Testing apparatus using charged particles and device manufacturing method using the testing apparatus

[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/754,623 filed on Jan. 12, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,138,629 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Priority under 35 U.S.C. §§120 and 121 is hereby claimed for benefit of the filing date of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/754,623.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus inspecting defects or the like of a pattern formed on the surface of an inspection object using an electron beam, and particularly relates to an inspection apparatus irradiating an electron beam to the inspection object and capturing secondary electrons modified according to properties of the surface thereof to form image data, and inspecting in high throughput a pattern or the like formed on the surface of the inspection object based on the image data, and a device production process of producing a device in a high yield using the inspection apparatus as used for detection of wafer defects in semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a detection apparatus with a projection electron microscope system using broad beams, and a device production process using the apparatus.

[0004] In a semiconductor process, the design rule is about to move into an era of 100 nm, and the type of production is now making a transition from low variety and large production represented by DRAM to high variety and small production found in SOC (Silicon on chip). Accordingly, the number of production steps increases, improvement in yield for each step becomes essential, and inspection of defects coming from the process becomes important. The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in inspection of a wafer or the like after each step in the semiconductor process, and relates to an inspection process and apparatus using an electron beam or a device production process using the same.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0006] As semiconductor devices is highly integrated, and patterns becomes finer, a high resolution and high throughput inspection apparatus is required. For inspecting defects of a wafer substrate having a 100 nm design rule, pattern defects or defects of particle vias in wiring having a line width of 100 nm or smaller and electric defects thereof should be observed, and hence a resolution of 100 nm or lower is required, and the inspection quantity increases due to an increase in the number of production steps resulting from high integration of the device, and therefore high throughput is required. Furthermore, as the device is increasingly multilayered, the inspection apparatus is required to have a function of detecting a contact failure (electric defects) of vias for connection of wiring between layers. Currently, optical defect inspection apparatuses are mainly used, but defect inspection apparatuses using electron beams are expected to go mainstream in stead of the optical defect inspection apparatus in terms of resolution and inspection of contact failure. However, the electron beam-type defect inspection apparatus has a disadvantage, i.e. it is inferior in throughput to the optical type.

[0007] Thus, development of an inspection apparatus having a high resolution and high throughput and being capable of detecting electric detects is required. It is said that the resolution of the optical type is maximum ½ of the wavelength of light used, which is equivalent to about 0.2 μm for commercially practical visible light, for example.

[0008] On the other hand, for the type using an electron beam, a scanning electron beam type (SEM type) is usually commercially available, the resolution is 0.1 μm and the inspection time is 8 hours/wafer (200 mm wafer). The electron beam type has a remarkable characteristic such that electric defects (breakage of wiring, poor conduction, poor conduction of vias and the like) can be inspected, but the inspection speed is very low, and development of a defect inspection apparatus performing inspection at a high speed is expected.

[0009] Generally, the inspection apparatus is expensive, inferior in throughput to other process apparatuses, and is therefore used after an important step, for example, etching, film formation, or CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) planarization processing under present circumstances.

[0010] The inspection apparatus of the scanning type using an electron beam (SEM) will be described. The SEM type inspection apparatus reduces the size of an electron beam (the beam diameter corresponds to the resolution), and scans the beam to irradiate a sample in a line form. On the other hand, a stage is moved in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the electron beam to irradiate an observation area with the electron beam in a plain form. The scan width of the electron beam is generally several hundreds μm. Secondary electrons generated from the sample by irradiation with the size-reduced electron beam (refereed to as primary electron beam) are detected with a detector (scintillator+photomultiplier (photomultiplier tube) or a semiconductor-type detector (PIN diode type) or the like). Coordinates of the irradiation position and the amount of secondary electrons (signal intensity) are synthesized into an image, and the image is stored in a storage device, or outputted onto a CRT (cathode ray tube). The principle of the SEM (scanning electron microscope) has been described above, and defects of a semiconductor (usually Si) wafer in a step on progress are detected from the image obtained by this process. The inspection speed (corresponding to throughput) depends on the amount of primary electron beams (current value), the beam diameter and the response speed of the detector. 0.1 μm of beam diameter (that can be considered as resolution), 100 nA of current value and 100 MHz of detector response speed are maximum values at present and in this case, it is said that the inspection speed is about 8 hours per wafer having a diameter of 20 cm. The serious problem is that this inspection speed is very low compared to the optical type ( 1/20 or less of that of the optical type). Particularly, pattern defects and electric defects of a device pattern of a design rule of 100 nm or smaller formed on the wafer, i.e. of a line width of 100 nm, a via with the diameter of 100 nm or smaller and the like, and a contaminant of 100 nm or smaller can be detected at a high speed.

[0011] For the SEM-type inspection apparatus described above, the above inspection speed is considered as a limit, and a new type of inspection apparatus is required for further enhancing the speed, i.e. increasing the throughput.

[0012] For meeting the needs, the present invention provides an electron beam apparatus comprising means for irradiating an electron beam to a sample, means for guiding to a detector electrons obtaining information about the surface of the above described sample by the irradiation of the electron beam to the above described sample, and means for synthesizing as an image the electrons being guided to the detector and obtaining information about the surface of the above described sample,

[0013] wherein the illuminance of the above described electron beam in an area of the above described sample illuminated with the above described electron beam is uniform.

[0014] The electrons obtaining information about the surface of the above described sample are desirably at least one of secondary electrons, reflection electrons and back-scatter electrons, or mirror electrons reflected from the vicinity of the surface of the above described sample.

[0015] By the inspection process or inspection apparatus of the present invention, defects of a substrate of a wafer or the like having wiring with the line width of 100 nm or smaller can be inspected.

[0208] Embodiments of semiconductor inspection apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings in the following order.

1. Overall configuration

• • [0209] 1-1) Main chamber, stage, jacket of vacuum transportation system
    • [0210] 1-1-1) Active vibration removal table
    • [0211] 1-1-2) Main chamber
    • [0212] 1-1-3) XY stage
  • [0213] 1-2) Laser interference measurement system
  • [0214] 1-3) Inspection unit jacket
    2. Embodiments
  • [0215] 2-1) Transportation system
    • [0216] 2-1-1) Cassette holder
    • [0217] 2-1-2) Mini-environment apparatus
    • [0218] 2-1-3) Main housing
    • [0219] 2-1-4) Loader housing
    • [0220] 2-1-5) Loader
    • [0221] 2-1-6) Stage apparatus
    • [0222] 2-1-7) Wafer chucking mechanism
      • [0223] 2-1-7-1) Basic structure of electrostatic chuck
      • [0224] 2-1-7-2) Chucking mechanism for 200/300 bridge tool
      • [0225] 2-1-7-3) Wafer chucking procedure
    • [0226] 2-1-8) Apparatus configuration for 200/300 bridge tool
  • [0227] 2-2) Method for transportation of wafer
  • [0228] 2-3) Electro-optical system
    • [0229] 2-3-1) Overview
    • [0230] 2-3-2) Details of configuration
      • [0231] 2-3-2-1) Electron gun (electron beam source)
      • [0232] 2-3-2-2) Primary optical system
      • [0233] 2-3-2-3) Secondary optical system
    • [0234] 2-3-3) E×B unit (Wien filter)
    • [0235] 2-3-4) Detector
    • [0236] 2-3-5) Power supply
  • [0237] 2-4) Precharge unit
  • [0238] 2-5) Vacuum pumping system
  • [0239] 2-6) Control system
    • [0240] 2-6-1) Configuration and function
    • [0241] 2-6-2) Alignment procedure
    • [0242] 2-6-3) Defect inspection
    • [0243] 2-6-4) Control system configuration
    • [0244] 2-6-5) User interface configuration
  • [0245] 2-7) Descriptions of other functions and configurations
    • [0246] 2-7-1) Control electrode
    • [0247] 2-7-2) Potential application method
    • [0248] 2-7-3) Electron beam calibration method
    • [0249] 2-7-4) Cleaning of electrode
    • [0250] 2-7-5) Alignment control method
    • [0251] 2-7-6) EO correction
    • [0252] 2-7-7) Image comparison method
    • [0253] 2-7-8) Device production process
    • [0254] 2-7-9) Inspection
  • [0255] 2-8) Inspection process
    • [0256] 2-8-1) Overview
    • [0257] 2-8-2) Inspection algorithm
      • [0258] 2-8-2-1) Array inspection
      • [0259] 2-8-2-2) Random inspection
      • [0260] 2-8-2-3) Focus mapping
      • [0261] 2-8-2-4) litho-margin measurement
        3. Other embodiments
  • [0262] 3-1) Alteration example of stage apparatus
  • [0263] 3-2) Other embodiments of electron beam apparatus
    • [0264] 3-2-1) Electron gun (electron beam source)
    • [0265] 3-2-2) Structure of electrode
  • [0266] 3-3) Embodiment for anti-vibration apparatus
  • [0267] 3-4) Embodiment for wafer holding
  • [0268] 3-5) Embodiment of E×B separator
  • [0269] 3-6) Embodiment of production line
  • [0270] 3-7) Embodiment using other electrons
  • [0271] 3-8) Embodiment using secondary electrons and reflection electrons
    1. Overall Configuration

[0272] First, the overall configuration of the semiconductor inspection apparatus will be described.

[0273] The overall configuration of the apparatus will be described using FIG. 1. The apparatus is comprised of an inspection apparatus main body, a power supply rack, a control rack, an image processing unit, a film formation apparatus, an etching apparatus and the like. A roughing vacuum pump such as a dry pump is placed outside a clean room. The main part of the interior of the inspection apparatus main body is comprised of an electron beam optical column, a vacuum transportation system, a main housing containing a stage, a vibration removal table, a turbo-molecular pump and the like as shown in FIG. 2.

[0274] A control system comprises two CRTs and an instruction input feature (keyboard or the like). FIG. 3 shows a configuration from a viewpoint of a function. The electron beam column is mainly comprised of an electro-optical system, detection system, an optical microscope and the like. The electro-optical system is comprised of a lens and the like, and a transportation system is comprised of a vacuum transportation robot, an atmospheric transportation robot, a cassette loader, various kinds of position sensors and the like.

[0275] Here, the film formation apparatus and etching apparatus, and a cleaning apparatus (not shown) are placed side by side near the inspection apparatus main body, but they may be incorporated in the inspection apparatus main body. They are used, for example, for inhibiting the charge of a sample or cleaning the surface of the sample. If a sputtering system is used, one apparatus may have functions of both film formation and etching apparatuses.

[0276] Although not shown in the figures, associated apparatuses may be placed side by side near the inspection apparatus main body, or may be incorporated in the inspection apparatus main body depending on the purpose of use. Alternatively, the inspection apparatus may be incorporated in the associated apparatus. For example, a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus (CMP) and the cleaning apparatus may be incorporated in the inspection apparatus main body, or a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) apparatus may be incorporated in the inspection apparatus and in this case, there are advantages that the installation area and the number of units for transportation of samples can be reduced, and transportation time can be shortened, and so on.

[0277] Similarly, the film formation apparatus such as a plating apparatus may be incorporated in the inspection apparatus main body. Similarly, the inspection apparatus may be used in conjunction with a lithography apparatus.

1-1) Main Chamber, Stage, Jacket of Vacuum Transportation System

[0278] In FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, main components of an inspection unit of the semiconductor inspection apparatus are shown. The inspection unit of the semiconductor inspection apparatus comprises an active vibration removal table 4•1 for shutting off vibration from the outside environment, a main chamber 4•2 as an inspection chamber, an electro-optical apparatus 4•3 placed on the main chamber, an XY stage 5•1 for scanning the wafer placed in the main chamber, a laser interference measurement system 5•2 for control of the motions of the XY stage, and a vacuum transportation system 4•4 accompanying the main chamber, and they are placed in positional relations shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The inspection unit of the semiconductor inspection apparatus further comprises a jacket 6•1 for allowing environmental control and maintenance of the inspection unit, and is placed in positional relations shown in FIG. 6.

1-1-1) Active Vibration Removal Table

[0279] The active vibration removal table 4•1 has a weld platen 5•4 mounted on an active vibration removal unit 5•3, and the main chamber 4•2 as an inspection chamber, the electro-optical apparatus 4•3 placed on the main chamber, the vacuum transportation system 4•4 accompanying the main chamber and the like are held on the weld platen. In this way, vibrations in the inspection unit from the external environment can be inhibited. In this embodiment, the natural frequency is within ±25% of 5 Hz in the X direction, 5 Hz in the Y direction and 7.6 Hz in the Z direction, and the control performance is such that the transmission level of each axis is 0 dB or smaller at 1 Hz, −6.4 dB or smaller at 7.6 Hz, −8.6 dB or smaller at 10 Hz and −17.9 dB or smaller at 20 Hz (all under no load on the platen). In another structure of the active vibration removal table, the main chamber, the electro-optical apparatus and the like are suspended to be held. In still another structure, stone platen is mounted to hold the main chamber and the like.

1-1-2) Main Chamber

[0280] The main chamber 4•2 directly holds a turbo-molecular pump 7•2 in the lower part to achieve a certain degree of vacuum (10⁻⁴ Pa or lower) in the inspection environment, and comprises therein a high accuracy XY stage 5•1 for scanning the wafer, so that a magnetic force from outside can be blocked. In this embodiment, the following structure is provided to improve the flatness of the holding surface of the high accuracy XY stage wherever possible. A lower plate 7•3 of the main chamber is placed and fixed on an especially high flatness area 7•4 (flatness of 5 μm or less in this embodiment) prepared on the weld platen. Further, a middle plate is provided as a stage holding surface in the main chamber. The middle plate is supported at three points against the lower plate of the main chamber, so that it is not directly affected by the flatness of the lower plate. In this embodiment, a support part consists of a spherical seat 7•6. The middle plate is capable of achieving a flatness of the stage holding surface at 5 μm or less when loaded with the self-weight and the weight of the stage. Furthermore, to alleviate the effect of deformation of the main chamber by a change in internal pressure (from atmospheric pressure to reduced pressure of 10⁻⁴ Pa or lower) on the stage holding surface, the middle plate is fixed directly on the weld platen at near the three points at which the middle plate is supported on the lower plate.

[0281] To accurately control the XY stage, a measurement system with a laser interferometer at a stage position is installed. An interferometer 8•1 is placed under vacuum to inhibit a measurement error, and is fixed directly on a high-rigidity chamber wall 7•7 in this embodiment to reduce vibrations of the interferometer causing directly a measurement error as small as 0. Furthermore, to eliminate errors of the measurement position and the inspection position, the extended line of the measurement area by the interferometer matches the inspection area as accurately as possible. Furthermore, a motor 8•2 for XY motions of the stage is held by the chamber wall 7•7 in this embodiment, but if it is necessary that the effect of motor vibrations on the main chamber is further inhibited, the motor 8•2 is held by the weld platen 7•1 directly, and mounted on the main chamber in a structure not transferring vibrations of a bellow and the like.

[0282] The main chamber 4•2 is composed of a material having a high magnetic permeability to block the effect of an external magnetic field on the inspection area. In this embodiment, the main chamber 4•2 has permalloy and iron such as SS 400 plated with Ni as an anticorrosive coating. In another embodiment, permendur, super permalloy, electromagnetic soft iron, pure iron or the like is used. Further, it is effective to cover the periphery of the inspection area in the chamber directly with a material having a high magnetic permeability as a magnetic shielding effect.

1-1-3) XY Stage

[0283] The XY stage 5•1 can scan the wafer with high accuracy under vacuum. Strokes of X and Y are each 200 to 300 mm for the 200 mm wafer, and 300 to 600 mm for the 300 mm wafer. In this embodiment, the XY stage is driven by the motor 8•2 for driving X and Y axes fixed on the main chamber wall, and a ball screw 8•5 attached thereto via a magnetic fluid seal 8•3. In this embodiment, since the XY motions can be performed in a state in which the ball screw for driving X and Y is fixed to the chamber wall, the stage structure is as follows.

[0284] First, in the lower stage, an Y stage 7•10 is placed, and a ball screw 7•8 for driving and a cross roller guide 7•11 are installed. On the Y stage, a middle stage 7•12 having thereon a ball screw 7•14 for driving the X axis is placed, and an X stage 7•13 is mounted thereon. The middle stage and the Y stage and x stage are connected together along the Y axis by the cross roller guide. In this way, when the Y axis is shifted, the X stage is moved by the Y stage and the connection area 7•14, and the middle stage remains fixed. Another embodiment has a two-stage structure in which the middle stage is aligned with the upper stage axis. Furthermore, in the XY stage of another embodiment, the XY stage itself is driven by a linear motor. Further, a high-accuracy mirror 8•4 (the flatness is λ/20 or less, and the material is aluminum-deposited synthetic quartz) is installed so that measurements can be made over the entire stroke by the interferometer.

[0285] Furthermore, a θ stage 7•15 is placed on the XY stage for performing wafer alignment under vacuum. In the θ stage in this embodiment, two ultrasonic motors are placed for driving, and a linear scale is placed for position control. Various cables connected to movable parts performing X, Y and θ motions are clamped by cable bears each held on the X stage and the Y stage, and connected to the outside of the main chamber via a field-through provided on the chamber wall.

[0286] Specifications of this embodiment with the above structures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0287]

TABLE 1
Table specifications and characteristics
No.	Items	Criteria	Inspection process
1	X axis positioning	±3 [μm] or less	Measurement by laser length measuring
	repeatability	(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with Y axis
			at center
2	Y axis positioning	±3 [μm] or less	Measurement by laser length measuring
	repeatability	(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with X axis
			at center
3	θ positioning	±0.4 [sec] (±2 pulses) or less	Measurement by deviation pulses at the time
	repeatability	(target)	of stopping of rotation sensor.
		(numerical indication)	Measurements are made at three points of
			0°, 1° and +1°
4	X axis positioning	±20 [μm] or less	Measurement by laser length measuring
	accuracy	(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with Y axis
			at center
5	Y axis positioning	±20 [μm] or less	Measurement by laser length measuring
	accuracy	(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with X axis
			at center
6	X axis backlash	±1 [μm] or less	Measurement by laser length measuring
		(numerical indication)	machine for delivery inspection with Y axis
			at center
7	X axis backlash	±1 [μm] or less	Measurement by laser length measuring
		(numerical indication)	machine for delivery inspection with X axis
			at center
8	X axis pitching	5 [sec] or less (target)	Measurement by laser length measuring
		(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with Y axis
			at center and both ends
9	Y axis pitching	5 [sec] or less (target)	Measurement by laser length measuring
		(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with X axis
			at center and both ends
10	X axis yawing	5 [sec] or less (target)	Measurement by laser length measuring
		(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with Y axis
			at center and both ends
11	Y axis pitching	5 [sec] or less (target)	Measurement by laser length measuring
		(graphical representation)	machine for delivery inspection with X axis
			at center and both ends
12	X axis rolling	Reference value	Measurement of Y axis length measuring
		(graphical representation)	mirror by automatic collimater with Y axis
			at center
13	Y axis rolling	Reference value	Measurement of X axis length measuring
		(graphical representation)	mirror by automatic collimater with X axis
			at center
14	Vertical straightness	±2 [μm] or less	Measurement by straight master and ADE
		(graphical representation)	displacement meter. Measurements are on
			the cross at the center and reference values
			are at both ends
15	Orthogonality of X	10 [μm] or less	Measurement by orthogonality master and
	and Y axes	(numerical indication)	dial gage
16	Distance between	1 ± 0.5 [mm]	Measurement by positioning laser length
	ORG switch and	(numerical indication)	measuring machine
	motor starting point

[0288]

TABLE 2
System specifications and characteristics
No.	Items	Criteria	Inspection process
1.	X axis lateral	±0.5 μm or less	Y axis-X axis deviation during
	displacement	@10 mm/sec, @15 mm/sec	movement from 0 to 20 mm at
		±1.0 μm or less	20 mm/sec, with Y axis at center
		@30 mm/sec
		±2.0 μm or less
		@60 mm/sec
		(excluding chamber vibration
		components during
		acceleration and deceleration)
		(graphical representation)
2.	X axis positioning	±0.5 μm or less	Stop accuracy after movement
	accuracy	(graphical representation)	from 0 to 20 mm at 20 mm/sec, with
			Y axis at center
3.	Y axis positioning	±0.5 μm or less	Stop accuracy after movement
	accuracy	(graphical representation)	from 0 to 20 mm at 20 mm/sec, with
			X axis at center
4.	Y axis positioning	±3.0 μm or less	deviational variation after
	accuracy	@10 mm/sec, @15 mm/sec	movement at constant speed, with
		±5.0 μm or less	x axis at center
		@30 mm/sec. @60 mm/sec
		(graphical representation)

1-2) Laser Interference Measurement System

[0289] The laser interference measurement system is comprised of a laser optical system having an optical axis which is parallel to X and Y axes and has an inspection position on its extended line, and an interferometer 8•1 placed therebetween. The optical system in this embodiment is placed in positional relations shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Laser light emitted from a laser 9•1 placed on the weld platen is erected upright by a bender 9•2, and then bent to be parallel with a measurement plane by a bender 10•1. Further, the laser light is split into light for X axis measurement and light for Y axis measurement by a splitter 9•4, then bent to be parallel with the Y axis and the X axis by a bender 10•3 and a bender 9•6, respectively, and guided into the main chamber.

[0290] An adjustment method in starting the optical system will be described below. First, an adjustment is made so that laser light emitted from the laser is bent perpendicularly by the bender 9•2, and bent horizontally by the bender 10•1. Then, the bender 10•3 is adjusted so that an optical axis of light bent by the bender 10•3 and reflected by a mirror 8•4 placed accurately perpendicularly to the Y axis and returned perfectly matches an optical axis of incident light. By making an observation of the optical axis just behind the laser with the interferometer removed so as not to interrupt reflected light, an accurate adjustment can be made. Furthermore, the optical axis adjustment of the X axis can be performed independently with the splitter 9•4 and the bender 9•6 after performing the optical axis adjustment of the Y axis. The adjustment can be performed as that of the Y axis. Further, after the axes of incident light and reflected light of the X axis and the Y axis are adjusted, the intersection point of the optical axes (assuming that no mirror exists) should be made to match the wafer inspection position. As a result, a bracket fixing the bender 10•3 can move perpendicularly to the Y axis, and a bracket fixing the bender 9•6 can move perpendicularly to the X axis with incident light and reflected light perfectly matching each other. Further, the bender 10•1, the splitter 9•4, the bender 10•3 and the bender 9•6 can desirably move vertically while retaining their respective positional relations.

[0291] Furthermore, a method for adjustment of optical axes associated with replacement of the laser in the apparatus in operation after initiation will be described below. In the apparatus in operation in which the inside of the main chamber is kept under vacuum, the optical axis or the like having an interferometer removed has a difficulty. Thus, a tool for placing targets 10•2 at several points on an optical path outside the main chamber so that the optical path in the start can be assessed only outside the main chamber is prepared. After replacement of the laser, the adjustment made in the start can be reproduced by adjusting the optical axis with respect to the target 10•2 only with an adjustment feature provided on a laser mounting seat.

1-3) Inspection Unit Jacket

[0292] An inspection unit jacket 4•7 can be provided with a feature as a flame structure for maintenance. In this embodiment, a containable twin crane 11•1 is provided on the upper part. The crane 11•1 is mounted on a traverse rail 11•2, and the traverse rail is placed on a traveling rail (longitudinal) 11•3. The traveling rail is usually housed as shown in FIG. 11, during maintenance, the traveling rail rises as shown in FIG. 12, so that the stroke in the vertical direction of the crane can be increased. Consequently, an electro-optical apparatus 4•3, a main chamber top plate and the XY stage 5•1 can be attached to/detached from the back face of the apparatus by the crane included in the jacket during maintenance. Another embodiment of the crane included in the jacket has a crane structure having a rotatable open-sided axis.

[0293] Furthermore, the inspection unit jacket can also have a function as an environment chamber. This has an effect of magnetic shielding along with control of temperature and humidity as required.

[0294] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below as a semiconductor inspection apparatus inspecting a substrate, i.e. a wafer having a pattern formed on the surface as an inspection object, with reference to the drawings.

2-1) Transportation System

[0295] FIGS. 13 and 14 show main components of the semiconductor inspection apparatus according to the present invention with an elevational view and a front view. This semiconductor inspection apparatus 13•1 comprises a cassette holder 13•2 holding cassettes each containing a plurality of wafers, a mini-environment apparatus 13•3, a loader housing 13•5 constituting a working chamber, a loader 13•7 loading the wafer from the cassette holder 13•2 to a stage apparatus 13•6 placed in a main housing 13•4, and an electro-optical apparatus 13•8 placed in a vacuum housing, and they are placed in positional relations shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

[0296] The semiconductor inspection apparatus 13•1 further comprises a precharge unit 13•9 placed in the vacuum main housing 13•4, a potential application mechanism applying a potential to the wafer, an electron beam calibration mechanism, and an optical microscope 13•11 constituting an alignment control apparatus 13•10 for positioning the wafer on the stage apparatus.

2-1-1) Cassette Holder

[0297] The cassette holder 13•2 holds a plurality of cassettes 13•12 (two cassettes in this embodiment) (e.g. closed cassettes such as SMIF and FOUP manufactured by Assist Co. Ltd.) each containing a plurality of wafers (e.g. 25 wafers) housed with arranged vertically in parallel. The cassette holder 13•2 may be freely selected and placed such that if cassettes are conveyed by a robot or the like and automatically loaded into the cassette holder 13•2, the cassette holder 13•2 having a structure suitable for this arrangement is selected, and if cassettes are manually loaded, the cassette holder having an open cassette structure suitable for this arrangement is selected. In this embodiment, the cassette holder 13•2 has a form in which the cassettes 13•12 are automatically loaded, and for example, a lift table 13•13, and a lift mechanism 13•14 vertically moving the lift table 13•13, wherein the cassette 13•12 can be automatically set on the lift table 13•13 in a state shown by a chain line in FIG. 14, and after the cassette 13•12 is set, it is automatically rotated to a state shown by a solid line in FIG. 14, and directed to a rotation axis line of a first transportation unit in the mini-environment apparatus.

[0298] Furthermore, the lift table 13•13 is descended to a state shown by a chain line in FIG. 13. In this way, a cassette holder having a well known structure may be used as appropriate for any of the cassette holder to be used when the cassette is automatically loaded and the cassette holder when the cassette is manually loaded, and detailed descriptions of their structures and functions are not presented.

[0299] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of 300 mm substrates are housed in a trench pocket (not described) fixed in a box main body 15•1, and are conveyed, stored and so on. A substrate transportation box 15•2 is comprised of the prismatic box main body 15•1, a substrate loading/unloading door 15•3 communicating with a substrate loading/unloading door automatic opening/closing apparatus so that an opening on the side face of the box main body 15•1 can be mechanically opened and closed, a lid 15•4 located opposite to the opening and covering openings for attachment and detachment of filters and a fan motor, the trench pocket (not shown) for holding a substrate W (FIG. 13), an ULPA filter 15•5, a chemical filter 15•6 and a fan motor 15•7. In this embodiment, substrates are loaded/unloaded by a robot-type first transportation unit 15•7 of the loader 13•7.

[0300] Furthermore, the substrate or wafer housed in the cassette 13•12 is to be inspected, and such inspection is performed after or during a process of processing the wafer during the semiconductor production step. Specifically, the substrate or wafer undergoing a film formation step, CMP, ion implantation and the like, the wafer having a wiring pattern formed on the surface, or the wafer having no wiring pattern yet formed on the surface is housed in the cassette. For the wafer housed in the cassette 12•12, a large number of wafers are spaced vertically and arranged in parallel, and therefore an arm of the first transportation unit can be moved vertically so that they can be held by the wafer at any position and the first transportation unit described later. Furthermore, the cassette is provided with a feature for controlling a moisture content in the cassette to prevent oxidization and the like of the wafer surface after the process. For example, a dehumidifying agent such as silica gel is placed in the cassette. In this case, any dehumidifying agent having an effect of dehumidification may be used.

2-1-2) Mini-Environment Apparatus

[0301] In FIGS. 13 to 16, the mini-environment apparatus 13•3 comprises a housing 16•2 constituting a mini-environment space 16•1 arranged for undergoing control of the atmosphere, a gas circulating apparatus 16•3 for circulating a gas such as cleaning air in the mini-environment space 16•1 to control the atmosphere, a discharge apparatus 16•4 collecting and discharging part of air supplied into the mini-environment space 16•1, and a pre-aligner 16•5 placed in the mini-environment space 16•1 to roughly position the substrate or wafer as an inspection object.

[0302] The housing 16•2 has a top wall 16•6, a bottom wall 16•7 and a circumference wall 16•8 surrounding the circumference, and isolates the mini-environment space 16•1 from outside. To atmosphere-control the mini-environment space 16•1, the gas circulating apparatus 16•3 comprises a gas supply unit 16•9 mounted on the top wall 16•6 to clean a gas (air in this embodiment) and flow the clean air just downward in a laminar form through one or more gas blowout holes (not shown) in the mini-environment space 16•1, a collection duct 16•10 placed on the bottom wall 16•7 to collect air flowed away toward the bottom in the mini-environment space 16•1, a conduit 16•11 connecting the collection duct 16•10 and the gas supply unit 16•9 to return the collected air back to the gas supply unit 16•9, as shown in FIG. 16.

[0303] In this embodiment, the gas supply unit 16•9 introduces about 20% of air to be supplied from outside the housing 16•2 and cleaning the air, but the ratio of the gas introduced from outside can be arbitrarily selected. The gas supply unit 16•9 comprises an HEPA or ULPA filter having a well known structure for producing clean air. The downward laminar flow, namely down flow, is principally supplied in such a manner as to flow through the transportation plane by the first transportation unit placed in the mini-environment space 16•1, described later, to prevent deposition of pasty dust occurring from the transportation unit on the wafer. Thus, a blast nozzle of the down flow is not necessarily located near the top wall as shown in the figure, but may be at any location on the upper side of the transportation plane by the transportation unit. Furthermore, it is not required to flow the gas throughout the mini-environment space 16•1.

[0304] Furthermore, in some cases, ion air can be used as clean air to ensure cleanness. Furthermore, a sensor for observing the cleanness may be provided in the mini-environment space 16•1, and the apparatus may be shut down when the cleanness drops.

[0305] An entrance 13•15 is formed in an area adjacent to the cassette holder 13•2 in the circumference wall 16•8 of the housing 16•2. A shutter apparatus having a well known structure may be provided near the entrance 13•15 to close the entrance 13•15 from the mini-environment apparatus side. The laminar down flow produced near the wafer may flow at a flow rate of 0.3 to 0.4 m/sec. The gas supply unit 16•9 may be provided outside the mini-environment space 16•1, instead of being provided inside the mini-environment space 16•1.

[0306] The discharge apparatus 16•4 comprises a suction duct 16•12 placed in the lower part of the transportation unit at a location on the lower side of the wafer transportation plane of the transportation unit, a blower 16•13 placed outside the housing 16•2 and a conduit 16•14 connecting the suction duct 16•12 and the blower 16•13. This discharge apparatus 16•4 suctions a gas flowing downward along the circumference of the transportation unit and containing dust that may occur from the transportation unit with the suction duct 16•12, and discharges the gas to outside the housing 16•2 through the conduit 16•14 and the blower 16•13. In this case, the gas may be discharged into a discharge pipe (not shown) placed near the housing 16•2.

[0307] The pre-aligner 16•5 placed in the mini-environment space 16•1 optically or mechanically detects an orientation flat (flat portion formed on the outer edge of a circular wafer, which is hereinafter referred to as ori-fla) formed on the wafer, and one or more V-type cutouts or notches formed on the outer edge of the wafer to predefine the position of the wafer in the direction of rotation about the axial line O-O with accuracy within about ±1°. The pre-aligner 16•5 constitutes part of a mechanism determining the coordinates of an inspection object, and plays a role to roughly position the inspection object. The pre-aligner 16•5 itself may have a well known structure, and thus the structure and operation thereof are not presented.

