Observation assistance device

Abstract

This sample observation assistance device comprises an observation position display unit, a display processing unit, a representative image registration processing unit, a coordinate conversion processing unit, an input device monitoring processing unit, and a condition control unit, wherein: the display processing unit controls, in response to a change in magnification in the image display unit, the size of a representative image to a size at which the representative image can be easily viewed, and displays the representative image on the observation position display unit; the input device monitoring processing unit acquires the position of a cursor and acquires, in accordance with the position of the cursor, stage coordinates associated with the representative image; and the condition control unit carries out processing to move a stage of a charged particle beam device to the stage coordinates associated with the representative image.

Description

Observation support device

[0001] The present invention relates to an observation support device.

[0002] Charged particle beam devices manipulate the surface of a sample with a narrow beam of charged particles in a vacuum, detect signals emitted from the sample, and create a two-dimensional profile image of the sample surface. Because the observation is performed in a vacuum, the sample cannot be visually confirmed. To identify the observation position on the sample, a known observation assistance function displays an image captured at a lower magnification than the actual observation magnification and indicates the observation position on the captured low-magnification image.

[0003] Prior art documents in this technical field include Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

[0004] Patent document 1 states, "By superimposing multiple images for displaying the observation position with different magnifications on the observation position display unit based on the magnification and coordinates when the observation image was acquired, the observation position can be presented even if the magnification of the observation image and the magnification of the image displaying the observation position are significantly different."

[0005] Patent Document 2 states, "In the wide-area image, for the currently displayed observation image and a predetermined number of currently displayed history images, a predetermined figure is displayed indicating the relative position, range, and orientation in the wide-area image based on the respective observation conditions, allowing the user to intuitively recognize the relationship between the entire sample and each observation area."

[0006] International Publication No. 2017 / 090100 Pamphlet Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-229587

[0007] In the device of Patent Document 1, multiple observation position display images with different magnifications are superimposed on the observation position display unit based on the magnification and coordinates at the time the observation image was acquired, so that the observation position can be presented even if the current observation magnification (magnification of the observation screen) and the magnification of the image displaying the observation position are significantly different.

[0008] However, with the method of Patent Document 1, if the magnification of the observation position display section is significantly different from the magnification of the image being displayed, it is easy to lose sight of the image being displayed, making it difficult to identify the observation position of the image.

[0009] In the device of Patent Document 2, in order to enable intuitive recognition of the relationship between the entire sample and each observation location, each observation image taken during the observation process of the sample is treated as a history image and stored in association with the relevant observation conditions. One of the history images, a wide-area image, is displayed on the display unit, and within the wide-area image, a predetermined figure is displayed indicating the relative position, range, and orientation in the wide-area image based on the respective observation conditions for the currently displayed observation image and a predetermined number of currently displayed history images.

[0010] However, in the method of Patent Document 2, the historical image is not displayed superimposed on the wide-area image area, so although the relationship between the sample and each observation site, such as the direction, position, and size, can be intuitively grasped, it is not possible to intuitively confirm and compare the patterns and structures of the sample and each site.

[0011] Furthermore, although Patent Documents 1 and 2 each display an observation position display image and an observation position display figure on a display unit, they do not control the stage of the charged particle beam device using the corresponding observation position display image and the corresponding observation position display figure, which means that there is a problem in that navigation using a representative image is not possible.

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an observation support device that prevents the position of the observation position display image from being lost even if the current magnification of the observation position display unit is significantly different from the magnification of the observation position display image.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide an observation support device that allows the image for displaying the observation position to be used for sample navigation in a charged particle beam device.

[0014] an input device monitoring processing unit that monitors input operations of an input device via a cursor; and a condition control unit that changes the observation conditions and stage coordinates of the charged particle beam device, wherein the display processing unit controls the representative image to a size that is easy to view and displays it on the observation position display unit in response to a change in the magnification of the image display unit; the input device monitoring processing unit acquires the position of the cursor and acquires stage coordinates associated with the representative image in accordance with the position of the cursor; and the condition control unit processes to move the stage of the charged particle beam device to the stage coordinates associated with the representative image.

[0015] According to the present invention, even if the current magnification of the observation position display section is significantly different from the magnification of the observation position display image, it is possible to display the corresponding observation position display image at a size that is easy to see so that the position of the observation position display image is not lost.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to navigate the sample and set the imaging area using the observation position display image, which is displayed in an easily visible size, regardless of the current magnification of the observation position display section.

[0017] Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 1 is an example of a schematic diagram of a charged particle beam device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating registration and display of a representative image in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating registration and display of a representative image in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating navigation processing using a representative image in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing using a representative image in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing using a representative image in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing using a representative image in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating navigation processing within a display area range of a representative image in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing within a display area range of a representative image in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing within a display area range of a representative image in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for controlling navigation processing within the display area range of a representative image in Example 3 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for controlling navigation processing within the display area range of a representative image in Example 3 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for controlling navigation processing within the display area range of a representative image in Example 3 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing taking into account rotation of a stage in Example 4 of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing taking into account rotation of a stage in Example 4 of the present invention.FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing taking into consideration rotation of the stage (other than the origin) in Example 4 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing taking into consideration rotation of the stage (other than the origin) in Example 4 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating processing for erasing the enlarged display size of a representative image in Example 5 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating processing for erasing the enlarged display size of a representative image in Example 5 of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating processing for erasing the enlarged display size of a representative image in Example 5 of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating navigation processing by mouse dragging within the display area range of a representative image in Example 6 of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing by mouse dragging within the display area range of a representative image in Example 6 of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating navigation processing by digital zoom operation within the display area range of a representative image in Example 7 of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing by digital zoom operation within the display area range of a representative image in Example 7 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating navigation processing by digital zoom operation in the display area range of a representative image in a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating change of the screen magnification of the observation position display unit in an eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating change of the screen magnification of the observation position display unit in an eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating processing for changing observation conditions of a charged particle beam device in a ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating processing for changing observation conditions of a charged particle beam device in a ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating processing for changing observation conditions of a charged particle beam device in a ninth embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a screen for setting a navigation operation in a ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging based on coordinates specified in a display area range of a representative image in a tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging based on coordinates specified in a display area range of a representative image in a tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging based on coordinates specified in a display area range of a representative image in a tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging (range designation) using a representative image in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging (range designation) using a representative image in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging (range designation) using a representative image in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging (range designation) using a representative image in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for setting continuous imaging (range designation) using a representative image in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a rotation process of a polygon of an arbitrary shape in Example 11 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a continuous image capture setting screen (coordinate designation) in Example 10 of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a continuous image capture setting screen (range designation) in Example 11 of the present invention.

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, functionally identical elements may be designated by the same or corresponding numerals. Note that the accompanying drawings show embodiments and implementation examples according to the principles of the present disclosure, but these are for understanding the present disclosure and are not to be used to interpret the present disclosure in any way as being limiting. The descriptions in this specification are merely typical examples and are not intended to limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any way.

[0020] Although the present disclosure has been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure, it should be understood that other implementations and forms are possible, and that changes in configuration and structure and substitutions of various elements are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical ideas of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be interpreted as being limited thereto.

[0021] A charged particle beam device is a device that accelerates charged particles such as electrons and positive ions (charged particles) using an electric field and irradiates the particles onto a sample. Charged particle beam devices utilize the interaction between the sample and the charged particles to observe, analyze, process, and the like of the sample. The embodiments described below are applicable to various charged particle beam devices (electron microscopes, electron beam lithography devices, ion processing devices, ion microscopes, observation and inspection devices that utilize these devices, etc.).

[0022] [Example 1] Main reference figures: Figures 1, 2A, and 2B Main contents: Explanation of system structure and control of representative images

[0023] The overall configuration of a charged particle beam device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The charged particle beam device 100 includes, as an example, a sample chamber 101, a charged particle beam optical system 102, a sample stage 103, a stage 104, a detector 105, a vacuum pump 107, a charged particle beam imaging device 110, an arithmetic and control unit 120, a stage control device 130, an optical imaging device 150, a vacuum control device 140, and an optical system control device 170.

[0024] The sample chamber 101 has a function of maintaining a vacuum state inside to prevent scattering of the charged particle beam, and is configured so that a sample can be mounted inside. The sample chamber 101 can be evacuated by a vacuum control device 140 controlling a vacuum pump 107. The vacuum control device 140 can include a memory 141 for storing various parameters related to vacuum control.

[0025] The charged particle beam optical system 102 includes a charged particle source 161 that generates an electron beam, a condenser lens 162 that narrows the electron beam emitted from the charged particle source 161, a deflector 163 that deflects the electron beam, an objective lens 164 that converges the electron beam, and the like.

[0026] The optical system control device 170 is equipped with a memory 171 for storing various parameters related to the control of the charged particle beam optical system 102, and has the function of generating an electron beam from the charged particle source 161, narrowing the electron beam with a condenser lens 162, deflecting and converging the electron beam with a deflector 163 and an objective lens 164, and controlling the beam to be irradiated onto the sample 108 mounted on the sample stage 103.

[0027] The configuration in FIG. 1 is an example, and the charged particle beam optical system 102 may include other lenses and electrodes in addition to the elements shown in the figure, or some of the elements may be replaced with other similar elements, and the details of the configuration are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0028] The sample stage 103 is mounted on a stage 104. The stage 104 can move the sample stage 103 in the X and Y directions (for example, vertical and horizontal directions) within the sample chamber 101. The sample stage 103 can rotate about a rotation axis (for example, parallel to the Z axis). The sample stage 103 holds the sample so that it can be tilted with the X or Y direction as the tilt axis. The stage 104 is controlled by a stage control device 130 in accordance with the calculation results and the like in the calculation control unit 120.

[0029] The detector 105 has a function of detecting reflected electrons, secondary electrons, backscattered electrons (such as those due to EBSD: Electron Back Scattered Diffraction Pattern), inelastically scattered electrons (such as those related to EELS: Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy), Auger electrons, cathodoluminescence (CL), X-rays (such as those related to EDS: Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy or WDS: Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy), and the like emitted from the sample 108.

[0030] 1, only one detector 105 is shown, but the number and position of the detectors 105 are not limited to a specific number. By moving the stage 104 relative to the imaging range (field of view) of the optical camera 106, an image of the entire sample 108 for navigation purposes is acquired.

[0031] The charged particle beam imaging device 110 has a function of converting the signal detected by the detector 105 into an image, and includes a memory 111 for storing the signal information. The optical imaging device 150 also has a function of capturing an optical image of the sample 108 in the sample chamber 101 using the optical camera 106 and converting the captured image signal into an optical image. The optical imaging device 150 includes a memory 151 for storing the optical image.

