Inspection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12181513-B2
Application number	US-202018026718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A control device controls a contact probe in synchronization with a pulse-controlled light having a predetermined wavelength, a measurement instrument measures a characteristic of a sample to be inspected or an analysis sample, and a circuit constant or a defect structure of the sample to be inspected is estimated based on a circuit model created by an electric characteristic analysis device configured to generate the circuit model based on a value measured by the measurement instrument and a detection signal of secondary electrons detected by the charged particle beam device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inspection method using a charged particle beam device that observes a microstructure of a sample, which is an observation target,
the charged particle beam device including
a charged particle optical system including a charged particle source configured to emit a charged particle beam, and a detector configured to detect secondary electrons generated by irradiating the sample with the charged particle beam,
a light irradiation system including a light source configured to irradiate the sample with light having a predetermined wavelength, and a gate configured to pulse-control the light having a predetermined wavelength,
a probe configured to apply a voltage or a current to the sample irradiated with the light having a predetermined wavelength pulse-controlled by the gate,
a measurement instrument configured to measure a characteristic of the sample by the applied voltage or the applied current, and
a movable stage on which the sample is placed,

the inspection method comprising:
measuring the characteristic of the sample using output of the measurement instrument while controlling the probe in synchronization with the pulse-controlled light having a predetermined wavelength;

generating a circuit model based on the characteristic of the sample; and
estimating a circuit constant or a defect structure of the sample based on the circuit model and a detection signal relevant to the secondary electrons output by the detector.

2. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the characteristic of the sample is an electrical characteristic.

3. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the charged particle optical system includes an electron pulse generator configured to pulse-control the charged particle beam.

4. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the charged particle beam device further includes an optical microscope configured to observe the probe and the sample,
the inspection method further comprising
estimating the circuit constant or the defect structure based on output of the optical microscope.

5. The inspection method according to claim 4 , wherein
the sample is an analysis sample of which a predetermined region is coated with an electrode.

6. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the probe is a non-contact probe, and
the output of the measurement instrument is a current value flowing from the sample through the movable stage,
the inspection method further comprising:
estimating the circuit constant or the defect structure based on a surface voltage of the sample; and
measuring the surface voltage using the non-contact probe.

7. A device comprising:
a charged particle beam device; and
a computer,
wherein the charged particle beam device comprises:
a charged particle optical system including a charged particle source configured to emit a charged particle beam, and a detector configured to detect secondary electrons generated by irradiating a sample, which is an observation target, with the charged particle beam,
a light irradiation system including a light source configured to irradiate the sample with light having a predetermined wavelength, and a gate configured to pulse-control the light having a predetermined wavelength,
a probe configured to apply a voltage or a current to the sample irradiated with the light having a predetermined wavelength pulse-controlled by the gate,
a measurement instrument configured to measure a characteristic of the sample by the applied voltage or the applied current, and
a movable stage on which the sample is placed, and

wherein the computer:
measures the characteristic of the sample using output of the measurement instrument while controlling the probe in synchronization with the pulse-controlled light having a predetermined wavelength,
generates a circuit model based on the characteristic of the sample, and
estimates a circuit constant or a defect structure of the sample based on the circuit model and a detection signal relevant to the secondary electrons output by the detector.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein
the characteristic of the sample is an electrical characteristic.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein
the charged particle optical system includes an electron pulse generator configured to pulse-control the charged particle beam.

10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein
the charged particle beam device further includes an optical microscope configured to observe the probe and the sample, and
the circuit constant or the defect structure is estimated based on output of the optical microscope.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein
the sample is an analysis sample of which a predetermined region is coated with an electrode.

12. The device according to claim 7 , wherein
the probe is a non-contact probe,
the output of the measurement instrument is a current value flowing from the sample through the movable stage,
the circuit constant or the defect structure is further estimated based on a surface voltage of the sample, and
the surface voltage is measured using the non-contact probe.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Mitsugi Shota
• Nakamura Yohei
• Bizen Daisuke
• Fuse Junichi
• Takada Satoshi
• Tsuno Natsuki

Classifications

• H10P74/00

  Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment of wafers, substrates or devices · CPC title

• G01R31/2656

  using non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical radiation · CPC title

• H01J37/28

  with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01J37/04

  Arrangements of electrodes and associated parts for generating or controlling the discharge, e.g. electron-optical arrangement or ion-optical arrangement {(H01J37/32009, H01J37/32623, H01J37/3266, H01J37/32697 take precedence; electron or ion-optical systems for localised treatment of objects H01J37/3007)} · CPC title

• G01R1/07392

  manipulating each probe element or tip individually · CPC title