[0308] Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, a collection duct for discharge apparatus may be provided also in the lower part of the pre-aligner 16•5 to discharge air containing dust discharged from the pre-aligner 16•5 to outside.

2-1-3) Main Housing

[0309] In FIGS. 13 to 15, the main housing 13•4 constituting the working chamber 13•16 comprises a housing main body 13•17, and the housing main body 13•17 is supported by a housing supporting apparatus 13•20 placed on a vibration blocking apparatus or anti-vibration apparatus 13•19 placed on a base frame 13•18. The housing supporting apparatus 13•20 comprises a frame structure 13•21 assembled in a rectangular form. The housing main body 13•17 is fixedly placed on the frame structure 13•21, comprises a bottom wall 13•22 placed on the frame structure, a top wall 13•23, and a circumference wall 13•24 connected to the bottom wall 13•22 and the top wall 13•23 to surround the circumference, and isolates the working chamber 13•16 from outside. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 13•22 is made of relatively thick steel plate so that the bottom wall 13•22 is not deformed by the weight of equipment such as the stage apparatus and the like placed above, but other structure may be adopted.

[0310] In this embodiment, the housing main body and the housing supporting apparatus 13•20 are made to have a rigid structure, and the anti-vibration apparatus 13•19 prevents transfer of vibrations to this rigid structure from a floor on which the base frame 13•18 is placed. An entrance 14•1 for loading/unloading the wafer is formed on an area of the circumference wall 13•24 of the housing main body 13•17 adjacent to a loader housing described later.

[0311] Furthermore, the anti-vibration apparatus 13•19 may be an active type having a pneumatic spring, magnetic bearing or the like, or may be a passive type having the same. In any case, the apparatus may have a well known structure, and therefore the structure and function of the apparatus itself are not described here. The working chamber 13•16 is kept in a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum apparatus (not shown) having a well known structure. A control apparatus 2 for controlling the operation of the overall apparatus is placed below the base frame 13•18. The pressure of the main housing is usually at 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻⁶ Pa.

2-1-4) Loader Housing

[0312] In FIGS. 13 to 15 and FIG. 17, the loader housing 13•5 comprises a housing main body 14•4 constituting a first loading chamber 14•2 and a second loading chamber 14•3. The housing main body 14•4 has a bottom wall 17•1, a top wall 17•2, a circumference wall 17•3 surrounding the circumference, and a partition wall 14•5 partitioning the first loading chamber 14•2 and the second loading chamber 14•3, and can isolate both the loading chambers from outside. The partition wall 14•5 is provided with an opening or entrance 17•4 to give and take the wafer between the loading chambers. Furthermore, entrances 14•6 and 14•7 are formed in areas of the circumference wall 17•3 adjacent to the mini-environment apparatus and the main housing.

[0313] The housing main body 14•4 of the loader housing 13•5 is placed and supported on a frame structure 13•21 of the housing supporting apparatus 13•20. Thus, transfer of vibrations of the floor to the loader housing 13•5 is also prevented. The entrance 14•6 of the loader housing 13•5 is matched with an entrance 13•25 of the housing 16•2 of the mini-environment apparatus 13•3, and there a shutter apparatus 14•8 selectively inhibiting communication between the mini-environment space 16•1 and the first loading chamber 14•2 is provided.

[0314] The shutter apparatus 14•8 has a seal material 13•26 surrounding the periphery of entrances 13•25 and 14•6 and fixed in close contact with a side wall 17•3, a door 13•27 inhibiting passage of air through the entrance in cooperation with the seal material 13•26, and a drive apparatus 13•28 driving the door. Furthermore, the entrance 14•7 of the loader housing 13•5 is matched with the entrance 14•1 of the housing main body 13•17, and there a shutter apparatus 13•29 selectively seal-inhibiting communication between the second loading chamber 14•3 and the working chamber 13•16 is provided. The shutter apparatus 13•29 has a seal material 13•30 surrounding the periphery of entrances 14•7 and 14•1 and fixed in close contact with side walls 17•3 and 13•24, a door 14•9 inhibiting passage of air through the entrance in cooperation with the seal material 13•30, and a drive apparatus 13•31 driving the door.

[0315] Further, an opening formed in the partition wall 14•5 is provided with a shutter apparatus 14•10 selectively seal-inhibiting communication between first and second loading chambers by closing the opening with the door. The shutter apparatuses 14•8, 13•29 and 414•10 can air-tightly seal the chambers when they are in a closed state. These shutter apparatuses may be well known shutter apparatuses, and therefore detailed descriptions of the structures and functions thereof are not presented.

[0316] Furthermore, a method of supporting the housing 16•2 of the mini-environment apparatus 13•3 is different from a method of supporting the loader housing, and to prevent vibrations from the floor from being transferred through the mini-environment apparatus 13•3 to the loader housing 13•5 and the main housing 13•4, a cushion material for prevention of vibrations may be so situated as to air-tightly surround the periphery of the entrance between the housing 16•2 and the loader housing 13•5.

[0317] In the first loading chamber 14•2 is provided a wafer rack 14•11 supporting a plurality of wafers (two wafers in this embodiment) in a horizontal state with the plurality of wafers spaced vertically. As shown in FIG. 18, the wafer rack 14•11 has poles 18•2 mutually spaced and fixed upright at four corners of the rectangular substrate 18•1, two-stage support portions 18•3 and 18•4 are formed on each pole 18•2, and the periphery of the wafer W is borne on the support portion to hold the wafer. The leading ends of the arms of first and second transportation units described later are brought close to the wafer from between adjacent poles to hold the wafer by the arms.

[0318] Loading chambers 14•2 and 14•3 can be atmosphere-controlled to be in a high vacuum state (degree of vacuum is 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻⁶ Pa) by a vacuum pumping apparatus (not shown) having a well known structure including a vacuum pump (not shown). In this case, the first loading chamber 14•2 is kept in low vacuum atmosphere as a low vacuum chamber, and the second loading chamber 14•3 is kept in a high vacuum atmosphere as a high vacuum chamber, thus making it possible to effectively prevent contamination of the wafer. By employing this structure, the wafer which is housed in the loading chamber and is to be inspected for defects next can be conveyed into the working chamber without delay. By employing this loading chamber, together with the principle of a multi-beam electron apparatus described later, the throughput of defect inspection can be improved, and the degree of vacuum of the periphery of an electron source required to be stored under high vacuum conditions can be kept at as high as possible.

[0319] First and second loading chambers 14•2 and 14•3 are each connected to an evacuation pipe and a vent pipe for inert gas (e.g. dry pure nitrogen) (not shown). Consequently, the atmospheric pressure state in each loading chamber is achieved with inert gas ventilation (introducing an inert gas to prevent deposition on the surface of gases such as oxygen gas other than the inert gas). The apparatus itself for inert gas ventilation may have a well known structure, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof are not presented.

[0320] Furthermore, in the inspection apparatus of the present invention using an electron beam, it is important that such a material as, typically, lantern hexaboride (L_aB₆) used for an electron source of an electro-optical system described later is prevented as much as possible from contacting oxygen and the like in order to prolong the life of the electron source, when the material is heated to such a high temperature that thermal electrons are emitted. This can be more reliably accomplished by performing the atmosphere control described above in the pre-stage where the wafer is loaded into the working chamber in which the electro-optical system is placed.

2-1-5) Loader

[0321] The loader 13•7 comprises a robot-type first transportation unit 16•14 placed in the housing 16•2 of the mini-environment apparatus 13•3, and a robot-type second transportation unit 14•12 placed in the second loading chamber 14•3.

[0322] The first transportation unit 16•14 has a multi-nodular arm 16•16 capable of rotating about an axial line O₁-O₁ with respect to a drive unit 16•15. The multi-nodular arm may have any structure, but in this embodiment, it has mutually rotatably attached three parts.

[0323] One part of the arm 16•16 of the first transportation unit 16•14, namely a first part closest to the drive unit 16•15 is attached to a shaft 16•17 capable of rotating by a drive mechanism (not shown) having a well known structure, provided in the drive unit 16•15. The arm 16•16 can rotate about an axial line O₁-O₁ by the shaft 16•17, and can expand and contract in the radial direction with respect to the axial line O₁-O₁ as a whole by relative rotation among parts. A holding apparatus 14•13 holding the wafer such as a mechanical chuck or electrostatic chuck having a well known structure is provided at the leading end of a third part remotest from the shaft 16•17 of the arm 16•16. The drive unit 16•15 can be moved vertically by a lift mechanism 16•18 having a well known structure.

[0324] In this first transportation unit 16•14, the arm 16•16 extends in a direction M1 or M2 of one of two cassettes held in the cassette holder, and a wafer housed in the cassette is placed on the arm or held by a chuck (not shown) mounted on the arm at the end to take out the wafer. Thereafter, the arm contracts (into a state shown in FIG. 14), rotates to a position in which the arm can extend in a direction M3 of the pre-aligner 16•5, and stops at the position. Then, the arm extends again and places the wafer held by the arm on the pre-aligner 16•5. The arm receives the wafer from the pre-aligner 16•5 in the opposite manner, then further rotates and stops at a position in which the arm can extend toward the second loading chamber 14•2 (in direction M4), and places the wafer on a wafer seat in the second loading chamber 14•2. Furthermore, if the wafer is mechanically held, the wafer is held at its periphery (range of about 5 mm from the edge). This is because a device (circuit wiring) is formed on the entire wafer except for the periphery, and holding this area may cause destruction and failure of the device.

[0325] The second transportation unit 14•12 has a structure essentially identical to that of the first transportation unit, and the only different point is that transportation of the wafer is carried out between the wafer rack and the holding surface of the stage apparatus, and detailed descriptions thereof are not presented.

[0326] In the loader 13•7 described above, first and second transportation units 16•14 and 14•12 convey the wafer from the cassette held in the cassette holder onto the stage apparatus 13•6 placed in the working chamber 13•16 and transport the wafer in the opposite manner in almost a horizontal state, and the arm of the transportation unit moves vertically only when the wafer is taken from and inserted into the cassette, the wafer is placed onto and taken from the wafer rack, and the wafer is placed onto and taken from the stage apparatus. Thus, large wafer, for example, wafer having a diameter of 300 mm can be moved smoothly.

[0327] Since the stage has a mechanism applying a backward bias to the wafer, the arm is made to have a potential identical or close to that of the stage or a floating potential when the arm is placing the wafer onto the stage or taking the wafer from the stage, whereby a trouble such as a discharge due to potential short is avoided.

2-1-6) Stage Apparatus

[0328] The stage apparatus 13•16 comprises a fixed table 13•32 placed on the bottom wall 13•22 of the main housing 13•4, a Y table 13•33 moving in the Y direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet plane in FIG. 1) on the fixed table, an X table 13•34 moving in the X direction (lateral direction in FIG. 1) on the Y table, a rotation table 13•35 capable of rotating on the X table, and a holder 13•36 placed on the rotation table 13•35. The wafer is held on a wafer holding surface 14•14 of the holder 13•36 in a releasable manner. The holder 13•36 may have a well known structure capable of holding in a releasable manner the wafer mechanically or in an electrostatic chuck mode. The stage apparatus 13•6 uses a servo motor, and encoder and various kinds of sensors (not shown) to operate the plurality of tables described above, whereby the wafer held by the holder on the holding surface 14•14 can be positioned in the X direction, Y direction and Z direction (vertical direction in FIG. 13) with respect to an electron beam emitted from the electro-optical apparatus, and in the direction of rotation about an axial line vertical to the wafer supporting surface (θ direction) with high accuracy.

[0329] Furthermore, for positioning in the Z direction, for example, the position of the holding surface on the holder may be fine-adjusted in the Z direction. In this case, a reference position of the holding surface is detected by a position measurement apparatus (laser interference distance measuring apparatus using the principle of the interferometer) using a laser having a very small diameter, and the position is controlled by a feedback circuit (not shown), and/or the notch of the wafer or the position of the oriental-flat is measured to detect a plane position or rotation position of the wafer with respect to the electron beam, and a rotation table is rotated by a stepping motor or the like capable of performing control at a very small angle to control the position.

[0330] For preventing occurrence of dust in the working chamber wherever possible, servo motors 14•15 and 14•16 and encoders 14•17 and 14•18 for stage apparatus are placed outside the main housing 13•4. Furthermore, the stage apparatus 13•6 may have a well known structure, which is used in, for example, a stepper, and therefore detailed descriptions of the structure and operation are not presented. Furthermore, the laser interference distance measuring apparatus described above may have a well known structure, and therefore detailed descriptions of the structure and operation are not presented.

[0331] An obtained signal can be normalized by previously inputting the rotational position and X and Y positions of the wafer with respect to the electron beam to a signal detection system or image processing system described later. Further, a wafer chuck mechanism provided in the holder gives a voltage for chucking the wafer to an electrode of an electrostatic chuck, and holds three points (preferably equally spaced along the circumference) on the outer edge of the wafer to perform positioning. The wafer chuck mechanism comprises two fixed positioning pins, and one pressing clamp pin. The clamp pin can realize automatic chucking and automatic releasing, and comprises a conduction area for application of a voltage.

[0332] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the table moving in the lateral direction is the X table, and the table moving in the vertical direction is the Y table in FIG. 14, but the table moving in the lateral direction may be the Y table, and the table moving in the vertical direction may be the X table in this figure.

2-1-7) Wafer Chucking Mechanism

2-1-7-1) Basic Structure of Electrostatic Chuck

[0333] For matching the focus of the electro-optical system with the sample surface correctly and quickly, irregularities on the sample surface or wafer surface are preferably as small as possible. Thus, the wafer is adsorbed to the surface of an electrostatic chuck fabricated with high flatness (preferably flatness of 5 μm or less).

[0334] Electrode structures of the electrostatic chuck include a unipole type and a dipole type. The unipole type is a process in which conduction is previously established on the wafer, and a high voltage (generally about several tens to hundreds V) is applied to between the wafer and one electrostatic chuck electrode to adsorb the wafer, while in the dipole type, it is not necessary to force the wafer into conduction, and the wafer can be adsorbed simply by applying positive and negative voltages to two electrostatic chucks, respectively. Generally, however, to obtain stable adsorption conditions, two electrodes should be formed into an intricate shape like comb teeth, and thus the shape of the electrode becomes complicated.

[0335] On the other hand, for inspection of the sample, a predetermined voltage (retarding voltage) should be applied to the wafer in order to obtain conditions for image forming for the electro-optical system or ensure the state of the sample surface that can be easily observed with electrons. It is necessary that this retarding voltage should be applied to the wafer, and that the electrostatic chuck should be the unipole type described above to stabilize the potential of the wafer surface. (However, as described later, the electrostatic chuck should be made to function as a dipole type until conduction with the wafer is established with a conduction needle. Thus, the electrostatic chuck has a structure capable of switching between the unipole type and the dipole type).

[0336] Thus, it is required to mechanically contact the wafer to force the wafer into conduction. However, the need for prevention of contamination of the wafer has intensified, and it is required to avoid mechanical contact with the wafer, and there are cases where contact with the edge of the wafer is not acceptable. In this case, conduction must be established on the back face of the wafer.

[0337] On the back face of the wafer, a silicon oxide film is usually formed, and it is impossible to establish conduction in this state. Thus, needles are made to contact the back face of the wafer at two or more locations, and a voltage is applied to between the needles, whereby the oxide film can be locally destructed to establish conduction with silicon as a wafer base material. The voltage applied to the needles is a DC voltage or AC voltage of several hundreds V. Furthermore, the material of the needle should be nonmagnetic, and have abrasion-resistance and a high melting point, and tungsten or the like can be considered as such a material. Furthermore, to impart durability or prevent contamination of the wafer, it is effective to coat the surface with TiN or diamond. Furthermore, to ensure that conduction with the wafer has been established, it is effective to apply a voltage to between the needles to measure a current.

[0338] It is the chucking mechanism shown in FIG. 19 that has been fabricated in view of the background described above. The electrostatic chuck is provided with electrodes 19•1 and 19•2 that desirably have an intricate shape like comb teeth to adsorb the wafer W with stability, three pusher pins 19•3 for giving and taking the wafer, and two or more conduction needles 19•4 for applying a voltage to the wafer. Furthermore, a correction ring 19•5 and a wafer dropping mechanism 19•6 are placed around the electrostatic chuck.

[0339] The pusher pin 19•3 already protrudes from the electrostatic chuck surface when the wafer W is conveyed by a robot hand, and when the wafer W is placed on the pusher pin 19•3 by the operation of the robot hand, the pusher pin 19•3 slowly descends and places the wafer W onto the electrostatic chuck. When the wafer is taken from the electrostatic chuck, the opposite operation is made to pass the wafer W to the robot hand. The surface material of the pusher pin 19•3 should be selected so as to eliminate the possibility that the wafer position is shifted, and that the wafer is contaminated, silicon rubber, fluorine rubber, ceramics such as SiC or alumina, a resin such as Teflon or polyamide, or the like is desirably used.

[0340] There are several methods for the drive mechanism of the pusher pin 19•3. One is a method of placing a nonmagnetic actuator in the lower part of the electrostatic chuck. This may include a method of directly linear-driving the pusher pin by an ultrasonic linear motor, and a method of linear-driving the pusher pin by a combination of a rotational ultrasonic motor and a ball screw or rack & pinion gear. In this method, the pusher mechanism can be compactly arranged on a table of an XY stage on which the electrostatic chuck is mounted, the number of wirings of the actuator, limit sensor and the like considerably increases. The wiring extends from the table making XY motions to a sample chamber (main chamber or main housing), but is bent with the motion of the stage, and therefore it should be placed with a large flexure R, and thus takes up a large space. Furthermore, the wiring may become a particle source, and should be replaced periodically, and therefore a necessary minimum number of wirings should be used.

[0341] Thus, as a different method, an external drive force is supplied. When the stage moves to a position at which the wafer W is attached/detached, a shaft protruding into a vacuum atmosphere through a bellow is driven by an air cylinder provided outside a chamber to press a shaft of a pusher drive mechanism provided in the lower part of the electrostatic chuck. The shaft is connected to a rack pinion or link mechanism in the pusher drive mechanism, and the reciprocating motion of the shaft is associated with the vertical motion of the pusher pin. When the wafer W is given and taken with the robot hand, the shaft is pushed into the vacuum atmosphere with the air cylinder with the speed adjusted at an appropriate level by a controller, whereby the pusher pin 19•3 is caused to rise.

[0342] Furthermore, the external source for driving the shaft is not limited to the air cylinder, but may be a combination of the servo motor and the rack pinion or ball screw. Furthermore, a rotating shaft can be used as the external drive source. In this case, the rotating shaft operates via a vacuum seal mechanism such as a magnetic fluid seal, and the pusher drive mechanism includes a mechanism converting rotation into a linear motion.

[0343] The correction ring 19•5 has an action of keeping uniform an electric field distribution at end portion of the wafer, and a potential essentially the same as that of the wafer is applied to the correction ring 19•5. However, to eliminate influences of a very small gap between the wafer and the correction ring and a very small difference in surface height between the wafer and the correction ring, a potential slightly different from that of the end portion of the wafer may be applied. The correction ring has a width of about 10 to 30 mm in the radial direction of the wafer, and a nonmagnetic and conductive material, for example titanium, phosphor bronze, aluminum coated with TiN or TiC may be used for the correction ring.

[0344] The conduction needles 19•4 is supported on a spring 19•7, and is lightly pressed against the back face of the wafer with a spring force when the wafer is placed on the electrostatic chuck. In this state, electric conduction with the wafer W is established by applying a voltage as described above.

[0345] An electrostatic chuck main body is comprised of nonmagnetic plane electrodes 19•1 and 19•2 made of tungsten or the like, and a dielectric body formed thereon. For the material of the dielectric body, alumina, aluminum nitride, polyimide or the like may be used. Generally, ceramics such as alumina is a complete isolator having a specific volume resistance of about 10¹⁴ Ωcm, and therefore causes no charge transfer within the material, and a coulonbic force acts as absorption force. On the other hand, by slightly adjusting a ceramic composition, the specific volume resistance can be reduced to about 10¹⁰ Ωcm, whereby charge transfer occurs within the material, and thus so called a Johnson-Rahbek force acts stronger than the coulonbic force acts as a wafer absorption force. As the absorption force increases, the applied voltage can be reduced accordingly, a larger margin for insulation destruction can be provided, and a stable absorption force can easily be obtained. Furthermore, by processing the surface of the electrostatic chuck into, for example, a dimple shape, particles may fall to a valley area of the dimple even if particles and the like are deposited on the surface of electrostatic chuck surface, thus making it possible to expect an effect of reducing the possibility that the flatness of the wafer is affected.

[0346] From the above, a practical electrostatic chuck is such that aluminum nitride or alumina ceramics adjusted to have a specific volume resistance of about 10¹⁰ Ωcm is used as a material, irregularities of dimple shape or the like are formed on the surface, and the flatness of the surface formed by a set of the convexes is about 5 μm.

2-1-7-2) Chucking Mechanism for 200/300 Bridge Tool

[0347] The apparatus is required to inspect two types of 200 mm wafer and 300 mm wafer without mechanical modification. In this case, the electrostatic chuck should chuck two types of wafer having different sizes, and a correction ring matching the size of the wafer should be placed on the periphery of the wafer. FIGS. 19(A), 19(B) and 20 show a structure therefor.

[0348] FIG. 19 shows the wafer W of 300 mm placed on the electrostatic chuck. The correction ring 19•1 having an inner diameter (gap of about 0.5 mm) slightly larger than the size of the wafer W is positioned in such a manner as to be interlocked with a metallic ring part on the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck. The correction ring 19•1 are provided with wafer dropping mechanisms 19•2 at three locations. The wafer dropping mechanism 19•2 is driven by a vertical drive mechanism associated with the drive mechanism of the pusher pin 19•3, and is supported rotatably about a rotating shaft provided in the correction ring 19•1.

[0349] When the wafer W is received from the robot hand, the pusher pin drive mechanism operates to push the pusher pin 19•3 upward. In appropriate timing therewith, the wafer dropping mechanism 19•2 provided in the correction ring 19•1 rotates under a drive force as shown in FIG. 19(B). Then, the wafer dropping mechanism 19•2 forms a taper plane guiding the wafer W to the center of the electrostatic chuck. Then, the wafer W is placed on the pusher pin 19•3 pushed upward, and thereafter the pusher pin 19•3 was made to descend. By appropriately adjusting action timing of the drive force for the wafer dropping mechanism 19•2 together with the descending of the pusher pin 19•3, the wafer W has its position corrected by the taper plane of the dropping mechanism 19•2 and placed on the electrostatic chuck so that the center of the wafer W almost matches the center of the electrostatic chuck.

[0350] It is desired that a low frictional material such as Teflon, preferably a conductive low frictional material (e.g. conductive Teflon, conductive diamond like carbon, TIB coating) is formed on the taper plane of the dropping mechanism 19•2. Furthermore, symbols A, B, C, D and E in the figure denote terminals (described later) for applying a voltage, and reference numeral 19•4 denotes a wafer conducting needle for detecting that the wafer W is placed on the electrostatic chuck, which is pushed upward by a spring 19•5.

[0351] FIG. 20 shows the wafer W of 200 mm placed on the same electrostatic chuck. The surface of the electrostatic chuck is exposed because the diameter of the wafer is smaller than that of the electrostatic chuck, and therefore a correction ring 20•1 having a size so large that the electrostatic chuck is completely covered. The positioning of the correction ring 20•1 is performed in the same manner as in the case of the correction ring for the 300 mm wafer.

[0352] A step is provided on the inner edge of the correction ring 20•1, and the correction ring 20•1 is fitted in a ring groove 20•2 on the electrostatic chuck side. This is a structure for covering the surface of the electrostatic chuck with a conductor (correction ring 20•1) so that the surface of the electrostatic chuck is not seen through a gap between the inner edge of the correction ring 20•1 and the outer edge of the wafer W when the 200 mm wafer is placed. This is because if the surface of the electrostatic chuck is exposed, the surface of the electrostatic chuck is electrically charged to disturb the potential of the sample surface when an electron beam is applied.

[0353] Replacement of the correction ring 20•1 is performed by providing a correction ring replacement space at a predetermined position in a vacuum chamber, and conveying therefrom a correction ring having a necessary size by a robot and attaching the correction ring to the electrostatic chuck (inserting the correction ring into an interlocked part).

[0354] The correction ring for the 200 mm wafer is provided with the wafer dropping mechanism 20•2 as in the case of the correction ring for the 300 mm wafer. A recess is formed on the electrostatic chuck side so as not to interfere with the wafer dropping mechanism 20•2. The method of placing the wafer on the electrostatic chuck is identical to that for the 300 mm wafer. Furthermore, symbols A, B, C, D and E denote terminals for applying a voltage, reference numeral 20•3 denotes a push pin similar to the push pin 19•3, and reference numeral 20•4 denotes a wafer conducting needle similar to the wafer conducting needle 19•4.

[0355] FIGS. 20-1(A) and 20-1(B) schematically show the configuration of the electrostatic chuck capable of coping with both types of 300 mm wafer and 200 mm, in which FIG. 20-1(A) shows the 300 mm wafer placed on the electrostatic chuck, and FIG. 20-1 (B) shows the 200 mm wafer placed on the electrostatic chuck. As apparent from FIG. 20-1(A), the electrostatic chuck has a width large enough to place the 300 mm wafer thereon, and as shown in FIG. 21-2(B), the central area of the electrostatic chuck has a width large enough to place the 200 mm wafer thereon, and a groove 20•6 in which the inner ridge of the correction ring 20•1 is to be fitted is provided in such a manner as to surround the wafer. Furthermore, symbols A, B, C, D and E denote terminals for applying a voltage.

[0356] In the case of the electrostatic chuck shown in FIGS. 20-1(A) and 20-1(B), whether the wafer is placed on the electrostatic chuck, whether the wafer is correctly placed on the electrostatic chuck, whether the correction ring exists, and so on are optically detected. For example, by placing an optical sensor above the electrostatic chuck, and detecting an optical path length when light emitted from the optical sensor is reflected by the wafer and returned back to the optical sensor, whether the wafer is placed horizontally or slantingly can be detected. Furthermore, existence/nonexistence of the correction ring can be detected by providing a light transmitter slantingly irradiating an appropriate point in a space where the correction ring should be placed, and a light receiver receiving reflected light from the correction ring. Further, by providing a combination of the light transmitter slantingly irradiating the appropriate point in the space where the correction ring for the 200 mm wafer should be placed and the light receiver receiving reflected light from the correction ring, and a combination of the light transmitter slantingly irradiating the appropriate point in the space where the correction ring for the 300 mm wafer should be placed and the light receiver receiving reflected light from the correction ring, and detecting which light receiver receives reflected light, which of the correction ring for the 200 mm wafer and the correction ring for the 300 mm wafer is placed on the electrostatic chuck can be detected.

2-1-7-3) Wafer Chucking Procedure

[0357] The wafer chucking mechanism having the structure described above chucks the wafer according to the following procedure.

[0358] (1) A correction ring matching the size of the wafer is carried by a robot and placed on the electrostatic chuck.

[0359] (2) The wafer is placed on the electrostatic chuck by transportation of the wafer by a robot hand and vertical motions of the pusher pin.

[0360] (3) A voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck in a dipole type (positive and negative voltages are applied to terminals C and D) to adsorb the wafer.

[0361] (4) A predetermined voltage is applied to a conducting needle to destruct an insulation film (oxide film) on the back face of the wafer.

[0362] (5) A current between terminals A and B is measured to check whether conduction with the wafer is established.

[0363] (6) A transition of the electrostatic chuck to a unipole type adsorption is made (terminals A and B are set to GRD, and the same voltage is applied to terminals C and D).

[0364] (7) The voltage of the terminal A (, B) is decreased while keeping a difference in potential between the terminal A (, B) and the terminal C (, D), and a predetermined retarding voltage is applied to the wafer.

2-1-8) Apparatus Configuration for 200/300 Bridge Tool

[0365] The configuration for achieving an apparatus capable of inspecting the 200 mm wafer and the 300 mm wafer without mechanical modification is shown in FIG. 21 and FIG. 22. Aspects in which the apparatus is different from the apparatus dedicated for the 200 mm wafer or the apparatus dedicated for the 300 mm wafer will be described below.

[0366] At an installation site 21•1 of the wafer cassette that is replaced for specifications of the 200/300 mm wafer, FOUP, SMIF, the open cassette and the like, the wafer cassette appropriate to the wafer size and the type of wafer cassette determined depending on user specifications can be placed. An atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 has a hand capable of coping with different wafer sizes, i.e. a plurality of wafer dropping portions are provided in conformity with the wafer sizes, and the wafer is placed on the hand at a location matching the wafer size. The atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 sends the wafer from the installation site 21•1 to a pre-aligner 21•3, regulates the orientation of the wafer, then takes the wafer from the pre-aligner 21•3, and sends the wafer into a load lock chamber 21•4.

[0367] A wafer rack in the load lock chamber 21•4 has a similar structure, a plurality of dropping portions matching wafer sizes are formed in a wafer support portion of the wafer rack, the height of the robot hand is adjusted so that the wafer placed on the hand of the atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 is placed in the dropping portion matching the size of the wafer, the wafer is inserted into the wafer rack, and then the robot hand descends to place the wafer in a predetermined dropping portion of the wafer support portion.

[0368] The wafer placed on the wafer rack in the load lock chamber 21•4 is then taken from a load lock chamber 21•3 by a vacuum transportation robot 21•6 installed in a transfer chamber 21•5, and conveyed onto a stage 21•8 in the sample chamber 21•7. The hand of the vacuum transportation robot 21•6 has a plurality of dropping portions matching wafer sizes as in the case of the atmosphere transportation robot 21•2. The wafer placed in a predetermined dropping portion of the robot hand is placed on the electrostatic chuck having previously mounted a correction ring 21•9 matching the wafer size in the stage 21•8, and fixedly adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck. The correction ring 21•9 is placed on a correction ring rack 21•10 provided in the transportation chamber 21•5. Then, the vacuum transportation robot 21•6 takes the correction ring 21•9 matching the wafer size from the correction ring rack 21•10, and conveys the correction ring 21•9 onto the electrostatic chuck, fits the correction ring 21•9 in a positioning interlocked part formed on the outer edge of the electrostatic chuck, and then places the wafer on the electrostatic chuck.

[0369] When the correction ring is replaced, the opposite operation is carried out. That is, the correction ring 21•9 is removed from the electrostatic chuck by the robot 21•6, the correction ring is returned back to the correction ring rack 21•10 in the transfer chamber 21•5, and the correction ring matching the size of the wafer to be inspected next is conveyed from the correction ring rack 21•10 to the electrostatic chuck.

[0370] In the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 21, the pre-aligner 21•3 is located close to the load lock chamber 22•4, and therefore the wafer is easily returned back to the pre-aligner for realignment if alignment of the wafer is not adequate enough to place the correction ring in the load lock chamber, thus bringing about an advantage that time loss in the step can be reduced.

[0371] FIG. 22 shows an example of changing a site where the correction ring is placed, in which the correction ring rack 21•10 is omitted. In the load lock chamber 22•1, the wafer rack and the correction ring rack are formed in a layered form, and they can be placed in an elevator to move vertically. First, to place the correction ring matching the size of the wafer to be inspected next on the electrostatic chuck, the vacuum transportation robot 21•6 moves the elevator of the load lock chamber 22•1 to a position where the correction ring can be taken out. When, the correction ring is placed on the electrostatic chuck by the vacuum transportation robot 21•6, then the elevator is manipulated so that the wafer to be inspected can be transferred, and the wafer is taken from the wafer rack by the vacuum transportation robot 21•6, and then placed on the electrostatic chuck. This configuration requires an elevator in the load lock chamber 22•1, but can downsize the vacuum transportation chamber 21•5, and is thus effective in reducing a foot print of the apparatus.