[0032] The arithmetic and control unit 120 is a control unit that controls various components of the charged particle beam device 100 and controls the display of observation results in accordance with observation conditions and the like input by a user. The arithmetic and control unit 120 is configured with an information processing device such as a computer. The arithmetic and control unit 120 internally includes, for example, a CPU 121 (processor), a main storage device 122 such as a memory, and a secondary storage device 123 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0033] The calculation control unit 120 also includes an input unit 124 such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch monitor, a display unit 125 such as an LCD display (observation image display unit 1251 and observation position display unit 1252), and a communication unit (not shown) that communicates with each component of the charged particle beam device 100.

[0034] The arithmetic and control unit 120 and the display unit 125 constitute a sample observation support device according to this embodiment, and support the observation of an image of the sample captured by the charged particle beam device 100. In this embodiment, the observation support device is configured as a part of the charged particle beam device 100, but in a modified example, the observation support device may be configured independently of the charged particle beam device 100. In that case, for example, the observation support device may acquire an image output from the charged particle beam device 100 and support the observation of that image.

[0035] The main memory device 122 stores a computer program that controls the overall operation of the charged particle beam device 100. When executed by the CPU 121, the computer program provides functional blocks such as an information processing unit 1221, a representative image registration processing unit 1222, a display processing unit 1223, an input device monitoring processing unit 1224, a coordinate conversion processing unit 1225, and a condition control unit 1226.

[0036] The information processing unit 1221 processes control information for the charged particle beam device 100. For example, it is a processing unit that collectively processes (including numerical calculations) information such as acceleration voltage, emission current, magnification, beam spot, and working distance acquired from the optical system control device 170, information such as signal, image name, image resolution, field of view, imaging time, and time required for imaging acquired from the charged particle beam imaging device 110, information such as optical image name, optical image resolution, field of view, imaging time, and time required for imaging acquired from the optical imaging device 150, information such as stage coordinates acquired from the stage control device 130, and images such as vacuum degree acquired from the vacuum control device 140, and can output the processed information as attribute information of the images.

[0037] The representative image registration processing unit 1222 is a control unit for registering the acquired optical image of the sample 108 or an image converted from a signal (observation image) as a representative image displayed at an easily visible size, or canceling the registration of the representative image. The representative image registration processing unit 1222 registers a representative image based on a plurality of captured images.

[0038] The display processing unit 1223 is a processing unit that performs display processing of the acquired optical image of the sample 108 or an image converted from a signal (observation image) based on information (attribute information at the time of imaging) such as stage coordinates, stage rotation angle, magnification (field of view), raster rotation, etc. Here, "raster rotation" is defined as rotation in the scanning direction of the charged particle beam. Furthermore, the display processing unit 1223 controls the observation position display unit 1252. For example, even if the field of view of an image registered as a representative image is significantly different from the field of view of the observation position display unit 1252, the display processing unit 1223 performs processing so that the representative image is always displayed at a size that is easy to view.

[0039] The input device monitoring processing unit 1224 is a processing unit that constantly monitors input operations of an input device (mouse, touch monitor, etc.) via the cursor in the observation position display unit 1252, and determines, for example, whether the position specified by the mouse cursor is within the area range of the representative image.

[0040] The coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 is a processing unit that processes mutual conversion between various types of coordinate systems, including the stage coordinate system of the charged particle beam device 100, the coordinate system of the image (observation image) converted from the acquired optical image or signal of the sample 108, the coordinate system of the image registered as the representative image, and the coordinate system of the observation position display unit 1252.

[0041] The condition control unit 1226 is a control unit that controls the reproduction process of the observation conditions and coordinate information of the representative image in the charged particle beam device 100 when the image registered as the representative image is used for sample navigation, and performs processing to switch the display field of view of the observation position display unit 1252 to an appropriate field of view. In this way, the condition control unit 1226 changes the observation conditions and stage coordinates of the charged particle beam device 100.

[0042] In this embodiment, the representative image refers to an image selected based on certain predetermined conditions from the group of images captured in the observation position display unit 1252. The display scale or display size is always controlled so that the representative image is easily visible so that the display position of the representative image is not lost. However, the meaning of "representative image" should not be interpreted as being limited to this.

[0043] The stage control device 130 includes a coordinate storage unit 131, a control unit 132, and a drive unit 133. The coordinate storage unit 131 stores the coordinates of the stage 104. The control unit 132 controls the operation of the entire stage control device 130. The drive unit 133 generates a drive signal to drive the stage 104. The control unit 132 acquires stage coordinate information from the coordinate storage unit 131 and transmits it to the calculation control unit 120. This enables the calculation control unit 120 to know the coordinate position of the captured image. The stage coordinates may be stored in the stage control device 130 or in the calculation control unit 120.

[0044] 2A and 2B show examples of an observation position display screen of the charged particle beam device 100 according to Example 1. FIG.

[0045] The observation position display screen 2A01 is an image display unit that displays the captured image based on information such as the imaging magnification, stage coordinates, and raster rotation (image attribute information at the time of image acquisition). This observation position display screen 2A01 can be configured, for example, as a virtual drawing canvas. Note that the image attribute information in this embodiment is unique information associated with the image, such as the image name at the time of image acquisition, the imaging time, the time required for imaging, the magnification, the signal, and the image resolution.

[0046] The observation position display screen 2A01 is a position reference and displays an image of a sample captured by the charged particle beam device 100. The displayed image includes a background image and a captured image whose position is indicated in relation to the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0047] The observation position display screen 2A01 is aligned (associated) with the stage coordinates of the charged particle beam device 100, and the position within the observation position display screen 2A01 corresponding to each portion of the sample can be appropriately determined. As a more specific example, when the stage coordinates are expressed as (Xs, Ys) and the coordinates (pixel coordinates) of the observation position display screen 2A01 are expressed as (Xp, Yp), a function is specified for determining Xp and Yp based on Xs and Ys, and / or a function is specified for determining Xs and Ys based on Xp and Yp.

[0048] A method for performing such alignment can be appropriately designed by a person skilled in the art based on known techniques, etc., but for example, a three-point alignment process or a dedicated sample holder may be used.

[0049] The background image displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 is, for example, an image of a wide area of ​​a sample captured by the charged particle beam device 100, but is not limited to this. The background image is, for example, an image displayed to fit the size of the observation position display screen 2A01. It is also possible not to display a background image (in which case the background displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 may be blank, or another predetermined display may be displayed).

[0050] The captured image is an image of a sample captured by the charged particle beam device 100, such as a display image 2A06. The observation position display screen 2A01 displays the positions of the multiple display images 2A06 as multiple captured images. For example, an image captured by the charged particle beam device 100 is displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 aligned with the stage coordinates of the charged particle beam device 100. In this way, the observation position display screen 2A01 displays the positions of the multiple captured images of the sample captured by the charged particle beam device 100 in association with the image display section of the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0051] The screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is variable. The screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 can be calculated from the ratio of the dimensions of the observation position display screen 2A01 to the screen field of view. In addition, the observation position display screen 2A01 can be aligned with the stage coordinates of the charged particle beam device 100 using affine transformation. For example, since the background image and captured images such as the display image 2A06 each have their own magnification at the time of acquisition, increasing the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 causes parts of the background image and captured image to be zoomed in and displayed (i.e., the number of pixels on one side of the image when displayed is variable).

[0052] The observation position display screen 2A01 and the background image and captured image displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 each have a screen magnification and an image magnification, so they can be displayed at a size ratio according to each magnification. For example, if the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is 5000x, the magnification of the captured image is 20000x, and the number of pixels on the observation position display screen 2A01 is the same as the number of pixels at the time the captured image was captured, the captured image will be displayed reduced so that its size on the screen is 1 / 4 the size of the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0053] A more specific explanation will be given below using an example. Assume that the number of pixels on the observation position display screen 2A01 is 1280 x 960 pixels, and that the screen magnification at the time of initial display is 20,000 times. Assume also that the number of pixels on the captured image at the time of capture is 1280 x 960 pixels, and that the magnification at the time of capture is 20,000 times. In this case, the size of the captured image matches the size of the observation position display screen 2A01 (i.e., the resolution (ratio of field of view to number of pixels) of the observation position display screen 2A01 and the captured image match), and the captured image is initially displayed as is at a size of 1280 x 960 pixels. If the magnification or number of pixels at the time of capture is different, the display size of the captured image on the screen is determined accordingly.

[0054] When the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is reduced (i.e., the field of view is widened), the size of the captured image must be reduced according to the reduced screen magnification. For example, when the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is set to 10,000 times, half the original magnification, the size of the captured image is also set to 640 x 480 pixels, half the original size (at the time of capture). Furthermore, when the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is set to 5,000 times, one-quarter the original size, the size of the captured image is also set to 320 x 240 pixels, one-quarter the original size (at the time of capture).

[0055] Conversely, if the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is increased (i.e., the field of view is narrowed), the size of the captured image must be enlarged according to the increased screen magnification. For example, if the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is increased to 40,000 times, which is twice the original magnification, the size of the captured image must also be increased to 2560 × 1920 pixels, which is twice the original magnification (at the time of capture).

[0056] In the above example, the size S1 of the captured image after the change is changed to the size obtained by multiplying the original size S0 of the captured image by the ratio (X1 / X0) of the original screen magnification X0 of the observation position display screen 2A01 to the changed screen magnification X1 of the observation position display screen 2A01, i.e., S1 = S0 x X1 / X0.

[0057] It should be noted that a method for determining the display content when the size of a captured image is changed can be appropriately designed by a person skilled in the art based on known techniques, etc. For example, when reducing the size, some of the pixels may be thinned out, and when enlarging the size, some of the pixels may be generated by interpolation.

[0058] Next, a case will be described in which the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is extremely low compared to the magnification of the captured image (e.g., the displayed image 2A06). For example, when the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is 5000 times and a captured image with a magnification higher than 5000 times is captured, the image is displayed as shown in FIG. 2A.

[0059] The observation position display screen 2A01 displays a magnification increase button 2A02, a magnification decrease button 2A03, a magnification reset button 2A04, and a magnification display section 2A05.

[0060] It is possible to select a display image 2A06 being displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 and register the image as a representative image using a registration button (not shown) or the like. Here, "registering an image as a representative image" or "registering a representative image" refers to the process of selecting a specific image from among candidates for the representative image (for example, captured images) and determining the selected image as the representative image. This may also include the process of storing information that the selected image is the representative image.

