Electron beam apparatus, and inspection instrument and inspection process thereof

Abstract

A beam source of an inspection apparatus discharges a beam, and a stage system holds a specimen and moves in at least one direction. A primary optical system directs the beam to the specimen, and a secondary optical system guides a secondary beam coming from the specimen. A sensor outputs an electric signal of the specimen image from the secondary beam, an image processor generates image information of the specimen by processing the electric signal output by the sensor, and a host computer generates an inspection timing signal for controlling the sensor to transfer the image information at a preset data transfer rate.

1 . A beam inspection apparatus, comprising: 
 a beam source that discharges a beam;    a stage system that holds a specimen and moves continuously in at least one direction;    a primary optical system that directs the beam to the specimen;    a secondary optical system that guides a secondary beam coming from the specimen;    a sensor that outputs an electric signal of the specimen image from the secondary beam;    an image processor that generates image information of the specimen by processing the electric signal output by the sensor; and    a host computer that generates an inspection timing signal for controlling the sensor to transfer the image information at a preset data transfer rate,    wherein the stage system is moved at a speed in conformity to the inspection timing signal, and a signal charge of the specimen image converted by the sensor is transferred at an effective data transfer rate of larger than 2.29×10 7  Hz/pix and at a line rate of larger than 11175 Hz/line.