[0372] Furthermore, a sensor detecting whether or not the wafer exists on the electrostatic chuck is desirably placed at a position such that the sensor can cope with any of different wafer sizes, but if it is impossible, a plurality of sensors working in the same manner may be placed for each wafer size.

[0373] The inspection apparatus described with respect to FIG. 21 employs a procedure in which the correction ring is placed on the electrostatic chuck, and the wafer is positioned so that the wafer fits the inner diameter of the correction ring. Then, the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 22 employs a procedure in which the correction ring is mounted on the wafer in the load lock chamber 22•1, and the wafer with the correction ring mounted thereon is conveyed together with the correction ring into the sample chamber 21•7, and mounted on the electrostatic chuck on the stage. Mechanisms for realizing the procedure include an elevator mechanism for vertically moving an elevator to pass the wafer from the atmosphere transportation robot to the vacuum transportation robot, shown in FIGS. 22-1 and 22-2. A procedure of conveying the wafer using this mechanism will be described below.

[0374] As shown in FIG. 22-1 (A), the elevator mechanism provided in the load lock chamber has multistage (two-stage in the figure) correction ring supports base so situated as to be movable in the vertical direction. An upper-stage correction ring support base 22•2 and lower-stage correction ring support base 22•3 are fixed on a first base 22•5 rising/descending with rotation of a first motor 22•4, whereby the first base 22•5 and upper and lower correction ring support bases 22•2 and 22•3 move upward or downward with rotation of the first motor 22•4.

[0375] The correction ring 22•6 having an inner diameter matching the size of the wafer is placed on each correction ring support base. For the correction ring 22•6, two types having different inner diameters, i.e. the type for the 200 mm wafer and the type for the 300 mm wafer, are prepared, and they have the same outer diameter. In this way, by using correction rings having the same outer diameter, mutual compatibility is provided, thus making it possible to place the correction ring in the load lock chamber in an arbitrary combination of the correction ring for the 200 mm wafer and the correction ring for the 300 mm wafer. That is, for a line in which 200 mm wafers and 300 mm wafers flow in a mixed form, inspection can be performed flexibly for either type of wafer with the upper stage set for the 300 mm wafer and the lower stage set for the 200 mm wafer. Furthermore, for a line in which wafers of the same size flow, wafers in upper and lower stages can be inspected alternately with upper and lower stages set for the 200 mm or 300 mm wafer, thus making it possible to improve the throughput.

[0376] A second motor 22•7 is placed on the first base 22•5, and a second base 22•8 is vertically movably attached to the second motor 22•7. An upper wafer support base 22•9 and a lower wafer support base 22•10 are fixed on the second base 22•8. Consequently, when the second motor 22•7 rotates, the second base 22•8 and upper and lower wafer support bases 22•9 and 22•10 move upward or downward in one united body.

[0377] Then, as shown in FIG. 22-1(A), the wafer W is placed on the hand of the atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 and loaded into the load lock chamber 22•1, and then as shown in FIG. 22-1(B), the second motor 22•7 is rotated in a first direction to move the wafer support bases 22•9 and 22•10 upward to place the wafer W on the upper-stage wafer support base 22•9. In this way, the wafer W is moved from the atmosphere transportation robot 21•1 to the wafer support base 22•9. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 22-1(C), the atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 is moved backward, and when the backward movement of the atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 is completed, the second motor 22•7 is rotated in a direction opposite to the first direction to move the wafer support bases 22•9 and 22•10 downward as shown in FIG. 22-1(D). In this way, the wafer W is placed on the correction ring 22•6 in the upper-stage.

[0378] Then, as shown in FIG. 22-1(E), the hand of the vacuum transportation robot 21•6 is introduced into the load lock chamber 22•1 and stopped at below the correction ring 22•6. In this state, the first motor 22•4 is rotated, and as shown in FIG. 22-1(F), the first base 22•5, the upper and lower correction ring support bases 22•2, 22•3, the second motor 22•7, and the upper and lower wafer support bases 22•9 and 22•10 are moved downward, whereby the correction ring 21•6 placed on the upper-stage wafer support base 22•9, and the wafer W can be placed on the hand of the vacuum transportation robot 21•6 and loaded into the sample chamber 21•7.

[0379] The operation of returning the wafer inspected in the sample chamber 21•7 back to the load lock chamber 21•4 is carried out in a procedure opposite to the procedure described above, and the wafer loaded onto the wafer support base together with the correction ring by the vacuum transportation robot is transferred to the correction ring support base, then to the wafer support base, and finally placed on the atmosphere transportation robot. Furthermore, in FIGS. 22-1 and 22-2, the operation of giving and taking the wafer in the upper stage is described, but the same operation can be carried out in the lower stage by adjusting the heights of the hands of the atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 and the vacuum transportation robot 21•6. In this way, by appropriately changing the heights of the hands of the atmosphere transportation robot 21•2 and the vacuum transportation robot 21•6, the wafer that has not been inspected yet can be loaded into the sample chamber from one stage, and then the inspected wafer can be unloaded to the other stage from the sample chamber in an alternate manner.

2-2) Method for Transportation of Wafer

[0380] Transportation of the wafer from the cassette 13•12 supported by the cassette holder 13•2 to the stage apparatus 13•6 placed in the working chamber 13•16 will now be described in order (see FIGS. 14 to 16).

[0381] If the cassette is manually set as described previously, the cassette holder 13•2 having a structure suitable for this application is used, while if the cassette is automatically set, the cassette holder 13•2 having a structure suitable for this application is used. In this embodiment, when the cassette 13•12 is set on the lift table 13•13 of the cassette holder 13•2, the lift table 13•13 is made to descend by the lift mechanism 13•14, and the cassette 13•12 is matched with the entrance 13•15. When the cassette is matched with the entrance 13•15, a cover (not shown) provided in the cassette is opened, a cylindrical cover is placed between the cassette and the entrance 13•15 of the mini-environment apparatus 13•3 to isolate the inside of the cassette and the inside of the mini-environment space from the outside. The structures thereof are well known, and therefore detailed descriptions of the structures and functions are not presented. Furthermore, if a shutter apparatus for opening and closing the entrance 13•15 is provided on the mini-environment apparatus 13•3 side, the shutter apparatus operates to open the entrance 13•15.

[0382] On the other hand, the arm 16•16 of the first transportation unit 16•14 is stopped while being oriented in any of the direction M1 and the direction M2 (oriented in the direction M1 in this description), and when the entrance 13•15 is opened, the arm extends to receive one of wafers housed in the housing at the leading end. Furthermore, adjustment of the position of the arm and the wafer to be taken from the cassette in the vertical direction is performed with the vertical movement of the drive unit 16•15 of the first transportation unit 16•14 and the arm 16•16 in this embodiment, but it may be performed with the vertical movement of the lift table of the cassette holder or with both the vertical movements.

[0383] When the reception of the wafer by the arm 16•16 is completed, the arm contracts and operates the shutter apparatus to close the entrance (if the shutter apparatus exists), and then the arm 16•16 rotates about the axial line O₁-O₁ so that it can extend in the direction M3. Then, the arm extends to place the wafer placed on the leading end or held by the chuck on the pre-aligner 16•5, and the orientation of the wafer in the rotational direction (orientation about the central axial line perpendicular to the wafer plane) is positioned within a predetermined range by the pre-aligner 16•5. When the positioning is completed, the transportation unit 16•14 receives the wafer from the pre-aligner 16•5 at the leading end of the arm, and then makes the arm contract so that the arm can be extend in the direction M4. Then, the door 13•27 of the shutter apparatus 14•8 moves to open entrances 13•25 and 13•37, and the arm 16•16 extends to place the wafer on the upper stage or lower stage side of the wafer rack 14•11 in the first loading chamber 14•2. Furthermore, before the shutter apparatus 14•8 is opened to pass the wafer to the wafer rack 14•11 as describe previously, the opening 17•4 formed in the partition wall 14•5 is air-tightly closed with the door 14•19 of the shutter apparatus 14•10.

[0384] In the process of transportation of the wafer by the first transportation unit 16•14, clean air flows (as a down flow) in laminar form from the gas supply unit 16•9 provided on the housing of the mini-environment apparatus 13•3 to prevent deposition of dust on the wafer during transportation. Part of air around the transportation unit (about 20% of air supplied from the supply unit, which is mainly contaminated air, in this embodiment) is suctioned from the suction duct 16•12 of the discharge apparatus 16•4 and discharged to the outside of the housing. Remaining air is collected via the collection duct 16•10 provided on the bottom of the housing and returned back to the gas supply unit 16•9.

[0385] When the wafer is placed in the wafer rack 14•11 in the first loading chamber 14•2 of the loader housing 13•5 by the first transportation unit 16•14, the shutter apparatus 14•8 is closed to seal the loading chamber 14•2. Then, an inert gas is filled in the first loading chamber 14•2 to purge air, and then the inert gas is discharged to create a vacuum atmosphere in the loading chamber 14•2. The vacuum atmosphere of the first loading chamber 14•2 may have a low degree of vacuum. When a satisfactory degree of vacuum is achieved in the loading chamber 14•2, the shutter apparatus 14•10 operates to open the shutter 14•5 of the entrance 17•4 closed with the door 14•19, the arm 14•20 of the second transportation unit 14•12 extends to receive one wafer from the wafer seat 14•11 by a holding apparatus at the leading end (placing the wafer on the leading end, or holding the wafer by a chuck mounted at the leading end). When the reception of the wafer is completed, the arm contracts, and the shutter apparatus 14•10 operates again to close the entrance 17•4 with the door 14•19.

[0386] Furthermore, before the shutter apparatus 14•10 is opened, the arm 14•20 takes a posture in which the arm 14•20 can extend in the direction N1 of the wafer rack 14•11. Furthermore, entrances 14•7 and 14•1 are closed with the door 14•9 of the shutter apparatus 13•29 before the shutter apparatus 14•10 is opened as described previously, communication between the second loading chamber 14•3 and the working chamber 13•16 is inhibited in an air-tight state, and the second loading chamber 14•3 is evacuated.

[0387] When the shutter apparatus 14•10 closes the entrance 17•4, the second loading chamber 14•3 is evacuated again to have a degree of vacuum higher than that of the first loading chamber 14•2. In the meantime, the arm of the second transportation unit 16•14 is rotated to a position in which it can extend toward the stage apparatus 13•6 in the working chamber 13•16. On the other hand, in the stage apparatus 13•6 in the working chamber 13•16, the Y table 13•33 moves upward to a position in which the center line X₀-X₀ of the X table 13•34 almost matches the X axis line X₁-X₁ passing through the rotation axis line O₂-O₂ of the second transportation unit 14•12 in FIG. 14, and the X table 13•34 moves to a position close to the leftmost position in FIG. 14, and waits in this state. When the degree of vacuum of the second loading chamber 14•3 is approximately the same as that of the working chamber 13•16, the door 14•9 of the shutter apparatus 13•29 moves to open the entrances 14•7 and 14•1, and the arm extends so that the leading end of the arm holding the wafer approaches the stage apparatus 13•6 in the working chamber 13•16. The wafer is placed on the holding surface 14•14 of the stage apparatus 13•6. The placement of the wafer is completed, the arm contracts, and the shutter apparatus 13•29 closes the entrances 14•7 and 14•1.

[0388] Since the stage has a mechanism applying a backward bias potential (retarding potential) to the wafer, the arm is made to have a potential identical or close to that of the stage, or the arm is made to have a floating potential when the arm goes to place or take the wafer, whereby a trouble such as a discharge due to a short of the potential is avoided. Furthermore, as another embodiment, the bias potential to the wafer may be kept off when the wafer is conveyed onto the stage apparatus.

[0389] If the bias potential is controlled, the potential is kept off until the wafer is conveyed to the stage, and the bias potential may be turned on and applied after the wafer is conveyed to the stage. For timing of applying the bias potential, tact time is preset, and the bias potential may be applied based on the tact time, or placement of the wafer on the stage is detected with a sensor, and the bias potential may be applied using the detection signal as a trigger. Furthermore, the closing of the entrances 14•7 and 14•1 by the shutter apparatus 13•29 is detected, and the bias potential may be applied using the detection signal as a trigger. Further, if the electrostatic chuck is used, adsorption by the electrostatic chuck is confirmed, and this may be used as trigger to apply the bias potential.

[0390] The operation of conveying the wafer in the cassette 13•12 onto the stage apparatus has been described above, and for returning the wafer, which has been placed on the stage apparatus 13•6 and processed, from the stage apparatus 13•6 into the cassette 13•12, the operation opposite to that described above is made. Furthermore, since a plurality of wafers are placed on the wafer rack 14•11, the wafer can be conveyed between the cassette and the wafer rack 14•11 in the first transportation unit 16•14 while the wafer is conveyed between the wafer rack 14•11 and the stage apparatus 13•16 in the second transportation unit 14•12, thus making it possible to carry out inspection processing efficiently.

[0391] Specifically, if a processed wafer A and an unprocessed wafer B exist in the wafer rack 14•11, the unprocessed wafer B is first moved to the stage 13•6. In the mean time, the processed wafer A is moved from the wafer rack to the cassette 13•12 by the arm, and an unprocessed wafer C is taken from the cassette 13•12 by the arm, positioned by the pre-aligner 16•5, and then moved to the wafer rack 14•11 of the loading chamber 14•2.

[0392] In this way, in the wafer rack 14•11, the processed wafer A can be replaced with the unprocessed wafer C while the wafer B is processed. Furthermore, depending on the use of the apparatus for performing inspection and evaluation, a plurality of stage apparatuses 13•6 are placed side by side, and the wafer is moved to each apparatus from one wafer rack 14•11, whereby a plurality of wafers can be subjected to the same processing.

[0393] FIG. 23 shows an alteration example of a method of supporting the main housing 13•4. In the alteration example shown in FIG. 23, a housing supporting apparatus 23•1 is composed of a thick and rectangular steel plate 23•2, and the housing main body 23•3 is placed on the steel plate. Thus, a bottom wall 23•4 of the housing main body 23•1 is thinner than the bottom wall of the embodiment described previously. In an alteration example shown in FIG. 24, a housing main body 24•3 and a loader housing 24•4 are supported in a suspended state by a frame structure 24•2 of a housing supporting apparatus 24•1.

[0394] The lower ends of a plurality of longitudinal frames 24•5 fixed to the frame structure 24•2 are fixed at four corners of a bottom wall 24•6 of the housing main body 24•3, and a circumference wall and a top wall are supported by the bottom wall. An anti-vibration apparatus 24•7 is placed between the frame structure 24•2 and a base frame 24•8. Furthermore, the loader housing 24•4 is suspended by a suspending member 24•9 fixed to the frame structure 24•2. In the alteration example of the housing main body 24•3 shown in this figure, the total weight at the center of gravity of the main housing and various kinds of devices provided therein can be reduced owing to the support in a suspended manner. In the method for supporting the main housing and the loader housing including the above alteration example, vibrations from the floor are not transferred to the main housing and the loader housing.

[0395] In another alteration example (not shown), only the housing main body of the main housing is supported from below by the housing supporting apparatus, and the loader housing can be placed on the floor in the same manner as the case of the adjacent mini-environment apparatus 13•3. Furthermore, in still another alteration example, only the housing main body of the main housing 13•4 is supported by the frame structure in a suspended manner, and the loader housing can be placed on the floor in the same manner as the case of the adjacent mini-environment apparatus.

[0396] According to the embodiments described above, the following effects can be exhibited.

(1) The entire configuration of a projection electron microscope type inspection apparatus using an electron beam can be obtained, and an inspection object can be processed with high throughput.

(2) Clean air is flowed through the inspection object in the mini-environment space to prevent deposition of dust, and a sensor for observing the cleanness is provided, whereby the inspection object can be inspected while monitoring dust in the space.

(3) Since the loading chamber and the working chamber are integrally supported via the vibration preventing apparatus, the inspection object can be supplied to the stage apparatus and inspected without being influenced by the external environment.

2-3) Electro-Optical System

2-3-1) Overview

[0397] The electro-optical system 13•8 comprises an electro-optical system comprising a primary electro-optical system (hereinafter referred to simply as primary optical system) 25•1 schematically shown in FIG. 25-1, provided in a column 13•38 fixed to the housing main body 13•17, and a secondary electro-optical system (hereinafter referred to simply as secondary optical system) 25•2, and a detection system 25•3. The primary optical system 25•1 is an optical system irradiating an electron beam to the surface of the wafer W as an inspection object, and comprises an electron gun 25•4 emitting an electron beam, a lens system 25•5 comprised of an electrostatic lens converging a primary electron beam emitted from the electron gun 25•4, a Wien filter or E×B separator 25•6, and an objective (or cathode) lens system 25•7, and they are placed in order with the electron gun 25•4 situated at the uppermost position as shown in FIG. 25-1. A lens constituting the objective lens system 25•7 of this embodiment is a retarding electric field objective lens. In this embodiment, the optical axis of the primary electron beam emitted from the electron gun 25•4 is slanted with respect to the axis (perpendicular to the surface of the wafer) of irradiation beam irradiated to the wafer W as an inspection object. An electrode 25•8 is placed between the objective lens system 25•7 and the wafer W as an inspection object. The electrode 25•8 is axially symmetric with respect to the axis of irradiation beam of the primary electron beam, and voltage-controlled by a power supply 25•9.

[0398] The secondary optical system 25•2 comprises a lens system 25•10 comprised of an electrostatic lens penetrable to secondary electrons separated from the primary optical system by the E×B type deflector 25•6. This lens system 25•10 functions as a magnifying lens magnifying a secondary electron image.

[0399] The detection system 25•3 comprises a detector 25•11 and an image processing unit 25•12 placed on an imaging surface of the lens system 25•10.

[0400] The direction of incident of the primary beam is usually the E direction of the E×B filter (direction opposite to the electric field), and this direction is identical to the integration direction of an integration-type line sensor (TDI: time delay integration). The integration direction of the TDI may be different from the direction of the first beam.

[0401] The electron beam optical system column comprises the following components.

(1) Column Magnetic Shield

[0402] A nickel alloy such as permalloy or a magnetic material such as iron is suitably used for a member constituting the column, whereby an effect of inhibiting the influence of magnetic disturbance can be expected.

(2) Detector Rotation Mechanism

[0403] To match the scan axis direction of the stage with the scan direction of the detector, the column 13•38 has in its upper part a detector rotation mechanism eliminating a deviation in the scan direction caused by assembly of apparatus by allowing the detector 25•11 such as the TDI to rotate at ±several degrees about the optical axis while keeping the inside of the column 13•38 under vacuum. In this mechanism, about 5 to 40 seconds are required for rotational resolution and rotational position reproducibility. This arises from the requirement that a deviation between the scan direction of the stage and the scan direction of the detector should be about 1/10 of one pixel during the scanning of an image of one frame. According to the detector rotation mechanism, an angular error between the direction of movement of the stage and the integration direction of the TDI can be adjusted to be 10 mrad or less, preferably 1 mrad or less, more preferably 0.2 mrad or less.

[0404] One example of the configuration of the detector rotation mechanism will be described below using FIGS. 25-3 to 25-5. FIG. 25-3 shows the overall configuration of the detector rotation mechanism provided in the upper part of the column 13•38, FIG. 25-4 is a schematic diagram of a mechanism for rotating an upper column, and FIG. 25-5 shows a mechanism for sealing the upper column and a lower column.

[0405] In FIG. 25-3, the upper end of the column 13•38 is comprised of an upper column 25•20 having the detector 25•11 attached thereto, and a lower column 25•21 fixed to the main housing 13•4. The upper column 25•20 is supported on the lower column 25•21 via a bearing 25•22 and can rotate about the optical axis of the secondary optical system, and a seal portion 25•23 is provided between the upper column 25•20 and the lower column 25•21 to keep the inside of the column 13•38 under vacuum. Specifically, the seal portion 25•23 is placed between the lower end of the upper column 25•20 and the upper end of the lower column 25•21, a flange portion 25•24 is provided at the upper end of the lower column 25•21 in such a manner as to surround the upper column 25•20, and the bearing 25•22 is placed between the flange portion 25•24 and the side face of the upper column 25•20.

[0406] Bearing clamps 25•25 and 25•26 for clamping the bearing 25•22 are screwed to the upper column 25•20 and the lower column 25•21, respectively. Further, to rotate the upper column 25•20 with respect to the lower column 25•21, a drive mechanism shown in FIG. 25-4 is provided. That is, a raised portion 25•27 is provided in part of the bearing clamp 25•26 provided at the upper end of the flange portion 25•24, while an actuator 25•29 is fixed on a mounting member (bracket) 25•28 protruding from the upper column 25•20. A shaft 25•30 of the actuator 25•29 contacts the raised portion 25•27, and a precompression spring 25•31 given a force for attraction toward the raised portion 25•27 is provided between the flange portion 25•24 and the mounting member (bracket) 25•28 having the actuator 29•29 fixed thereon. Consequently, by activating the actuator 25•29 to change the length of the shaft 25•30 protruding from the actuator 25•29, the upper column 25•20 can be rotated at a desired angle in a desired direction with respect to the lower column 25•21.

[0407] For the rotation accuracy described above, the movement resolution of the actuator 25•29 is desirably 5 to 10 μm. Furthermore, the actuator 25•29 may be a piezo actuator or actuator motor-driving a micrometer. Furthermore, a sensor capable of measuring a relative distance between the bracket 25•28 for fixing the actuator 25•29 and the raised portion 25•27 is desirably mounted to measure a rotational position of the detector 25•11. For the sensor, a linear scale, potentiometer, laser displacement meter, deformation gage or the like may be used.

[0408] The seal portion 25•23 is placed so that a very small gap 25•32 (FIG. 25-5) is formed between the upper end face of the lower column 25•21 and the lower end face of the upper column 25•20 as shown in FIG. 25-5 to keep the inside of the column 13•38 under vacuum. The seal portion 25•23 comprises a partition ring 25•33 solidly fixed at the center, and two elastic seals 25•34 and 25•35, and springs 25•36 and 25•37 for ensuring the contact pressure of the seal surface to improve a sealing performance are provided between lip portions of the elastic seals 25•34 and 25•35, respectively. An air exhaust port 25•39 communicating with an air exhaust channel 25•38 formed in the lower column 25•21 is provided at the center of the partition ring 25•33. The elastic seals 25•34 and 25•35 are preferably made of a material having a very small frictional coefficient and being excellent in slidability and for example, Omni-seal manufactured by Huron Co., Ltd. (USA) may be used.

[0409] In this way, the elastic seal is doubly placed, and a space 25•40 between the elastic seals is evacuated, whereby even if the upper column 25•20 rotates to cause a very small leak to occur in the elastic seal 25•35 on the atmosphere side, the leaked air is exhausted through the air exhaust channel 25•38, and thus the pressure of the space 25•40 does not significantly increase. Therefore, no leak occurs from the elastic seal 25•34 into the column, so that the vacuum in the column is never degraded. The space 25•40 may be continuously evacuated, but it is also possible to evacuate the space 25•40 only when the detector rotation mechanism is activated. This is because the leak is more likely to occur when the detector is rotated, and sufficient sealing is ensured with the pressure of contact between the elastic seals 25•34 and 25•35 and the lower end of the upper column 25•20 when the detector is not rotated.

[0410] It is important that the pressure of contact between the elastic seals 25•34 and 25•35 and the upper and lower surfaces is appropriately set, and this can be realized by adjusting the size of the gap 25•32. The adjustment of the gap 25•32 can be performed by inserting a shim 25•41 between the bearing 25•22 and the upper end face of the lower column 25•21. By inserting the shim 25•41 in this position, the height of the bearing 25•22 with respect to the lower column 25•21 can be changed. On the other hand, for the upper column 25•20, the bearing 25•22 is held between clamps 25•25 and 25•26, and therefore the bearing 25•22 moves vertically together with the upper column 25•20, and the gap 25•32 between the upper column 25•20 and the lower column 25•21 changes by the thickness of the shim 25•41.

[0411] Furthermore, depending on specifications of the column, a sufficient performance is obtained even if only a single seal is provided instead of providing double seals and the space between seals is not evacuated as shown in FIG. 25-5. However, double seals are more reliable, and allow a high vacuum to be easily produced. Furthermore, the springs 25•36 and 25•37 are provided in the elastic seals 25•34 and 25•35 in the above description, but if the elastic seals 25•34 and 25•25 are sufficiently pressed against the upper and lower surfaces with a pressure difference between the vacuum and the atmosphere, or the elastic seals 25•34 and 25•35 themselves have sufficient repulsive forces, the springs 25•36 and 25•37 may be omitted.

[0412] To match the direction of the detector with the direction of the stage with the rotation mechanism having the configuration described above, the detector 25•11 is rotated in a very small amount, the scan imaging of the detector 25•11 is carried out on each such an occasion, and the angle of the detector 25•11 is matched with the angle when the most sharp image is obtained. A specific process thereof will be described below.

[0413] In the rotatable range of the detector rotation mechanism, the detector 25•11 is rotated at a very small angle to carry out the scan imaging of the detector 25•11, and the obtained image is subjected to image processing, whereby a numerical value allowing evaluation of image quality such as a contrast is determined. This process is repeated to determine a relation between the rotational position of the detector 25•11 and the image quality, and a rotational position for best image quality is determined. Then, the detector 25•11 is rotated to the position to complete the operation of positioning the detector 25•11.

[0414] An allowable value for a positional deviation between the stage and the detector 25•11 depends on the requirement that a deviation between the scan direction of the stage and the scan direction of the detector should be about 1/10 of one pixel during the scanning of an image of one frame in the detector 25•11. Thus, an allowable angular deviation when pixels are arranged in 500 stages along the scan direction is about 40 seconds.

[0415] To set the angular deviation between the stage and the detector to 40 seconds or less, a method in which the relation between the position of the detector and the image quality described above is expressed as a numerical value by a method such as multinominal approximation, and a position of the detector 25•11 for best image quality is determined, or a method in which the detector 25•11 is first roughly rotated to form an image, an approximate relation between the position of the detector and the image quality is determined, a range of a position of the detector for best image quality is identified, the detector is again rotated in a very small amount in this range to carry out the same operation, and a position of the detector for best image quality is accurately determined can be used. To prevent occurrence of an angular deviation after matching the angles of the stage and the detector in this way, it is effective to provide a lock mechanism. For example, a planar part is placed between the bearing clamps 25•25 and 25•26, and this platy part and the bearing clams 25•25 and 25˜26 are fixed together with a bolt.

(3) NA Movement Mechanism

[0416] The NA is held by a mechanism capable of moving several centimeters along the optical axis or in a direction orthogonal to the light axis, and allows an adjustment to be made so that the NA is situated at an optically optimum position according to a change in magnifying power. A plurality of NAs can be desirably mounted on a NA holding unit, and by adding such a mechanism, the NA can be replaced while keeping the inside of the column under vacuum when the NA is degraded or a change in transmittance is desired.

[0417] Furthermore, a heater unit is desirably installed in the NA holding unit to provide an effect of inhibiting degradation of the NA by keeping the NA at a high temperature. Furthermore, it is effective to install a piping unit for a reactive gas, so that the NA can be cleaned while keeping the inside of the column under vacuum.

(4) Isolation Valve

[0418] A valve allowing the inside of the column to be partitioned into a plurality of spaces is desirably installed in the column. Specifically, it is effective to install the valve so that the space of an MCP unit or electron gun unit can be separated from the space of the stage unit. Such a configuration enables maintenance of the periphery of the stage and the like to be carried out while keeping the MCP unit and the electron gun unit under vacuum. Furthermore, conversely, maintenance of the MCP unit and the electron gun unit can be carried out while keeping the stage unit and the like under vacuum.

(5) Shield Barrel

[0419] The optical axis is preferably surrounded by a grounded cylindrical member, and by providing such a configuration, an effect of inhibiting the influence of electric external disturbance can be expected.

(6) Orifice Before MCP

[0420] An orifice-like or slim cylindrical member is placed between a series of electro-optical system and the MCP unit reduces, and by providing a configuration such that a conductance of a path extending through a space between the electro-optical system and MCP unit, the pressure of the MCP unit can be easily kept at about ⅕, preferably about 1/10, more preferably about 1/100 of the pressure of the electro-optical system.

(7) Integration of Electrodes and Enhancement of Accuracy

[0421] Parts required to be installed on an electro-optically concentric axis with accuracy of several μm or smaller are desirably assembled by a method such as inter-member combination processing or cooling fit.

(8) Optical Microscope

[0422] An optical microscope is provided to compare a sample image under low magnifying power and an image seen under light with an electron beam image. The magnification is about 1/10 to 1/5000, preferably about 1/20 to 1/1000, more preferably about 1/20 to 1/100 of that of electron beam image. An image of light from the sample surface can be detected by a two-dimensional solid imaging device (CCD), and displayed on a CRT. Furthermore, it can be stored in a memory.

(9) Coaxial Ion Pump

[0423] By installing a non-vibration type vacuum pumping system such as an ion pump rotation-symmetrically around an optical axis near the electron gun unit and the MCP unit, an effect of keeping such a place under high vacuum while offsetting the influences of charged particles and magnetic fields by the pumping system itself can be expected. This is because a reduction in conductance of piping is alleviated when the ion pump is connected to the electron gun unit and the like to evacuate the same.

[0424] Specific embodiments will be described below.

[0425] The embodiment is one example of inspection apparatus mainly comprised of a vacuum chamber, a vacuum pumping system, a primary optical system, a secondary optical system, a detector, an image processing unit and a computer for control. One example thereof is shown in FIG. 26.

[0426] A primary optical system 26•1 for illuminating an electron beam to a sample, and a secondary optical system 26•2 for guiding electrons emitted from the sample surface, for example secondary electrons, reflection electrons, back-scattered electrons, to the detector are provided. The secondary optical system is a projection electron microscope type optical system. A beam separator 26•3 of E×B is used for separating the primary system and the secondary system. Furthermore, an image signal of an electron detected by a detector 26•4 is an optical signal or/and an electric signal, and processed by an image processing unit 26•5. Furthermore, at this time, if the number of electrons entering the detector is 200 or less per one pixel equivalent area, an image can be formed satisfactorily. Of course, the image can be satisfactorily formed if the number of electrons is 200 or greater per one pixel area.

[0427] An electron gun 26•6 as a component of the primary optical system uses LaB₆ as a heat filament (cathode), and derives electrons from a cathode with a Wenelt and draw electrode 26•7. Then, a beam is converged to an aperture 26•9 with a two-stage A lens (Einzell lens) 26•8 to form a crossover. Then, the beam passes through a two-stage aligner 26•10, an aperture 26•11, a three-stage quadrupole lens 26•12 and a three-stage aligner 26•13, enters a beam separator, is deflected in the direction of the sample surface, passes through an aperture 26•14 and a P lens (objective lens) 16•16 of the secondary system, and is applied to the sample surface almost vertically.

[0428] The aligner (deflector) 26•10 making the beam to pass through a beam area highly uniform in crossover and having a high luminance by the aperture 26•9, and specifying an angle of a beam incident to the quadrupole lens by the aperture 26•11 is used for adjustment to cause the beam enter at the center of the optical axes of the aperture 26•11 and the quadrupole lens 26•12. The quadrupole lens 26•12 is used for deformation of the beam shape by changing paths of the beam in two directions, for example X and Y directions. For example, in the shape of the sample irradiation beam, a change in ratio of shapes of circular, elliptic, rectangular and rectangular/elliptic shapes in x and y directions can be achieved (see FIG. 27). After passing through the quadrupole lens, the beam is adjusted to pass through an aperture 26•15 and the center of the P lens (objective lens) 26•16 by the aligner 26•14, and enters the sample surface. At this time, the shape of the irradiation beam can be symmetrically formed for at least one of two axes. The beam may have an asymmetric shape. Energy of the beam applied to the sample surface is finally determined by a difference in voltage between the cathode and the sample surface. For example, when the voltage of the cathode is 5.0 kV and the voltage of the sample surface is 4 kV, energy of the irradiation beam is 1 keV (see FIG. 26).

