Image forming device and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9275829-B2
Application number	US-201113818094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2011
Priority date	Aug 31, 2010
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus and a computer program, extraction of information about distortion in a charged particle beam scan area can be implemented. An image forming apparatus integrates image data obtained by a charged particle beam apparatus and calculates, from a plurality of images with different scan directions of the charged particle beam apparatus, first information about the amount of change in a feature quantity in accordance with the time of irradiation of the charged particle beam, second information about the amount of change in the feature quantity before and after a change in beam scan direction, and/or third information about a position error of a pattern on the image before and after the change in beam scan direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a computing apparatus configured to form an integrated image by integrating image data obtained by a charged particle beam apparatus, wherein:
the computing apparatus is configured to calculate, from a plurality of images with different scan directions of the charged particle beam apparatus:
first information about an amount of change in a feature quantity in accordance with the time of irradiation of the charged particle beam;
second information about the amount of change in the feature quantity before and after a change in beam scan direction; and
third information about a position error of a pattern on the images before and after the change in beam scan direction, and

the second information is calculated according to
( L 2nd +L 3rd −L 1st −L 4th )÷2

where:
L 1st : a feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ;
L 2nd : a feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+α;
L 3rd : a feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+α after the feature quantity L 2nd is acquired; and
L 4th : a feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ after the feature quantity L 3rd is acquired.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first information is differential information of the feature quantity between different image data acquired at different timing.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second information is differential information between the feature quantity acquired before the change in scan direction and the feature quantity acquired after the change in scan direction.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second information includes
( L 5th +L 6th −L 4th −L 7th )÷2

wherein:
L 5th : a feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+β;
L 6th : a feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+β after the feature quantity L 5th is acquired; and
L 7th : a feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ after the feature quantity L 6th is acquired.

5. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a computing apparatus configured to form an integrated image by integrating image data obtained by a charged particle beam apparatus, wherein:
the computing apparatus is configured to calculate, from a plurality of images with different scan directions of the charged particle beam apparatus:
first information about an amount of change in a feature quantity in accordance with the time of irradiation of the charged particle beam;
second information about the amount of change in the feature quantity before and after a change in beam scan direction;

third information about a position error of a pattern on the images before and after the change in beam scan direction, and
the second information is calculated according to
( L 2 nd+L 3 rd−L 1 st−L 4 th )÷2

where:
L1st: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ;
L2nd: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+α;
L3rd: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+α after the feature quantity L2nd is acquired; and
L4th: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ after the feature quantity L3rd is acquired, and
the computing apparatus multiplies the third information with the second information.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the computing apparatus extracts a sign of the first information, the second information, and/or the third information.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a computing apparatus configured to form an integrated image by integrating image data obtained by a charged particle beam apparatus, wherein:
the computing apparatus is configured to calculate, from a plurality of images with different scan directions of the charged particle beam apparatus:
first information about an amount of change in a feature quantity in accordance with the time of irradiation of the charged particle beam;
second information about the amount of change in the feature quantity before and after a change in beam scan direction; and/or
third information about a position error of a pattern on the images before and after the change in beam scan direction, and
the second information is calculated according to
( L 2 nd+L 3 rd−L 1 st−L 4 th )÷2

where:
L1st: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ;
L2nd: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+α;
L3rd: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ+α after the feature quantity L2nd is acquired; and
L4th: feature quantity obtained in scan direction θ after the feature quantity L3rd is acquired; and

the computing apparatus comprises a library storing a combination of the first information, the second information, and/or the third information in association with information about distortion of the images, and the computing device compares the library with the first information, the second information, and/or the third information obtained on the basis of the acquisition of the images.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the computing apparatus causes a combination of the image data acquisition condition, the first information, the second information, and/or the third information to be displayed on a display apparatus in association with one another.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the image data acquisition condition includes at least one of a type of the pattern and the beam scan direction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the computing apparatus extracts a sign of the first information, the second information, and/or the third information.

Assignees

• Setoguchi Katsumi
• Komuro Osamu
• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Setoguchi Katsumi
• Komuro Osamu

Classifications

• H01J37/28 Primary

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

• H01J37/263

  Contrast, resolution or power of penetration · CPC title

• H01J2237/221

  Image processing · CPC title

• H01J2237/2826

  Calibration · CPC title

• H01J2237/24578

  Spatial variables, e.g. position, distance · CPC title