[0061] Here, suppose that the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is reduced using the magnification reduction button 2A03 or mouse wheel operation, or the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is reset to the minimum magnification using the magnification reset button 2A04, and the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 becomes extremely low (for example, switched to 30x) compared to the image magnification of the display image 2A06 registered as the representative image.

[0062] Even in this case, according to this embodiment, the display image 2A06 registered as the representative image is always adjusted to a size that is easy to view, and is displayed surrounded by a balloon frame as the representative image 2B01, as shown in the example of Fig. 2B. In this way, the display processing unit 1223 adjusts the representative image 2B01 to a size that is easy to view and displays it on the observation position display screen 2A01 of the observation position display unit 1252 in response to a change in the magnification of the image display section of the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0063] The representative image registration processing unit 1222 registers the designated captured image as the representative image 2B01. The specific registration process can be designed as appropriate, but for example, the image may be designated manually, or the representative image 2B01 may be automatically registered based on a specific rule.

[0064] Furthermore, the base of the balloon frame is displayed to indicate the coordinates at the time of observation or acquisition of the representative image 2B01 in the background image of the sample being displayed. In the example of FIG. 2B , the background image of the sample is displayed, but the background image of the sample does not have to be displayed, or something other than the background image of the sample may be displayed. Furthermore, while the representative image 2B01 is displayed using a balloon frame, a frame of a different shape may be used, or no frame may be used at all.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, the base of the speech bubble frame is used to indicate the imaging coordinates of the representative image 2B01, but a different shape such as an arrow may also be used, or the image may be cut out and displayed without using an arrow or the like.

[0066] When the representative image 2B01 is placed at the observation position and displayed, it is not necessary to display an arrow or the like, but when the position of the representative image is changed by dragging the mouse, for example, an arrow or the like may be displayed so that the original position of the image can be identified.

[0067] In this embodiment, the size of an image refers to the size of the image when it is displayed on a screen (e.g., expressed in units of pixels), and does not necessarily correspond to the amount of image data (e.g., the number of pixels at the time of capture). In other words, the same image can be displayed in various sizes by enlarging or reducing it.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, "controlling the representative image 2B01 to a size that is easy to view" includes, for example, controlling the representative image 2B01 to a specific size. The "specific size" may be, for example, a fixed size regardless of the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01. Alternatively, the size of the representative image 2B01 may be changed at a ratio that is not proportional to the change in the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0069] A specific process for realizing such size changes can be designed as appropriate by a person skilled in the art based on known techniques, and one example is shown below: For example, if the virtual size (field of view) corresponding to the observation position display screen 2A01 is 254 mm and the virtual size (field of view) of the representative image 2B01 is 127 mm, the representative image 2B01 will be displayed at half the size of the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0070] Now, let's assume that the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is reduced to half of its original size. In this case, the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01 becomes 508 mm, twice the original size. If the field of view of the representative image 2B01 remains unchanged at 127 mm, the field of view of the representative image 2B01 becomes 1 / 4 of the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01, and therefore the size of the representative image 2B01 also becomes 1 / 4 of the size of the observation position display screen 2A01. As a result, the size of the representative image 2B01 changes and is not fixed.

[0071] In this embodiment, to fix the size of the representative image 2B01, the field of view of the representative image 2B01 is changed according to the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01. For example, if the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01 becomes 508 mm, twice the original size, the field of view of the representative image 2B01 can be correspondingly doubled to 254 mm, thereby fixing the size of the representative image 2B01. Similarly, if the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01 becomes 1016 mm, four times the original size, the field of view of the representative image 2B01 can be correspondingly doubled to 508 mm, four times the original size.

[0072] The above specific processing can also be realized as control using display layers. The virtual size of the screen display layer corresponding to the observation position display screen 2A01 is set as the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01. In addition, a representative image display layer including the representative image 2B01 is displayed in an overlapping manner and has a virtual size different from that of the layer so as to correspond to the observation position display screen 2A01, and the field of view of the representative image 2B01 is determined based on the representative image display layer. In this case, the virtual size of the screen display layer changes in response to a change in the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01, and the display positions and display sizes of the sample background image and the captured image being displayed on the screen display layer also change.

[0073] Here, by utilizing the changing display position, the representative image 2B01 can be displayed at the changing display position on a representative image display layer having a different virtual size, or by changing the position indicated by the base of the speech bubble frame of the representative image 2B01, it is possible to continue displaying the representative image 2B01 at a size that is easy to see, regardless of changes in the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0074] The "easily visible size" may be a size that changes depending on the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01, but is not simply proportional to the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 (for example, the changed size of the captured image is calculated as a size different from the above-mentioned S1. In other words, it is calculated as a size different from the size S1 obtained by multiplying the original size S0 of the captured image by the ratio (X1 / X0) of the changed magnification X1 of the observation position display screen 2A01 to the original magnification X0 of the observation position display screen 2A01, such that S1 = S0 × X1 / X0). For example, as the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 decreases, it is also possible to gradually reduce the size of the representative image 2B01 at a pace slower than the rate of decrease in magnification.

[0075] (Effect) As described above, when the magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is significantly different from the magnification of the representative image 2B01, the representative image 2B01 is controlled to a size that is easy to see, or is displayed at a size that is easy to see on the auxiliary display 2E01, making it easier to identify the observation position without losing sight of the representative image 2B01.

[0076] [Example 2] Main reference figures: Figure 3, Figures 4A to 4F Main contents: Explanation regarding movement to the center position of the representative image

[0077] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Explanations of parts common to the first embodiment may be omitted.

[0078] Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 3, the navigation of a sample using the representative image 4A01 in the charged particle beam device 100 will be described.

[0079] First, in step S301, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 constantly monitors the position of the mouse cursor on the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0080] In step S302, when the user double-clicks any position on the observation position display screen 2A01 with the left mouse button, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates, and in step S303 determines whether the screen coordinates are within the display area range of the representative image 4A01.

[0081] If the screen coordinates are within the display area range of the representative image 4A01, as shown in step S304, the information processing unit 1221 acquires the stage coordinates (x, y) of the representative image 4A01 from the incidental information file that was created at the same time as the representative image 4A01 was captured and that contains information such as the imaging conditions and stage coordinates. In this embodiment, only the coordinates (x, y) are described, but instead of or in addition to the X and Y coordinates, coordinates including the R coordinate, Z coordinate, T coordinate, etc. may be handled.

[0082] Subsequently, in step S305, the information processing unit 1221 generates a stage control signal based on the acquired stage coordinates and outputs it to the stage control device 130. The stage control device 130 drives the stage 104 to the movement position indicated by the stage control signal.

[0083] Next, in step S306, the information processing unit 1221 acquires the imaging magnification of the representative image 4A01 from an accompanying information file that was created simultaneously when the representative image 4A01 was captured and that contains information such as imaging conditions and stage coordinates. The information processing unit 1221 generates an optical control signal based on the acquired imaging magnification and outputs it to the optical system control device 170. The optical system control device 170 controls the scanning range of the electron beam so as to reproduce the magnification indicated in the optical control signal.

[0084] In this way, the condition control unit 1226 causes the charged particle beam device 100 to reproduce the magnification at the time of capturing the representative image 4A01. This allows the magnification to be reproduced automatically, improving work efficiency.

[0085] If the screen coordinates are outside the display area of ​​the representative image 4A01 in step S303, the coordinate transformation processing unit 1225 acquires the screen coordinates in step S307, and transforms them into stage coordinates by affine transformation processing in step S308. The translation transformation matrix of coordinates by affine transformation is shown below. T ｘ and T ｙ Each of the values ​​indicates a translation amount (offset amount), and applying a translation transformation matrix to screen coordinates enables conversion to stage coordinates. In this embodiment, only a translation transformation is used, but depending on the use case, a rotation transformation, scaling, rotation, and / or skew transformation may also be used, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0086] In step S309, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 outputs the converted stage coordinates to the information processing unit 1221. A stage control signal is generated by the information processing unit 1221 and output to the stage control device 130. The stage control device 130 drives the stage 104 to the movement position indicated by the stage control signal.

[0087] 4A to 4D illustrate sample navigation operations using the observation position display screen 2A01 and the representative image 4A01, respectively.

[0088] 4A shows an example of an observation position display screen 2A01. This type of screen displays a central dotted cross line 4A05 indicating the center of the observation position display screen 2A01, so that the position coordinate relationship can be easily grasped to some extent from the sample background image, etc., even when the screen magnification becomes extremely high.

[0089] In addition, in order to grasp the field of view range of the current magnification (the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the observation field of view) of the observation image display unit 1251 of the charged particle beam device 100, the coordinate transformation processing unit 1225 calculates the field of view from the current magnification of the observation image being displayed on the observation image display unit 1251, and the display processing unit 1223 creates a rectangular dashed frame representing a size that matches this field of view, and displays it on the observation position display screen 2A01 as the observation field of view dashed frame 4A06.

[0090] Regarding the position of the observation field of view dashed frame 4A06, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 converts the current stage coordinates into screen coordinates, and the observation field of view dashed frame 4A06 is positioned based on these. However, on the display, the observation field of view dashed frame 4A06 is always located at the center of the screen, and the position of the sample background image 4A02 is controlled to change during display.

[0091] In this embodiment, the dashed-line observation field frame 4A06 is fixed at the center of the screen and the currently displayed sample background image 4A02 is moved in accordance with the current stage coordinates. However, the dashed-line observation field frame 4A06 may be moved while the currently displayed sample background image 4A02 is fixed, and this is not limited to this embodiment. The observation image corresponding to the dashed-line observation field frame 4A06 is displayed in the observation image display section 1251 (see FIG. 1). The observation image display screen 4A07 is an example of such a screen, and polygonal and crescent-shaped structures are displayed.

[0092] 4A, when the left mouse button is double-clicked on the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 (cursor) on the observation position display screen 2A01, the screen coordinates of that position are acquired and a determination is made as to whether or not it is within the display area range of the representative image 4A01. The representative image 4A01 is displayed together with a speech bubble 4A03.

[0093] In the example of Figure 4A, the double-clicked position is outside the display area range of the representative image 4A01, so the screen coordinates of that position are converted into stage coordinates, and control is performed so that the stage 104 moves to those stage coordinates.

[0094] 4B, the display processing unit 1223 moves the position of the double-clicked displayed sample background image 4A02 so that it is at the center of the observation position display screen 2A01. At this time, the range of the sample being observed changes on the observation image display screen 4A07 in accordance with the movement of the stage 104, and therefore the observation image also changes.

