Method of observing a specimen using a scanning electron microscope
US7075077B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 27, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 27, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/2817
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of observing a specimen using a scanning electron microscope, makes it possible to shorten the time required to perform automatic focusing at the time of semiconductor defect automatic review and improves the throughput in the processing in which the specimen is observed. In the above method, the specimen is imaged at a low resolution by the scanning electron microscope to obtain an image, an area for imaging the specimen at a high resolution is specified from the image acquired at the low resolution, the specimen is imaged at a high resolution by the scanning electron microscope to determine a focus position, a focal point of the scanning electron microscope is set to the determined focus position, and a high resolution image in the specified area is acquired in a state in which the focus position has been set to the determined focus position.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.