A scanning electron microscope (SEM) includes an electron gun, a deflector, an objective lens, first and second detectors each configured to detect emission electrons emitted from the wafer based on the input electron beam being irradiated on the wafer, a first energy filter configured to block electrons having energy less than a first energy among emission electrons emitted from a wafer based on an input electron beam from being detected by the first detector, and a second energy filter configured to block electrons having energy less than second energy among the emission electrons from being detected by the second detector.

In order to allow detecting backscattered electrons (BSEs) generated from the bottom of a hole for determining whether a hole with a super high aspect ratio is opened or for inspecting and measuring the ratio of the top diameter to the bottom diameter of a hole, which are typified in 3D-NAND processes of opening a hole, a primary electron beam accelerated at a high accelerating voltage is applied to a sample. Backscattered electrons (BSEs) at a low angle (e.g. a zenith angle of five degrees or more) are detected. Thus, the bottom of a hole is observed using “penetrating BSEs” having been emitted from the bottom of the hole and penetrated the side wall. Using the characteristics in which a penetrating distance is relatively prolonged through a deep hole and the amount of penetrating BSEs is decreased to cause a dark image, a calibration curve expressing the relationship between a hole depth and the brightness is given to measure the hole depth.

Proposed is a charged particle beam apparatus for the purpose of detecting a charged particle emitted from a sample in a specific direction by discriminating between the charged particle and a charged particle emitted in another direction. As one aspect of achieving the above purpose, proposed is a charged particle beam apparatus including an objective lens configured to focus a beam emitted from a charged particle source, a detector (8) configured to detect at least one of a first charged particle (23) emitted from a sample by irradiating the sample with the beam and a second charged particle emitted from a charged particle collided member by causing the first charged particle to collide with the charged particle collision member disposed on a trajectory of the first charged particle, and an electrostatic lens (12) including a plurality of electrodes disposed between the objective lens and the detector, in which the electrostatic lens is a Butler type.

An inspection system that includes charged particle optics that irradiate a bottom of a hole with a charged particle beam propagated along an optical axis, an energy dispersive x-ray detector and a processor. The x-ray detector detects x-ray photons emitted from the bottom of the hole and generates detection signals indicative of the x-ray photons. The processor processes the detection signals to provide an estimate of the bottom of the hole.

The present disclosure pertains to a method, a system, and a computer-readable medium for highly precisely measuring the depth of a recess formed in a sample even when, inter alia, the material or pattern density of the sample differs. In order to achieve the purpose described above, there are proposed a method, a measurement system, and a non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing program commands that can be executed by a computer system, the method, system, and medium involving: using a measurement tool to acquire an image or a brightness distribution of a region including a recess formed in a sample; extracting a first characteristic of the interior of the recess, and a second characteristic pertaining to the dimensions or area of the recess, from the acquired image or brightness distribution; and inputting the extracted first characteristic and second characteristic to a model that indicates the relationship between the first characteristic, the second characteristic, and a depth index of the recess to thereby derive the depth index of the recess.

Provided is a charged particle beam device capable of detecting signal charged particles in a wide range of elevation angles from a large elevation angle to a small elevation angle and distinguishing detection signals between backscattered charged particles and secondary charged particles regardless of distribution of the signal charged particles. The charged particle beam device according to the disclosure includes a first detector that detects the secondary charged particles or the backscattered charged particles and a second detector that detects tertiary charged particles generated from the first detector, and generates an observation image of a sample using a signal value obtained by subtracting at least a part of a second detection signal output by the second detector from a first detection signal output by the first detector, or subtracting at least a part of the first detection signal from the second detection signal.

To improve detection efficiency of secondary particles without increasing a size of a charged particle beam apparatus, a charged particle beam apparatus according to the invention includes: a charged particle beam source configured to irradiate a sample with a primary particle beam; a scanning deflector configured to scan and deflect the primary particle beam to a desired position of the sample; and a detector configured to detect secondary particles emitted from the desired position. The charged particle beam apparatus further includes: a focusing lens electrode arranged coaxially with the primary particle beam and configured to generate a focusing electric field that is an electric field that focuses a trajectory of the secondary particles; and a mesh electrode configured to reduce leakage of the focusing electric field on a trajectory of the primary particle beam.

Provided is a charged particle beam control device having improved signal detection accuracy. The charged particle beam control device (detection block) includes: a detector provided in a charged particle beam device, and configured to detect secondary electrons emitted from a sample by irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam and output an electric signal based on the detected secondary electrons; a signal wiring configured to transmit the electric signal; a noise detection wiring configured to detect a noise signal generated in the charged particle beam device; and an arithmetic circuit configured to generate a signal obtained by subtracting the noise signal from the electric signal.

A charged particle beam apparatus covering a wide range of detection angles of charged particles emitted from a sample includes an objective lens for converging charged particle beams emitted from a charged particle source and a detector for detecting charged particles emitted from a sample. The objective lens includes inner and outer magnetic paths which are formed so as to enclose a coil. A first inner magnetic path is disposed at a position opposite to an optical axis of the charged particle beams. A second inner magnetic path, formed at a slant with respect to the optical axis of the charged particle beams, includes a leading end. A detection surface of the detector is disposed at the outer side from a virtual straight line that passes through the leading end and that is parallel to the optical axis of the charged particle beams.

In the present invention, an electro-optical condition generation unit includes: a condition setting unit that sets, as a plurality of electro-optical conditions, a plurality of electro-optical conditions in which the combinations of the aperture angle and the focal-point height for an electron beam are different; an index calculating unit that determines a measurement-performance index in the electro-optical conditions set by the condition setting unit; and a condition deriving unit that derives an electro-optical condition, including an aperture angle and a focal-point height, so that the measurement-performance index determined by the index calculating unit becomes a prescribed value.