Method for Examining a Specimen in a Particle Beam Instrument

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for examining a specimen in a particle beam instrument, whereby the specimen is irradiated with a particle probe and secondary particles triggered by the particle probe are documented.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There is an increasing need for imaging methods in all areas of development and manufacture of micro-electronic and opto-electronic components in order to be able to visually evaluate micrometer structures, to identify deviations from rated patterns and to localize the defects produced on masks and wafers by particle occupation. Due to the low depth of field, light-optical methods can only be utilized within limits for defect recognition in submicrometer structures. Electron-optical imaging methods were therefore developed wherein the subject to be examined is scanned with a focused electron beam and the current of secondary electrons modulated by topography, material or voltage contrast is registered in a detector. Since the signal-to-noise ratio need for a reliable defect recognition limits the scan rate, these methods allow only a low throughput of inspected subjects.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of the species initially set forth above that guarantees a high throughput of inspected subjects.

The object is achieved according to the present invention with a method which is particularly characterized in that a particle probe having a line-shaped cross section is generated and directed onto a specimen, and in that a line-shape secondary particle source generated as a result thereof is imaged on a detector arranged above an objective lens of the particle beam instrument.

The advantage that may be obtained in practicing the present invention is that defects caused on masks and wafers by particle occupation can be very quickly localized, whereby the resolution corresponds to that of known, particle-optical imaging methods.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the secondary particle source is imaged into a line-shaped detector composed of a multitude of particle-sensitive elements.

Another feature of the invention is that the secondary particles are deflected above the objective lens and are documented in the detector arranged outside of an optical axis of the particle beam instrument.

Another feature of the invention is that the secondary particles are deflected through the use of a Wien filter.

Another feature of the invention is that the secondary particles are deflected through the use of an electrical or magnetic multi-pole element.

According to another feature of the invention, the secondary particle source is imaged using an immersion lens which serves as an objective lens.

Another feature of the invention is that a particle probe is generated which is composed of a plurality of sub-beams.

According to another feature of the invention, the particle beams are each supplied from a particle source and the particle sources are arranged line-like.

According to another feature of the invention, the particle probe is generated by imaging a diaphragm aperture illuminated by a primary beam.

According to another feature of the invention, the particle probe is generated using a particle source providing a blade-shaped cathode.

According to another feature of the invention, the specimen is scanned in a planar manner by deflecting the particle probe.

According to another feature of the invention, the specimen is displaced relative to the particle probe.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention, its organization, construction and operation will be best understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, on which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of apparatus for implementing the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another schematic representation of apparatus for implementing the method of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of apparatus for generating a line-shaped electron probe; and

FIG. 4 is another schematic representation of apparatus for generating a line-shaped electron probe.

An electron beam measuring instrument is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 and is particularly suited for the implementation of the method of the present invention. It is essentially composed of a beam generator comprising a blade-shaped cathode K, an electron optics for focusing the primary electrons PE emitted by the cathode K and accelerated in the direction of an anode onto the specimen IC to be investigated and a detector DT for the documentation of the secondary electrons SE triggered on the specimen IC. An electron optics comprising the lens L1 and L2 is provided in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the electron optics imaging the primary electron source, that is line-shaped because of the cathode geometry, magnified onto the specimen IC arranged immediately beneath the lens L2. An immersion lens serves as an objective lens L2 whose electric field adjoins that decelerates the primary electrons PE and accelerates the triggered secondary electrons SE opposite the primary beam direction. The strength of the electrical retardation or, respectively, accelerating field (symbolized by the arrows referenced U.sub.B) built up in the spatial region between the lens L2 and the specimen IC is thereby dimensioned such that the electron optics generates a magnified image of the secondary electron source, that is likewise line-shaped because of the beam spot geometry, on the detector DT arranged in the beam path above the lens L1 (in FIG. 1, only the beam path for the secondary electrons SE triggered at a point line outside of the optical axis OA is illustrated). A line-shaped arrangement of semiconductor diodes particularly comes into consideration as the detector DT, whereby a line element of the surface region respectively illuminated by the primary beam is assigned to each detector element HD. Since a great number of subject points are simultaneously scanned with the primary beam and the triggered secondary electrons SE are documented in the detector elements HD respectively assigned to the subject points, the time for the examination of the specimen IC is considerably reduced. A large-area scanning of the specimen surface is thereby achieved by deflecting the primary electron beam and/or by mechanical displacement of the specimen IC with reference to the optical axis OA.

As is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2, the secondary electrons SE accelerated in the electrical field of the immersion lens OL can also be documented in a detector DT arranged not influence the primary beam or an electrical or, respectively, magnetic multi-pole element WF can be particularly employed as a deflection unit.

For scanning the specimen IC, the method of the invention uses an electron probe having a beam cross section whose extent measured in a first direction is far, far greater than in a direction orthogonal thereto (1.sub.x :1.sub.y >10:1). As initially mentioned, a line source that, for example, can be composed of a plurality of individual sources arranged line-like is utilized in generating such an electron probe of demagnifying electron-optical imaging. Of course, it is also possible to illuminate a slotted diaphragm with a round or ribbon-shaped electron beam and the image the diaphragm opening onto the specimen IC in a demagnified manner. As FIG. 3 illustrates, the electron optics for the illumination of the diaphragm SB having a rectangular opening BA comprises, for example, a round lens RL and a magnetic condenser lens KL that are arranged immediately beneath the electron beam generator Q. The latter is preferably composed of a line-shaped cathode K, particularly a LaB6 blade emitter with a flattened tip, of a slotted diaphragm W arranged in the region of the cathode tip, as well as of a double anode A whose electrons are likewise fashioned as slotted diaphragms (see FIG. 4 which shows the beam generator Q in a plan view).

The electron probe that scans the specimen IC is composed of a plurality of sub-beams when the diaphragm SB comprises a line-shaped arrangement of quadratic through openings. It is thereby advantageous to feed each of the subbeams from a separate source. Silicon cold cathodes known from J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A5(4), 1987, pp. 1544-1548, photocathodes (Appl. Phys. Lett. 51.2, 1987, pp. 145-147), Lab6single-crystal blade emitters (U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,328) and the field emission cathodes described in SRI International Technical Note 2, November 1984, for example, may be employed as electron sources.

The invention, of course, is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. Therefore it is possible to also document back-scattered electrons in the detector instead of secondary electrons. As a consequence of the beam spot geometry, these are likewise triggered in a line-shaped region.

Further lenses can be provided in the described electron beam measuring instrument in order to achieve the necessary demagnification of the primary electron source or, respectively, magnification of the secondary particle source.

Of course, it is also possible to separate the electron-optical beam paths of primary particles and secondary particles and to provide imaging elements for each beam path.

Although we have described our invention by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. We therefore intend to include within the patent warranted hereon all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of our contribution to the art.