Patent · US Expired

Automatic focusing system for scanning electron microscope equipped with laser defect detection function

US6621082B2 · kind B2 · utility

103Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 2002
Grant dateSep 16, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 13, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/216
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A scanning electron microscope equipped with a laser defect detection function has an automatic focusing function that performs the steps of: obtaining a deviation (offset) amount between focal positions of an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope; detecting a defect by a laser dark-field image of the optical microscope; analyzing the dark-field image to readjust a focus of the optical microscope to adjust a height of the optical microscope; and automatically adjusting a focus of the scanning electron microscope by adding a readjusted amount of the focus of the optical microscope to the offset amount before an observation is conducted by the scanning electron microscope.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.