Inclination angle measuring device, charged particle device, and inclination angle measuring method

The tilt angle measuring device addresses the challenge of tilted sample surfaces in SEM inspection by measuring and correcting two-axis tilt angles using light and aperture systems, ensuring accurate SEM image alignment and high-speed measurement.

JP7895012B2Active Publication Date: 2026-07-24HITACHI HIGH TECH CORP
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
HITACHI HIGH TECH CORP
Filing Date
2023-07-13
Publication Date
2026-07-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing SEM inspection systems struggle to accurately measure the shape of semiconductor patterns due to the sample surface being tilted, necessitating the measurement and correction of tilt angles to ensure perpendicular electron beam incidence.

Method used

A tilt angle measuring device that uses a light source, two-dimensional aperture, and light-receiving elements to measure the two-axis tilt angles of a sample surface by analyzing the feature quantities of the reflected light patterns.

Benefits of technology

Enables accurate measurement of the two-axis tilt angles, allowing for precise SEM image correction and high-speed, stable determination of sample surface orientation without requiring stage movement.

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Abstract

An inclination angle measurement device 100 comprises: a light source 101 that irradiates a sample 104 with light; a two-dimensional opening member 102 that is disposed between the light source 101 and the sample 104 and has a two-dimensionally shaped opening through which some of the light emitted from the light source 101 selectively passes; a light-receiving element 107 that receives reflected light reflected from the surface of the sample 104 irradiated by the light through the opening; and a measurement unit 110 that measures the inclination angle of the two axes of the sample 104 on the basis of a feature of a two-dimensional image obtained from the light-receiving element 107.
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Citation Information

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