[0095] In Fig. 4C, when the left mouse button is double-clicked on the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 on the observation position display screen 2A01, the acquired screen coordinates are determined to be within the display area range of the representative image 4A01. In this case, the stage coordinates and imaging magnification are acquired from the incidental information file 4D01 (see Fig. 4D) created simultaneously when the representative image 4A01 was captured, and the stage 104 is moved and the imaging magnification is applied so that the observation field of the representative image 4A01 is reproduced on the observation image display screen 4A07 as shown in Fig. 4D.

[0096] In this way, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the position of the mouse cursor 4A04, and acquires the stage coordinates associated with the representative image 4A01 according to the position of the mouse cursor 4A04. Then, the condition control unit 1226 performs processing to move the stage 104 of the charged particle beam device 100 to the stage coordinates associated with the representative image 4A01.

[0097] In particular, when the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 determines that the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 is within the display area range of the representative image 4A01, the condition control unit 1226 performs processing to move the stage 104 of the charged particle beam device 100 to the stage coordinates associated with the representative image 4A01. As a result, the stage coordinates are appropriately changed in response to a double-click on the representative image 4A01.

[0098] At the same time, the display processing unit 1223 moves the position of the double-clicked sample background image 4A02 being displayed so that it is at the center of the observation position display screen 2A01, and the size of the observation field dashed frame 4A06 is also changed according to the imaging magnification.

[0099] In the examples of Figures 4A to 4D, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 is described as monitoring the input position of the input device, determining whether the input position is within the display area range of the representative image 4A01, and then performing conversion processing to the corresponding stage coordinates, but this should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0100] For example, as shown in FIG. 4E, for all pixels (so-called target screen coordinate area 4E01) occupied by the display area range of the representative image 4A01 in the observation position display screen 2A01, if information on the stage coordinates of the representative image 4A01 is embedded in advance in the coordinate system of the target screen coordinate area 4E01 (for example, target screen coordinate 4E02 (X i画面座標 , Y i画面座標 ) and the corresponding stage coordinates (X' iステージ座標 , Y' iステージ座標 ) as a single coordinate array 4E03), it is possible to obtain the corresponding stage coordinates without determining whether the input position of the input device is within the display area range of the representative image 4A01.

[0101] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4F, if a correspondence table 4F01 is created in advance between the stage coordinate information of the representative image 4A01 and the coordinate system of the target screen coordinate area 4E01 for all pixels (so-called target screen coordinate area 4E01) occupied by the display area range of the representative image 4A01 within the observation position display screen 2A01, it is possible to obtain the corresponding stage coordinates without determining whether the input position of the input device is within the display area range of the representative image 4A01.

[0102] Furthermore, although it is described that the position is specified by double-clicking the left mouse button, it can also be specified by a single click, or by an input device other than a mouse, such as touch input, and should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0103] (Effect) In the case of a conventional charged particle beam device, when the display area range of the representative image 4A01 is double-clicked with the mouse cursor 4A04, the screen coordinates where the double-click was made are directly converted into stage coordinates, and the stage 104 is moved to those stage coordinates, so the position where the intended representative image 4A01 is located cannot be reproduced.

[0104] However, according to the charged particle beam device 100 of Example 2, by determining whether the display area range of the representative image 4A01, which is always displayed at a size that is easy to see, is within the range even if it is extremely far from the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01, it is possible to easily reproduce the observation field of view of the representative image 4A01 without manipulating the screen magnification and screen position of the observation position display screen 2A01, leading to improved operability.

[0105] [Embodiment 3] Main reference figures: Fig. 5, Fig. 6A to Fig. 6D, Fig. 7A to Fig. 7C Main contents: Explains a method for controlling navigation processing using a display area within a representative image.

[0106] Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first and second embodiments may be omitted.

[0107] The navigation process within the display area range of the representative image in the charged particle beam device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0108] First, in step S501, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 constantly monitors the position of the mouse cursor on the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0109] In step S502, after the user arbitrarily changes the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 on the observation position display screen 2A01, the input device monitoring processor 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 and determines whether or not it is within the display area range of the representative image. If the screen coordinates are within the display area range of the representative image, the input device monitoring processor 1224 continues to monitor the position of the mouse cursor 4A04.

[0110] In step S503, the input device monitoring processor 1224 determines whether the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 remains within the display area of ​​the representative image for a certain period of time or longer. If it is determined that the mouse cursor 4A04 has remained within the display area of ​​the representative image for a period of time longer than the preset period of time, in step S504, the display processor 1223 enlarges and displays the representative image at a predetermined scale.

[0111] In this way, when the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 detects that the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 remains within the display area range of the representative image for a predetermined period of time or more, the display processing unit 1223 enlarges and displays the representative image at a predetermined scale.

[0112] "Enlarging at a predetermined scale" includes, but is not limited to, enlarging to a predetermined display size that is larger than the original display size.

[0113] Subsequently, in step S505, when the user double-clicks the mouse at any position within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of that position in step S506.

[0114] Next, in step S507, the information processing unit 1221 acquires the stage coordinates (x, y) and imaging magnification of the representative image from an additional information file that was created at the same time as the representative image was captured and that contains information such as imaging conditions and stage coordinates. In this embodiment, only the coordinates (x, y) are described, but instead of or in addition to the X and Y coordinates, coordinates including the R coordinate, Z coordinate, T coordinate, etc. may be handled.

[0115] In step S508, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 performs a translation affine transformation on the acquired screen coordinates, thereby converting them into stage coordinates. Details of this coordinate transformation process will be described later (see FIG. 7). In this embodiment, only translation transformation is used, but rotation transformation, scaling, rotation, skew transformation, etc. may also be used depending on the use case, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0116] In step S509, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 outputs the converted stage coordinates to the information processing unit 1221, and the information processing unit 1221 generates a stage control signal, which is output to the stage control device 130. The stage control device 130 drives the stage 104 to the movement position indicated by the stage control signal.

[0117] In step S510, the information processing unit 1221 generates an optical control signal based on the imaging magnification obtained from the supplementary information file of the representative image, and outputs it to the optical system control device 170. The optical system control device 170 controls the scanning range of the electron beam so as to reproduce the magnification indicated in the optical control signal.

[0118] In step S502, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of the position of the mouse cursor 4A04, and if it determines that the screen coordinates are outside the display area range of the representative image, the processing of steps S503 to S510 is omitted.

[0119] In step S503, if the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 determines that the mouse cursor 4A04 has not been within the display area of ​​the representative image for a certain period of time or longer, the processing of steps S504 to S510 is omitted.

[0120] 6A to 6D are schematic diagrams illustrating navigation processing within the display area range of a representative image.

[0121] As shown in Fig. 6A, if the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 determines that the mouse cursor 4A04 has remained within the display area of ​​the representative image 4A01 on the observation position display screen 2A01 for a predetermined period of time or longer, the display processing unit 1223 enlarges the representative image 4A01 at a predetermined scale and displays it as an enlarged representative image 6B01, as shown in Fig. 6B. Details of the representative image enlargement process will be described later (see Fig. 7A).

[0122] Next, in the example of Fig. 6C, two circular structures are displayed in the enlarged representative image 6B01, and as an example, if the mouse cursor 4A04 is moved to the center of the circular structure on the upper left and the center is double-clicked with the left mouse button, a selection position marker 6C01 is displayed at the clicked position (in this example, the center of the circular structures). In the example of Fig. 6C, a cross-shaped selection position marker is used, but a circle, a square triangle, or another shape may also be used, and the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0123] The input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of the selection position marker 6C01, and the information processing unit 1221 acquires the stage coordinates (x, y) and imaging magnification of the representative image from an additional information file that contains information such as imaging conditions and stage coordinates, which was created at the same time as the representative image was captured.

[0124] Next, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 converts the screen coordinates of the selection position marker 6C01 into the corresponding stage coordinates. The detailed process of the coordinate conversion will be described later (see FIG. 7B ). As shown in FIG. 6D , the stage 104 is moved to the stage coordinates determined by the conversion process, and the magnification is changed to an appropriate value. In the observation image display unit 1251, the observation image of the sample corresponding to the screen coordinates of the selection position marker 6C01 is reproduced at an appropriate magnification with the circular structure at the center.

[0125] Here, the method for calculating the "appropriate magnification" can be determined appropriately by a person skilled in the art, but it can be, for example, a magnification equal to the imaging magnification of the representative image, a magnification close to the imaging magnification of the representative image, a magnification calculated as a result of image processing on the enlarged representative image 6B01 (for example, a magnification corresponding to the size of the smallest rectangle that surrounds the entire area of ​​the circular structure obtained by the binarization processing and structure extraction processing on the enlarged representative image 6B01), etc.

[0126] In addition, the display processing unit 1223 moves the currently displayed sample background image 4A02 so that the screen coordinates of the selected position marker 6C01 are located at the center of the observation position display screen 2A01, and the size of the observation field dashed frame 4A06 is also changed according to the applied magnification.

[0127] 7A to 7C are schematic diagrams illustrating a method for controlling navigation processing within the display area range of a representative image.

[0128] 7A is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of affine transforming an observation image captured by the charged particle beam device 100 into a stage coordinate region. In the example of FIG. 7A , for ease of calculation, the coordinate systems of the observation image coordinate region 7A01 and the stage coordinate region 7A02 are both positive along the rightward X-axis and downward along the Y-axis, and the upper left vertex is the origin. In this case, assuming that the width and height of the observation image coordinate region are ImgWidth and ImgHeight, respectively, the center position (ImgWidth / 2, ImgHeight / 2) of the observation image coordinate region can be linked to the actual stage coordinates (X, Y) using the following affine transformation process, as shown by the image coordinate / stage coordinate transformation dotted line 7A03.

[0129] However, using only the above formula, the observation image coordinate area 7A01 and the stage coordinate area 7A02 are linked at a 1:1 ratio, so when the observation image coordinate area 7A01 is displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01, if the field of view range of the observation image coordinate area 7A01 and the field of view range of the observation position display screen 2A01 are extremely far apart, the observation image area becomes too small and cannot be seen.

[0130] To prevent this, a scale control matrix is ​​applied so that the representative image can always be displayed at an easily recognizable size regardless of the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01. In this way, as shown in Fig. 7B, by changing the display size of the representative image using the scale control matrix (magnification ratio: Scale) along with changes in the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01, it becomes possible to always display the representative image at an easily recognizable size.

[0131] Also, as shown in Figure 6B, in order to enlarge the representative image at a predetermined scale when the mouse cursor 4A04 is over the mouse cursor for a certain period of time or more, it is necessary to apply a predetermined scale control matrix (enlargement ratio: SetScale) to the above transformation matrix.