[0429] In this case, the voltage error is ±10 V, and the energy error is ±20 eV. Furthermore, if secondary electrons are used as detection electrons, the sample is negatively charged, and secondary electrons are emitted from the sample in this state, made to form an image under magnification by the secondary optical system, and guided to the detection system when the beam irradiation energy of 1.5 keV±10 eV to 5 keV±10 eV is used. If the irradiation energy is 50±10 eV to 1500 eV±10 eV, the sample surface is positively charged, and emitted secondary electrons are guided to the detection system. When the sample is positively charged, the operation can be carried out with a relatively low damage, but the sample is more easily influenced by charge-up or unevenness in surface potential due to the charge-up. In the negative charge operation, an image can be easily obtained with stability, and the influence of charge-up or distortion of the image due to unevenness in surface potential by the charge-up can be reduced compared to the case of positive charge.

[0430] Furthermore, at the location of the aperture 26•15, the operation may be carried out with positions of crossovers of the secondary system and the primary system deviated from each other. For example, the crossover of secondary electrons is formed on the center of the secondary system optical axis for the secondary system, and the crossover of the primary system is formed at a position deviated by 50 to 500 μm from the center of the optical axis of the secondary system (may be either X or Y). Consequently, two crossovers of the primary system and the secondary system never overlap each other in the aperture 26•15, and the current density can be alleviated, thus making it possible to inhibit expansion of blurs due to the space charge effect when the amount of beam current is large. This is effective when the current density of the primary system irradiation beam is greater than 1×10⁻³ A/cm², for example. For any lower current density, there is no influence even if the centers of optical axes are identical.

[0431] For electrons emitted from the sample surface, at least one type of secondary electrons, reflection electrons and back scattered electrons are used. The levels of energy emitted from the sample surface are 0 to 10 eV, 1000 eV±10 eV and 10 to 1000 eV, respectively, for incident beam energy of 1000 eV±10 eV, for example. Furthermore, electrons passing through a thin film or a bored sample (e.g. slancil mask) are used. In this case, for the former thin sample, the incident energy is reduced by the amount equivalent to the thickness of the sample, and for the bored sample, the incident energy remains unchanged.

[0432] A focused ion beam (FIB) may be used instead of the electron beam. A Ga ion source of a liquid metal is generally used as the FIB source, but other liquid metal ion source using a metal that is easily liquefied, or an ion source of a different type, for example a duoplasmatron using a discharge may be used.

[0433] For the sample, various samples such as a tip of about 10×10 mm, and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 inch wafers are used. Particularly, it is effective in detection of defects of a wiring pattern having a line width of 100 nm or smaller and a via having a diameter of 100 nm or smaller, and contaminants, and also convenient for detection of electric defects of the pattern and the via. For the sample, Si wafers, semiconductor device wafers made by processing Si, micromachined wafers, substrates for liquid crystal displays, head-processed wafers for hard disks and the like are used.

[0434] For the secondary system 26•2, an example will be described in which a projection type optical system to make electrons emitted from the sample, for example secondary electrons, reflection electrons, back-scattered electrons and transmission electrons form an image under magnification and guide the electrons to the detection system is used. As an example of the lens configuration of a column, the lens is constituted by a P lens (objective lens) 26•16, the aperture 26•15, the aligner 26•14, the beam separator 26•3, a P lens (intermediate lens) 26•17, the aligner 26•18, the aperture 26•19, a P lens (projection lens) 26•20, an aligner 26•21, and a micro-channel plate (MCP) unit. A hermetic quartz glass is placed on an upper flange of the column. A relay lens and a two-dimensional charge coupled device (2D-CCD) are placed thereon, and an image formed on a fluorescent screen is formed on a 2D-CCD sensor.

[0435] Emitted electrons from the sample surface form a crossover in the aperture 26•15 at the P lens (objective lens) 26•16, and are made to form an image at the center of the beam separator 26•3. The operation under conditions of forming an image at the center of the beam separator is effective because the effect of an aberration of a secondary beam occurring in the beam separator 26•3 can be reduced to a low level. This is because for example, the deflection amount/aberration varies depending on the image height when the beam is made to pass at E×B, and therefore the aberration suffered by image formation components can be reduced to a minimum due to formation of the image. Since this is also true for the primary system, not only image formation conditions are formed on the sample but also an image formation point is formed near the center of the beam separator, whereby the aberration of the primary beam is reduced, and unevenness of the current density on the sample is effectively reduced.

[0436] To adjust the beam to be situated at the center of the P lens (intermediate lens) 26•17 thereon, the aligner 26•14 is used. To adjust the beam to be situated at the center of the P lens (projection lens) 26•20 in the upstream thereof, the aligner 26•18 is used. To adjust the beam to be situated at the center of the MCP thereon, the aligner 26•21 exists. The magnification of the P lens (objective lens) 26•16 is 1.5× to 3×, the magnification of the P lens (intermediate lens) 26•17 is 1.5× to 3×, and the magnification of the P lens (projection lens) 26•20 is 30× to 50×. To achieve these magnifications, a voltage appropriate to each of the magnifications is applied to each lens to make an adjustment. Furthermore, to make a fine adjustment of a focus, a dedicated focus correction lens is incorporated in the P lens (objective lens) system, and focusing is achieved by fine adjustment of the voltage applied to the electrode. At locations of the aperture 26•15 and the aperture 26•19, the aperture 26•15 can be used to cut noises, and the aperture 26•19 can be used so that it plays a role to determine an aberration/contrast if the crossover is formed in both cases.

[0437] For the size, for example, the aperture 26•15 and the aperture 26•19 can be used at φ30 to φ2000 μm, preferably φ30 to φ1000 μm, more preferably φ30 to φ500 μm. At this time, if the aberration, the transmittance and the contrast characteristic are mainly determined with the aperture 26•15, the aperture 26•15 is used at, for example, φ30 to φ500 μm, and the aperture 26•19 is used at φ1000 to φ2000 μm. If the aberration, the transmittance and the contrast characteristic are mainly determined with the aperture 26•19, for example, the aperture 26•19 is used at φ30 to φ500 μm, and the aperture 26•15 is used at φ1000 to φ2000 μm.

[0438] Furthermore, astigmatic electrodes may be placed above and below the P lens (intermediate lens) 27•17. The electrodes are used to correct an astigmatic aberration occurring due to the beam separator 26•3 and the like. For example, an astigmatic electrode having an electrode configuration of 4, 6 or 8 poles can be used. For example, different voltages may be applied to the eight electrodes to correct the astigmatic aberration and the spherical aberration.

[0439] Furthermore, in the lens operation when a reflection electrode image and back-scattered electrons are used, the P lens (projection lens) 26•20 in the last stage is effective in cutting noises of secondary electrons if a retarding lens (negative voltage application lens) is used for the P lens. Usually, the amount of secondary electrons is greater than the amount of reflection electrodes by a factor of 10 to 1000, and therefore the retarding lens is especially effective when image formation is performed using reflection electrons/back-scattered electrons. For example, when a cathode voltage of a primary system electron source is 4 kV, a sample potential is 3 kV, the level of reflection electron energy from the sample is 1 keV, and when a detector voltage is an installation voltage, a difference in energy level between the reflection electron and the secondary electron is about 1 keV at the site of a P electrode. At this time, in the negative voltage lens operation of the P lens (projection lens), conditions such that the central voltage allows the reflection electron to pass and cuts off the secondary electron can be used. The conditions can be determined by means of simulation.

[0440] For the beam separator 26•3, a separator operating with E×B where the electrode is orthogonal to the magnetic pole, or only with a magnetic field B is used. As an example, an E×B is comprised of an E electrode forming an electric field distribution and a magnetic pole having a pole face orthogonal to the E electrode and forming a magnetic flux density distribution in a direction orthogonal to the E electrode. For example, when the optical axis of the secondary system is perpendicular to the sample surface, the incident beam of the primary system can be set at 10 to 90 degrees with respect to the axis of the secondary system. At this time, the beam of the primary system is deflected with E×B and can perpendicularly enter the sample surface, and emitted electrons from the sample surface are guided in the direction of the optical axis, i.e. in the direction perpendicular to the sample surface with E×B. This is achieved by a voltage applied to the E electrode, and a magnetic flux density formed in the B electrode. For example, a voltage of ±2 kV±1 V is applied to a pair of E electrodes, a magnetic flux density distribution is formed in parallel from a pair of B electrodes and for example, at the center of E×B, a magnetic flux density of 1 to 60 G±1G in the direction of the magnetic pole is produced (see FIG. 26).

[0441] Furthermore, E×B can also be applied to the inversed deflection relation of the primary system and the secondary system. That is, the incident beam source of the primary system is provided just above the sample, the detector of the secondary system is provided at an angle of 10 to 80 degrees with respect to the axis of the primary system, the beam of the primary system is made to enter the sample without applying a deflection force thereto with E×B, and the deflection force is applied to electrons emitted from the sample (beam of secondary system), whereby the electrons can be guided to the detector.

[0442] In the detector 26•4, signal electrons are introduced into an electron multiplier tube 28•1 such as an MCP, and amplified electrons are applied to a fluorescent screen to form a fluorescent image. The fluorescent screen has a glass plate 28•2 such as quartz glass coated with a fluorescent material on one side. The fluorescent image is formed by a relay lens system 28•3 on a two-dimensional CCD 28•4. This relay lens system and the CCD are placed on the column. A hermetic glass 28•6 is placed on an upper flange of the column, the vacuum environment in the column is separated from the external atmospheric environment, the fluorescent image is formed on the CCD with deformation/contrast degradation being reduced, and the fluorescent image can be efficiently formed.

[0443] An integration-type line image sensor (TDI-CCD) camera can be used instead of the CCD. In this case, TDI imaging can be performed while the sample is stage-moved, for example, in the direction of the E electrode or the direction of the B magnetic pole on the stage. For example, when the number of TDI integration stages is 256, one stage has 2048 pixels, the element size is 15×15 μm, and the magnification of the MCP image formation with respect to the sample surface is 300×, the size of the sample surface may be 30/30 μm for the MCP surface if the line/space is 0.1/0.1 μm. When the magnification of the relay lens is 1×, imaging is performed with the size of two elements being equivalent to 30 μm. At this time, electrons emitted from the sample position equivalent to one element, i.e. the sample size of 0.05×0.05 μm are integrated during movement on the stage equivalent to 256 element stages, and the total amount of acquired light increases to allow imaging to be performed. This is especially effective when the stage speed is high such as a speed corresponding to a line rate of 100 kHz to 600 kHz. This is because when the line rate is high, the number of acquired electrons per element, i.e. the intensity of acquired light per element of the TDI sensor decreases, and thus integration can be carried out to enhance the final density of acquired light and increase the contrast and S/N. The line rate is 0.5 kHz to 100 MHz, preferably 1 kHz to 50 MHz, more preferably 20 kHz to 10 MHz. In correspondence therewith, a video rate is 1 to 120 MHz/tap, preferably 10 to 50 MHz/tap, more preferably 10 to 40 MHz/tap. Furthermore, the number of taps is 1 to 520, preferably 4 to 256, more preferably 32 to 128 (see FIGS. 28 and 29).

[0444] The CCD and the TDI sensor/camera that are used have characteristics of low noises and high sensitivities. For example, they can be set at 100 to 100000 DN/(nJ/cm²) but above all, if they are used at 1000 to 50000 DN/(nJ/cm²), the efficiency is improved. Further, if they are used at 10000 to 50000 DN/(nJ/cm²), a high quality image can be obtained with good S/N even when the line rate is high.

[0445] Furthermore, when the image is acquired using the CCD or TDI sensor, it can be used in a state in which a region of the number of pixels×the number of stages almost matches an area irradiated with the primary beam, thus improving efficiency and reducing noises. For the noise, electrons from a site of a large image height other than areas miscellaneously used may reach the detector as noises. To reduce these noises, it is effective to reduce beam irradiations at a site other than an effective field. Image information acquired by the CCD or TDI sensor is converted into an electric signal, and subjected to data processing by an image processor. Through this image processing, image comparison is carried out on a cell-to-cell, die-to-die, die-to-any die basis, and thus defects can be inspected. For example, pattern defects, particle defects, and potential contrast defects (e.g. electric connection defects of wiring and plating) are inspected.

[0446] For the stage 26•22, a stage installed with a combination of at least one of X, Y, Z and θ movement mechanisms is used. In this electron beam inspection apparatus, the following components can be used as the components described above.

Primary System

Electron source: W filament, L_aB₆ filament, TFE, FE

Lens: made of metal or ceramic, phosphor bronze as metal, Ti, Al, Einzwell lens, quadrupole lens

Aligner: lenses of 4 poles, 6 poles and 8 poles

Aperture: materials, Mo, Ta, Ti, phosphor bronze

Secondary System

Lens: made of metal or ceramic, phosphor bronze as metal, Ti, Al, ceramic electrode subjected to treatment such as Au plating Einzell lens, quadrupole lens

Aligner: lenses of 4 poles, 6 poles and 8 poles

Aperture: materials, Mo (molybdenum), Ta, Ti, phosphor bronze

Electron Beam Separator

E electrode: made of metal or ceramic, phosphor bronze as metal, Ti, Al, ceramic electrode subjected to treatment such as Au plating

B magnetic pole: permalloy B, permalloy C, etc., material having a high saturation magnetic flux density and magnetic permeability (e.g. 10³ to 10⁷, preferably 10⁴ to 10⁷, more preferably 10⁵ to 10⁷)

Sample

Si wafer, 3 to 5 group compound semiconductor wafer, crystal substrate, head-processed wafer of hard disk, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 inch wafers

Detector

MCP/fluorescent screen/relay lens/CCP

MCP/fluorescent screen/relay lens/TDI

MCP/fluorescent screen/FOP (fiber optic plate)/TDI

Photomultiplier

Multi-photomultiplier

[0447] The detector can be used in the combinations described above. The MCP has a function to amplitude entering electrons, and the electrons exiting therefrom are converted into light by the fluorescent screen. If the amount of entering electrons is so large that they are not required to be amplified, the operation can be performed without the MCP. Furthermore, a scintillator can be used instead of the fluorescent screen. A light signal thereof (or image signal) is transmitted to the TDI or forms an image under a predetermined magnification in the case of the relay lens, and under a magnification of 1× (light signal is transmitted in a ratio of 1:1) in the case of the FOP. The photomultiplier amplifies a light signal and converts the light signal into an electric signal, and the multi-photomultiplier has a plurality of photomultipliers arranged.
Image Processor
The image processor has functions of image comparison, defect detection, defect classification, image data recording and the like.

[0448] In the electron beam inspection apparatus, an irradiation beam shape of the primary beam symmetrical with respect to at least one axis of X and Y axes can be used. Accordingly, an acquired image can formed with a low aberration and low deformation on the electron beam entrance surface of the detector by the beam having an optical axis at the center.

[0449] Furthermore, if the CCD or TDI is used as the detector, a sufficient S/N ratio can be achieved in an area corresponding to one pixel, for example in an area where the number of entering electrons is 200/pixel or smaller in formation of one pixel on the MCP, thus making it possible to use the detector for image processing and defect detection. In the projection type optical system, for example, noise cut and aberration reduction effects can be achieved by specifying the size of the aperture 26•15 or 26•19, and therefore by placing an aperture having a diameter of 30 μm to 1000 μm, for example, an improvement in S/N ratio can be achieved, thus making it possible to acquire an image of high resolution and high quality in an area of 200 electrons/pixel.

[0450] TDI performs integration equivalent to the number of stages for the direction of movement of the stage. Integration equivalent to 256 stages is performed in this embodiment, but the number of integration stages is appropriately 114 to 8192, preferably 114 to 4096, more preferably 512 to 4096. Even if there is slight unevenness in illuminance of the primary beam in the direction of integration, and there is unevenness in signal electrons from the sample, the unevenness is equalized due to the effect of integration, and detected electron information is constant and stable. Thus, in consideration of a direction where unevenness in illuminance of the primary electron beam easily occurs, the direction of movement of the stage can be determined so that the direction where the illuminance unevenness easily occurs matches the direction of integration of the TDI. The image can be continuously acquired by using the TDI, but the CCD may be used to scan the stage in the step and repeat mode to acquire the image. That is, the operation of stopping the stage at a specific location to acquire an image, then moving the stage to a next location, and stopping the stage there to acquire an image is repeated. A similar operation can be carried out using the TDI. That is, the still mode of the TDI (pause image acquirement mode, in which the stage is stopped) is used, or an image of a certain area (e.g. 2048 pixels×2048 pixels) is acquired by a usual image acquirement process of the TDI, and then the stage is moved to a next location (no image is acquired during the movement), where an image is similarly acquired. Thus, in this case, inspection is performed without stopping the movement of the stage.

[0451] When the appearance of the sample surface is magnified by electrons to form an image on the detector, an aberration, a blur and the like of the secondary optical system is desirably within one pixel if the resolution of the image is limited to about one pixel of the CCD or TDI. Since the aberration and the blur grow if electrons are deflected at E×B, signal electrons such as secondary electrons, reflection electrons and back-scattered electrons are adjusted to travel in straight lines with no deflection force given thereto in the secondary optical system in this embodiment. That is, the central axis of the secondary optical system is a straight line passing through the center of the field of view of the sample, the center of E×B and the center of the detector.

[0452] Furthermore, since cases other than the embodiment described above are acceptable as long as no blur occurs in the image of the secondary optical system, such cases are included in this invention as a matter of course.

[0453] When the TDI sensor/camera is used for the detector in the inspection apparatus similar to the embodiment 1, the image can be acquired more quickly and efficiently if the number of images/stages is 2048 to 4096, the number of taps is 32 to 128, and the sensitivity is 10000 to 40000 DN/(nJ/cm²). At this time, the line rate may be 100 to 400 kHz, and the video rate may be 10 MHz to 40 MHz. At this time, the operation is capable of being done when an 8 inch Si wafer, for example LSI device wafer is used, the resolution is 0.1 μm/pixel, and inspection time per one wafer is ⅛ to 2 hours.

[0454] At this time, when the resolution is 0.1 μm/pixel, a contrast of 3 to 30% is achieved, and thus image observation and defect detection can be sufficiently performed even with a pattern shape of, for example, LS:0.2/0.2 μm in sample observation and defect inspection. A defect having a shape other than L/S can be detected by comparison using a change in contrast as long as the defect has a size of one pixel or greater. A contrast of 5 to 30% is achieved, thus making it possible to perform observation and defect inspection by image processing. Furthermore, for the LSI device wafer, defects of the design rule or smaller can be detected. Defects equivalent to the half pitch of the wiring width can be detected for the memory, and defects equivalent to the gate length can be detected for the logic.

[0455] When defects are detected using the TDI sensor/camera and an image processing mechanism, the image can be continuously formed to perform inspection continuously by the TDI operation. At this time, the sample is placed on the stage, and continuous operations are similarly carried out to obtain the image. The speed of the stage is essentially determined by v=f×D, wherein v represents a stage speed, f represents a line frequency and D represents a size corresponding to sensor pixels on the sample (determined by a projection magnification). For example, when f is 300 kHz and D is 0.1 μm, v equals 30 mm/s.

[0456] FIG. 29 shows an example of a detection system having a configuration different from that of the embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 28. In this case, an MCP 29•2, an FOP 29•3, a TDI sensor/package 29•4, a contact pin 29•5 and a field-through flange 29•6 are provided in a column 29•1 under vacuum, and an output of the TDI sensor 29•4 is received by a TDI camera 29•7 through the field-through flange 29•6. Furthermore, the FOP 29•3 is coated with a fluorescent material to form a fluorescent image by electrons from the MCP 29•2. The fluorescent image is transmitted to the TDI sensor 29•4 by the FOP 29•3. An image signal of the TDI sensor 29•4 is transmitted to the TDI camera 29•7 via the contact pin 29•5 and the field-through flange 29•6. At this time, use of the FOP 29•3 can reduce an optical signal transmission loss. For example, the transmittance increases by a factor of about 5 to 20 compared the relay lens. This is especially effective when the TDI operation is carried out. This is because quicker activation is possible due to high intensity of the acquired optical signal, and signal unevenness of a fiber shape is reduced to a negligible level by integration of the TDI. Here, the contact pin 29•5 for connecting pins of the TDI sensor 29•4 and the field though flange 29•6 is required. The contact pin 29•5 is connection-fixed to one side (e.g. pin of field-through) by fit contact, and contacts the pin of the TDI sensor/package with an elastic force of a spring (not shown).

[0457] Consequently, the pin of the field-through flange 29•6 and the pin of the TDI sensor/package 29•4 can be installed with a low pressing force, in a parallel position and at a low impedance. In a high speed operation sensor, a large number of pins are used and for example, more than 100 pins are required. If the number of pins is large, the installation pressure (pressing force) increases, and thus the TDI sensor/package 29•4 may be broken. Such points have been overcome to make installation possible.

[0458] As shown in FIG. 28, the CCD or TDI is usually installed at the atmosphere side, and the MCP and the fluorescent screen are installed under vacuum, but by placing the CCD or TDI under vacuum, the relay optical system such as the FOP can be curtailed, thus making it possible to improve transmission efficiency.

[0459] In this embodiment, an EB-CCD or EB-TDI is used for the detector (see FIG. 30) in the embodiments 1 and 2. The EB is an electron beam, and the EB-CCD or EB-TDI directly inputs the electron beam, and converts it into an electric signal (not detecting an optical signal).

[0460] Use of the EB-TDI sensor/camera can inject electrons directly into an image portion of the sensor, accumulate charges. This means that it is unnecessary to use the fluorescent screen, the relay lens and hermetic glass used in the usual detector. That is, since an electric signal can be obtained directly from an electron signal without temporarily converting an electron signal image into an optical signal image, and thus a loss associated with the conversion can be considerably reduced. That is, image deformation by the fluorescent screen, hermetic glass and the relay lens system, degradation in contrast, and deleterious effects such as variations in magnification can be considerably reduced. Furthermore, due to reduction in the number of components, downsizing, cost-reduction and quick operations can be achieved. Quick operations can reduce a signal transmission speed loss and an image formation speed loss.

[0461] One example of a unit of the EB-TDI is shown in FIG. 30. See the embodiment 1 for the optical system. The surface of a TDI sensor 30•3 is placed in the upper part of a secondary system column, i.e. on the image-forming point the upper part of the P lens (projection lens). The unit is comprised of a TDI sensor/package 30•3, a contact pin 30•4, a field-through 30•5, a TDI camera 30•1, and image processor 30•6 and a control PC 30•7. Emitted electrons (any of secondary electrons, reflection electrons and back-scattered electrons) from the sample surface are made to form an image by the secondary system and enter the surface of the TDI sensor 30 3. Charges are accumulated in accordance with the amount of electrons, and an electric signal for image formation is formed by the TDI camera 30•1.

[0462] A pin of the sensor package 30•3 and a pin of the field-through flange 30•5 are connected together by the contact pin 30•4. In this aspect, this embodiment is similar to the embodiment 2. In this case, since an electric image signal is converted directly into an electric signal by the TDI sensor 30•3, components and parts can be curtailed and the transmission channel can be shortened compared to the detectors of the embodiments 1 and 2. This makes it possible to achieve improvement in S/N due to reduction in noises, speed enhancement, downsizing and cost-reduction.

[0463] The EB-TDI 30•1 is used in this embodiment, but the EB-CCD may be similarly used. Particularly, this configuration is effective if the number of required pins is greater than 100 due to a large number of pixels or to perform high speed operations. A contact pin for connecting the pin of the field-through and the package is required. The contact pin is constituted by a spring material and a contact plate on one side (e.g. on the package side), and can reduce the contact width. If there are a large number of contact pins, for example 100 or more contact pins, a pressing force at the time of connection increases, and if the total force exceeds 5 kg, a problem of rupture of the package arises. Thus, a contact pin having a pressing force limited to 50 to 10 g/pin by adjustment of a spring force is used.

[0464] Furthermore, the number of incident electrons is insufficient when the EB-CCD or EB-TDI is used, an MCP being an electron multiplier tube can be used. Furthermore, for the number of images/stages, the number of stages, the number of taps, the line rate and the video rate, conditions similar to those of the embodiments 1 and 2 may be used. The sensitivity can be 0.1 to 10000 DN/electron.

[0465] In the inspection apparatus similar to the embodiments 1, 2 and 3, a primary system 31•1 has the same configuration, but a secondary system 31•2 has a different configuration as shown in FIG. 31. To achieve a higher resolution, a two-stage P lens (objective lens) 31•3, a two-stage P lens (intermediate lens) 31•5, and a two-stage P lens (projection lens) 31•8 are used. Further, the P lens (intermediate lens) is notably a zoom lens. Consequently, a projection-type beam optical system having a higher resolution and a larger visual field size compared to conventional systems can be achieved, and an image of any magnification can be acquired in the zoom range.

2-3-2) Details of Configuration

[0466] An electron gun, a primary optical system, a secondary optical system, an E×B unit, a detector and a power supply of an electro-optical system shown in FIGS. 25-1 to 31 will be described in detail below.

2-3-2-1) Electron Gun (Electron Beam Source)

[0467] A thermal electron beam source is used as an electron beam source. An electron emission (emitter) material is L_aB₆. Any other material can be used as long as the material has a high melting point (low vapor pressure at high temperature) and a small work function. A material having the leading end formed into a conic shape, or a material having a conic shape with the leading end cut off is used. The diameter of the leading end of the truncated cone is about 100 μm. For other types, an electric field emission type electron beam source or thermal electric field emission type is used, but when a relatively wide area (e.g. 100×25 to 400×100 μm²) is irradiated with a large amount of current (about 1 μA) as in the present invention, a thermal electron source using L_aB₆ is most suitable. Furthermore, in the SEM system, a thermal electric field electron beam source (TFE type) and a short key type are generally used. The thermal electron beam source is a system in which the electron emission material is heated to emit electrons, and the thermal electric field emission electron beam source is a system in which a high electric field is applied to the electron emission material to emit electrons, and an electron beam emission portion is heated to stabilize the emission of electrons. In this system, extraction of electron beams under efficient conditions called shot key conditions can be performed by selecting the temperature and the electric field intensity and recently, this system has been often used.

2-3-2-2) Primary Optical System

[0468] A part forming an electron beam applied from an electron gun, and irradiating an electron beam having a two-dimensional cross section such as a rectangular, circular or elliptic cross section or a linear electron beam onto the wafer surface is called a primary electro-optical system. By controlling lens conditions of the primary electro-optical system, the beam size and the current density are controlled. By an E×B filter (Wien filter) at a primary/secondary electro-optical system connection portion, a primary electron beam is made to enter the wafer at a right angle (±5°, preferably ±3°, more preferably ±1°).

[0469] Thermal electrons emitted from a L_aB₆ cathode are made to form an image on a gun diaphragm as a crossover image by a Wenelt, triple anode lens, double anode, or single anode. An electron beam having the angle of incidence to the lens modified by an illumination visual field diaphragm is made to form an image on an NA diaphragm in a form of rotational asymmetry by controlling a primary system electrostatic lens, and then applied to the wafer surface. The rear stage of a quadrupole lens of the primary system is comprised of a three-stage quadrupole (QL) and a one-stage aperture aberration correcting electrode. The quadrupole lens has a constraint of strict alignment accuracy, but notably has a strong convergence action compared to the rotational symmetry lens, and is capable of correcting an aperture aberration corresponding to a spherical aberration of the rotational symmetry lens by applying an appropriate voltage to the aperture aberration correcting electrode. Consequently, a uniform plane beam can be applied to a predetermined area. Furthermore, the electron beam can be scanned by a deflector.

[0470] The shape and area of the irradiation electron beam on the sample surface includes the shape and area of an imaging area of the TDI-CCD on the sample, and it is desirable that the illuminance in the electron beam irradiation area is uniform, and illuminance unevenness is 10% or less, preferably 5% or less, more preferably 3% or less.

[0471] The shape and area of the TDI-CCD in this embodiment is equivalent to a pixel number of 2048×512, with the pixel size being 16 μm×16 μm, and therefore its overall shape is a rectangle of about 32.8 mm×8.2 mm. When the magnification of the secondary optical system is 160×, the irradiation area on the sample surface is 1/160 of 32.8 mm×8.2 mm, and is therefore a rectangle of 205 μm×51.2 μm.

[0472] Thus, the electron beam irradiation area in this case is desirably a rectangle including a rectangle of 205 μm×51.2 μm, but it may be a rectangle having round corners, ellipse, circle or the like as shown in FIG. 27-1 as long as its shape and area meets the above conditions. When the magnification of the secondary optical system is 320×, the irradiation area is 1/320 of 32.8 mm×8.2 mm, which is equivalent to a rectangle of 102.4 μm×25.6 μm, thus being ¼ of the irradiation area with the magnification of 160×.

[0473] In this way, in the present invention, a beam with a relatively large area including imaging areas of the TDI-CCD as a detector is applied to the sample, the imaging areas on the sample correspond to pixels of the TDI-CCD, respectively, and electrons emitted from these imaging areas on the sample are made to form an image on the TDI-CCD at a time to perform detection.

[0474] The irradiation shape of the electron beam may be linear, and may be scanned to ensure an irradiation are the same as that of a plane beam. A linear beam 27•1 refers to a beam having a shape in which the length-to-width ratio is 10:1 or greater as shown in FIGS. 27-2(1-1) and 27(1-2), it is not limited to a rectangle but may be an ellipse. Furthermore, the linear beam 27•1 may have interrupted at some midpoint as shown in FIG. 27-2(2). The scanning of the beam reduces the time period over which the beam is continuously applied to the same location of the sample, and thus has an advantage that the influence of charge up on the sample is reduced.

[0475] FIGS. 27-2(3) and 27-2(4) show a relation between a multi-pixel imaging area 27•3 of the TDI-CCD and the linear beam 27•1 on an inspection subject 27•2. Among them, in FIG. 27-2(3), the linear beam 27•1 is placed at almost a right angle (e.g. 90°±3°, preferably 90°±1°) with respect to an integration direction 27•4 of the TDI-CCD or a direction of movement 27•5 of the XY stage, and a direction of scan 27•6 of the beam is identical to the integration direction 28•4 or the direction of movement 27•5 of the XY stage (e.g. 0°±1°, preferably 0°±1 minute, more preferably 0°±1 second).

[0476] FIG. 27-2(4) shows another example, in which the linear beam 27•1 is almost parallel to the integration direction 27•4 of the TDI-CCD or the direction of movement of the XY stage (e.g. 90°±1°, preferably 90°±1 minute, more preferably 90°±3 seconds).

2-3-2-3) Secondary Optical System

[0477] A two-dimensional secondary electron image produced by an electron beam applied to the wafer is formed at a visual field throttling position by an electrostatic lens equivalent to an objective lens, and magnified and projected by a lens (PL) in the rear stage. This image formation and projection optical system is called a secondary electro-optical system. A negative bias voltage (retarding electric field voltage) is applied to the wafer. The retarding electric field has an effect of retarding the irradiation beam to reduce damage on the sample, and accelerating secondary electrons generated from the sample surface with a difference in potential between the objective lens and the wafer to reduce a color aberration. Electrons converged by the objective lens are made to form an image on the FA by the intermediate lens, and the image is magnified and projected by the projection lens, and formed on a secondary electron detector (MCP). In this optical system, the NA is placed between the objective lens and the intermediate lens, and optimized to constitute an optical system capable of reducing an off-axis aberration.

[0478] To correct a production-related error of the electro-optical system, and an astigmatic aberration and an anisotropic magnification of an image occurring with passage through an E×B filter (Wien filter), an electrostatic octupole (STIG) is placed to make a correction, and an axial shift is corrected with a deflector (OP) placed between lenses. In this way, a projection type optical system with a uniform resolution in the visual field can be achieved.

[0479] The optical system will be further described using a few embodiments.

