled hole; taking a first set of images at a first tilt angle, the first set of images including a first image taken with a field of view that captures the first registration mark but not the second registration mark, and a second image taken with a field of view that captures the second registration mark but not the first registration mark; taking a second set of images at a second tilt angle, different than the first tilt angle, the second set of images including a third image taken with a field of view that captures the first registration mark but not the second registration mark, and a fourth image taken with a field of view that captures the second registration mark but not the first registration mark; using stereoscopic measurement techniques to determine the depth of the hole based on the first and second sets of images.

An object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device which can realize improved contrast of an elongated pattern in a specific direction, such as a groove-like pattern. In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention proposes a charged particle beam device including a detector for detecting a charged particle obtained based on a charged particle beam discharged to a sample. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle passage restricting member that has at least one of an arcuate groove and a groove having a longitudinal direction in a plurality of directions, and a deflector that deflects the charged particle discharged toward the groove from the sample. The charged particle discharged from the sample is deflected to a designated position of the groove.

A method for generating cross-sectional profiles using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) includes scanning a sample with an electron beam to gather an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum for an energy level to determine element composition across an area of interest. A mesh is generated to locate positions where a depth profile will be taken. EDS spectra are gathered for energy levels at mesh locations. A number of layers of the sample are determined by distinguishing differences in chemical composition between depths as beam energies are stepped through. A depth profile is generated for the area of interest by compiling the number of layers and the element composition across the mesh.

A method for generating cross-sectional profiles using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) includes scanning a sample with an electron beam to gather an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum for an energy level to determine element composition across an area of interest. A mesh is generated to locate positions where a depth profile will be taken. EDS spectra are gathered for energy levels at mesh locations. A number of layers of the sample are determined by distinguishing differences in chemical composition between depths as beam energies are stepped through. A depth profile is generated for the area of interest by compiling the number of layers and the element composition across the mesh.

A method for generating cross-sectional profiles using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) includes scanning a sample with an electron beam to gather an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum for an energy level to determine element composition across an area of interest. A mesh is generated to locate positions where a depth profile will be taken. EDS spectra are gathered for energy levels at mesh locations. A number of layers of the sample are determined by distinguishing differences in chemical composition between depths as beam energies are stepped through. A depth profile is generated for the area of interest by compiling the number of layers and the element composition across the mesh.

A method for generating cross-sectional profiles using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) includes scanning a sample with an electron beam to gather an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum for an energy level to determine element composition across an area of interest. A mesh is generated to locate positions where a depth profile will be taken. EDS spectra are gathered for energy levels at mesh locations. A number of layers of the sample are determined by distinguishing differences in chemical composition between depths as beam energies are stepped through. A depth profile is generated for the area of interest by compiling the number of layers and the element composition across the mesh.

A computation device is provided for measuring the dimensions of patterns formed on a sample based on a signal obtained from a charged particle beam device. The computation device includes a positional deviation amount calculation unit for calculating the amount of positional deviation in a direction parallel to a wafer surface between two patterns having different heights based on an image acquired at a given beam tilt angle; a pattern inclination amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of pattern inclination from the amount of positional deviation using a predetermined relational expression for the amount of positional deviation and the amount of pattern inclination; and a beam tilt control amount calculation unit for controlling the beam tilt angle so as to match the amount of pattern inclination. The pattern measurement device sets the beam tilt angle to a calculated beam tilt angle, reacquires an image and measures the patterns.