[0132] In this way, the observation image coordinate area 7A01 can be converted into the stage coordinate area 7A02 as the representative image display area 7B01 using the above formula.

[0133] 7C is a schematic diagram illustrating the affine transformation process from the representative image display area 7B01 to the observation position display screen coordinate area 7C02. In the example of FIG. 7C, for the sake of convenience of calculation, the observation position display screen coordinate area 7C02 has the coordinate system in which the rightward direction of the X axis and the downward direction of the Y axis are positive, and the upper left vertex is the origin, just like the observation image coordinate area 7A01 and the stage coordinate area 7A02.

[0134] In order to display the representative image display area 7B01 displayed in the stage coordinate area 7A02 in the observation position display screen coordinate area 7C02, it is first necessary to match the pixel resolution between the two, and therefore scaling (magnification ratio: DisplayScale) must be applied to the representative image display area 7B01.

[0135] Next, the display position on the observation position display screen 2A01 needs to be applied as an offset value. In the example of Fig. 7C, the enlarged representative image 6B01 is displayed at coordinates (a, b) in the observation position display screen coordinate area 7C02, so it can be linked using the affine transformation process described below.

[0136] Furthermore, the base of the balloon frame surrounding the enlarged representative image 6B01 indicates the actual imaging position (c, d) of the enlarged representative image 6B01, which can be obtained as follows along the stage coordinate / screen coordinate conversion dotted line 7C01.

[0137] Here, when a position within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01 displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 is double-clicked, the corresponding stage coordinates can be obtained by applying the inverse transformation matrix of equation (4) to the double-clicked screen coordinates (ClickX, ClickY).

[0138] 7A to 7C show examples of affine transformation processing for the x and y coordinates of the stage 104, but instead of or in addition to these coordinates, transformation processing may be performed on the R coordinate, Z coordinate, T coordinate, coordinate in the rotation direction of the observation position display screen 2A01, etc., and is not limited to this example. Furthermore, transformation processing for shifts in the x and y coordinates of the charged particle beam and rotation in the scanning direction (raster rotation) by the optical system control device may also be included.

[0139] (Effect) As described above, when an arbitrary position within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 is designated, the position is converted into stage coordinates so that the position can be accurately moved, and the stage 104 is moved to those stage coordinates. In this embodiment, the operation on the display area of ​​the representative image enlarged by hovering the mouse over it is described, but the stage coordinates can also be converted without enlarging the representative image, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0140] [Example 4] Main reference figures: Figures 8A to 8C, Figures 9A to 9B Main content: Explains navigation processing taking into account stage rotation

[0141] Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to third embodiments may be omitted.

[0142] 8A to 8C are schematic diagrams illustrating navigation processing that takes into account the rotation of the stage 104. Fig. 8A shows an operation control section 8A01 and a rotation bar 8A10 on an observation position display screen 2A01.

[0143] The stage coordinate input unit 8A02 allows for operation of the X, Y, and R coordinates of the stage 104. The rotation origin input unit 8A03 allows for setting the rotation origin of the stage 104. The area setting unit 8A04 is a setting unit for setting an imaging area for the range of the sample, and allows for point specification and area specification (described later in FIGS. 21A to 26).

[0144] The control setting button 8A09 calls up a control setting screen 1900 (see FIG. 19 ) for performing various settings when operating the charged particle beam device 100. The rotation bar 8A10 is a marker for displaying the rotation angle of the sample background image 4A02 being displayed, and the display angle changes depending on the rotation angle of the stage 104.

[0145] When observation images captured at different rotation angles of the stage 104 are displayed as representative images, each observation image is displayed according to its respective rotation angle, as shown in Fig. 8A. In this case, to take the stage rotation into consideration, a rotation transformation matrix is ​​applied to Equations (3) and (4) as follows: where θ represents the R coordinate of the stage 104.

[0146] In Figure 8B, when the R coordinate is set to -45° in the stage coordinate input unit 8A02, the display content of the observation position display screen 2A01 is rotated 45° counterclockwise relative to the screen, and the representative image 8A11 captured at that angle is displayed straight.

[0147] In this way, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 performs the mutual conversion of the coordinate systems based on the stage rotation angle and rotation center of the charged particle beam device 100 .

[0148] Here, if the mouse cursor 4A04 is placed over the display area of ​​the representative image 8A11 for a certain period of time or longer, the representative image 8A11 is enlarged as shown in FIG. 8C. When an arbitrary position within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 8C01 is designated, a selection position marker 6C01 is displayed at the designated position, and the screen coordinates of that position are acquired. In this case, the acquired screen coordinates can be converted into stage coordinates by using equation (9), which is obtained by substituting equation (8) into equation (6), and the stage 104 can be accurately moved.

[0149] 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams illustrating navigation processing that takes into account the rotation of the stage 104 when the rotation origin is not at the center. As shown in Fig. 9A, when the rotation origin center 9A01 of the stage 104 is at a position other than the center of the stage coordinate area 7A02, for example, at (20, 10), creating a transformation matrix that takes the rotation origin into account for equations (3) and (4) makes it possible to display representative images captured at different rotation angles.

[0150] Here, when the stage 104 is rotated, the observation position display screen 2A01 rotates around the rotation origin center 9A01 as shown in Fig. 9B. Similarly, by using equation (6) that takes the rotation origin into consideration, it becomes possible to convert the screen coordinates of any position within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 8C01 into stage coordinates, and it becomes possible to move the position of the stage 104 accurately.

[0151] (Effect) As described above, by applying a rotation transformation matrix to representative images captured at different rotation angles of the stage 104, even if an arbitrary position within the display area range of the representative image displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01 is specified, the stage 104 can be moved to that position as in Example 3, making it possible to use this for sample navigation. Furthermore, even if the rotation origin of the stage 104 is other than (0, 0), sample navigation is similarly possible if a transformation formula is created that takes the rotation origin into consideration.

[0152] [Example 5] Main reference figures: Figures 10 to 11B Main content: Explains the process of erasing the enlarged display size of the representative image

[0153] Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to fourth embodiments may be omitted.

[0154] The process of erasing the enlarged display of the representative image by hovering the mouse over it will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0155] First, in step S1001, when the mouse cursor 4A04 is moved within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 enlarged at a predetermined scale on the observation position display screen 2A01, in step S1002, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 and determines whether it is within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01.

[0156] If the screen coordinates are within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, the enlarged display of the enlarged representative image 6B01 is maintained in step 1004.

[0157] If it is determined in step S1002 that the mouse cursor 4A04 has been moved outside the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image, then in step 1003 the display processing unit 1223 erases the enlarged display of the enlarged representative image 6B01, i.e., returns the display size of the enlarged representative image 6B01 to the display size of the original representative image.

[0158] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating the process of erasing the enlarged display of a representative image by hovering the mouse over it.

[0159] As shown in Figure 11A, when the mouse cursor 4A04 is moved outside the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01 on the observation position display screen 2A01, the display processing unit 1223 erases the enlarged display of the enlarged representative image 6B01 and returns the display size to its original size so that it becomes the representative image 4A01, as shown in Figure 11B.

[0160] In this way, when the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 detects that the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 is outside the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, the display processing unit 1223 re-displays the enlarged representative image 6B01, which was enlarged and displayed at a predetermined scale, at the original scale.

[0161] (Effect) As described above, by hovering the mouse over the display area range of the representative image 4A01 for a certain period of time or longer, the enlarged representative image 6B01, which is enlarged and displayed at a predetermined scale, occupies a large amount of display space on the observation position display screen 2A01, which may interfere with checking information on a different area of ​​the sample. To prevent this, when the mouse cursor 4A04 is moved out of the display area range of the enlarged enlarged representative image 6B01, the enlarged display of the enlarged representative image 6B01 is erased, thereby increasing the amount of information that can be checked on the observation position display screen 2A01.

[0162] [Example 6] Main reference figures: Figures 12 to 13B Main content: Navigation processing by mouse dragging within the display area of ​​the representative image

[0163] Hereinafter, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to fifth embodiments may be omitted.

[0164] The navigation process by mouse dragging within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0165] Steps S1201 to S1204 may be the same as those in the third embodiment (see FIG. 5), and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0166] In step S1205, the user sets any position within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01 as the start point and drags the mouse from that position. In step 1206, the position where the mouse drag operation ends is set as the end point. The input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of the start and end points of the mouse drag and passes them to the display processing unit 1223. The display processing unit 1223 uses the screen coordinates of the start and end points to draw a rectangular marker within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01.

[0167] In step S1207, the display processing unit 1223 acquires the screen coordinates of the center position of the rectangular marker, and in step S1208, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 converts these into corresponding stage coordinates through affine transformation processing and transmits them to the information processing unit 1221.

[0168] Next, in step S1209, the information processing unit 1221 generates a stage control signal based on the acquired stage coordinates and outputs it to the stage control device 130. The stage control device 130 drives the stage 104 to the movement position indicated by the stage control signal.

[0169] In step S1210, the display processing unit 1223 obtains the screen coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertices of the rectangular marker, which are then converted into the corresponding stage coordinates by affine transformation processing by the coordinate transformation processing unit 1225 and sent to the information processing unit 1221.

[0170] In step S1211, the information processing unit 1221 calculates the difference between the stage coordinates of the upper left vertex and the upper right vertex, and then calculates the magnification by calculating the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the difference. In step S1212, the information processing unit 1221 generates an optical control signal based on the calculated magnification and outputs it to the optical system control device 170. The optical system control device 170 controls the scanning range of the electron beam so as to reproduce the magnification indicated in the optical control signal.

[0171] In this way, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 converts the screen coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertex positions and the center position of the enlarged representative image 6B01 into the stage coordinate system, and calculates the magnification from the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the difference between the stage coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertex positions.The coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 then causes the observation support device to reproduce the stage coordinates and magnification of the center position.

[0172] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating navigation processing by mouse dragging within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01.

[0173] 13A , when the mouse is dragged with the lower right circular structure as the center of two circular structures within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01, the position where the mouse drag starts is set to drag start coordinates 13A01 of the mouse cursor 4A04, and the position where the mouse drag ends is set to drag end coordinates 13A02. In this case, a rectangular marker 13A03 is drawn within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01 based on the drag start coordinates 13A01 and the drag end coordinates 13A02.

[0174] 13B, the screen coordinates of the center position of the rectangular marker 13A03 are transformed into stage coordinates by affine transformation processing, and the stage 104 is controlled to move to those stage coordinates. Similarly, the screen coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertices of the rectangular marker are transformed into corresponding stage coordinates by affine transformation, and then the difference between the stage coordinates is determined.