[0480] FIG. 32 shows an electro-optical system. Primary electrons emitted from an electron gun 32•1 pass through an image formation lens 32•2, then a two-stage zoom lens 32•3 and then a three-stage quadrupole 32•4, and are deflected at 35° by an E×B filter 32•5, and applied to the sample surface through an objective lens 32•7 in an opposite direction in parallel to the optical axis of a secondary optical system 32•6. Furthermore, for the quadrupole lens, a multipole lens having two or more poles may be used, and not only a lens having an even number of poles but also a lens having an odd number of poles may be used. Furthermore, the quadrupole lens has 3 to 20 stages, preferably 3 to 10 stages, more preferably 3 to 5 stages.

[0481] Secondary electrons, reflection electrons and back-scattered electrons emitted from the sample surface with irradiation of primary electron beam are made to form an image at the center of the E×B filter 32•5 by the objective lens 32•7, subjected to scaling by an intermediate lens 32•8, and then made to form an image just before a projection lens 32•9. The image formed with the intermediate lens 32•8 is magnified by a factor of about 30 to 50 by the projection lens 32•9 and formed on the detector surface 32•10.

[0482] The image formation lens 32•2 enables an image to be formed just before the zoom lens 32•3 even if the accelerating voltage is changed, and is constituted by a one-stage lens in FIG. 32, but may be constituted by a multiple-stage lens.

[0483] If the accelerating voltage of primary electron beam is fixed, the irradiation area and shape of primary electron beam on the sample surface almost depends on the conditions of the zoom lens 32•3 and the conditions of the quadrupole lens 32•4. The zoom lens 32•3 changes the irradiation area during maintaining the beam shape. The quadrupole lens 32•4 can change the size of the beam, but is used mainly to change the beam shape (length-to-width ratio of ellipse). FIG. 32 shows the two-stage zoom lens 32•3 and the three-stage quadrupole lens 32•4, but the number of stages may be increased.

[0484] The case will be discussed below where the size of one pixel of the detector is 16 μm×16 μm, and the size of the detector is 2048×512 pixels. When the magnification of the secondary optical system 32•6 is 160×, the size on the sample equivalent to one pixel is 16 μm÷160=0.1 μm, and the observation area is 204.8×51.2 μm. The irradiation area covering the observation area has an elliptic shape, and thus changes in a variety of ways depending on the ratio between the long axis and the short axis of the ellipse. This situation is shown in FIG. 33. In FIG. 33, the horizontal axis shows the position of the long axis and the longitudinal axis shows the position of the short axis. In consideration of the optimum irradiation shape, it is not desired that the beam is applied to areas other than an observation area 33•1. To achieve the optimum irradiation shape, an irradiation shape with the largest irradiation efficiency obtained by dividing the area of the observation area by the area of the irradiation area should be found.

[0485] FIG. 34 shows a plot of the ratio of the long axis to the short axis in the shape of the irradiation area versus the irradiation efficiency. From this plot, it can be understood that a shape with the best irradiation efficiency is provided when the ratio of the long axis to the short axis in the irradiation elliptic shape equals the ratio of the long axis to the short axis in the rectangular observation area. That is, a beam shape for thoroughly irradiating the observation area of 204.8×51.2 μm is a beam shape of 290×72.5 μm. In fact, the shape of the irradiation beam slightly grows due to influences of the aberration of the irradiation optical system and illuminance unevenness of the electron gun. To achieve this irradiation beam shape, the quadrupole lens 32•4 may be adjusted so that an image just before the quadrupole lens 32•4 forms an elliptic irradiation area on the sample surface by an optical system including the quadrupole lens 32•4 and the objective lens 32•7. In this case, it is only required that a necessary irradiation area and a sufficiently uniform irradiation current density over the entire irradiation area should be obtained, and it is not necessary to make the irradiation beam form an image on the sample surface. The size of the image just before the quadrupole lens 32•4 is adjusted with the zoom lens 32•3 so that a predetermined irradiation area can be obtained on the sample surface.

[0486] Now, for example, assume that the magnification of the secondary electro-optical system 32•6 is changed from 160× to 320×. At this time, the size equivalent to one pixel on the sample surface is 0.05 μm×0.05 μm (16 μm÷320=0.05 μm), and the observation area is 102.4×25.6 μm. If the irradiation area is kept at a magnification of 160× in this state, the amount of a signal reaching one pixel of the detector is proportional to the area ratio, and therefore equals ¼ of the signal amount when the magnification is 160×. Provided that an image of a signal amount corresponding to average 400 electrons per pixel is seen when the magnification is 160×, the standard deviation of fluctuations by shot noises at this time is √(400)=20. Accordingly, the S/N ratio is 400/20=20. To obtain an image of the same S/N ratio when the magnification is 320×, the same signal amount should be within one pixel. The area per pixel on the sample is ¼ of the original area, and accordingly the secondary electron signal amount density per unit area should be quadrupled.

[0487] If landing energy represented as a difference in acceleration energy of primary electrons and the potential of the sample surface is fixed, the irradiation current density is approximately proportional to the secondary electron signal amount density. Thus, it can be understood that the irradiation current density should be quadrupled. To quadruple the irradiation current density, the irradiation current should be simply quadrupled, or the irradiation area should be reduced to ¼ of the original area. To reduce the irradiation area to ¼ of the original area, the irradiation size should be reduced to ½ of the original size for both the long and short axes. Since both the observation area and irradiation area are analogously scaled down by a factor of 2, the observation area can be sufficiently irradiated.

[0488] As means for increasing the irradiation current density, the irradiation current may be increased, or the irradiation area may be decreased. However, it is more desirable that the irradiation area is reduced, taking it consideration that areas other than the observation area are preferably prevented from being irradiated.

[0489] Table 3 shows the voltages of the primary optical system lens and the obtained irradiation sizes on the sample for secondary optical system magnifications of 320× and 160×, respectively. As a result, an irradiation area capable of sufficiently keeping up with the secondary optical system magnification can be obtained. Although not shown in Table 3, the irradiation size for the magnification of 80× may be an ellipse of 620 μm×180 μm, and the irradiation size for the magnification of 480× may be an ellipse of 100 μm×30 μm. In this way, it is desirable that the irradiation size is changed according to a change or shift in magnification.

[0490]

	TABLE 3
			Magnification	Magnification
			of 160x	of 320x
	Zoom Lens (V)	ZL1	−1960	−1390
		ZL2	−1020	−1300
	Quadrupole lens (V)	QL1x	640	→
		QL1y	−640	→
		QL2x	−490	→
		QL2y	490	→
		QL3x	70	→
		QL3y	−70	→
	Irradiation size (μm)	x	310	155
		y	90	50

[0491] If the observation area is illuminated with an electron beam, a method in which a plurality of electron beams each having an area smaller than the observation area are scanned to illuminate the observation area can be used other than the method in which the observation area is illuminated with a rectangular or elliptic electron beam having an area covering the entire observation area. The number of beams is 1 to 1000, preferably 2 to 100, more preferably 4 to 40. A linear beam with two or more beams linked together may be scanned. In this case, by scanning the beam in a direction perpendicular to the long direction of the line, a wider area can be inspected with one scan. In this case, the CCD or TDI may be used for the detector. To form a linear beam, for example, an electron source of LaB₆ is used, and the beam is made to pass through a linear slit in the optical system. Furthermore, a cathode with an electron source having a sharp and slender leading end may be used to form a linear beam. Furthermore, the stage is moved continuously or intermittently in at least one of directions of the XY plane during scan of the beam so that the entire inspection area is covered.

[0492] FIG. 35 shows the configuration of a detection system using a relay lens. Secondary electrons made to form an image on the surface of an MCP (micro-channel plate) 35•1 in the secondary optical system are amplified according to a voltage applied to between the electron incidence surface and the emission surface of the MCP 35•1 while passing through a channel in the MCP 35•1. The structure and operation of the MCP 35•1 are well known, and thus are not described in detail here. In this embodiment, the pixel size on the MCP 35•1 is 26 μm, and the diameter of the channel in an effective area of 1024 pixels wide and 512 pixels long is 6 μm. Electrons amplified in the MCP 35•1 are emitted from the emission surface of the MCP 35•1, and enter a fluorescent screen 35•3 coated on an opposite glass plate 35•2 having a thickness of about 4 mm to generate fluorescence having an intensity consistent with the amount of electron signal. Since a thin transparent electrode is coated between the glass plate 35•2 and the fluorescent screen 35•3 and a voltage of about 2 to 3 kV is applied to between the electrode and the MCP emission surface, expansion of electrodes between the MCP and the fluorescent screen is restricted as much as possible to avoid the blur of the image. Further, since electrons emitted from the MCP 35•1 enter the fluorescent screen 35•3 with appropriate energy, luminous efficiency is improved. Furthermore, the materials of the transparent electrode and the glass plate 35•2 coated with the fluorescent screen 35•3 may be any materials as long as they allow light to pass efficiently.

[0493] A light intensity signal, into which an electric signal is converted on the fluorescent screen 35•3, passes through the glass plate 35•2, then through an optically transparent plate 35•4 insulating vacuum from the atmosphere, then through a relay lens 35•5 imaging light generated on the fluorescent screen 35•3, and enters a light receiving surface 35•6 of a CCD or TDI sensor placed at the imaging position. In this embodiment, the relay lens 35•5 has an imaging scale factor of 0.5, and a transmittance of 2%.

[0494] Light impinging on the light receiving surface 35•6 is converted into an electric signal by the CCD or TDI sensor, and the electric signal of the image is outputted to an uptake apparatus. The TDI sensor used in this embodiment has a pixel size of 13 μm, 2048 horizontal effective pixels, 144 integration stages, and 8 taps and a maximum line plate of 83 kHz, but a TDI sensor having a larger number of horizontal effective pixels and integration stages may be used in view of technological advance of the TDI sensor in the future. Furthermore, the structure and operation of the TDI sensor are known, and thus are not described in detail here.

[0495] In Table 4, the secondary electron emission current density, the secondary optical system imaging scale factor, the number of pixel incident electrons obtained when the TDI line rate is determined, the TDI gray scale pixel tone value and the stage speed in this embodiment are shown in the columns of the Embodiment 1.

[0496]

	TABLE 4
	Example 1	Example 2
	Number of integration stages	144	512
	Line rate (Hz)	1.0E+04	3.0E+05
	Emission secondary electron	3.5	610
	current density (A/m2)
	Secondary optical system	0.01	0.046
	transmittance
	Secondary optical system image	260	320
	scale
	MCP aperture ratio	0.6	0.6
	MCP gain	1.8E+04	4.5E+01
	MCP output current (A)	2.0E−0.6	2.0E−0.6
	Fluorescent screen light emission	8.7E−06	8.7E−06
	intensity (W)
	Relay lens imaging scale factor	0.5	—
	Relay lens transmittance	0.02	—
	FOP magnification	—	1
	FOP transmittance	—	0.4
	Incident energy density (nJ/cm2)	0.079	0.004
	TDI Responsivity (DN/(nJ/cm2))	246	9000
	Gray scale pixel tone value (DN)	19.4	39.1
	Number of incident electrons per	18.9	448.3
	unit (electrons/pixel)
	Stage speed (m/s)	0.001	0.015

The full scale of the gray scale pixel tone value described here is 255 DN. This is due to the fact that the current MCP dynamic range is no more than 2 μA. An epoch-making improvement in MCP dynamic range cannot be currently expected, and therefore to obtain a certain pixel tone value, it is important that minimum 200 DN/(nJ cm²) of TDI responsivity is ensured.

[0497] FIG. 36 shows the configuration of a detection system using an FOP. The structure and operation of a fluorescent screen 36•1 and the like are the same as those of the embodiment 5. However, the effective area of an MCP 36•2 in this embodiment has a pixel size of 16 μm, which is equivalent to 2048 (wide)×512 (long) pixels. Unlike the embodiment 5, a fluorescent screen 36•1 is coated on an FOP (fiber optic plate) 36•3 having a thickness of about 4 mm, instead of the glass plate. A light intensity signal, into which an electric signal is converted at the fluorescent screen 36•1, passes through fibers of the FOP 36•3. The light emission surface of the FOP 36•3 is coated with a transparent electrode, and this provides a ground potential. Light emitted from the FOP 36•3 passes through another FOP 36•4 with the thickness of, for example, 3 mm contacting the FOP 36•3 with no gap therebetween, and enters the light receiving surface of a CCD or TDI sensor 36•5 placed on the light emission surface of the FOP 36•4 via an optically transparent adhesive. Since light is not scattered over fibers of the FOP, image quality is not significantly influenced if the pixel size of the CCD or TDI sensor 36•5 is sufficiently larger than the fiber diameter.

[0498] In this embodiment, the fiber diameter of the FOP is 6 μm, and the pixel size of the TDI sensor 36•5 is 16 μm. By making the incidence side and the emission side of the FOP have different fiber diameters, the magnification of the image can be changed, but this causes deformation and distortion to grow, and therefore the fiber diameters are the same in this embodiment. The transmittance is about 40% in this embodiment.

[0499] The CCD or TDI sensor 36•5 is placed under vacuum, and an electric signal 36•6 of the image, into which an optical signal is converted, is outputted to an uptake apparatus through a field through 36•7 insulating the atmosphere from vacuum.

[0500] The CCD or TDI sensor 36•5 may be placed under the atmosphere, and the atmosphere may be insulated from vacuum by the FOP, but in consideration of reduction in transmittance and growth of deformation with an increase in thickness of the FOP, such a configuration is less likely positively adopted.

[0501] The TDI sensor 36•5 used in this embodiment has a pixel size of 16 μm, 2048 horizontal effective pixels, 512 integration stages, and 32 taps and a maximum line plate of 300 kHz, but a TDI sensor having a larger number of horizontal effective pixels and integration stages may be used in view of technological advance of the TDI sensor in the future.

[0502] The secondary electron emission current density, the secondary optical system imaging scale factor, the number of pixel incident electrons obtained when the TDI line rate is determined, the TDI gray scale pixel tone value and the sage speed in this embodiment are shown in the columns of the embodiment 2 in Table 4.

[0503] FIG. 37(A) schematically shows the configuration of a projection electron microscope type defect inspection apparatus EBI, and FIG. 37(B) schematically shows the configurations of a secondary optical system and a detection system of the defect inspection apparatus EBI. In FIG. 37, an electron gun 37•1 has a thermal electron emitting LaB₆ cathode 37•2 capable of operating under a large current, and primary electrons emitted in a first direction from the electron gun 37•1 pass through a primary optical system including a several-stage quadrupole lens 37•3 to have the beam shape adjusted, and then pass through a Wien filter 37•4. The traveling direction of primary electrons is changed to a second direction by the Wien filter 37•4 so that they are inputted to a sample W as an inspection object. Primary electrons leaving the Wien filter 37•4 and traveling in the second direction have the beam diameter reduced by an NA aperture plate 37•5, pass through an objective lens 37•6, and is applied to the sample W.

[0504] In this way, in the primary optical system, a high luminance electron gun made of LaB₆ is used as the electron gun 37•1, and thus making it possible to obtain a primary beam having a large current and a large area with low energy compared to the conventional scanning defect inspection apparatus. The electron gun 37•1 is made of LaB₆, has a truncated conic shape and a diameter of 50 μm or greater, and can extract electrons at an intensity of 1×10³ A/cm²sr to 1×10⁸ A/cm²sr at a primary electron draw voltage of 4.5 kV. The intensity is preferably 1×10⁵ A/cm²sr to 1×10⁷ A/cm²sr at 4.5 kV. The intensity is further preferably 1×10⁶ A/cm²sr to 1×10⁷ A/cm²sr at 10 kV. Furthermore, the electron gun 37•1 can also extract electrons at an intensity of 1×10⁶ A/cm²sr to 2×10¹⁰ A/cm²sr at a primary electron extraction voltage of 4.5 kV as a shot key type. The intensity is preferably 1×10⁶ A/cm²sr to 5×10⁹ A/cm²sr at 10 kV. Furthermore, a shot key type made of ZrO may be used for the electron gun 37•1.

[0505] The shape of an irradiation area in which primary electrons are applied to the sample W is approximately symmetric to two other orthogonal axes not including the optical axis of primary electrons, unevenness in illuminance of primary electrons in the area in which primary electrons are applied to the sample is 10% or less, preferably 5% or less, more preferably 3% or less, thus being very uniform. In this case, the beam shape may be used even if the shape is not approximately symmetric to two other orthogonal axes not including the optical axis of primary electrons as described above.

[0506] In this embodiment, the sample W is irradiated with a plane beam having the cross section formed into, for example, a rectangular shape of 200 μm×50 μm, thus making it possible to irradiate a small area having a predetermined area on the sample W. To scan the sample W with the plane beam, the sample W is placed on a high accuracy XY stage (not shown) accommodating, for example, 300 mm wafer, and two-dimensionally moved on the XY stage with the plane beam fixed. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to concentrate primary electrons onto a beam spot, the plane beam has a low current density, and the sample W is not significantly damaged. For example, the current density of the beam spot is 10 A/cm² to 10⁴ A/cm² in the conventional beam scanning defect inspection apparatus, while the current density of the plane beam is only 0.0001 A/cm² to 0.1 A/cm² in the defect inspection apparatus of FIG. 37. The current density is preferably 0.001 A/cm² to 1 A/cm². The current density is more preferably 0.01 A/cm² to 1 A/cm². On the other hand, the dose is 1×10⁻⁵ C/cm² in the conventional beam scanning system, while it is 1×10⁻⁶ C/cm² to 1×10⁻¹ C/cm² in the system of this embodiment, and the system of this embodiment has a higher sensitivity. The dose is preferably 1×10⁻⁴ C/cm² to 1×10⁻¹ C/cm², further preferably 1×10⁻³ C/cm² to 1×10⁻¹ C/cm².

[0507] The incident direction of the primary electron beam is basically the E direction of E×B 37•4, i.e. a direction of an electric field, the integration direction of the TDI and the direction of movement of the stage are made to match this direction. The incident direction of the primary electron beam may be the B direction, i.e. a direction in which a magnetic field is applied.

[0508] Secondary electrons, reflection electrons and back-scattered electrons are generated from the area of the sample W irradiated with primary electrons. First, for explanation of detection of secondary electrons, secondary electrons emitted from the sample W are magnified by the objective lens 37•6 and pass through the NA aperture plate 37•5 and the Wien filter 37•4 so as to travel in a direction opposite to the second direction, and are then magnified again by an intermediate lens 37•7, and further magnified by a projection lens 37•8 and enter a secondary electron detection system 37•9. In the secondary optical system 37•9 guiding secondary electrons, the objective lens 37•6, the intermediate lens 37•7 and the projection lens 37•8 are all high accuracy electrostatic lenses, and the magnification of the secondary optical system is variable. Primary electrons are made to impinge on the sample W at almost a right angle (±5 or less, preferably ±3 or less, more preferably ±1 or less), and secondary electrons are taken out at almost a right angle, so that shades by irregularities on the surface of the sample W never occur.

[0509] The Wien filter 37•4 is also called an E×B filter, has an electrode and a magnet, has a structure in which the electric field is orthogonal to the magnetic field, and has a function of bending primary electrons at, for example, 35° to the sample direction (direction perpendicular to the sample) while moving in a straight line at least one of the secondary electron, the reflection electron and the back-scattered electron from the sample.

[0510] The secondary electron detection system 37•9 receiving secondary electrons from the projection lens 37•8 comprises a micro-channel plate (MCP) 37•10 propagating incident secondary electrons, a fluorescent screen 37•11 converting electrons leaving the MCP 37•10 into light, and a sensor unit 37•12 converting light leaving the fluorescent screen 37•11 into an electric signal. The sensor unit 37•12 has a high sensitivity line sensor 37•13 comprised of a large number of solid imaging devices two-dimensionally arranged, fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent screen 37•11 is converted into an electric signal by the line sensor 37•13, the electric signal is sent to an image processing unit 37•14, and processed in parallel, in multistage and at a high speed.

[0511] While the sample W is moved to have individual areas on the sample W irradiated with a plane beam and scanned in order, the image processing unit 37•14 accumulate data about the XY coordinates and images of areas including defects one after another, and generate an inspection result file including the coordinates and images of all areas of the inspection object including defects for one sample. In this way, inspection results can be collectively managed. When this inspection result file is read, a defect distribution and a detailed defect list of the sample are displayed on a display of the image processing unit 12.

[0512] Actually, of various kinds of components of the defect inspection apparatus EBI, the sensor unit 37•12 is placed under an atmosphere, but other components are placed in a column kept under vacuum, and therefore in this embodiment, a light guide is provided on an appropriate wall surface of the column, and light emitted from the fluorescent screen 37•11 is taken out into the atmosphere via the light guide and passed to the line sensor 37•13.

[0513] Provided that the amount of electrons emitted from the sample W is 100%, the ratio of electrons that can reach the MCP 37•10 (hereinafter referred to as “transmittance”) is expressed by the following equation:
transmittance (%)=(amount of electrons that can reach MCP 37•10)/(amount of electrons emitted from sample W)×100.
The transmittance depends on the aperture area of the NA aperture plate 37•5. As an example, a relation between the transmittance and the aperture diameter of the NA aperture plate is shown in FIG. 38. Actually, at least one of the secondary electron, the reflection electron and the back-scattered electron generated from the sample reach the electron detection system D in the ratio of 200 to 1000 electrons per pixel.

[0514] The center of the image projected under magnification and formed on the detector, and the center of the electrostatic lens are on a common axis, the electron beam has the common axis as an optical axis between a deflector and the sample, and the optical axis of the electron beam is perpendicular to the sample.

[0515] FIG. 39 shows a specific example of the configuration of the electron detection system 37•9 in the defect inspection apparatus EBI of FIG. 37. A secondary electron image or reflection electron image 38•1 is formed on the incident surface of the MCP 37•10 by the projection lens 37•8. The MCP 37•10 has, for example, a resolution of 6 μm, a gain of 10³ to 10⁴, and 2100×520 active pixels, and propagates electrons according to the electron image 39•1 to irradiate the fluorescent screen 37•11. Consequently, fluorescence is emitted from areas of the fluorescent screen 37•11 irradiated with electrons, and the emitted fluorescence is discharged into the atmosphere via the light guide 39•2 of low deformation (e.g. 0.4%). The discharged fluorescence is made to enter the line sensor 37•13 via an optical relay lens 39•3. For example, the optical relay lens 39•3 has a magnification of ½, a transmittance of 2.3%, and a deformation of 0.4%, and the line sensor 37•13 has 2048×512 pixels. The optical relay sensor 39•3 forms an optical image 39•4 matching the electron image 39•1 on the incident surface of the line sensor 37•1. An FOP (fiber optic plate) may be used instead of the light guide 39•2 and the relay lens 39•3, and the magnification in this case is 1. Furthermore, if the number of electrons per pixel is 500 or greater, an MCP may be omitted.

[0516] The defect inspection apparatus EBI shown in FIG. 37 can be operated in one of a positive charge mode and a negative charge mode for secondary electrons by adjusting an acceleration voltage of the electron gun 37•1 and a sample voltage applied to the sample W and using the electron detection system 37•9. Further, by adjusting the acceleration voltage of the electron gun 37•1, the sample voltage applied to the sample W and objective lens conditions, the defect inspection apparatus EBI can be operated in a reflection electron imaging mode in which high energy reflection electrons emitted from the sample W by irradiation of primary electrons is detected. The reflection electrode has energy the same as the energy with which the primary electron enters the sample W, and has a higher level of energy than that of the secondary electron, and is therefore hard to be influenced by a potential by charge of the sample surface or the like. For the electron detection system, an electron impact detector such as an electron impact CCD or electron impact TDI outputting an electric signal matching the intensity of secondary electrons or reflection electrons may also be used. In this case, the MCP 37•10, the fluorescent screen 37•11 and the relay lens 39•3 (or FOP) are not used, but the electron impact detector is installed at the imaging position and used. This configuration enables the defect inspection apparatus EBI to operate in a mode suitable for the inspection object. For example, the negative charge mode or reflection electron imaging mode may be used to detect defects of metal wiring, defects of gate contact (GC) wiring or defects of a resist pattern, and the reflection electron imaging mode may be used to detect poor conduction of a via or residues on the bottom of the via after etching.

[0517] FIG. 40(A) illustrates requirements for operating the defect inspection apparatus EBI of FIG. 37 in the above three modes. The acceleration voltage of the electron gun 37•1 is V_A, the sample voltage applied to the sample W is V_W, irradiation energy of primary electrons when the sample is irradiated is E_IN, and signal energy of secondary electrons impinging upon the secondary electron detection system 37•9 is E_OUT. The electron gun 37•1 is configured so that the acceleration voltage V_A can be changed, the variable sample voltage V_W is applied to the sample W from an appropriate power supply (not shown). Then, if the acceleration voltage V_A and the sample voltage V_W are adjusted and the electron detection system 37•9 is used, the defect inspection apparatus EBI can operate in the positive charge mode in a range where a secondary electron yield is greater than 1, and operate in the negative charge mode in a range where the secondary electron yield is less than 1 as shown in FIG. 40(B). Furthermore, by setting the acceleration voltage V_A, the sample voltage V_W and the objective lens conditions, the defect inspection apparatus EBI can use a difference in energy between the secondary electron and the reflection electron to distinguish between the two types of electrons, and thus can operate in the reflection electron imaging mode in which only reflection electrons are detected.

[0518] One example of values of V_A, V_W, E_IN and E_OUT for operating the defect inspection apparatus EBI in the reflection electron imaging mode, the negative charge mode and the positive charge mode will be described below.

Reflection Electron Imaging Mode

[0519] V_A=−4.0 kV±1° V (preferably ±0.1°, more preferably ±0.01° or less).

[0520] V_W=−2.5 kV±1° V (preferably ±0.1°, more preferably ±0.01° or less).

[0521] E_IN=1.5 keV±1° V (preferably ±0.1°, more preferably ±0.01° or less).

[0522] E_OUT=4 keV or less.

Negative Charge Mode

[0523] V_A=−7.0 kV±1V (preferably ±0.1V, more preferably ±0.01V or less).

[0524] V_W=−4.0 kV±1V (preferably ±0.1V, more preferably ±0.01V or less).

[0525] E_IN=3.0 keV±1V (preferably ±0.1V, more preferably ±0.01V or less).

[0526] E_OUT=4 keV+α (α: energy width of secondary electrons).

Positive Charge Mode

[0527] V_A=−4.5 kV±1V (preferably ±0.1V, more preferably ±0.01V or less).

[0528] V_W=−4.0 kV±1V (preferably ±0.1V, more preferably ±0.1V or less).

[0529] E_IN=0.5 keV±1V (preferably ±0.1V, more preferably ±0.01V or less).

[0530] E_OUT=4 keV+α (α: energy width of secondary electrons).

[0531] As described above, principally, a fixed potential of 4 kV±10V (preferably 4 kV±1 V, more preferably 4 kV±0.01V or less) is applied as a potential V_W for both the positive charge mode and negative charge mode in the case of the secondary electron mode. On the other hand, in the case of the reflection electron mode, the acceleration potential V_A is set to 4 kV±10V (preferably 4 kV±1V, more preferably 4 kV±0.01 V or less), and the sample potential V_W is set to any potential lower than the acceleration potential of 4 kV or less. In this way, secondary electrons or reflection electrons as a signal impinge on the MCP as a detector with optimum energy of 4 keV±10 eV+α (preferably 4 keV±1 eV, more preferably 4 keV±0.01 eV).

[0532] The way of setting potentials described above corresponds principally to the case where energy of signal electrons made to pass through the secondary optical system is set to 4 keV, and an electron image on the sample surface is formed on the detector, and by changing this energy, the set potentials in the secondary electron mode and reflection electron mode can be changed to obtain an electron image appropriate to the type of sample. For the negative charge mode, an area of electron irradiation energy lower than that of a positive charge area of FIG. 40 (B) (e.g. 50 eV or less) can be used.

[0533] Actually, the detected amounts of secondary electrons and reflection electrodes vary with surface compositions of inspected areas on the sample W, pattern shapes and surface potentials. That is, the yield of secondary electrons and the mount of reflection electrons vary depending on the surface composition of the inspection object on the sample W, and the yield of secondary electrons and the amount of reflection electrons are greater in pointed areas or corners of the pattern than in plane areas. Furthermore, if the surface potential of the inspection object on the sample W is high, the amount of emitted secondary electrons decreases. In this way, the intensities of electron signals obtained from secondary electrons and reflection electrons detected by the detection system 37•9 vary with the material, the pattern shape and the surface potential.

2-3-3) E×B Unit (Wien Filter)

[0534] The Wien filter is a unit of an electromagnetic prism optical system having an electrode and a magnetic pole placed orthogonally to each other to orthogonalize an electric field and a magnetic field. If electric and magnetic fields are selectively provided, an electron beam impinging thereupon in one direction is deflected, and an electron beam impinging in a direction opposite thereto can create conditions in which effects of a force received from the electric field and a force received from the magnetic field are offset (Wien conditions), whereby a primary electron beam is deflected and applied onto a wafer at a right angle, and a secondary electron beam can travel in a straight line toward a detector.

[0535] The detailed structure of an electron beam deflection unit of an E×B unit will be described using FIG. 41 and FIG. 42 showing a longitudinal plane along the A-A line of FIG. 41. As shown in FIG. 41, a field of an electron beam deflection unit 41•2 of an E×B unit 41•1 has a structure in which an electric field and a magnetic field are orthogonalized in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of a projection optical unit, i.e. E×B structure. Here, the electric field is generated by electrodes 41•3 and 41•4 each having a concave curved surface. The electric field generated by the electrodes 41•3 and 41•4 is controlled by control units 41•5 and 41•6, respectively. On the other hand, electromagnetic coils 41•7 and 41•8 are placed in such a manner that they are orthogonal to the electrodes 41•3 and 41•4 for generating electric fields, whereby magnetic fields are generated. Furthermore, the electrodes 41•3 and 41•4 for generating electric fields is point-symmetric, but they may be concentric.

[0536] In this case, to improve uniformity of the magnetic field, pole pieces having parallel and plain shapes are provided to form a magnetic path. The behavior of the electron beam in the longitudinal plane along the A-A line is as shown in FIG. 42. Applied electron beams 42•1 and 42•2 are deflected by electric fields generated by the electrodes 41•3 and 41•4 and magnetic fields generated by electromagnetic coils 41•7 and 41•8, and then enter the sample surface at a right angle.

[0537] Here, the position and angle at which the irradiation electron beams 42•1 and 42•2 enter the electron beam deflection unit 41•2 are uniquely determined when energy of electrons is determined. Further, control units 41•5, 41•6, 41•9 and 41•10 control electric fields generated by the electrodes 41•3 and 41•4 and magnetic fields generated by the electromagnetic coils 41•7 and 41•8 so that secondary electrons 42•3 and 42•4 travel in a straight line, i.e. the requirement for the electric field and magnetic filed of v×B=E is met, whereby secondary electrons travel in straight line through the electron beam deflection unit 41•2, and impinge on the projection optical system. Here, v represents the speed of the electron (m/s), B represents the magnetic field (T), e represents the amount of electric charge (C), and E represents the electric field (V/m).

[0538] Here, the E×B filter 41•1 is used for separation of primary electrons and secondary electrons, but the magnetic field can be used for the separation as a matter of course. Furthermore, only the electric field may be used to separate primary electrons and secondary electrons. Further, it may be used to separate primary electrons and reflection electrons as a matter of course.

[0539] Now, as the embodiment 9, an alteration example of the E×B filter will be described with reference to FIG. 43. FIG. 43 is a sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Four pairs of electrodes 43•1 and 43•2, 43•3 and 43•4, 43•5 and 43•6, and 43•7 and 43•8 for generating electric fields are formed by a nonmagnetic conductive material, are cylindrical as a whole, and are fixed with screws (not shown) on the inner surface of an electrode supporting barrel 43•9 made of insulating material, or the like. The axis of the electrode supporting barrel 43•9 and the axis of the cylinder formed by electrodes are made to match an optical axis 43•10. A groove 43•11 parallel to the optical axis 43•10 is provided on the inner surface of the electrode supporting barrel 43•9 between the electrodes 43•1 to 43•8. The area of the inner surface is coated with a conductive material 43•12, and set at an earth potential.

