Scanning electron microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11756763-B2
Application number	US-201917616253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2019
Priority date	Jun 6, 2019
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A scanning electron microscope includes a spin detector configured to measure secondary electron spin polarization of secondary electrons emitted from the sample, and an analysis device configured to analyze secondary electron spin polarization data measured by the spin detector. The analysis device evaluates the strain in the sample by calculating a difference in the secondary electron spin polarization data of adjacent pixels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A scanning electron microscope for evaluating a strain in a sample, the scanning electron microscope comprising:
a spin detector configured to measure secondary electron spin polarization of secondary electrons emitted from the sample; and
an analysis device configured to analyze secondary electron spin polarization data measured by the spin detector, wherein
the analysis device evaluates the strain in the sample by calculating a difference in the secondary electron spin polarization data of adjacent pixels.

2. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 1 , wherein
the analysis device is configured to
individually analyze two orthogonal components of the secondary electron spin polarization,
calculate a difference in the secondary electron spin polarization data of adjacent pixels in each component, and
evaluate the strain in the sample by adding up calculation results of the respective components.

3. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 2 , wherein
the analysis device evaluates the strain in the sample by calculating an absolute value of a result obtained by adding up the calculation results of the respective components.

4. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 2 , wherein
the analysis device is configured to
detect an X component and a Y component in which the secondary electron spin polarization has an X direction and a Y direction in a sample surface of the sample,
obtain, for the X component, a difference between data in an analysis target pixel and data in an adjacent pixel in a positive or negative direction in the X direction,
obtain, for the Y component, a difference between data in an analysis target pixel and data in an adjacent pixel in a positive or negative direction in the Y direction, and
evaluate the strain in the sample by adding calculation results of the X component and the Y component.

5. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 2 , wherein
the analysis device is configured to
detect an X component and a Y component in which the secondary electron spin polarization has an X direction and a Y direction in a sample surface of the sample, and
evaluate, when the X component and the Y component of the secondary electron spin polarization are described as P x and P y , respectively, the strain in the sample by obtaining a value of dP x /dx+dP y /dy, the value being an item obtained by adding a result of spatial differentiation of the X component and the Y component in the X direction and the Y direction for each of the X component and the Y component.

6. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 2 , wherein
the analysis device evaluates the strain in the sample by visualizing the calculation results of respective components according to a scanning electron beam position of a scanning electron beam.

7. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 6 , wherein
the analysis device performs calculation during scanning by the scanning electron beam, and sequentially visualizes the calculation results of the respective components.

8. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 6 , wherein
the analysis device includes a display device, and
the visualization is performed by displaying the calculation results of the respective components on the display device.

9. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 8 , wherein
the analysis device displays a region in which the calculation results are larger than a predetermined threshold value as a region having the strain on the display device.

10. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 1 , wherein
the analysis device is configured to
individually analyze two orthogonal components of the secondary electron spin polarization,
calculate average values in the secondary electron spin polarization data of adjacent pixels in each component,
calculate a difference between the average values in the secondary electron spin polarization data of adjacent pixels in each component, and
evaluate the strain in the sample by adding up calculation results of the respective components.

11. A scanning electron microscope for evaluating a strain in a sample, the scanning electron microscope comprising:
a spin detector configured to measure secondary electron spin polarization of secondary electrons emitted from the sample; and
an analysis device configured to analyze secondary electron spin polarization data measured by the spin detector, wherein
the analysis device is configured to
detect at least two orthogonal components of the secondary electron spin polarization, and
evaluate the strain in the sample by calculating a differential value in each component.

12. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 11 , wherein the analysis device is configured to
detect an X component and a Y component in which the secondary electron spin polarization has an X direction and a Y direction in a sample surface of the sample, and
evaluate the strain in the sample by calculating differential values of the X component and the Y component, respectively.

13. The scanning electron microscope according to claim 12 , wherein
the analysis device evaluates, when the X component and the Y component of the secondary electron spin polarization are described as P x and P y , respectively, the strain in the sample by obtaining a value of dP x /dx+dP y /dy, the value being an item obtained by adding a result of spatial differentiation of the X component and the Y component in the X direction and the Y direction for each of the X component and the Y component.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Kohashi Teruo
• Morishita Hideo
• Katane Junichi

Classifications

• G01N23/2251 Primary

  using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM] · CPC title

• H01J37/244 Primary

  Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor · CPC title

• G01N2223/624

  steel, castings · CPC title

• G01N2223/607

  strain · CPC title

• G01N33/204

  Structure thereof, e.g. crystal structure · CPC title