[0175] When the ratio of this difference to a predetermined reference dimension is found, the magnification is calculated and applied to the screen magnification of the observation image display screen 4A07. In this way, the field of view is reproduced on the observation image display screen 4A07 at a position and magnification corresponding to the rectangular marker 13A03.

[0176] In this way, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the start and end positions of the input operation within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, and the display processing unit 1223 displays rectangular markers corresponding to the start and end positions in the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01.

[0177] (Effect) As described above, it is possible to reproduce the field of view at the position and magnification corresponding to the rectangular marker created by any drag start position and drag end position within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01, so that it is possible to navigate to the desired field of view with intuitive and easy operations.

[0178] In this embodiment, the creation of a rectangular area is described by mouse dragging, but the same thing can be achieved if there is a means of obtaining the coordinates of the start and end points other than mouse dragging, so the method is not limited to this embodiment.

[0179] [Example 7] Main reference figures: Figures 14 to 15D Main content: Navigation processing by digital zoom operation of the display area of ​​the representative image

[0180] Hereinafter, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to sixth embodiments may be omitted.

[0181] The navigation process by digital zoom operation within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0182] The input device (such as a mouse) includes a rotating member (hereinafter, a mouse wheel as an example).

[0183] In step S1401, the user rotates the mouse wheel within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01. The input device monitoring processor 1224 then acquires the direction and amount of rotation of the mouse wheel and outputs them to the coordinate conversion processor 1225. The coordinate conversion processor 1225 creates an appropriate scale transformation matrix according to the direction and amount of rotation of the mouse wheel.

[0184] In this way, the input device monitoring processor 1224 acquires the direction and amount of rotation of the mouse wheel when the mouse cursor 4A04 is positioned within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01. The coordinate transformation processor 1225 then creates a scale transformation matrix according to the direction and amount of rotation of the mouse wheel.

[0185] In step S1402, the display processing unit 1223 applies this scale transformation matrix and digitally zooms in / out around the mouse cursor 4A04 in the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, thereby enlarging / reducing the display area range. In this way, the display processing unit 1223 digitally zooms in / out the enlarged representative image 6B01 by applying the scale transformation matrix around the position of the mouse cursor 4A04.

[0186] Next, in step S1403, when the user double-clicks any position within the digitally zoomed display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 with the mouse cursor 4A04, in step S1404, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of that position and outputs them to the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225.

[0187] In step S1405, the coordinate conversion processing unit 1225 converts the screen coordinates into corresponding stage coordinates and sends them to the information processing unit 1221. Next, in step S1406, the information processing unit 1221 generates a stage control signal based on the acquired stage coordinates and outputs it to the stage control device 130. The stage control device 130 drives the stage 104 to the movement position indicated by the stage control signal.

[0188] Subsequently, in step S1407, the display processing unit 1223 acquires the screen coordinates of the upper left vertex and upper right vertex of the digitally zoomed display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, and outputs them to the coordinate transformation processing unit 1225. These are transformed into the corresponding stage coordinates by affine transformation, and transmitted to the information processing unit 1221.

[0189] In step S1408, the information processing unit 1221 calculates the difference between the stage coordinates of the upper left vertex and the upper right vertex, and then calculates the magnification by calculating the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the difference. In step S1409, the information processing unit 1221 generates an optical control signal based on the calculated magnification and outputs it to the optical system control device 170. The optical system control device 170 controls the scanning range of the electron beam so as to reproduce the magnification indicated in the optical control signal.

[0190] In this way, the input device monitoring processor 1224 acquires the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 within the display area of ​​the digitally zoomed enlarged representative image 6B01. The coordinate conversion processor 1225 converts the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 into the stage coordinate system, converts the screen coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertices of the display area of ​​the digitally zoomed enlarged representative image 6B01 into the corresponding stage coordinate systems, calculates the difference between the stage coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertices, and then calculates the magnification from the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the difference. The condition controller 1226 moves the stage 104 of the charged particle beam device 100 to the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 converted into the stage coordinate system and reproduces the calculated magnification.

[0191] 15A to 15D are schematic diagrams illustrating navigation processing by digital zoom operation within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01.

[0192] 15A, digital zoom is performed around the mouse cursor within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 by rotating the mouse wheel, etc. Also, to indicate the digital zoom scale of the enlarged representative image 6B01, a digital zoom scale bar 15A01 is displayed to the left of it, and the digital zoom ratio ranges from the original display scale (min) to a predetermined maximum digital zoom-in scale (max).

[0193] 15B, the mouse wheel is rotated between the two circular structures, and the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 is digitally zoomed in accordance with the amount of rotation. At the same time, the slider of the digital zoom scale bar 15A01 is also moved to the corresponding digital zoom ratio.

[0194] In this way, the display processing unit 1223 displays the digital zoom scale bar to the left of the digitally zoomed enlarged representative image 6B01 and changes the position of the slider on the digital zoom scale bar according to the digital zoom ratio, allowing the user to easily change the digital zoom ratio.

[0195] 15C, the user moves the mouse cursor 4A04 upward within the display area of ​​the digitally zoomed enlarged representative image 6B01 and double-clicks it, whereupon the screen coordinates of the clicked position are converted into stage coordinates, and the stage 104 is moved to that position.

[0196] In addition, the screen coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertices in the digitally zoomed display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 are converted to the corresponding stage coordinates, and the magnification is determined by calculating the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the difference between the stage coordinates, and is applied to the screen magnification of the observation image display screen 4A07.

[0197] Finally, as shown in FIG. 15D, a rectangular marker 13B01 corresponding to the digitally zoomed range is drawn in the display area range of the representative image.

[0198] (Effect) As described above, by further digitally zooming the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 being displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01, it becomes possible to navigate the sample with even greater precision.

[0199] Furthermore, since a magnification corresponding to the digitally zoomed range is applied, consistency with the user's operation intention can be maintained, allowing for intuitive operation.

[0200] In this embodiment, digital zooming by rotating the mouse wheel is described, but the same thing can be achieved if there is a means for changing the digital zoom scale other than rotating the mouse wheel, so the method is not limited to this embodiment.

[0201] [Example 8] Main reference figures: Figures 16A to 16B Main content: Explains how to change the display magnification of the observation position display section

[0202] Hereinafter, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to seventh embodiments may be omitted.

[0203] 16A and 16B are schematic diagrams illustrating the process of changing the screen coverage ratio of the observation position display section 1252 (see FIG. 1).

[0204] In the example of Fig. 16A, on the observation position display screen 2A01, which is an example of the observation position display section 1252, the user double-clicks on the center of the upper-left circular structure of two circular structures displayed within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01. Then, in Fig. 16B, the screen coordinates of the center are converted to stage coordinates by affine transformation processing, as described in the above-mentioned Examples 2 to 7, and the stage 104 is controlled to move to those stage coordinates. Furthermore, the imaging magnification is obtained from the incidental information file of the enlarged representative image 6B01 and applied to the screen magnification of the observation image display screen 4A07.

[0205] Here, the display position of the observation position display screen 2A01 is moved to match the double-clicked screen coordinates, and the screen scale is converted so that the screen magnification also matches the imaging magnification of the enlarged representative image 6B01. In the example of Figure 16B, the center of the circular structure in the upper left becomes the center of the observation position display screen 2A01, and the screen magnification is switched to the imaging magnification of the representative image, for example, 5000x.

[0206] In this way, when the position of the mouse cursor 4A04 is within the display area range of the digitally zoomed enlarged representative image 6B01, the display processing unit 1223 switches the range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 corresponding to the display area range to a range centered on the position of the mouse cursor 4A04, and applies the magnification at the time of capturing the enlarged representative image 6B01 as the magnification of the observation position display unit 1252.

[0207] (Effect) As described above, when the user specifies any position within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01 displayed on the observation position display screen 2A01, the observation position display screen 2A01 switches to that position or an appropriate screen magnification, thereby eliminating the need to operate the observation position display screen 2A01 screen and improving operability.

[0208] However, depending on the use case, automatic switching of the observation position display screen 2A01 may actually worsen operability, so it is possible to switch the link between the screen magnification and the screen position in the screen display control unit 1903 of the control setting screen 1900 (see Figure 19), which is called up from the control setting button 8A09 (see Figure 8A).

[0209] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is described that the screen magnification of the observation position display screen 2A01 is switched to the imaging magnification of the enlarged representative image 6B01, but it may be switched to any other appropriate screen magnification, and should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0210] [Example 9] Main reference figures: Figures 17 to 19 Main content: Explains the process of changing the observation conditions of a charged particle beam device

[0211] Hereinafter, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to eighth embodiments may be omitted.

[0212] The process of changing the observation conditions of the charged particle beam device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0213] In step S1701, for example, it is assumed that the current position of the stage 104 is within the display area range of representative image A, and the field of view is being observed under observation condition A. In step S1702, the user manually operates the stage 104 or uses the navigation processing of Examples 2 to 8 to move the stage 104 from the display area range of representative image A to within the display area range of representative image B.

[0214] In step S1703, since the information processing unit constantly manages the current coordinates of the stage 104, if it detects that the stage 104 is within the display area range of the representative image B, the observation condition B is obtained from the auxiliary information file of the representative image B, and in step S1704, the observation condition is applied to the charged particle beam device 100, and the observation condition A is switched to the observation condition B.

[0215] In this way, the condition control unit 1226 causes the charged particle beam device 100 to reproduce the observation conditions for the representative image B.

[0216] The "observation conditions" described in this embodiment include at least one of the accelerating voltage of the charged particle beam, the beam intensity (the intensity of the current flowing through the capacitor), the beam scanning range (magnification), the beam working distance (WD), the image quality (contrast, brightness), and the type of signal detected from the sample (reflected electrons, secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, inelastically scattered electrons, Auger electrons, cathodoluminescence, and X-rays).

[0217] 18A to 18C are schematic diagrams illustrating the process of changing the observation conditions of the charged particle beam device 100. FIG.

[0218] In the example of Figure 18A, the current position of the stage 104 is within the display area range of the representative image A18A01, observation condition A18A03 is applied to the charged particle beam device 100, and the field of view shown on the observation image display screen 4A07 is displayed.

[0219] Here, if the mouse cursor 4A04 is placed over the representative image B18A02 for a certain period of time or longer, the representative image B18A02 is enlarged and displayed at a predetermined scale, as shown in Fig. 18B. If the apex of the upper right protrusion of the star-shaped structure displayed in the enlarged representative image 18B01 is double-clicked, the stage 104 moves to the clicked position by the navigation processing of Example 3.