[0540] If a voltage proportional to “cos θ1” is given to the electrodes 43•3 and 43•5, a voltage proportional to “−cos θ1” is given to the electrodes 43•6 and 43•4, a voltage proportional to “cos θ2” is given to the electrodes 43•1 and 43•7, and a voltage proportional to “−cos θ2” is given to the electrodes 43•8 and 43•2 when electric fields are generated, almost uniform parallel electric fields can be obtained in an area equivalent to about 60% of the inner diameter of the electrode. The results of simulation of an electric filed distribution are shown in FIG. 44. Furthermore, four pairs of electrodes are used in this example, but uniform parallel electric fields can be obtained in an area equivalent to about 40% of the inner diameter even if a three pairs of electrodes are used.

[0541] Generation of magnetic fields is performed by placing two rectangular platinum alloy permanent magnets 43•13 and 43•14 in parallel outside the electrode supporting barrel 43•9. A raised portion 43•16 composed of a magnetic material is provided around the surfaces of the permanent magnets 43•13 and 43•14 on the optical axis 43•10 side. This raised portion 43•16 compensates for outward convex deformation of a magnetic line of flux on the optical axis side 43•10, and its size and shape can be determined by simulation analysis.

[0542] A yoke or magnetic circuit 43•15 made of ferromagnetic material is provided outside the permanent magnets 43•13 and 43•14 so that a channel situated opposite to the optical axis 43•10 of the magnetic line of flux by the permanent magnets 43•13 and 43•14 forms a barrel concentric with the electrode supporting barrel 43•9.

[0543] An E×B separator shown in FIG. 43 may be applied not only to the projection type electron beam inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 25-1 but also to a scanning electron beam inspection apparatus.

[0544] One example of the scanning electron beam inspection apparatus is shown in FIG. 25-2. An electron beam is applied from an electron gun 25•14 to a sample 25•15. A primary system electron beam passes through an E×B 25•16, but travels in a straight line with no deflection force exerted thereon at the time of incidence, is focused by an objective lens 25•17, and enters the sample 25•15 at almost a right angle. Electrons exiting from the sample 25•15 are guided to a detector 25•18 with a deflection force exerted thereon by the E×B 25•16. In this way, by adjusting an electric field and a magnetic field of the E×B 25•16, one of charged particle beams of the primary system and the secondary system can be made to travel in a straight line, with the other traveling in a straight line in any direction.

[0545] Furthermore, if the E×B 25•16 is used, the deflection force is exerted to cause an aberration in a direction of deflection, and therefore an E×B deflector may be further provided between the electron gun 25•14 of the primary system optical system and the E×B 25•16 for correcting the aberration. Furthermore, for the same purposes, the E×B detector may be further provided between the detector 25•18 of the secondary system and the E×B 25•16.

[0546] In the scanning electron beam inspection apparatus or scanning electron microscope, finely focusing with the primary system electron beam leads to an improvement in resolution and therefore generally, the primary system electron beam is made to travel in a straight line as shown in FIG. 25•2 with no excessive reflection force exerted on the primary electron beam, and the secondary beam is deflected. However, if conversely, it is more preferable that the primary beam is deflected and the secondary beam is made to travel in a straight line, such a configuration may be adopted. Similarly, in the projection type electron beam inspection apparatus, it is generally preferable that a deflection force causing no aberration is not given to the secondary beam to match imaging areas on the sample with pixels on a CCD of the detector. Thus, generally, the primary beam is deflected and the secondary beam is made to travel in a straight line as shown in FIG. 25-1, but if it is more preferable that the primary beam is made to travel in a straight line and the secondary beam is deflected, such a configuration may be adopted.

[0547] Furthermore, the intensities of the electric field and the magnetic field of E×B may be set differently for each mode of the secondary electron mode and the reflection electron mode. The intensities of the electric field and the magnetic field can be set so that an optimum image can be obtained for each mode. When it is not required that the set intensity should be changed, the intensity may be kept a constant level as a matter of course.

[0548] As apparent from the above description, according to this example, both the electric field and magnetic field can take uniform areas sufficiently around the optical axis, and the irradiation range of the primary electron beam is expanded, the aberration of the image made to pass the E×B separator can be kept at an uninfluential level. Furthermore, since the raised portion 43•16 is provided in the periphery of the magnetic pole forming the magnetic field, and the magnetic pole is provided outside an electric field generating electrode, a uniform magnetic field can be generated, and deformation of the electric field by the magnetic pole can be reduced. Furthermore, since a permanent magnet is used to generate the magnetic field, the overall E×B separator can be contained in a vacuum. Further, the electric field generating electrode and a magnetic path forming magnetic circuit have concentric cylindrical shapes having an optical axis as a central axis, whereby the overall E×B separator can be downsized.

2-3-4) Detector

[0549] A secondary electron image from a wafer, which is formed in the secondary optical system, is first amplified by a micro-channel plate (MCP), then enters a fluorescent screen, and is converted into an optical image. As principle of the MCP, several millions to several tens of millions of very slender conductive glass capillaries each having a diameter of 1 to 100 μm and a length of 0.2 to 10 mm, preferably a diameter of 2 to 50 μm and a length of 0.2 to 5 mm, more preferably a diameter of 6 to 25 μm and a length of 0.24 to 1.0 mm are bundled together to form a thin plate, and by applying a predetermined voltage thereto, each of capillaries acts as an independent secondary electron amplifier, and a secondary electron amplifier is formed as a whole. The image converted into light by this detector is projected on the TDI-CCD in a ratio of 1:1 in an FOP system placed under the atmosphere via a vacuum transparent window.

[0550] Now, the operation of the electro-optical apparatus having the configuration described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 25-1, a primary electron beam emitted from the electron gun 25•4 is converged by the lens system 25•5. The converged primary electron beam is made to enter the E×B-type deflector 25•6, deflected so as to irradiate the surface of the wafer W at a right angle, and made to form an image on the surface of the wafer W by the objective lens system 25•8.

[0551] Secondary electrons emitted from the wafer by irradiation of the primary electron beam are accelerated by the objective lens 25•8, enters the E×B-type deflector 25•6, and travels though the deflector in a straight line, and is guided through the lens system 25•10 of the secondary optical system to the detector 25•11. The secondary electrons are then detected by the detector 25•11, and a detection signal thereof is sent to the image processing unit 25•12. Furthermore, a high voltage of 10 to 20 kV is applied to the objective lens 25•7, and the wafer is placed.

[0552] Here, if the wafer W has the via 25•13, the electric field of the electron beam irradiation surface of the wafer is 0 to −0.1 V/mm (− indicates a high potential at the wafer W side) provided that the voltage given to the electrode 25•8 is −200 V. In this state, no discharge occurs between the objective lens system 25•7 and the wafer W, and the defect inspection for the wafer W can be performed, but efficiency of detection of secondary electrons is slightly reduced. Thus, a series of operations for irradiating an electron beam to detect secondary electrons are carried out, for example, four times, the obtained detection results of the four time operations are subjected to processing such as cumulative addition and averaging to obtain a predetermined detection sensitivity.

[0553] Furthermore, when the wafer has no via 25•13, no discharge occurs between the objective lens 25•7 and the wafer, and defect inspection for the wafer can be performed even if the voltage given to the electrode 25•8 is +350 V. In this case, secondary electrons are converged by the voltage given to the electrode 25•8, and are further converged by the objective lens 25•7, and thus efficiency of detection of secondary electrons in the detector 25•11 is improved. Accordingly, the speed of processing as a wafer defect apparatus is enhanced, and inspection can be carried out in high throughput.

2-3-5) Power Supply

[0554] A power supply unit of the apparatus is mainly comprised of a direct current high voltage precision power supply having about several hundreds output channels for control of electrodes, and has its supply voltage varied depending on the role of the electrode and the positional relation. In view of demands on resolution and accuracy of images, the power supply unit is required to have stability in the order of several 100 ppm or less, preferably 20 ppm or less, more preferably several ppm or less with respect to the set value. To minimize variations of the voltage with time and temperature, noise ripples and the like as factors impairing stability, and some contrivance is made for a circuit system, selection of parts and implementation.

[0555] Types of power supplies other than electrodes include a heating constant current source for a heater, a high-voltage and high-speed amplifier for two-dimensionally deflecting a beam to confirm aligning of the beam near the center of an aperture electrode when the primary beam is centered, a heating constant current source for a heater, a constant current source for an electromagnetic coil for E×B as an energy filter, a retarding power supply for applying a bias to a wafer and a power supply generating a potential for adsorbing a wafer to an electrostatic chuck, a high-voltage and high-speed amplifier for making an EO (electron optical) correction, and an MCP power supply amplifying electrons with principle of a photomultiplier.

[0556] FIG. 45 shows the overall configuration of the power supply unit. In this figure, an electric power is supplied to an electrode of a column portion 45•1 through a connection cable from a power supply rack 45•2 and high-speed and high-voltage amplifiers 45•3, 45•4 and 45•5, although not shown in the figure. The high-speed and high-voltage amplifiers 45-3 to 45-5 are broadband amplifiers, and deal with signals of high frequencies (DC-MHz), and therefore they are placed near the electrode to prevent an increase in electrostatic capacity of a cable in order to inhibit property degradation and an increase in power consumption due to the electrostatic capacity of the cable. An correction signal is outputted from an EO correction 45•6, and converted into an voltage having a phase and a magnitude matching a vector value for each electrode of an octupole at an octupole conversion unit 45•7, and the voltage is inputted to the high-speed and high-voltage amplifier 45•4, amplified, and then supplied to an electrode included in a column.

[0557] An AP image acquisition block 45•8 has a role as an auxiliary function such that a serrate wave is generated from the AP image acquirement block 45•8 to ensure centering of a beam near the center of an aperture electrode when a primary beam is centered, and applied to a deflection electrode of the column portion 45•1 by the high-speed and high-voltage amplifier. The beam is two-dimensionally deflected, whereby the magnitude of a beam current received at the aperture electrode is related to the position, and an image is displayed to set the beam position to the mechanical central position.

[0558] An AF control 46•9 achieves a function such that a voltage corresponding to the best focal condition measured in advance is stored in a memory, the value of the voltage is read according to the stage position, the voltage is converted into an analog voltage by a D/A converter, the voltage is applied a focus adjustment electrode included in the column portion 45•1 through the high-speed and high-voltage amplifier 45•5, and an observation is made while maintaining the optimum focus position.

[0559] The direct current high voltage precision power supply having about several hundreds output channels for control of voltages, comprised of power supply groups 1 to 4, is housed in the power supply rack 45•2. The power supply rack 45•2 constitutes a system capable of receiving commands from a CPU unit 45•13 by means of a communication card 45•11, an optical fiber communication 45•12 having electric insulation quality to ensure safety and prevent occurrence of a grand loop to prevent entrance of noises, and the like, by a control communication unit 45•10, and sending a status such as abnormality of power supply apparatus. A UPS 45•14 prevents destruction of apparatus, abnormal discharges, risks to human bodies and the like caused by overrunning of the system when control abnormality occurs due to service interruption and unexpected power blockage. A power supply 45•15 is a power reception unit of the main body, and is configured so that safety cooperation can be achieved as an overall inspection apparatus including interlock, current limitation and the like.

[0560] The communication card 45•11 is connected to a data bus 45•16 and an address bus 45•17 of the control CPU unit 45•13, so that real time processing can be carried out.

[0561] FIG. 46 shows one example of the circuit configuration of a static high voltage unipolar power supply (for lens) for a circuit system where a static DC of several hundreds to several tens kilovolts is produced. In FIG. 46, a signal source 46•1 is caused to generate an alternating current voltage having a frequency providing an optimum magnetic permeability of a trans 46•2, and the voltage is made to pass through a multiplier 46•3, and then guided to a drive circuit 46•4 to generate a voltage having an amplitude several tens to several hundreds times greater by the trans 46•2. A cock craft walten circuit 46•5 is a circuit increasing a voltage while performing rectification. By combination of the trans 46•2 and the cock craft walten circuit 46•5, a desired DC voltage is obtained, and by a low pass filter 56•6, further flatness is achieved to reduce ripples and noises. A high-voltage output is divided according to the resistance ratio of output voltage detection resistances 46•7 and 46•8 to obtain a voltage within a range of voltages capable of being dealt with by a usual electronic circuit. Because stability of this resistance mostly determines voltage accuracy, elements excellent in temperature stability, long term variations and the like are used, and in view of the fact that the division ratio is especially important, measures are taken such that a thin film is formed on the same insulation substrate, or resistance elements are brought into close contact with one another so that the temperature does not vary.

[0562] The result of the division is compared to the value of a reference voltage generating D/A converter 46•10 by a calculation amplifier 46•9, and if there is a difference, the output of the calculation amplifier 46•9 is increased or decreased, and an AC voltage having an amplitude matching the value thereof is outputted from the multiplier 46•3 to form a negative feedback. Although not shown in the figure, the output of the calculation amplifier 46•9 is made to be unipolar, or the quadrant of response of the multiplier 46•3 is limited to prevent saturation. The calculation amplifier 46•9 requires a very large amplification gain (120 dB or greater), and is mostly used in an open loop as an element, and therefore a low noise operation amplifier is used. The reference voltage generating D/A converter 46•10 requires stability equivalent to or higher than that of the output voltage detection resistances 46•7 and 46•8 in terms of accuracy. To generate this voltage, a reference IC having a constant voltage diode using a hand gap combined with a thermostabilization feature using a heater (not shown) is often used, but a Peltier element is used instead of the heater so that thermostability can be further improved. Furthermore, the Peltier element may be used in a single or multi-stage for thermostabilization of the output voltage detection resistances 46•7 and 46•8.

[0563] FIG. 47 shows one example of the circuit configuration of a static bipolar power supply (for aligner or the like). The basic concept is such that V5 and V6 are generated with a power supply equivalent to that of the circuit of FIG. 46, and the voltages are used to input command values from a component 47•1 to a linear amplifier constituted by components 47•1 to 47•6 to form a bipolar high-voltage power supply. Generally, the calculation amplifier 47•2 operates at around ±12 V, and therefore although not shown in the figure, amplification circuits by discrete elements are required between the component 47•2 and the components 47•5 and 47•6 to amplify the voltage from ±several volts to ±several hundreds to several thousands volts. Notices about characteristics required for the components 47•1 to 47•4 are the same as those described with the circuit of FIG. 46.

[0564] FIGS. 48 to 50 each show an example of a circuit of a special power supply, and FIG. 48 shows an example of a circuit for a heater and a gun, which is constituted by components 48•1 to 48•4. A voltage source 48•1, a resistance 48•3 and a power supply 48•4 are superimposed on a bias voltage source 48•2. The power supply 48•4 for a heater is constituted by a constant current source, the value of an actually passing current is detected by the resistance 48•3, and although not shown in the figure, the value is temporarily digitized, isolated with optical fibers or the like, and sent to the control communication unit 45•10. For the setting of the voltage value of the voltage source 48•1, the current value of the power supply 48•4 and the like, the value from the control communication unit 45•10 is inversely converted in the same principle, and the value is set for an actual power setting unit.

[0565] FIG. 49 shows an example of a power supply circuit for an MCP, which is comprised of voltage sources 49•1 and 49•2, relay circuits 49•3 and 49•4, and current detection circuits 49•5, 49•6 and 49•7. A terminal MCP1 makes measurements from several Pas for measurement of the value of a current passing into the MCP, and is thus required to have a strict shield structure to prevent entrance of leaked currents and noises. A terminal MCP2 includes current measurement after amplification by the MCP, and can calculate an amplification gain from the ratio of values of currents passing through the resistances 49•6 and 49•7. The resistance 49•5 measures a current on a fluorescent screen. Measurement and setting at the superimposed portion are the same as those at the heater and gun.

[0566] FIG. 50 shows an example of a circuit of a constant current source for an E×B magnetic field coil constituted by components 50•1 and 50•2, which generally outputs a current of several hundred mA. Stability of the magnetic field as an energy filter is important, and stability in the order of several ppm is required.

[0567] FIG. 51 shows one example of a power supply for a retarding and electrostatic chuck, which is constituted by components 51•1 to 51•9. A power supply similar to the static bipolar power supply (for aligner) of FIG. 46 is superimposed on a bias power supply (for retarding) 51•10. Measurement and setting at the superimposed portion are the same as those at the heater and gun (FIG. 48).

[0568] FIG. 52 shows one example of the hardware configuration of an EO correcting deflection electrode, which is constituted by components 52•1 to 52•7. An correction signal is inputted to an octupole conversion unit 52•4 from an X axis EO correction 52•1 and a Y axis EO correction 52•2, and an output after conversion is sent to a high-speed amplifier 52•5. The voltage is amplified from several tens of volts to several hundreds of volts by the high-speed amplifier 52•5, and then applied to EO correction electrodes 52•6 situated at angular intervals of 45°. A ΔX correction 52•3 is an input for fine correction such as correction of mirror bend, and is added to an X signal within the octupole conversion unit 52•4.

[0569] FIG. 53 shows one example of the circuit configuration of the octupole conversion unit, which performs vector operation from signals 53•2, 53•3, 53•4 and 53•5 for electrodes 53•1 situated at angular intervals of 45° other than X and Y axes, and generate equivalent voltages. The example of operation in this case uses values described at components 53•6, 53•7, 53•8 and 53•9. This can be achieved by an analog resistance network, or read of the table by a ROM when components 53•6 to 53•9 are digital signals.

[0570] FIG. 54 shows one example of a high-speed and high voltage amplifier, which is constituted by components 54•1 to 54•11. An example of a waveform during output of a short wave is shown in FIG. 54(B). In this example, Power Operation Amplifier PA 85A manufactured by APEX Co., Ltd. (U.S.A) is used to form an amplifier, and a bandwidth covering a mega-band, an output range of about ±200 V, and a through rate larger than about 1000 V/μs can be achieved, thus achieving dynamic characteristics required for the high-speed and high-voltage amplifier.

2-4) Precharge Unit

[0571] As shown in FIG. 13, the precharge unit 13•9 is placed in proximity to the column 13•38 of the electro-optical apparatus 13•8 in the working chamber 13•16. This inspection apparatus is a type of apparatus irradiating an electron beam to a substrate as an inspection object, i.e. a wafer to inspect a device pattern or the like formed on the wafer surface, and therefore information of secondary electrons or the like generated by irradiation of the electron beam is used as information of the wafer surface, but the wafer surface may be charged (charge-up) depending on conditions of a wafer material, energy of irradiation electrons and the like. Further, strongly charged sites and weakly charged sites may appear on the wafer surface. Unevenness in charge amount on the wafer surface causes unevenness in information of secondary electrons, thus making it impossible to obtain precise information.

[0572] Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 13, a precharge unit 13•9 having a charged particle irradiation unit 13•39 is provided to prevent such unevenness. Before inspection electrons are directed to predetermined sites of the wafer to be inspected, charged particles are irradiated from the charged particle irradiation unit 13•39 of the precharge unit 13•9 to eliminate charge unevenness. For the charge-up on the wafer surface, an image on the wafer surface as an inspection object is formed in advance, and the image is evaluated to perform detection, and the precharge unit 13•9 is operated based on the detection. Furthermore, in this precharge unit 13•9, the focus of a primary electron beam may be shifted, i.e. the beam shape may be blurred to irradiate the wafer.

[0573] FIG. 55 shows main parts of the first embodiment of the precharge unit 13•9. Charged particles 55•1 are applied from a charged particle irradiation beam source 55•2 to the sample substrate W while being accelerated by a voltage set by a bias power supply 55•3. An inspection subject area 55•4 is an area already subjected to charged particle irradiation as preprocessing together with an area 55•5. An area 55•6 is one being irradiated with charged particles. In this figure, the sample substrate W is scanned in a direction shown by an arrow in the figure, but if the sample substrate W is scanned to and fro, another charged particle beam source 55•7 is placed on the opposite side of a primary electron beam source, and the charged particle beam sources 55•2 and 55•7 are turned on and off alternately in synchronization with the scan direction of the sample substrate W as shown by a dotted line in the figure. In this case, if energy of charged particles is too high, the yield of secondary electrons from an insulation portion of the sample substrate W exceeds 1, and thus the surface is positively charged, and even if the yield is 1 or less, the phenomenon is implicated if secondary electrons are generated to reduce irradiation efficiency, and therefore it is effective to set the voltage to a landing voltage of 100 eV or less (ideally a voltage of 0 eV to 30 eV) at which generation of secondary electrons is rapidly reduced.

[0574] FIG. 56 shows the second embodiment of the precharge unit 13•9. In this figure, a type of irradiation beam source irradiating an electron beam 56•1 as a charged particle beam is shown. The irradiation beam source is comprised of a hot filament 56•2, an anode electrode 56•3, a shield case 56•4, a filament power supply 56•5 and an anode power supply 56•6. The anode 56•3 is provided with a slit having a thickness of 0.1 mm, a width of 0.2 mm and a length of 1.0 mm, and the positional relation between the anode 56•3 and the filament (thermal electron emission source) 56•2 is a form of a three-pole electron gun. The shield case 56•4 is provided with a slit having a width of 1 mm and a length of 2 mm, and is situated at a distance of 1 mm from the anode 56•3, and is assembled so that the slit centers of the shield case 56•4 and the anode 56•3 match each other. The material of the filament is tungsten (W), which is current-heated at 2 A, so that an electron current of several microamperes is obtained at an anode voltage of 20 V and a bias voltage of 30 V.

[0575] The example shown here is only one example and, for example, the material of the filament (thermal electron emission source) may be a metal having a high melting point such as Ta, Ir or Re, thoria coat W, an oxide cathode or the like, and the filament current varies depending on the material, the line diameter and the length as a matter of course. Furthermore, other types of electron guns can be used as long as appropriate values can be set for the electron beam irradiation area, the electron current and energy.

[0576] FIG. 57 shows the third embodiment of the precharge unit 13•9. A type of irradiation beam source irradiating ions 57•1 as a charged particle beam is shown. This irradiation beam source is comprised of a filament 57•2, a filament power supply 57•3, an emission power supply 57•4 and an anode shield case 57•5, and an anode 57•6 and the shield case 57•5 are provided with slits having the same size of 1 mm×2 mm, and are assembled so that the centers of both slits match each other at intervals of 1 mm. Ar gas 57•8 is introduced up to about 1 pa into the shield case 57•5 through a pipe 57•7, and the shield case 57•5 is operated in an arc discharge type by the hot filament 57•2. The bias voltage is set to a positive value.

[0577] FIG. 58 shows the case of a plasma irradiation process as the fourth embodiment of the precharge unit 13•9. Its structure is the same as that of FIG. 57. It is operated in an arc discharge type by the hot filament 57•2 in the same manner as described above, but by setting the bias voltage to 0 V, plasma 58•1 is leaked through the slit by a gas pressure and applied to the sample substrate. In the case of plasma irradiation, both positive and negative surface potentials on the surface of the sample substrate can be brought close to 0 because of the group of particles having both positive and negative charges compared to other processes.

[0578] The charged particle irradiation unit placed in proximity to the sample substrate W has a structure shown in FIGS. 55 to 58. In those figures, charged particles 55•1 are irradiated under appropriate conditions so that the surface potential is 0 for a difference in surface structure of the sample substrate, such as an oxide film and a nitride film and each of sample substrates in different fabrication steps. After the sample substrate is irradiated under optimum irradiation conditions, i.e. the potential of the surface of the sample substrate W is equalized or neutralized with charged particles, an image is formed with electron beams 55•8 and 55•9 and defects are detected.

[0579] As described above, in this embodiment, deformation of a measurement image with charge does not occur or deformation is very little if any owing to processing just before measurement by irradiation of charged particles, thus making it possible to measure defects correctly. Furthermore, since the stage can be scanned by application of a large current (e.g. 1 μA to 20 μA, preferably 1 μA to 10 μA, more preferably 1 μA to 5 μA), which has caused problems if used, a large amount of secondary electrons are emitted from the surface of the wafer, and therefore a detection signal having a good S/N ratio (e.g. 2 to 1000, preferably 5 to 1000, more preferably 10 to 100) is obtained, resulting in an improvement in reliability of defect detection. Furthermore, because of the high S/N ratio, satisfactory image data can be created even if the stage is scanned at a higher speed, thus making it possible to increase throughput of inspection.

[0580] FIG. 59 schematically shows an imaging apparatus comprising the precharge unit according to this embodiment. This imaging apparatus 59•1 comprises a primary optical system 59•2, a secondary optical system 59•3, a detection system 59•4, and charge controlling means 59•5 for equalizing or reducing charges with which an imaging object is electrified. The primary optical system 59•2 is an optical system irradiating an electron beam to an inspection object W (hereinafter referred to as object), and comprises an electron gun 59•6 emitting electron beams, an electrostatic lens 59•8 collecting a primary electron beam 59•7 emitted from the electron gun 59•6, a Wien filter or E×B deflector 59•9 deflecting the primary electron beam so that its optical axis is perpendicular to the surface of the object, and an electrostatic lens 59•10 collecting the electron beam. They are placed in descending order with the electron gun 59•6 situated at the uppermost position, and in such a manner that the optical axis of the primary electron beam 59•7 emitted from the electron gun is slanted with respect to a line vertical to the surface of the object W (sample surface), as shown in FIG. 59. The E×B deflector 59•9 is comprised of an electrode 59•11 and an electromagnet 59•12.

[0581] The secondary optical system 59•3 comprises an electrostatic lens 59•3 placed on the upper side of the E×B deflector 49•9 of the primary optical system. The detection system 59•4 comprises a combination 59•15 of a scintillator and a micro-channel plate (MCP) converting secondary electrons 59•14 into a light signal, a CCD 59•16 converting the light signal into an electric signal, and an image processing apparatus 59•17. The structure and the function of the primary optical system 59•2, the secondary optical system 59•3 and the detection system 59•4 are the same as those of the conventional technique, and therefore detailed descriptions thereof are not presented.

[0582] In this embodiment, the charge controlling means 59•5 for equalizing or reducing charges with which the object is electrified comprises an electrode 59•18 placed close to the object W between the object W and the electrostatic lens 59•10 of the primary optical system 59•2 closest to the object W, a changeover switch 59•19 electrically connected to the electrode 59•18, a voltage generator 59•21 electrically connected to one terminal 59•20 of the changeover switch 59•19, and a charge detector 59•23 electrically connected to the other terminal 59•22 of the changeover switch 59•19. The charge detector 59•23 has a high impedance. The charge reducing means 59•5 further comprises a grid 59•24 placed between the electron gun 59•6 of the primary optical system 59•2 and the electrostatic lens 59•8, and a voltage generator 59•25 electrically connected to the grid 59•24. A timing generator 59•26 indicates operation timing to the CCD 59•16 and image processing apparatus 59•17 of the detection system 59•4, the changeover switch 59•19 of the charge reducing means 59•5, the voltage generator 59•21 and the charge detectors 69•23 and 59•25.

[0583] The operation of the electron beam apparatus having the configuration described above will now be described. The primary electron beam 59•7 emitted from the electron gun 59•6 passes through the electrostatic lens 59•8 of the primary optical system 59•2 to reach the E×B deflector 59•9, and is deflected so as to be perpendicular to the surface (object surface) WF of the object W by the E×B deflector 59•9, and applied to the surface of the object W through the electrostatic lens 59•10. The secondary electrons 59•14 are emitted from the surface WF of the object W according to properties of the object. The secondary electrons 59•14 are sent through the electrostatic lens 59•13 of the secondary optical system 59•3 to the combination 59•15 of a scintillator and an MCP of the detection system 59•4, and converted into light by the scintillator, the light is subjected to photoelectric conversion by the CCD 59•16, and the converted electric signal causes the image processing apparatus 59•17 to form a two-dimensional image (having a gray scale). Furthermore, as in the case of this normal type of inspection apparatus, the primary electron beam to be irradiated to the object can be applied to entire required sited on the object surface WF to collect data of the object surface by scanning the primary electron beam with well known deflecting means (not shown), or moving a table T supporting the object in the two-dimensional direction of X and Y, or by combination thereof.

[0584] A charge is generated near the surface of the object W with the primary electron beam 59•7 applied to the object W, and the object W is positively charged. As a result, the secondary electrons 59•14 generated from the surface WF of the object W have the path changed according to the situation of the charge by the Coulomb force. As a result, the image formed in the image processing apparatus 59•17 is deformed. The charge of the object surface WF varied with the properties of the object W, and therefore if the wafer is used as an object, the charge is not the same on the same wafer, and varies with time. Thus, when patterns at two sites on the wafer are compared, defect detection may occur.

[0585] Thus, in this embodiment according to the present invention, utilizing spare time after the CCD 59•16 of the detection system 59•4 captures an image equivalent to one scan, the charge amount of the electrode 59•18 placed near the object W is measured by the charge detector 59•23 having a high impedance. A voltage for irradiating electrons appropriate to the measured charge amount is generated by the voltage generator 59•21, the changeover switch 59•19 is operated to connect the electrode 59•18 to the voltage generator 59•21 after the measurement, and the voltage generated by the voltage generator is applied to the electrode 59•18 to offset the charge. In this way, no deformation occurs in the image formed in the image processing apparatus 59•17. Specifically, when a usual voltage is given to the electrode 59•18, a converged electron beam is applied to the object W, but if a different voltage is given to the electrode 59•18, focusing conditions are significantly shifted, a large area expected to be charged is irradiated in a small current density, and the positive charge of the positively charged object is neutralized, whereby the voltage of the large area expected to be charged can be equalized to a specific positive (negative) voltage, or the charge is equalized and reduced, whereby a lower positive (negative) voltage (including zero volt) can be achieved. The operation for offsetting the charge is carried out for each scan.

[0586] The Wenelt electrode or grid 59•24 has a function to stop the electron beam applied from the electron gun 59•6 in timing of spare time so that the measurement of the charge amount and the operation for offsetting the charge are carried out with stability. Timing of the above operation, which is indicated by the timing generator 59•26, is for example timing shown in the timing chart of FIG. 60. Furthermore, if the wafer is used as an object, the charge amount varies depending on the position of the wafer, and therefore a plurality of pairs of electrodes 59•18, changeover switches 59•19, voltage generators 59•21 and charge detectors 59•23 can be provided in the scanning direction of the CCD and fractionalized to perform more accurate control.

[0587] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be exhibited.

[0588] (1) Deformation of the image occurring due to charge can be reduced irrespective of the properties of the inspection object.

[0589] (2) Because charge is equalized and offset utilizing spare time in measurement time in the conventional process, the throughput is not affected at all.

[0590] (3) Because processing can be carried out in real time, time for post-processing, a memory and the like are not required.

[0591] (4) Observation of the image and detection of defects can be performed at a high speed and with high accuracy.

[0592] FIG. 61 shows the outlined configuration of a defect inspection apparatus comprising a precharge unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. This defect inspection apparatus comprises the electron gun 59•6 emitting a primary electron beam, the electrostatic lens 59•8 deflecting and shaping the emitted primary electron beam, a sample chamber 61•1 capable of being evacuated by a pump (not shown), a stage 61•2 situated in the sample chamber and capable of moving in a horizontal plane with a sample such as a semiconductor wafer W placed thereon, the electrostatic lens 59•13 of a projection system map-projecting a secondary electron beam and/or a reflection electron beam emitted from the wafer W by irradiation of the primary electron beam under predetermined magnification to form an image, a detector 61•3 detecting the formed image as a secondary electron image of the wafer, and a control unit 61•4 controlling the entire apparatus and detecting defects of the wafer W based on the secondary electron image detected by the detector 61•3. Furthermore, not only secondary electrons but also reflection electrons contribute to the secondary electron image described above, but the image is referred to as a secondary electron image herein.

