Method of inspecting a circuit pattern and inspecting instrument
US7098455B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 2, 2003 |
| Grant date | Aug 29, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 2, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/2817
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A circuit pattern inspecting instrument includes an electron-optical system for irradiating an electron beam on a sample, an electron beam deflector, a detector for detecting secondary charged particles from the sample, and a mode setting unit for switching between a first mode and a second mode. An electron beam current is larger in the first mode than in the second mode, and an electron beam scanning speed is higher in the first mode than in the second mode. The circuit pattern inspecting instrument is configured so that first the sample is observed in the first mode, then a particular position on the sample is selected based on image data produced by an output of the detector in the first mode, and then the particular position on the sample is observed in the second mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.