[0220] When it is detected that the current position of the stage 104 is within the display area range of the representative image B18A02 or the enlarged representative image 18B01, the observation condition of the charged particle beam device 100 switches from observation condition A18A03 to observation condition B18C01, as shown in Figure 18C, and the appearance of the field of view changes as shown on the observation image display screen 4A07.

[0221] (Effect) As described above, if the observation conditions are automatically switched depending on the observation site during sample navigation, the time and effort required for manual adjustment of the observation conditions can be eliminated, leading to improved operability.

[0222] However, depending on the use case, automatic switching of observation conditions may adversely affect operability, so that it is possible to switch the type of detection signal, acceleration voltage, intensity, working distance, and magnification reproduction in an observation condition setting section 1901 of a control setting screen 1900 (see FIG. 19 ), which is called up from a control setting button 8A09. Also, it may be possible to switch the coordinate reproduction conditions in a coordinate condition setting section 1902.

[0223] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is described that the observation conditions of the observation position display screen 2A01 are switched to the observation conditions of the representative image including the current position of the stage 104, but it is also possible to switch to conditions other than the observation conditions defined in this embodiment, and this should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0224] [Example 10] Main reference figures: Figures 20 to 21B, Figure 25 Main content: Explains the procedure for setting up continuous imaging (point designation) using representative images

[0225] Hereinafter, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to ninth embodiments may be omitted.

[0226] The procedure for setting continuous image capture based on the coordinates designated in the display area range of the representative image will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0227] In step S2001, when the user clicks on any position within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of the clicked position and outputs them to the display processing unit 1223. In step S2002, the display processing unit 1223 displays a selection position marker 6C01 at a corresponding position within the display area of ​​the enlarged representative image 6B01 based on the received screen coordinates.

[0228] In step S2003, the magnification of the group of continuously captured images, the amount of overlap between the images, and the number of images captured in each of the X and Y directions are set with the screen coordinates of the selection position marker 6C01 as the center. In S2004, the information processing unit 1221 outputs this setting information to the display processing unit 1223. Based on the setting information, the display processing unit 1223 represents each of the continuously captured images as a rectangular symbol and displays them within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, arranging them in the number of images captured with some overlap in the X and Y directions.

[0229] 21A and 21B are schematic diagrams illustrating a procedure for setting continuous image capture based on coordinates designated in the display area range of the representative image.

[0230] 21A, when the user clicks the coordinate specification execution button 8A05 in the region setting section 8A04, the observation position display screen 2A01 switches to a mode in which a continuous imaging region can be set by specifying coordinates. In this mode, when the user specifies the center of the upper left circular structure of two circular structures within the display region of the enlarged representative image 6B01 with the mouse cursor 4A04, a selection position marker 6C01 is displayed at that position.

[0231] Next, by clicking the coordinate designation setting button 8A06, a coordinate designation setting screen 2500 such as that shown in Fig. 25 is called up. On the coordinate designation setting screen 2500, it is possible to set the magnification of the group of images to be continuously captured in a magnification setting section 2501, the amount of overlap between images in an overlap amount setting section 2502, and the number of images to be captured in each of the X and Y directions in a number setting section 2503, with the selection position marker 6C01 at the center.

[0232] As shown in Figure 21B, based on this setting information, the display processing unit 1223 converts images captured continuously around the selection position marker 6C01 into rectangular symbols and displays the set number of images in the X and Y directions in real time within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01.

[0233] In this way, the display processing unit 1223 displays the specified position specified via the mouse cursor 4A04 with a position marker within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01. The information processing unit 1221 generates setting information for continuous image capture according to the specified position. The setting information includes the magnification, the amount of overlap between images, the number of images captured in the X direction, and the number of images captured in the Y direction. Based on the setting information, the display processing unit 1223 displays the group of images related to the continuous image capture as a group of rectangular symbols.

[0234] In particular, the display processing unit 1223 displays the designated center position designated via the mouse cursor 4A04 as a position marker within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01. The information processing unit 1221 generates setting information centered on this designated center position.

[0235] In the example of Figure 21B, rectangular, semi-transparent symbols are used to represent images captured continuously, but non-rectangular symbols or opaque symbols may also be used, and this should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0236] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is described that the group of consecutively captured images 21B01 is set around a specified coordinate, but the specified coordinate may also be the central coordinate of the top leftmost image in the group of consecutively captured images 21B01, and this should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0237] (Effect) As described above, by realizing the setting of a continuous imaging area using the enlarged representative image 6B01, even if the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01 (calculated from the ratio of the dimensions of the observation position display screen 2A01 to the screen magnification) is extremely far from the field of view of the sample target area for which continuous imaging is desired to be set, it is possible to eliminate the effort of searching for the target area, such as by manually switching the field of view and position of the observation position display screen 2A01, thereby contributing to improved operability.

[0238] Furthermore, the way the set continuous imaging area is imaged relative to the specified coordinates is visualized as a rectangular symbol, allowing intuitive setting of the target area of ​​the sample, further improving operability.

[0239] [Example 11] Main reference figures: Figures 22 to 23E, Figure 26 Main content: Explains the procedure for setting up continuous imaging (range designation) using representative images

[0240] Hereinafter, an eleventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. Explanations of parts common to the first to tenth embodiments may be omitted.

[0241] The procedure for setting continuous image capture within the range designated by the display area range of the representative image will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0242] In step S2201, when the user clicks multiple arbitrary positions within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, the input device monitoring processing unit 1224 acquires the screen coordinates of each clicked position and outputs them to the display processing unit 1223. The display processing unit 1223 displays the selection position marker 6C01 at each position based on the received screen coordinates.

[0243] In step S2202, when the click operation is completed, the display processing unit 1223 connects the multiple selection position markers 6C01 in order, ultimately creating a polygon with each position as a vertex, and displays it within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01. In this way, the user can create a polygon of any shape.

[0244] In step S2203, the display processing unit 1223 creates the smallest rectangle (the rectangle with the shortest diagonal length) that contains the entire polygon. It also calculates the screen coordinates of the four vertices of the rectangle and outputs them to the information processing unit 1221.

[0245] Next, in step S2204, the user sets the imaging magnification and the amount of overlap between images. The information processing unit 1221 calculates the number of images to be captured so that the rectangular area surrounding the polygon is filled, and displays the continuously captured images as rectangular symbols. Note that once the imaging magnification and the amount of overlap between images are set, the field of view of a single image can be calculated.

[0246] Furthermore, the size of the rectangle enclosing the polygon can be determined by converting the screen coordinates of any two vertices of the rectangle enclosing the polygon (for example, the upper left and upper right vertices, but it could also be the upper left and lower right vertices, the lower left and lower right vertices, the upper left and lower left vertices, etc.) into stage coordinates using an affine transformation and finding the difference between the stage coordinates of the two vertices. In this way, it is possible to calculate the number of images to be taken so that the rectangular area enclosing the polygon is filled.

[0247] In step S2205, the group of consecutively captured images is checked for overlap with the polygon, one by one, from the top left to the bottom right. Note that, in order to improve the accuracy of the overlap determination between the group of consecutively captured images and the polygon, the overlap determination is performed after converting the area of ​​the polygon of any shape into the stage coordinate system, rather than using the screen coordinate system.

[0248] In step S2206, the information processing unit 1221 executes a process of determining whether or not there is an overlapping area between the polygon and the captured image. If it is determined that there is an overlapping area between the two, in step S2207, the information processing unit 1221 sets that image as a target image for continuous image capture, and repeats the overlap determination with the next image.

[0249] If it is determined in step S2206 that there is no overlapping area between the two images, the information processing unit 1221 sets the image as not being a target image for continuous image capturing, and repeats the overlap determination with the next image.

[0250] 23A to 23E are schematic diagrams illustrating the procedure for setting continuous image capture within a range designated by the display area range of the representative image.

[0251] 23A, when the range specification execution button 8A07 of the region setting section 8A04 is clicked, the observation position display screen 2A01 switches to a mode in which a continuous imaging region can be set by range specification. In this mode, when multiple arbitrary positions are specified in order around the upper left circular structure of two circular structures within the display region of the enlarged representative image 6B01, a selected position marker 6C01 is displayed at each position.

[0252] In Figure 23B, when the user indicates completion of the click operation, the display processing unit 1223 connects multiple selection position markers 6C01 in order, and ultimately creates a polygon 23B01, which is displayed within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01.

[0253] In this way, the display processing unit 1223 displays the polygon by connecting each designated position with a line, thereby enabling the user to easily designate the shape of the polygon.

[0254] Next, by clicking the range designation setting button 8A08, a range designation setting screen 2600 is called up as shown in Fig. 26. On the range designation setting screen 2600, the magnification of the group of images to be captured continuously is set in the magnification setting section 2501, and the overlap amount between the images is set in the overlap amount setting section 2502, whereby the field of view of one image can be calculated.

[0255] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 23D, the screen coordinates of the vertices of a rectangle 23D01 surrounding a polygon 23B01 (for example, two vertices in the X direction or two diagonal vertices) are converted into stage coordinates using an affine transformation, and the difference between the stage coordinates of the two vertices is calculated, thereby determining the size of the rectangle surrounding the polygon.

[0256] Next, by executing a process of determining whether or not there is an overlapping area between the polygon and the captured image, it is possible to automatically set target images for continuous capture. In the case of this embodiment, a group of continuously captured images 23C01 as shown in Fig. 23E is set, and the number of continuously captured images is displayed in a total number display section 2601 of the range designation setting screen 2600.

[0257] In this way, the display processing unit 1223 displays two or more designated positions specified via the mouse cursor 4A04 as position markers within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01. The information processing unit 1221 generates setting information for continuous image capture in accordance with each designated position. Based on the setting information, the display processing unit 1223 displays a group of images related to continuous image capture as a group of rectangular symbols.

[0258] The information processing unit 1221 also calculates the field of view of one image based on the magnification and the amount of overlap between images included in the setting information. Next, the information processing unit 1221 calculates the size of the rectangle enclosing the polygon from the difference between the stage coordinates of two vertices of the rectangle enclosing the polygon. Next, the information processing unit 1221 calculates the number of images to fill the rectangular area based on the field of view of one image and the size of the rectangle. Next, the information processing unit 1221 selects one or more images from the group of images captured consecutively as images to be captured based on the overlap determination result between the group of images captured consecutively and the polygon. This processing allows efficient capturing of only the necessary area.

[0259] Next, when the group of consecutively captured images 23C01 is transformed into the screen coordinate system by affine transformation, the target image is displayed as a rectangular symbol within the display area range of the enlarged representative image 6B01, as shown in FIG. 23C.

[0260] In the examples of Figures 23C and 23D, rectangular, semi-transparent symbols are used to represent successively captured images, but non-rectangular or opaque symbols may also be used, and should not be construed as being limited to this example.