[0593] In the sample chamber 61•1, a UV lamp 61•5 emitting a light beam in a wave range including ultraviolet light is placed above the wafer W. The glass surface of this UV lamp 61•5 is coated with a photoelectron emission material 61•6 emitting photoelectrons e⁻ resulting from a photoelectronic effect by the light beam emitted from the UV lamp 61•5. The UV lamp 61•5 may be any light source emitting a light beam in a wave range having a capability of emitting photoelectrons from the photoelectron emission material 61•6. Generally, a low pressure mercury lamp emitting ultraviolet light of 254 nm is advantageous in terms of a cost. Furthermore, the photoelectron emission material 61•6 may be any material as long as it has a capability of emitting photoelectrons and for example, Au or the like is preferable.

[0594] The photoelectron described above has energy different from that of the primary electron beam, i.e. energy lower than that of the primary electron beam. Here, the low energy refers to the order of several electron volts to several tens of electron volts, preferably 0 to 10 eV. The present invention can use any means for generating electrons of such low energy. For example, a low energy electron gun (not shown) may be provided in place of the UV lamp 61•5.

[0595] Further, in the case where energy of the electron gun is controlled, the defect inspection apparatus of this embodiment comprises a power supply 61•7. The negative pole of this power supply 61•7 is connected to the photoelectron emission material 61•6, and the positive pole is connected to the stage 61•2. Thus, the photoelectron emission material 61•6 has a negative voltage applied thereto with respect to the voltage of the stage 61•2 and the wafer W. Energy of the low energy electron beam can be controlled with the predetermined voltage.

[0596] The detector 61•3 may have any configuration as long as the secondary electron image formed by the electrostatic lens 59•13 can be converted into a signal capable of being subjected to post-processing. For example, as shown in FIG. 62 in detail, the detector 61•3 may comprise a micro-channel plate (MCP) 62•1, a fluorescent screen 62•2, a relay optical system 62•3, and an imaging sensor 62•4 constituted by a large number of CCD elements. The micro-channel plate 62•1 has a large number of channels in a plate, and further generates a large number of electrons while secondary electrons or reflection electrons made to form an image by the electrostatic lens 59•13 pass through the channels. That is, it amplified secondary electrons. The fluorescent screen 62•2 converts secondary electrons into light by emitting fluorescence by amplified secondary electrons. The relay lens 62•3 guides the fluorescence to the CCD imaging sensor 62•4, and the CCD imaging sensor 62•4 converts the intensity distribution of secondary electrons on the surface of the wafer W into an electric signal or digital image data for each element and outputs the same to the control unit 61•4.

[0597] The control unit 61•4 may be constituted by a general personal computer 61•8. The computer 61•8 comprises a control unit main body 61•9 performing various kinds of control and computation processing according to a predetermined program, a CRT 61•10 displaying the result of processing by the main body, and an input unit 61•11 such as a keyboard and a mouse for an operator to input commands. Of course, the control unit 61•4 may be constituted by hardware dedicated to defect inspection apparatus, a workstation or the like.

[0598] The control unit main body 61•9 is comprised of a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk and various kinds of control boards such as a video board (not shown). A secondary electron image storage area for storing electric signals received from the detector 61•3, i.e. digital image data of secondary electron images of the wafer W is assigned on a memory of a RAM, hard disk or the like. Furthermore, a defect detection program 61•13 for reading secondary electron image data from a storage area 61•12, and automatically detecting defects of the wafer W according to a predetermined algorithm based on the image data is stored on the hard disk in addition to a control program for controlling the entire defect inspection apparatus. For example, the defect inspection program 61•13 has a function •to compare the inspection site of the wafer W to another inspection site, and report a pattern different from patterns of most other sites to the operator as defects and display the pattern, for example. Further, a secondary electron image 61•14 may be displayed on a display unit of the CRT 61•10 to detect defects of the wafer W by visual observation of the operator.

[0599] The action of the electron beam apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 61 will now be described using the flowchart of FIG. 63 as an example. First, the wafer W to be inspected is set on the stage 61•2 (step 63•1). In this case, a large number of wafers W stored in a loader (not shown) may be automatically set on the stage 61•2 on a one-by-one basis. Then, a primary electron beam is emitted from the electron gun 59•6, and applied to a predetermined inspection area on the surface of the set wafer W through the electrostatic lens 59•8 (step 63•2). Secondary electrons and/or reflection electrons (hereinafter referred to only as “secondary electrons”) are emitted from the wafer W irradiated with the primary electron beam and as a result, the wafer W is charged up to a positive potential.

[0600] Then, a generated secondary electron beam is made to form an image on the detector 61•3 under a predetermined magnification by the electrostatic lens 59•13 in an enlarged projection system (step S63•3). At this time, the UV lamp 61•5 is made to emit light with a negative voltage applied to a photoelectron emission material 65•1 with respect to the stage 61•2 (step 63•4). As a result, ultraviolet light with the frequency of v emitted from the UV lamp 61•5 causes photoelectrons to be emitted from the photoelectron emission material 65•1 with its energy quantum of hν (h represents Planck constant). The photoelectrons e⁻ are applied from the negatively charged photoelectron emission material 61•6 to the wafer W positively charged up to electrically neutralize the wafer W. In this way, the secondary electron beam is made to form an image on the detector 61•3 without being substantially influenced by the positive potential of the wafer W.

[0601] The image of the secondary electron beam (having alleviated image faults) emitted from the wafer W electrically neutralized in this way is detected by the detector 61•3, and converted into digital image data, and the image data is outputted (step 63•5). Then, the control unit 61•4 carries out processing for detection of defects of the wafer W based on the detected image data according to the defect detection program 61•13 (step 63•6). In this defect detection processing, the control unit 61•4 extracts a defective portion by comparing detection images of detected dies as described previously if the wafer has a large number of the same dies. A reference secondary electron image of the wafer having no defects, previously stored in the memory, may be compared with an actually detected secondary electron image to automatically detect a defective portion. At this time, the detection image may be displayed on the CRT 61•10, and a portion judged as a defective portion may marked, whereby the operator can finally check and determine whether the wafer W actually has defects or not. A specific example of this defect detection process will be further described later.

[0602] If it is determined that the wafer W has defects as a result of the defect detection processing of step 63•5 (positive determination in step 63•7), the operator is warned of existence of defects (step 63•8). As a method of warning, for example, a message indicating existence of defects may be displayed on the display unit of the CRT 61•10, and at the same time, an enlarged image 61•14 of a pattern having defects may be displayed. The defective wafer may be immediately taken from the sample chamber 61•1, and stored in a storage site different from a site for wafers having no defects (step 63•9).

[0603] As a result of the defect detection processing in step 63•6, whether any area to be inspected still exists or not is determined for the wafer W as a current inspection object (step 63•10) if it is determined that the wafer W has no defects (negative determination in step 63•7). If an area to be inspected still exists (positive determination in step 63•10), the stage 61•2 is driven to move the wafer W so that other area to be inspected next is within the area irradiated with the primary electron beam (step 63•11). Then, processing returns to step 63•2, where the same processing is repeated for the other inspection area.

[0604] If no area to be inspected exists (negative determination in step 63•10), or after the step of taking the wafer (step 63•9), whether the wafer W as a current inspection object is the last wafer or not, i.e. whether or not any that has not been inspected yet exists on a loader (not shown) is determined (step 63•12). If the wafer in not the last wafer (negative determination in step 63•12), the inspected wafer is stored in a predetermined place, and instead a new wafer that has not been inspected yet is set on the stage 61•2 (step 63•13). Then, processing returns to step 63•2, where the same processing is repeated for the wafer. If the wafer is the last wafer (positive determination in step 63•12), the inspected wafer is stores in a predetermined storage place to complete all steps. The identification numbers of cassettes, the identification numbers of wafers, for example, the lot numbers are stored for management.

[0605] Irradiation of UV photoelectrons (step 63•4) can be carried out in any timing and within any time period as long as the secondary electron image can be detected (step 63•5) in a state in which positive charge-up of the wafer is avoided, and image faults are reduced. The UV lamp 61•5 may be lit all the time while processing of FIG. 63 is continued, but the UV lamp 61•5 may be lit and unlit periodically with the time period defined for each wafer. In the latter case, as timing of light emission, light emission may be started before the secondary electron beam is made to form an image (step 63•3) and before the primary electron beam is applied (step 63•2), other than the timing shown in FIG. 63. Irradiation of UV photoelectrons is preferably continued at least during detection of secondary electrons, but the irradiation of UV photoelectrons may be stopped even before or during detection of the secondary electron image if the wafer is electrically neutralized sufficiently.

[0606] Specific examples of the defect detection process at step 63•6 are shown in FIGS. 64(a) to (c). First, in FIG. 64(a), an image 64•1 of a die detected fist and an image 64•2 of another die detected second are shown. If it is determined that an image of another die detected third is identical or similar to the first image 64•1, it is determined that an area 64•3 of the second die image 64•2 has defects, and thus the defective area can be detected.

[0607] An example of measurement of a line width of a pattern formed on the wafer is shown in FIG. 64(b). Reference numeral 64•6 denotes an intensity signal of actual secondary electrons when an actual pattern 64•4 on the wafer is scanned in a direction 64•5, and a width 64•8 of an area where this signal continuously exceeds a threshold level 64•7 defined by correction in advance can be measured as the line width of the pattern 64•4. If the line width measured in this way is not within a predetermined range, it can be determined that the pattern has defects.

[0608] An example of measurement of a potential contrast of a pattern formed on the wafer is shown in FIG. 64(c). In the configuration shown in FIG. 61, an axis-symmetric electrode 64•9 is provided above the wafer W and for example, a potential of −10 V is given with respect to the wafer potential of 0 V. A equipotential surface of −2 V at this time has a shape denoted by reference numeral 64•10. Here, patterns 64•11 and 64•12 formed on the wafer have potentials of −4 V and 0 V, respectively. In this case, secondary electrons emitted from the pattern 64•11 have a upward velocity equivalent to kinetic energy of 2 eV at the −2 V equipotential surface 64•10, and therefore the secondary electrons jump over the potential barrier 64•10, escape from the electrode 64•9 as shown in an orbit 64•13, and are detected by the detector 61•3. On the other hand, secondary electrons emitted from the pattern 64•12 cannot jump over the −2 V potential barrier, and is returned back to the wafer surface as shown in an orbit 64•14, and therefore the secondary electrons are not detected. Thus, the detection image of the pattern 64•11 is bright, while the detection image of the pattern 64•12 is dark. In this way, the potential contrast is obtained. If the brightness of the detection image and the potential are corrected in advance, the potential of the pattern can be measured from the detection image. The defective area of the pattern can be evaluated from the potential distribution.

[0609] Furthermore, if there is an area floating in the die, an electric charge can be added by the precharge unit to charge the floating area and establish electrical connection to produce a potential difference between the area and a grounded area. Potential contrast data in this state can be acquired and analyzed to identify the floating area. It can be used as a defect identification process when killer defects and the like exist. The potential contrast data may be converted into a potential contrast image to compare the potential contrast image with a potential contrast image of a pattern of another die, or compare the potential contrast image with a potential contrast image acquired from design data of the CAD or the like.

[0610] FIG. 65 shows the outlined configuration of a defect inspection apparatus comprising a precharge unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, components the same as those of the embodiment of FIG. 61 are given like symbols, and detailed descriptions thereof are not presented. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 65, the glass surface of the UV lamp 61•5 is not coated with the photoelectron emission material. Instead, a photoelectron emission plate 65•1 is placed above the wafer W in the sample chamber 61•1, and the UV lamp 61•5 is placed at a position such that emitted ultraviolet light is applied to the photoelectron emission plate 65•1. The negative pole of a power supply 71•7 is connected to the photoelectron emission plate 65•1, and the positive pole of the power supply is connected to the stage 61•2. The photoelectron emission plate 65•1 is made of metal such as Au, or may be a plate coated with such a metal.

[0611] The action of the embodiment of FIG. 65 is the same as that of the embodiment of FIG. 61. In the embodiment of FIG. 65, photoelectrons can be applied to the surface of the wafer W as appropriate, and thus an effect the same as that of the embodiment of FIG. 61 is exhibited.

[0612] FIG. 66 shows the outlined configuration of a defect inspection apparatus comprising a precharge unit according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, components identical to those of the embodiments of FIGS. 61 and 65 are given like symbols, and detailed descriptions thereof are not presented. In the embodiment of FIG. 66, as shown in this figure, a transparent window material 66•1 is provided on the side wall of the sample chamber 61•1, and the UV lamp 61•5 is placed outside the sample chamber 61•2 so that ultraviolet light emitted from the UV lamp 61•5 is applied through the window material 66•1 to the photoelectron emission plate 65•1 placed above the wafer W in the sample chamber 61•1. In the embodiment of FIG. 66, the UV lamp 61•5 is placed outside the sample chamber 61•1 to be evacuated, and therefore necessity to consider an anti-vacuum performance of the UV lamp 61•5 is eliminated, thus making it possible to widen a choice of options of the UV lamp 61•5 compared to the embodiments of FIGS. 61 and 65.

[0613] Other actions of the embodiment of FIG. 66 are the same as those of the embodiments of FIGS. 61 and 65. In the embodiment of FIG. 66, photoelectrons can be applied to the surface of the wafer W as appropriate, and therefore an effect the same as those of the embodiments of FIGS. 61 and 65 is exhibited.

[0614] The embodiments have been described above, but the defect inspection apparatus comprising the precharge unit according to the present invention is not limited to the examples described above, but may be changed as appropriate within the sprit of the present invention. For example, the semiconductor wafer W is used as a sample to be inspected, but the sample to be inspected of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any type allowing defects to be detected with an electron beam can be selected. For example, a mask having a pattern for exposure of the wafer to light, a transparent mask (stencil mask) or the like may be dealt with as an inspection object. Furthermore, the apparatus may be used not only for the semiconductor process but also for inspection and evaluation related to micro-machines and liquid crystals as a matter of course.

[0615] Furthermore, as the electron beam apparatus for inspection of defects, the configuration of FIGS. 61 to 66 is shown, but the electro-optical system and the like may changed as appropriate. For example, the electron beam irradiating means (59•6 and 59•8) of the defect inspection apparatus shown in the figure makes the primary electron beam enter the surface of the wafer W aslant from the above, but means for deflecting the primary electron beam may be provided below the electrostatic lens 59•13 to make the primary electron beam enter the surface of the wafer W at a right angle. Such deflecting means includes, for example, a Wien filter deflecting the primary electron beam with a field E×B in which the electric field is orthogonal to the magnetic field.

[0616] Further, as means for emitting photoelectrons, any means may be employed as a matter of course other than the combination of the UV lamp 61•5 and the photoelectron emission member 61•6 or photoelectron emission plate 65•1 shown in FIGS. 61 to 66.

[0617] The flow of the flowchart of FIG. 63 is not limited thereto. For example, for a sample judged as being defective at step 63•7, inspection of defects for other areas is not carried out, but the flow of the process may be changed so that detection of defects is carried out over all the areas. Furthermore, if the area to be irradiated with the primary electron beam is enlarged so that one irradiation can cover all the inspection area of the sample, steps 63•10 and 6:11 may be omitted.

[0618] Further, in FIG. 63, if it is determined that the wafer has defects at step 63•7, the operator is immediately warned of existence of defects at step 63•8 and post-processing is carried out (step 63•9), but the flow may be changed so that defect information is recorded, and after batch processing is completed (after positive determination in step 63•12), defect information of the defective wafer is reported.

[0619] As described in detail above, according to the defect inspection apparatus and the defect inspection process according to the embodiments of FIGS. 61 and 66, electrons having energy different from that of the primary electron beam, i.e. energy lower than that of the primary electron beam is supplied to the sample, and therefore an excellent effect is obtained such that the positive charge-up on the sample surface associated with emission of secondary electrons is reduced, and hence image faults of the secondary electron beam associated with the charge-up can be eliminated, thus making it possible to inspect defects of the sample with high accuracy.

[0620] Further, if the defect inspection apparatus of FIGS. 61 and 66 is used for the device production process, an excellent effect is obtained such that the yield of products can be improved and defective products can be prevented from being dispatched, because defect inspection for the sample is carried out using the defect inspection apparatus described above.

[0621] The case has been described above where the electron beam is softly applied to the sample surface in low energy such that electron energy for precharge is mainly 100 eV or less, but an image may be acquired in the positive charge or negative charge mode or the reflection electron mode after performing precharge at 2 kV to 20 kV, preferably 3 to 10 kV, more preferably 3 to 5 kV. In the negative charge mode, precharge may be performed in energy the same as landing energy of the electron beam during inspection.

[0622] Furthermore, it is effective to coat the sample surface with a conductive thin film for control of charge. The suitable thickness in this case is 1 to 100 nm, preferably 1 to 10 nm, more preferably 1 to 3 nm. Further, if the image is acquired after the sample surface is cleaned by sputter etching or the like, a cleaner image is obtained. Coating of the conductive thin film and sputter etching may be used alone, or in combination with precharge. For example, precharge may be performed to acquire an image after sputter etching, or precharge may be performed after coating of the conductive thin film after sputter etching.

2-5) Vacuum Pumping System

[0623] A vacuum pumping system is comprised of a vacuum pump, a vacuum valve, a vacuum gage, vacuum piping and the like and an electro-optical system, a detection unit, a sample chamber and a load lock chamber are evacuated according to a predetermined sequence. In each unit, the vacuum valve is controlled so as to achieve a required degree of vacuum. The degree of vacuum is monitored all the time, and if an abnormality occurs, emergency control of an isolation valve and the like is performed with an interlock feature to ensure the degree of vacuum. For the vacuum pump, a turbo-molecular pump is used for main pumping and a roots-type dry pump is used for rough pumping. The practical pressure of the inspection site (electron beam irradiation area) is 10⁻³ to 10⁻⁵ Pa, preferably 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻⁶ Pa lower by one order.

2-6) Control System

[0624] A control system is mainly comprised of a main controller, a controlling controller and a stage controller. The main controller is provided with a man-machine interface, through which the operation by the operator is carried out (various kinds of instructions/command, input of recipes and the like, instruction to start inspection, switching between the automatic mode and the manual mode, input of all required commands during the manual inspection mode, and the like). In addition, communication with a host computer at a factory, control of the vacuum pumping system, transportation of a sample such as a wafer, control of alignment, transmission of commands to the other controlling controller and stage controller, reception of information and the like are carried out through the main controller. Furthermore, the controller comprises a function to acquire image signals from an optical microscope, a stage vibration correction function to make the electro-optical system feedback a stage variation signal to correct deterioration of the image, and an automatic focus correction function to detect a displacement of the sample observation position in the Z direction (axial direction of the secondary optical system), feedback the displacement to the electro-optical system, and automatically correct the focus. Exchange of feedback signals and the like with the electro-optical system, and exchange of signals from the stage are performed through the controlling controller and the stage controller, respectively.

[0625] The controlling controller is engaged in mainly control of an electron beam optical system (control of electron gun, lens, aligner, high accuracy power supply for Wien filter and the like). Specifically, control is performed so that a constant electron current is always applied to the irradiation area even when the magnification is changed, and control for automatic voltage setting for each lens system and the aligner matching each operation mode, and the like (interlock control), such as automatic voltage setting for each lens system and the aligner matching each magnification, is performed.

[0626] The stage controller mainly performs control relating to movement of the stage to allow precise movement in X and Y directions in the order of μm (with errors within about ±5 μm or smaller, preferably ±1 μm or smaller, more preferably ±0.5 μm or smaller). Furthermore, in this stage, control in the rotational direction (θ control) is performed with errors within about ±10 seconds, preferably ±1 second, more preferably ±0.3 seconds). The configuration of the control system will be specifically described below.

2-6-1) Configuration and Function

[0627] This apparatus provides a function to image a specified position in a wafer with an electron microscope or optical microscope and display the same, a function to image the specified position in the wafer with the electron microscope to detect and classify defects, and a function to image the position at which defects are detected with the electron microscope or optical microscope and display the same. Furthermore, for achievement and maintenance of the above functions, the apparatus has an electro-optical system control function, a vacuum system control function, a wafer transportation control function, a single component operation function, an imaging function, an automatic defect inspection processing function, an apparatus abnormality detection function, and an apparatus start/stop processing function.

[0628] Auxiliary functions are listed below.

(1) Electro-optical system control function

• • [0629] (a) Lens voltage application control
    • [0630] (a-1) Interlock control
    • [0631] (a-2) Voltage application with application function
    • [0632] (a-3) Multipole lens interlock voltage application
    • [0633] (a-4) Wobble control
  • [0634] (b) Electron beam output adjustment
    • [0635] (b-1) Preheat (Gun)
    • [0636] (b-2) Heat up (Gun)
    • [0637] (b-3) Emission current control (Bias control)
      (2) Vacuum system control function
  • [0638] (a) Individual chamber evacuation/N₂ vent
  • [0639] (b) Specified chamber batch evacuation/N₂ vent
    (3) Wafer transportation control function
    Step operation/full automatic operation of following operations
  • [0640] (a) Wafer load
  • [0641] (b) Wafer unload
    (4) Single component operation function
    (5) Imaging function
    A selection is made from the following two input lines and an image is formed.
  • [0642] (a) CCD camera
    Optical microscope low power (pixel size: 2.75 μm/pix)
    Optical microscope high power (pixel size: 0.25 μm/pix)
  • [0643] (b) TDI camera
  • [0644] (b-1) TDI-still
  • [0645] (b-2) TDI-scan

[0646] EB×80 (pixel size: 0.2 μm/pix)

[0647] EB×160 (pixel size: 0.1 μm/pix)

[0648] EB×320 (pixel size: 0.05 μm/pix)

[0649] EB×480 (pixel size: 0.03 μm/pix).

[0650] Further, a user mode designation function is provided as a function to limit operational items according to the skill/knowledge level of the operator for prevention of an accident resulting from an erroneous operation. This user mode is designated as a user ID and a password inputted when a GUI (graphical user interface) is started.

[0651] The user mode includes a maintenance mode, a recipe creation mode, and an operator mode, the operation is carried out in the maintenance mode during setup work after installation of the apparatus and maintenance work, necessary operations and procedures are supported in the recipe creation mode during creation of a recipe, and inspection is performed using the created recipe in the operator mode during automatic defect inspection. The relation between each user mode and the apparatus operation form is shown in FIG. 67.

[0652] Maintenance mode . . . single component operation, wafer transportation, vacuum system control, electro-optical system control, observation (optical microscope imaging, TDI imaging), defect inspection, review

[0653] Recipe creation mode . . . wafer transportation, observation (optical microscope imaging, TDI imaging), defect inspection, review

[0654] Operator mode . . . automatic defect inspection (automatic control of necessary functions such as wafer transportation), review.

[0655] This apparatus has an apparatus constant and a recipe as variable parameters required for the operation. The apparatus constant is specified as a parameter for absorbing apparatus specific errors (such as a mounting error), and the recipe is specified as a parameter for specifying various kinds of conditions to automatically perform defect inspection. The apparatus constant is set during setup work and after maintenance work, and is essentially unchanged thereafter.

[0656] The recipe is classified into a transportation recipe, an alignment recipe, a die map recipe, a focus map recipe and an inspection recipe, defect inspection is performed according to these recipes, setting work is therefore carried out before inspection processing is performed, and a plurality of patterns of settings are stored.

[0657] For the procedure during recipe creation, the wafer is conveyed onto the stage (wafer is loaded) as a first step as shown in FIG. 68. After a wafer cassette is installed in the apparatus, wafer search is carried out to detect existence/nonexistence of the wafer in each slot in the cassette, a wafer size, a notch/ori-fla type, and a notch direction (when loaded onto the stage) are designated for the detected wafer, and the wafer is loaded according to the procedure shown in FIGS. 69 and 70. These conditions are stored in the transportation recipe. The direction of placement of the die of the wafer loaded onto the stage does not necessarily match the scan direction of the TDI camera (FIG. 71). In order that the directions match each other, an operation for rotating the wafer on a θ stage is required, and this operation is called alignment (FIG. 72). Alignment practice conditions after the wafer is loaded onto the stage are stored in the alignment recipe.

[0658] Furthermore, a die map (FIG. 73) showing the arrangement of dies during alignment is created, the die size, the position of the origin die (starting point showing the position of the die) and the like are stored in the die map recipe.

2-6-2) Alignment Procedure

[0659] For the alignment (positioning) procedure, rough positioning is performed with a low power of an optical microscope, then positioning is performed with a high power of the optical microscope, and finally fine positioning is performed with an EB image.

A. Imaging with Optical Microscope Low Power

(1) <First, second and third search die designation and template designation>

[0660] (1-1) First search die designation and template designation

[0661] The stage is moved by a user operation so that the lower left corner of the die positioned below the wafer is positioned near the center of a camera, the position is determined, and then a template image for pattern matching is acquired. This die is a die serving as a reference for positioning, and the coordinates of the lower left corner are coordinates of a feature point. Hereinafter, pattern matching is performed with this template image, whereby correct positional coordinates of any die on the substrate are measured. For this template image, an image forming a unique pattern in the search area must be selected.

[0662] Furthermore, in this example, the lower left corner is a template image acquirement position for pattern matching, but the position is not limited thereto, and any position in the die may be selected as a feature point. Generally, however, since coordinates can be identified more easily for the corners than for points in the die and on the edge of the die, any one of the four corners is preferably selected. Similarly, in this example, the template image for pattern matching is acquired for the die positioned below the wafer but as a matter of course, any die may be selected such that alignment can more easily be performed.

[0663] (1-2) Second search die designation

[0664] The die at the immediate right of the search die is designated as a second search die, the stage is moved by a user operation so that the lower left corner of the second search die is positioned near the center of the camera, the position is determined, and then the template image acquired in the procedure (1-1) is used to automatically perform pattern matching, whereby accurate coordinate values of the second search die matching the template image designated with the first search die is acquired.

[0665] Furthermore, in this example, the die at the immediate right of the first search die is the second search die, but the second search die of the present invention is not limited thereto, as a matter of course. It is essential that a point should be selected which makes it possible to correctly know by pattern matching a positional relation of dies in the line direction from the reference point with which the positional coordinates of the correct feature point are known. Thus, for example, the die at the immediate left of the first search die can be designated as the second search die.

[0666] (1-3) Third search die designation

[0667] The die just above the second search die is designated as a third die, the stage is moved by a user operation so that the lower left corner of the third search die is positioned near the center of the camera, the position is determined, and then the template image acquired in the procedure (1-1) is used to automatically perform pattern matching, whereby accurate coordinate values of the third search die matching the template image designated with the first search die is acquired.

[0668] Furthermore, in this example, the die just above the second search die is the third search die, but the third search die of the present invention is not limited thereto, as a matter of course. It is essential that a positional relation including distances of the coordinates of the feature point of dies in the row direction can be known using, as a reference, the die with which the correct coordinates of the feature point are known. Thus, the die just above the first search die can be suitably used as an alternate.

(2) <Optical microscope low power Y direction pattern matching>

[0669] (2-1) The amount of movement to the pattern of the upper neighboring die is calculated from the relation between the pattern match coordinates (X2, Y2) of the second search die and the pattern match coordinates (X3, Y3) of the third search die.
dX=X3−X2
dY=Y3−Y2

[0670] (2-2) Using the calculated amount of movement (dX, dY), the stage is moved to the coordinates (XN, YN) at which the pattern just above the first search die exists (is expected to exist).
XN=X1+dX
YN=Y1+dY

[0671] *(X1, Y1): coordinates of pattern of first search die

[0672] (2-3) After movement of the stage, imaging is performed with an optical microscope low magnification, the template image is used to carry out pattern matching to acquire the accurate coordinate values (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently observed, and 1 is set as an initial value of a number of detected dies (DN).

[0673] (2-4) The amount of movement (dX, dY) from the pattern coordinates (X1, Y1) of the first search die to the coordinates (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently imaged is calculated.
dX=XN−X1
dY=YN−Y1

[0674] (2-5) The stage is moved in an amount of movement (2*dX, 2*dY) twice as large as the calculated amount of movement (dX, dY) with the first search die as a starting point.

[0675] (2-6) After movement of the stage, imaging is performed with an optical microscope low magnification, the template image is used to carry out pattern matching to update the accurate coordinate values (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently observed, and the number of detected dies is increased by a factor of 2. See FIG. 74 for this procedure.

[0676] (2-7) The procedures (2-4) to (2-6) are repeatedly carried out toward the upper part of the wafer until a predesignated Y coordinate value is exceeded.

[0677] Furthermore, in this example, to improve accuracy, to reduce the number of processes (number of repetitions) and to reduce processing time, movement is repeated in a twofold amount of movement. If there is no problem with accuracy, and further reduction in processing time is desired, movement may be carried out in a high integral multiple amount greater than twofold amount, such as a three-fold or four-fold amount. For further improvement in accuracy, movement may be repeated in a fixed amount of movement. Any of these cases is incorporated in the number of detected dies as a matter of course.

(3) <Optical microscope low magnification θ rotation>

[0678] (3-1) Using the amount of movement from the pattern coordinates (X1, Y1) of the first search die to the accurate coordinate values (XN, YN) of the pattern of the die searched lastly, and the number of dies (DN) detected in the meantime, an amount of rotation (θ) and a die size in the Y direction (YD) are calculated (see FIG. 75).
dX=XN−X1
dY=YN−Y1
θ=tan⁻¹(dX/dY)
YD=sqrt((dX)²+(dY)²)/DN
*sqrt(A)=(A)^1/2

[0679] (3-2) The stage is rotated to θ in the calculated amount of rotation (θ).

B. Imaging With Optical Microscope High Magnification

(1) A procedure the same as the procedure (1) for the optical microscope low magnification is carried out using an optical microscope high magnification image.

(2) A procedure the same as the procedure (2) for the optical microscope low magnification is carried out using an optical microscope high magnification image.

(3) A procedure the same as the procedure for the optical microscope low magnification is carried out.

(4) <Check of allowable value after optical microscope high power θ rotation>

[0680] (4-1) “First search die, designation of template of optical microscope high magnification”

[0681] The coordinates (X′1, Y′1) of the first search die after rotation are calculated from the coordinated (X1, Y1) before rotation and the amount of rotation (θ), the stage is moved to the coordinates (X′1, Y′1), the position is determined, and then a template image for pattern matching is acquired.
X′1=x₁*cos θ−y₁*sin θ
Y′1=x₁*sin θ+y₁*cos θ

[0682] (4-2) Optical microscope high magnification Y direction pattern matching

[0683] The stage is moved in the Y direction by dY from the coordinates (X′1, Y′1) of the first search die after rotation, and pattern matching is carried out to acquire the accurate coordinate values (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently observed.

[0684] (4-3) An amount of movement (dX, dY) from the coordinates (X′1, Y′1) of the first search die after rotation to the coordinates (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently imaged is calculated.
dX=XN−X′1
dY=YN−Y′1

[0685] (4-4) The stage is moved in an amount of movement (2*dX, 2*dY) twice as large as the calculated amount of movement (dX, dY) with the first search die as a starting point.

[0686] (4-5) After movement of the stage, imaging is performed with an optical microscope high magnification, and the template image is used to carry out pattern matching to update the accurate coordinate values (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently observed.

[0687] (4-6) The procedures (4-3) to (4-5) are repeatedly carried out toward the upper part of the wafer until a predesignated Y coordinate value is exceeded.

[0688] (4-7) Calculation of rotation of θ

[0689] Using the amount of movement from the coordinates (X′1, Y′1) of the first search die after rotation to the accurate coordinate values (XN, YN) of the pattern of the die searched lastly, an amount of rotation (θ) is calculated.
dX=XN−X1
dY=YN−Y1
θ=tan⁻¹(dX/dY)

[0690] (4-8) Check of optical microscope high magnification θ allowable value

[0691] Whether the amount of rotation (θ) calculated in the procedure (4-7) equals a predefined value or smaller is checked. If the amount of rotation (θ) is greater than the predefined value, the calculated amount of rotation (θ) is used to rotate the stage to θ, and then the procedures (4-1) to (4-8) are carried out again. However, in case where the amount of rotation (θ) is not within an allowable range even if the procedures (4-1) to (4-8) are carried out a specified number of times, the operation is considered as an error and processing is stopped.