[0261] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the determination of area overlap between an arbitrarily shaped polygon and a rectangular symbol representing an image is performed in the stage coordinate system, but the determination may also be performed in the screen coordinate system on the observation position display screen 2A01, and should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0262] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the setting of a continuous imaging area in X and Y coordinates is described, but the rotation angle of the set area may be changed, and the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0263] For example, as shown in FIG. 24A , when a user selects polygon 23B01, a region range rectangular frame 24A01 is displayed as a rectangle surrounding the polygon. Region range rectangular frame 24A01 has a rotation operation unit 24A02. If the user performs a rotation operation (e.g., clockwise) while holding rotation operation unit 24A02 of region range rectangular frame 24A01, polygon 23B01 rotates clockwise, as shown in FIG. 24B . In other words, when an operation is performed on rotation operation unit 24A02 via mouse cursor 4A04, the polygon rotates in response to the operation. This type of processing allows the user to more freely specify the imaging target region.

[0264] Finally, as shown in FIG. 24C, the image rectangular symbol representing the group of consecutively captured images 22A03 is set in a rotated state.

[0265] In this embodiment, a rotation operation is performed on a polygon, but the size and position of the polygon may be changed, and the present embodiment should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0266] (Effect) As described above, by realizing the setting of a continuous imaging area of ​​any shape using the enlarged representative image 6B01, even if the field of view of the observation position display screen 2A01 (calculated from the ratio of the dimensions of the observation position display screen 2A01 to the screen magnification) is extremely different from the field of view of the sample target area for which continuous imaging is desired to be set, it is possible to eliminate the effort of searching for the target area, such as by manually switching the field of view and position of the observation position display screen 2A01, thereby contributing to improved operability.

[0267] Furthermore, because the set continuous imaging area is visualized as a rectangular symbol to show how it will be imaged relative to the specified coordinates, the target area of ​​the sample can be set intuitively, further improving operability.

[0268] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100...Charged particle beam device 101...Sample chamber 102...Charged particle beam optical system 103...Sample stage 104...Stage 105...Detector 106...Optical camera 107...Vacuum pump 108...Sample 110...Charged particle beam imaging device 111...Memory 120...Calculation control unit 121...CPU 122...Main memory device 1221...Information processing unit 1222...Representative image registration processing unit 1223...Display processing unit 1224...Input device monitoring processing unit 1225...Coordinate conversion processing unit 1226...Condition control unit 123...Secondary memory device 124...Input unit 125...Display unit 1251...Observation image display unit 1252...Observation position display unit 130...Stage control device 131...Coordinate storage unit 132...Control unit 133...Drive unit 140...Vacuum control device 141...Memory 150...Optical imaging device 151...Memory 161...Charged particle source 162...Condenser lens 163...Deflector 164...Objective lens 170...Optical system control device 171...Memory 2A01...Observation position display screen 2A02...Magnification increase button 2A03...Magnification decrease button 2A04...Magnification reset button 2A05...Magnification display section 2A06...Displayed image 2B01...Representative image 2E01...Auxiliary display 4A01...Representative image 4A02...Displayed sample background image 4A03...Speech bubble 4A04...Mouse cursor (cursor) 4A05...Central dotted cross 4A06...Observation field dashed frame 4A07...Observation image display screen 4D01...Additional information file 4E01...Target screen coordinate area 4E02...Target screen coordinates 4E03...Coordinate array 4F01...Correspondence table 6B01...Enlarged representative image 6C01...Selection position marker 7A01...Observation image coordinate area 7A02...Stage coordinate area 7A03...Image coordinate / stage coordinate conversion dotted line 7B01...Representative image display area 7C01...Stage coordinate / screen coordinate conversion dotted line 7C02...Observation position display screen coordinate area 8A01...Operation control section 8A02...Stage coordinate input section 8A03...Rotation origin input section 8A04...Area setting section 8A05...Coordinate specification execution button 8A06...Coordinate specification setting button 8A07...Range specification execution button 8A08...Range specification setting button 8A09...Control setting button 8A10...Rotation bar 8A11...Representative image 8C01...Enlarged representative image 9A01...Rotation origin center 13A01...Drag start point coordinates 13A02...Drag end point coordinates13A03...Rectangular marker 13B01...Rectangular marker 15A01...Digital zoom scale bar 18A01...Representative image A 18A02...Representative image B 18A03...Observation condition A 18B01...Enlarged representative image 18C01...Observation condition B 1900...Control setting screen 1901...Observation condition setting section 1902...Coordinate condition setting section 1903...Screen display control section 21B01...Continuously captured image group 22A03...Continuously captured image group 23B01...Polygon 23C01...Continuously captured image group 23D01...Rectangle enclosing polygon 24A01...Area range rectangular frame 24A02...Rotation operation section 2500...Coordinate specification setting screen 2501...Magnification setting section 2502...Overlap amount setting section 2503...Number of sheets setting section 2600...Range specification setting screen 2601...Total number display section

Claims

1. An observation support device for a sample, comprising: an observation position display unit that displays, in correspondence with the positions of a plurality of images of a sample captured by a charged particle beam device, on an image display unit; a display processing unit that controls the observation position display unit; a representative image registration processing unit that registers a representative image based on the plurality of captured images; a coordinate conversion processing unit that processes mutual conversion between the coordinate system of the observation position display unit and the stage coordinate system of the charged particle beam device; an input device monitoring processing unit that monitors input operations of an input device via a cursor; and a condition control unit that changes the observation conditions and stage coordinates of the charged particle beam device, wherein the display processing unit controls the representative image to a size that is easy to view and displays it on the observation position display unit in response to a change in the magnification of the image display unit, the input device monitoring processing unit acquires the position of the cursor, and acquires stage coordinates associated with the representative image in accordance with the position of the cursor, and the condition control unit performs processing to move the stage of the charged particle beam device to the stage coordinates associated with the representative image.

2. An observation support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, in response to the input device monitoring processing unit determining that the position of the cursor is within the display area range of the representative image, the condition control unit performs processing to move the stage of the charged particle beam device to stage coordinates associated with the representative image.

3. An observation support device according to claim 2, characterized in that the condition control unit causes the charged particle beam device to reproduce the observation conditions of the representative image.

4. An observation support device according to claim 3, characterized in that the condition control unit causes the charged particle beam device to reproduce the magnification at the time of capturing the representative image.

5. An observation support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coordinate conversion processing unit performs the mutual conversion based on a stage rotation angle and a rotation center of the charged particle beam device.

6. An observation support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, when the input device monitoring processing unit detects that the position of the cursor remains within the display area of ​​the representative image for a predetermined period of time or more, the display processing unit enlarges and displays the representative image at a predetermined scale.

7. An observation support device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, when the input device monitoring processing unit detects that the position of the cursor is outside the display area range of the representative image, the display processing unit re-displays the representative image, which was enlarged and displayed at the specified scale, at the original scale.

8. An observation support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: the input device monitoring processing unit acquires a start position and an end position of an input operation within the display area range of the representative image; and the display processing unit displays rectangular markers corresponding to the start position and the end position in the display area of ​​the representative image.

9. An observation support device as described in claim 8, characterized in that the coordinate conversion processing unit further processes mutual conversion with the coordinate system of the representative image, the coordinate conversion processing unit converts the screen coordinates of the upper left and upper right vertices of the rectangular marker and the center position of the representative image into the stage coordinate system, calculates a magnification from the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the stage coordinate difference between the upper left vertex position and the upper right vertex position, and causes the observation support device to reproduce the stage coordinates of the center position and the magnification.

10. An observation support device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: the input device is equipped with a rotating member; the input device monitoring processing unit acquires the rotation direction and amount of rotation of the rotating member when the position of the cursor is within the display area range of the representative image; the coordinate transformation processing unit creates a scale transformation matrix according to the rotation direction and amount of rotation of the rotating member; and the display processing unit digitally zooms in on the representative image by applying the scale transformation matrix centered on the position of the cursor.

11. An observation support device as described in claim 10, characterized in that: the input device monitoring processing unit acquires the position of the cursor within the display area range of the digitally zoomed representative image; the coordinate conversion processing unit converts the position of the cursor into a stage coordinate system, converts the screen coordinates of the upper left vertex and the upper right vertex in the display area range of the digitally zoomed representative image into the corresponding stage coordinate systems, and calculates a magnification from the ratio of a predetermined reference dimension to the difference after determining the difference; and the condition control unit moves the stage of the charged particle beam device to the position of the cursor converted into the stage coordinate system and reproduces the calculated magnification.

12. An observation support device as described in claim 11, characterized in that the display processing unit displays a digital zoom scale bar to the left of the digitally zoomed representative image, and changes the position of a slider of the digital zoom scale bar according to the digital zoom ratio.

13. An observation support device as described in claim 12, characterized in that, when the position of the cursor is within the display area range of the digitally zoomed representative image, the display processing unit switches the range of the representative image corresponding to the display area range to a range centered on the position of the cursor, and applies the magnification at the time of capturing the representative image as the magnification of the observation position display unit.

14. An observation support device as described in claim 1, further comprising an information processing unit that processes control information of the charged particle beam device, wherein the display processing unit displays one or more designated positions specified via the cursor within the display area range of the representative image with position markers, the information processing unit generates setting information for successive imaging in accordance with each of the designated positions, and the display processing unit further displays a group of images related to the successive imaging as a group of rectangular symbols based on the setting information.

15. An observation support device as described in claim 14, characterized in that: the display processing unit displays a designated center position specified via the cursor within the display area range of the representative image with a position marker; and the information processing unit generates the setting information centered on the designated center position, and the setting information includes a magnification, an amount of overlap between images, the number of images taken in the X direction, and the number of images taken in the Y direction.

16. An observation support device according to claim 15, wherein the display processing unit displays a polygon by connecting each of the specified positions with a line.

17. An observation support device as described in claim 16, characterized in that the information processing unit calculates the field of view of a single image based on the magnification and the amount of overlap between images included in the setting information, calculates the size of a rectangle surrounding the polygon from the difference between the stage coordinates of two vertices of the rectangle surrounding the polygon, calculates the number of images so that the rectangular area surrounding the polygon is filled based on the field of view of the single image and the size of the rectangle surrounding the polygon, and further selects one or more images from the group of images related to the successive image captures based on a result of overlap determination between the group of images related to the successive image captures and the polygon.

18. An observation support device as described in claim 17, characterized in that the rectangle surrounding the polygon has a rotation operation unit, and when an operation is performed on the rotation operation unit via the cursor, the polygon rotates in response to the operation.