C. Alignment with EB Image

(1) <Y search first die, designation of template of EB>

[0692] A procedure the same as the procedure (1) for the optical microscope high magnification is carried out using an EB image.

(2) <EB: Y direction pattern matching>

[0693] A procedure the same as the procedure (2) for the optical microscope high magnification is carried out using an EB image.

(3) <EB: θ rotation>

[0694] A procedure the same as the procedure (3) for the optical microscope high magnification is carried out using an EB image.

(4) <EB: check of allowable value after θ rotation>

[0695] A procedure the same as the procedure (4) for the optical microscope high magnification is carried out using an EB image.

(5) The procedures (1) to (4) are carried out using an EB image of a high magnification as required.

(6) An appropriate value of an X direction die size (XD) is calculated from the coordinates (X1, Y1) of the first search die and the coordinates (X2, Y2) of the second search die.
dX=X2−X1
dY=Y2−Y1
XD=sqrt((dX)²+(dY)²)
*sqrt(A)=√A
D. Creation of Die Map Recipe
(1) <X search first die, designation of template of EB>

[0696] The stage is moved by a user operation so that the lower left corner of the die positioned at the left end of the wafer is positioned near the center of a TDI camera, the position is determined, and then a template image for pattern matching is acquired. For this template image, an image forming a unique pattern in the search area must be selected.

(2) <EB: X direction pattern matching>

[0697] (2-1) The approximate value of the X direction die size (XD) is used to move the stage to coordinates (X1+XD, Y1) at which the pattern of the die at the immediate right of the X search first die exists (is expected to exist).

[0698] (2-2) After movement of the stage, an EB image is formed by the TDI camera, the template image is used to perform pattern matching to acquire the accurate coordinates (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently observed, and 1 is set as an initial value of the number of detected dies (DN).

[0699] (2-3) An amount of movement (dX, dY) from the pattern coordinates of the X search first die to the coordinates (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently observed.
dX=XN−X1
dY=YN−Y1

[0700] (2-4) The stage is moved in an amount of movement (2*dX, 2*dY) twice as large as the calculated amount of movement (dX, dY) with the X search first die as a starting point.

[0701] (2-5) After movement of the stage, an EB image is formed by the TDI camera, the template image is used to perform pattern matching to update the accurate coordinates (XN, YN) of the pattern that is currently observed, and the number of detected dies is increased by a factor of 2.

[0702] (2-6) The procedures (2-3) to (2-5) are repeatedly carried out in the right direction of the wafer until a predesignated X coordinate value is exceeded.

(3) <Calculation of X direction gradient>

[0703] A stage movement direct error (Φ) and an X direction die size (XD) are calculated using the amount of movement from the pattern coordinates (X1, Y1) of the X search first die to the accurate coordinate values (XN, YN) of the pattern of the die searched lastly, and the number of dies (DN) detected in the meantime.
dX=XN−X1
dY=YN−Y1
Φ=tan⁻¹(dX/dY)
XD=sqrt((dX)²+(dY)²)/DN
*sqrt(A)=√A
(4) <Creation of die map>

[0704] In this way, the X direction die size (XD) is determined, and it is combined with the Y direction die size (YD) previously determined when the amount of rotation (θ) is calculated to create a die map (information of an ideal arrangement of dies). From the die map, an ideal arrangement of dies is known. On the other hand, actual dies on the substrate are influenced by, for example, mechanical errors of the stage (errors of parts such as a guide, and assembly), errors of an interferometer (e.g. due to problems of assembly of a mirror or the like), and deformation of the image due to charge-up, and may not be necessarily observed as an ideal arrangement, but the error between the position of the actual dies and the ideal arrangement on the die map is known, and this error is considered and automatically corrected while inspection is carried out.

E. Procedure for Creation of Focus Recipe

[0705] A procedure for creation of a focus recipe will now be described. The focus recipe stores information of an optimum focus position at any position on the surface of a sample such as a substrate, or various conditions about the focus position in a predetermined format such as a table. In a focus map recipe, focus conditions are set only for designated positions on the wafer, and focus values between designated positions are linearly interpolated (see FIG. 76). The procedure for creation of a focus recipe is as follows.

[0706] (1) Focus measurement object dies are selected from the die map.

[0707] (2) Focus measurement points in the die are set.

[0708] (3) The stage is moved to each measurement point, and a focus value (CL12 voltage) is manually adjusted based on an image and a contrast value.

[0709] The die map created by alignment processing provides ideal position information calculated from die coordinates at the both ends of the wafer, and an error occurs between the die position on the die map and the actual die position due to various factors (see FIG. 77). A procedure for creating parameters for absorbing the error is called fine alignment, and information of the error between the die map (ideal die position information) and the actual die position is stored in a fine alignment recipe. The information set here is used during defect inspection. In the fine alignment recipe, errors are measured only for dies designated on the die map, and errors between designated dies are lineally interpolated.

F. Fine Alignment Procedure

(1) Error measurement object dies for fine alignment are designated from the die map.

(2) A reference die is selected from the error measurement object dies, and the position of the reference die is defined as a point where the error with the die map is zero.

(3) The lower left corner of the reference die is imaged by the TDI camera to acquire a template image for pattern matching.

* A unique pattern in the search area is selected as a template image.

[0710] (4) Coordinates (X0, Y0) (on the die map) at the lower left of the neighboring error measurement object die is acquired, and the stage is moved. After movement of the stage, imaging is performed by the TDI camera, and pattern matching is carried out using the template image of the procedure (3) to acquire accurate coordinate values (X, Y).
(5) Error between the coordinate values (X, Y) acquired by pattern matching and coordinate values (X0, Y0) on the die map are stored.
(6) The procedures (4) and (5) are carried out for all the error measurement object dies.
2-6-3) Defect Inspection

[0711] For defect inspection, as shown in FIG. 78, conditions of the electro-optical system are set (imaging magnification and the like are set), the stage is moved while irradiating an electron beam to perform TDI scan imaging (FIG. 79), and defect inspection is carried out in real time by an inspection dedicated processing unit (IPE) according to the set inspection conditions (array inspection conditions, random inspection conditions, inspection areas).

[0712] In an inspection recipe, conditions of the electro-optical system, inspection object dies, inspection areas, the inspection process (random/array) and the like are set (A and B of FIG. 80).

[0713] Furthermore, to acquire stable images for defect inspection, EO correction for inhibiting blurring of formed images resulting from positional deviations and speed unevenness, die position correction for absorbing errors between the ideal arrangement on the die map and the actual die position, and focus adjustment for interpolating focus values of the entire wafer area using focus values previously measured at finite measurement points are simultaneously carried out in real time.

[0714] In the scan operation of defect inspection, the entire area of the inspection object die is inspected (FIG. 81) and in addition, as shown in FIG. 82, the amount of step movement in a direction perpendicular to the scan direction is adjusted, whereby thinned-out inspection can be performed (reduction in inspection time).

[0715] After inspection, the number of defects, positions of dies including defects, defect sizes, defect positions in dies, defect types, defective images and reference images are displayed on a display as inspection results, and information thereof, recipe information and the like are stored in a file, whereby results of inspection in the past can be confirmed and reproduced.

[0716] During automatic defect inspection, various kinds of recipes are selected and designated, whereby the wafer is loaded according to the transportation recipe, alignment of the wafer is performed on the stage according to the alignment recipe, focus conditions are set according to the focus map recipe, inspection is carried out according to the inspection recipe, and the wafer is unloaded according to the transportation recipe (A and B of FIG. 83).

2-6-4) Control System Configuration

[0717] This apparatus is comprised of a plurality of controllers as shown in FIG. 84. A main controller conducts GUI unit/sequence operations of the apparatus (EBI), receives operation commands from a factory host computer or GUI, and gives necessary instructions to a VME controller and an IPE controller. The VME controller conducts operations of components of the apparatus (EBI), and gives instructions to a stage controller and a PLC controller according to the instructions from the main controller. The IPE controller acquires defect inspection information from an IPE node computer, classifies the acquired defects and displays an image according to the instructions from the main controller. The IPE node computer acquires an image outputted from the TDI camera and carries out defect inspection.

[0718] Upon reception of the instructions from the VME controller, the PLC controller drives devices such as valves, acquires sensor information, and monitors abnormalities such as a vacuum abnormality that should be monitored all the time. Upon reception of the instructions from the VME controller, the stage controller conducts movement in the XY direction and rotation of the wafer placed on the stage.

[0719] By forming such a distributed control system, interfaces between the controllers are kept the same to eliminate the necessity to change software and hardware of the upper-level controller if an apparatus component at the end is changed. Furthermore, even if a sequence operation is added/modified, a change in upper-level software and hardware is minimized, whereby a change in configuration can be flexibly coped with.

2-6-5) User Interface Configuration

[0720] FIG. 85 shows the device configuration of a user interface.

(1) Input Unit

[0721] The input unit is a device receiving inputs from the user, and is comprised of a “keyboard”, a “mouse” and a “JOY pad”.

(2) Display Unit

[0722] The display unit is a device displaying information to the user, and is comprised of two monitors.

Monitor 1: displaying an image acquired by the CCD camera or TDI camera.

Monitor 2: GUI display

Coordinate System

[0723] In this apparatus, the following three coordinate systems are specified.

(1) Stage Coordinate System [X_S, Y_S]

[0724] This is a reference coordinate system for indicating a position during control of a stage position.

[0725] The X coordinate value is incremented in the rightward direction and the Y coordinate value is incremented in the upward direction with the lower left corner of a chamber as an origin.

[0726] This apparatus has only one coordinate system as this coordinate system.

[0727] The position (coordinate values) shown in the stage coordinate system is situated at the center of the stage (center of the wafer).

[0728] That is, if the coordinate values [0,0] are designated in the stage coordinate system, the stage is moved so that the center of the stage (center of the wafer) is superimposed on the origin of the stage coordinate system.

[0729] [μm] is used as a unit, but the minimum resolution is λ/1024 (≈0.618 [nm]).

[0730] *λ: wavelength of a laser for use in the laser interferometer (λ≈632.991 [nm]).

(2) Wafer Coordinate System [X_W, Y_W]

[0731] The coordinates are reference coordinates for indicating a position of observation (imaging/display) on the wafer.

[0732] The X coordinate value is incremented in the rightward direction and the Y coordinate value is incremented in the upward direction with the center of the wafer as an origin.

[0733] The position (coordinate values) shown in the wafer coordinate system is situated at the center of imaging by an imaging device (CCD camera, TDI camera) selected at this time.

[0734] This apparatus has only one coordinate system as this coordinate system.

[0735] [μm] is used as a unit, but the minimum resolution is λ/1024 (≈0.618 [nm]).

[0736] *λ: wavelength of a laser for use in the laser interferometer (λ≈632.991 [nm]).

(3) Die Coordinate System [X_D, Y_D]

[0737] The coordinates are reference coordinates for specifying a position of observation (imaging/display) in each die.

[0738] The X coordinate value is incremented in the rightward direction and the Y coordinate value is incremented in the upward direction with the lower left corner of each die as an origin. This coordinate system exists in each die. [μm] is used as a unit, but the minimum resolution is λ/1024 (≈0.618 [nm]).

[0739] *λ: wavelength of a laser for use in the laser interferometer (λ≈632.991 [nm]).

[0740] Furthermore, dies on the wafer are numbered (subjected to numbering), and a die serving as a reference for numbering is called an origin die. By default, the die closest to the origin of the wafer coordinate system is the origin die, but the position of the origin die can be selected according to designation by the user.

[0741] The relation between the coordinate values in each coordinate system and the position of observation (display) is shown in FIG. 86. * The relation between coordinates indicated by a user interface and the direction of movement of the stage is as follows.

(1) Joystick & GUI Arrow Button

[0742] The direction indicated by a joystick and a GUI arrow button is considered as a direction in which the operator wants to make an observation, and the stage is moved in a direction opposite to the indicated direction.

[0743] Indicated direction: right . . . direction of movement of stage: left (image shifts to the left=field of view shifts to the right).

[0744] Indicated direction: upward . . . direction of movement of stage: downward (image shifts downward=field of view shifts upward)

(2) Direct Input of Coordinates on GUI

[0745] The coordinates directly inputted on the GUI are considered as a position in which the operator wants to make an observation on the wafer coordinate system, and the stage is moved so that the wafer coordinates are displayed at the center of the formed image.

2-7) Descriptions of Other Functions and Configurations

[0746] FIG. 87 shows the overall configuration of this embodiment. However, part of the configuration is omitted. In this figure, an inspection apparatus has a primary column 87•1, a secondary column 87•2 and a chamber 87•3. An electron gun 87•4 is provided in the primary column 87•1, and a primary optical system 87•5 is placed on the optical axis of an electron beam (primary beam) emitted from the electron gun 87•4. Furthermore, a stage 87•6 is placed in the chamber 87•3, and a sample W is placed on the stage 87•6.

[0747] An objective lens 87•7, a numerical aperture 87•8, a Wien filter 87•9, a second lens 87•10, a field aperture 87•11, a third lens 87•12, a fourth lens 87•13 and a detector 87•14 are placed on the optical axis of a secondary beam emitted from the sample W in the secondary column 87•2. Furthermore, the numerical aperture 87•12 corresponds to an aperture diaphragm, and is a thin plate made of metal (Mo) having a circular hole. The aperture is situated at the crossover position of the primary beam and the back focal position of the objective lens 87•7. Thus, the objective lens 87•7 and the numerical aperture 87•8 constitute a telecentric electro-optical system.

[0748] On the other hand, an output of the detector 87•14 is inputted to a control unit 87•15, and an output of the control unit 87•15 is inputted to a CPU 87•16. A control signal of the CPU 87•16 is inputted to a primary column control unit 87•17, a secondary column control unit 87•18 and a stage drive mechanism 87•19. The primary column control unit 87•17 controls a lens voltage of the primary optical system 87•5, the secondary column control unit 87•18 controls lens voltages of the objective lens 87•8 and the second to fourth lenses 87•10 to 87•13, and controls an electromagnetic field applied to the Wien filter 87•9.

[0749] Furthermore, the stage drive mechanism 87•19 transmits position information of the stage to the CPU 87•16. Further, the primary column 87•1, the secondary column 87•2 and the chamber 87•3 are connected to a vacuum pumping system (not shown), and are evacuated by a turbo-molecular pump of the vacuum pumping system to maintain vacuum conditions therein.

[0750] (Primary beam) The primary beam from the electron gun 87•4 enters the Wien filter 87•9 while receiving a lens action by the primary optical system 87•5. Here, as a tip of the electron gun, LaB₆ enabling a large current to be taken with a rectangular cathode is used. Furthermore, for the primary optical system 72, a rotation axis-asymmetric quadrupole or octpole electrostatic (or electromagnetic) lens is used. This can cause convergence and divergence on the X and Y axes, respectively, as in the case of so called a cylindrical lens. This lens is formed in two, three or four stages, and conditions of each lens are optimized, whereby the beam irradiation area on the sample surface can be formed into any rectangular or elliptic shape without causing a loss of irradiation electrons.

[0751] Specifically, if the electrostatic quadrupole lens is used, four circular column rods are placed around the optical axis. Opposite electrodes are potential-equalized, and given opposite voltage characteristics in phases shifted at a right angle to each other around the optical axis.

[0752] Furthermore, as the quadrupole lens, a lens having a shape such that a circular plate usually used as an electrostatic deflector quadrisected may be used instead of a circular column lens. In this case, the lens can be downsized. The primary beam passing through the primary optical system 72 has its orbit bent by a deflection action of the Wien filter 87•9. The Wien filter 87•9 orthogonalizes the magnetic field and the electric field, makes only charged particles satisfying the Wien condition of E=vB travel in a straight line where E is the electric field, B is the magnetic field, and v is the velocity of charged particles, and bends the orbit of other charged particles. For the primary beam, a force FB by the magnetic field and a force FE by the electric force are produced, and thus the beam orbit is bent. On the other hand, for the secondary beam, the force FB and the force FE act in opposite directions, and are thus mutually canceled, and therefore the secondary beam travels in a straight line.

[0753] The lens voltage of the primary optical system 87•5 is previously set so that the primary beam is made to form an image at the aperture of the numerical aperture 87•8. The numerical aperture 87•8 inhibits arrival at the sample surface of an excessive electron beam scattered in the apparatus, thus preventing charge-up and contamination of the sample W. Further, since the numerical aperture 87•8 and the objective lens 87•7 constitute a telecentric electro-optical system, the primary beam passing through the objective lens 87•7 is a parallel beam, and is equally and uniformly applied to the sample W. That is, Koehler illumination is achieved as in the optical microscope.

[0754] (Secondary beam) When the primary beam is irradiated to the sample, secondary electrons, reflection electrons or back-scattered electrons are generated as secondary particles from the beam irradiation surface of the sample.

[0755] The secondary particles passes through the lens while receiving a lens action by the objective lens 87•7. The objective lens 87•7 is constituted by three electrodes. The lowermost electrode is designed to form a positive electric field with a potential on the sample W side to attract electrons (particularly secondary electrons having low directivity) and guide the electrons into the lens efficiently. Furthermore, the lens action is achieved by applying a voltage to first and second electrodes of the objective lens 87•7, and keeping the third electrode at zero potential. On the other hand, the numerical aperture 87•8 is situated at the position of the focus of the objective lens 87•7, i.e. the position of the back focal position from the sample W. Thus, a light flux of the electron beam exiting from an acentric (off-axis) area of the field of view passes through the central position of the numerical aperture 87•8 as a parallel beam without causing an eclipse.

[0756] Furthermore, the numerical aperture 87•8 plays a role to reduce lens aberrations of the second to fourth lenses 87•10 to 87•13 for the secondary beam. The secondary beam passing through the numerical aperture 87•8 travels away in a straight line without receiving a deflection action of the Wien filter 87•9. Furthermore, by changing the electromagnetic field applied to the Wien filter 87•9, only electrons having specific energy (e.g. secondary electrons, or reflection electrons, or back-scattered electrons) can be guided to the detector 87•14.

[0757] If secondary particles are made to form an image by the objective lens 87•7 alone, the lens action becomes so strong that the aberration tends to occur. Thus, the secondary particles are made to form an image one time by a combination of the objective lens 87•7 and the second lens 87•10. The secondary particles are subjected to intermediate imaging on the field aperture 87•11 by the objective lens 87•7 and the second lens 87•10. In this case, usually, the magnification necessary as the secondary optical system is often insufficient, and thus as a lens for magnifying the intermediate image, the third lens 87•12 and the fourth lens 87•13 are added. The secondary particles are made to form an image under magnification by the third lens 87•12 and the fourth lens 87•13, respectively, i.e. they are made to form an image total three times here. Furthermore, they may be made to form an image one time (total twice) by the third lens 87•12 and the fourth lens 87•13 in combination.

[0758] Furthermore, the second to fourth lenses 87•10 to 87•13 are each a rotation axis-symmetric lens called a unipotential or Einzwell lens. Each lens is comprised of three electrodes, in which two outside electrodes are usually at zero potential, and the lens is caused to perform a lens action and controlled with a voltage applied to the central electrode. Furthermore, the field aperture 87•11 is situated at the intermediate imaging point. The field aperture 87•11 limits the field of view to a necessary range like a field diaphragm of an optical microscope, but in the case of the electron beam, an excessive beam is blocked with the third lens 87•12 and the fourth lens 87•13 to prevent charge-up and contamination of the detector 87•14. Furthermore, the magnification is set by changing the lens conditions (focal distance) of the third lens 87•12 and the fourth lens 87•13.

[0759] The secondary particles are projected under magnification by the secondary optical system, and form an image on the detection surface of the detector 87•14. The detector 87•14 is comprised of an MCP amplifying electrons, a fluorescent screen converting electrons into light, a lens for communicating between the vacuum system and the outside and transmitting an optical image and other optical elements, and an imaging device (CCD, etc.). The secondary particles form an image on the MCP detection surface and amplified, and electrons are converted into optical signals by the fluorescent screen, and converted into photoelectric signals by the imaging element.

[0760] The control unit 87•15 reads an image signal of the sample from the detector 87•14, and transmits the signal to the CPU 87•16. The CPU 87•16 carries out defect inspection of the pattern by template matching or the like from the image signal. Furthermore, the stage 87•6 can be moved in the XY direction by the stage drive mechanism 87•19. The CPU 87•16 reads the position of the stage 87•6, outputs a drive control signal to the stage drive mechanism 87•19, drives the stage 87•6, and performs detection and inspection of images one after another.

[0761] In this way, in the inspection apparatus of this embodiment, the numerical aperture 87•8 and the objective lens 87•7 constitute a telecentric electro-optical system, thus making it possible to uniformly irradiate the beam to the sample for the primary beam. That is, Koehler illumination can easily be achieved.

[0762] Further, for secondary particles, all main beams from the sample W enter the objective lens 87•7 at a right angle (in parallel to the lens optical axis), and pass through the numerical aperture 87•8, and therefore periphery light is not eclipsed, and the image brightness of the periphery of the sample is not reduced. Furthermore, position of image formation varies, i.e. a transverse chromatic aberration occurs due to variations in energy of electrons (particularly, secondary electrons have large variations in energy, and therefore cause a large transverse chromatic aberration), but this transverse chromatic aberration can be inhibited by placing the numerical aperture 87•8 at the focus point of the objective lens 87•7.

[0763] Furthermore, since the magnification is changed after the beam passes through the numerical aperture 87•8, a uniform image can be obtained over the entire field of view at the detection side even if the set powers of lens conditions of the third lens 87•10 and the fourth lens 87•13 are changed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a uniform image having no unevenness can be acquired but usually, if the magnification is increased, the problem arises such that the brightness of the image is reduced. Thus, to solve this problem, the lens conditions of the primary optical system are set so that when the lens conditions of the secondary optical system are changed to change the magnification, the effective field of view on the sample surface determined accordingly and the electron beam irradiated to the sample surface have the same size.

[0764] That is, if the magnification is increased, the field of view is reduced accordingly, but by increasing the current density of the electron beam, the signal density of detection electrons is kept constant, and thus the brightness of the image is not reduced, even if the electron beam is projected under magnification by the secondary optical system.

[0765] Furthermore, in the inspection apparatus of this embodiment, the Wien filter 87•9 bending the orbit of the primary beam and making the secondary beam travel in a straight line is used, but the Wien filter is not limited to this configuration, and the apparatus may have a configuration using a Wien filter making the orbit of the primary beam travel in a straight line and bending the orbit of the secondary beam. The E×B is used here, but only a magnetic field may be used. In this case, for example, both the direction in which primary electrons enter and direction in which signal electrons are made to travel toward the detector may follow a Y-shaped configuration.

[0766] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a rectangular beam is formed from a rectangular cathode and a quadrupole lens, but the invention is not limited thereto and, for example, a rectangular or elliptic beam may be made from a circular beam, or a circular beam may be made to pass through a slit to take a rectangular beam. Furthermore, either a linear beam or a plurality of beams may be used, and they may be scanned.

2-7-1) Control Electrode

[0767] An electrode approximately axisymmetric to an irradiation optical axis of an electron beam (25•8 in FIG. 25-1) is placed between the objective lens 87•7 and the wafer W. Examples of the shape of the electrode are shown in FIGS. 88 and 89. FIGS. 88 and 89 are perspective views of electrodes 88•1 and 89•1. FIG. 88 is a perspective view showing the electrode 88•1 having an axisymmetrically cylindrical shape, and FIG. 89 is a perspective view showing the electrode 89•1 having an axisymmetrically discoid shape.

[0768] In this embodiment, the electrode 88•1 having a cylindrical shape shown in FIG. 88 is used, but the electrode 89•1 having a discoid shape shown in FIG. 89 may be used as long as it is approximately axisymmetric to the irradiation optical axis of the electron beam. Further, a predetermined voltage (negative potential) lower than a voltage applied to the wafer W (potential is 0 V because the wafer W is grounded in this embodiment) is applied to the electrode 88•1 by the power supply 25•9 to generate an electric field for preventing a discharge between the objective lens 87•7 (25•7 in FIG. 25-1) and the wafer W. A potential distribution between the wafer W and the objective lens 97•7 at this time will be described with reference to FIG. 90.

[0769] FIG. 90 is a graph showing a voltage distribution between the wafer W and the objective lens 87•7. This figure shows a voltage distribution from the wafer W to the position of the objective lens 87•7 with the position on the irradiation optical axis of the electron beam as a horizontal axis. In the conventional electron beam apparatus having no electrode 88•1, the voltage distribution from the objective lens 87•7 to the wafer W gently changes up to the grounded wafer W with the voltage applied the objective lens 87•7 being the maximum (narrow line in FIG. 90), while in the electron beam apparatus of this embodiment, the electrode 88•1 is placed between the objective lens 87•7 and the wafer W, and a predetermined voltage (negative potential) lower than a voltage applied to the wafer is applied to the electrode 88•1, so that the electric field of the wafer W is weakened (thick line in FIG. 90). Accordingly, in the electron beam apparatus of this embodiment, the electric field is not concentrated near the via 25•13 in the wafer (FIG. 25-1), and thus the electric field is not increased. If the electron beam is applied to the via 25•13 to emit secondary electrons, the emitted secondary electrons are not accelerated to the extent that residual gas is ionized, thus making it possible to prevent a discharge occurring between the objective lens 87•7 and the wafer W.

[0770] Furthermore, since a discharge can be prevented between the objective lens 87•7 and the via 25•13 (FIG. 25-1), there is no possibility that the pattern of the wafer W and the like are damaged with discharge. Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, a discharge between the objective lens 87•7 and the wafer W having the via 25•3 can be prevented, but since a negative potential is applied to the electrode 88•1, the efficiency of detection of secondary electrons by the detector 87•14 may be reduced. Accordingly, if the detection efficiency is reduced, a series of operations of irradiating the electron beam to detect secondary electrons are carried out two or more times, and a plurality of obtained detection results are subjected to processing such as cumulative addition and equalization to obtain a predetermined signal quality (S/N ratio of signal). This embodiment is described using a signal to noise ratio (S/N ratio) as the detection efficiency as one example.

[0771] The secondary electron detection operation will now be described with reference to FIG. 91. FIG. 91 is a flowchart showing the secondary electron detection operation of the electron beam apparatus. First, secondary electrons from an inspection subject sample are detected by the detector 87•14 (step 91•1). Then, whether the signal to noise ratio (S/N ratio) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value or not is determined (step 91•2). If the signal to noise ratio is equal to or greater than the predetermined value at step 91•2, it means that secondary electrons have been detected sufficiently by the detector 87•14, and thus the secondary electron detection operation is ended.

[0772] On the other hand, if the signal to noise ratio is smaller than the predetermined value at step 91•2, a series of operations of irradiating the electron beam to detect secondary electrons are carried out 4N times, and equalization processing is carried out (step 91•3). Here, since the initial value of N is set to “1”, the secondary electron detection operation is carried out 4 times at the initial round at step 91•3.

[0773] Then, “1” is added to N to count up (step 91•4), and again whether the signal to noise ratio is equal to or greater than the predetermined value is determined at step 91•2. Here, if the signal to noise ratio is smaller than the predetermined value, processing proceeds to step 91•3 again, where the secondary electron detection operation is carried out 8 times in this case. Then, N is counted up, and steps 91•2 to 91•4 are repeated until the signal to noise ratio is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

[0774] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a predetermined voltage (negative potential) lower than a voltage applied to the wafer W is applied to the electrode 88•1 to prevent a discharge to the wafer W having the via 25•13 but in this case, the efficiency of detection of secondary electrodes may be reduced. Accordingly, if the inspection subject sample is a type of inspection subject sample hard to cause a discharge between itself and the objective lens 87•7, such as a wafer having no via, the voltage applied to the electrode 88•1 can be controlled so that the efficiency of detection of secondary electrons in the detector 87•14 is improved.

[0775] Specifically, even when the inspection subject sample is grounded, a predetermined voltage higher than the voltage applied to the inspection subject sample, for example a voltage of +10 V is applied to the electrode 88•1. Furthermore, at this time, the distance between the electrode 88•1 and the inspection subject sample is set to a distance such that no discharge occurs between the electrode 88•1 and the inspection subject sample.

[0776] In this case, secondary electrons generated by irradiation of the electron beam to the inspection subject sample are accelerated toward the detector 87•14 side by an electric field generated with the voltage applied to the electrode 88•1. The secondary electrons are further accelerated toward the detector 87•14 side with an electric field generated with a voltage applied to the objective lens 87•7 and subjected to a convergence action, and therefore a large number of secondary electrons enter the detector 87•14, thus making it possible to the detection efficiency.

[0777] Furthermore, the electrode 88•1 is axisymmetric, and thus has a lens action for convergence of the electron beam applied to the inspection subject sample. Thus, the primary electron beam can be more finely focused with the voltage applied to the electrode 88•1. Furthermore, since the primary electron beam can be finely focused with the electrode 88•1, an objective lens system having a lower aberration can be formed with a combination with the objective lens 87•7. The electrode 88•1 may be approximately axisymmetric to the extent that this lens action can be achieved.

[0778] According to the electron beam apparatus of the embodiment described above, an electrode having a shape approximately axisymmetric to the irradiation axis of the electron beam and controlling the intensity of the electric field on the surface of the inspection subject sample irradiated with the electron beam is provided between the inspection subject sample and the objective lens, thus making it possible to control the electric field between the inspection subject sample and the objective lens.

[0779] An electrode having a shape approximately axisymmetric to the irradiation axis of the electron beam and reducing the intensity of the electric field on the surface of the inspection subject sample irradiated with the electron beam, thus making it possible to eliminate a discharge between the inspection subject sample and the objective lens. Furthermore, since alterations such as reduction of the voltage applied to the objective lens are not made, secondary electrons can be made to pass through the objective lens efficiently, thus making it possible to improve the detection efficiency and obtain a signal having a good S/N ratio.

[0780] The voltage for reducing the intensity of the electric field on the surface of the inspection subject sample irradiated with the electron beam can be controlled depending on the type of inspection subject sample. For example, if the inspection subject sample is a type of inspection subject sample that tends to cause a discharge between itself and the objective lens, the discharge can be prevented by changing the voltage of the electrode to reduce the intensity of the electric field on the surface of the inspection subject sample irradiated with the electron beam.

[0781] The voltage given to the electrode can be changed, i.e. the voltage for reducing the intensity of the electric field on the surface of a semiconductor wafer irradiated with the electron beam can be changed. For example, if the inspection subject sample is a type of inspection subject sample that tends to cause a discharge between itself and the objective lens, a discharge especially in the via or around the via can be prevented by changing the electric field by the electrode to reduce the intensity of the electric field on the surface of the inspection subject sample irradiated with the electron beam. Furthermore, since a discharge between the via and the objective lens can be discharged, the pattern of the semiconductor wafer or the like is never damaged with discharge. Furthermore, since the potential given to the electrode is lower than the charge given to the inspection subject sample, the intensity of the electric field on the surface of the inspection subject sample irradiated with the electron beam can be reduced, thus making it possible to prevent a discharge to the inspection subject sample. Since the potential given to the electrode is a negative potential, and the inspection subject sample is grounded, the intensity of the electric field on the surface of the inspection subject sample irradiated with the electron beam can be reduced, thus making it possible to prevent a discharge to the inspection subject sample.

[0782] Use of the control electrode for the purpose of preventing a discharge has been mainly described, but the control electrode may be used for screening energy of secondary electrons emitted from the wafer. That is, if only secondary electrons having energy at a certain level or greater, which have highest signal detection efficiency, are detected, and so on, to obtain an image of high resolution, a predetermined negative voltage can be applied to the control electrode, and the control electrode can be used as a barrier of energy of secondary electrons. Since a negative potential is applied to the control electrode, a force repelling secondary electrons back to the sample is exerted. Secondary electrons incapable of passing over this potential barrier go back to the sample, and only secondary electrons passing over the potential barrier are detected by the detector, thus making it possible to obtain an image having a desired resolution.

2-7-2) Potential Application Method