Inspection Device Multi-Beam Pre-Charging for Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current inspection devices face challenges in achieving accurate inspections due to fluctuations in brightness and contrast across inspection images, primarily because of uneven charging levels across different inspection areas, which affect the reliability of the inspection results.
Innovation Solution
The inspection device employs a multi-beam configuration that preliminarily irradiates inspection areas with pre-determined amounts based on pattern information, ensuring equal charging levels across all areas, followed by uniform inspection irradiation to stabilize the emission rates of secondary electrons relative to primary electrons, thereby enhancing inspection accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single beam is used for inspection irradiation, then the device complexity is low, but the inspection accuracy deteriorates due to uneven charging levels across different inspection areas
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection device divides the inspection area into multiple regions and assigns different pre-charging irradiation amounts to each region based on pattern information. This segmentation approach allows tailored charging control for different areas, improving inspection accuracy without requiring multiple physical beams for each region.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs pre-charging irradiation before the main inspection irradiation. By preliminarily adjusting the charging levels across different inspection areas according to their specific patterns, the system ensures uniform secondary electron emission during subsequent inspection, thereby improving measurement precision without increasing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If pre-charging irradiation is performed before inspection irradiation, then the emission rates of secondary electrons are stabilized, but the inspection time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs pre-charging irradiation before inspection to stabilize secondary electron emission rates. By calculating optimal pre-charging amounts based on pattern information and performing this action in advance, the device ensures uniform emission characteristics during inspection, improving measurement precision while managing time through efficient irradiation control.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the irradiation amount parameter dynamically - applying higher pre-charging irradiation to areas with low secondary electron emission and reducing or omitting it in areas with sufficient emission. This parameter adjustment strategy stabilizes emission rates across different regions while minimizing the total time spent on pre-charging.
3Ease of operation
If uniform irradiation amounts are applied to all inspection areas, then the device operation is simple, but fluctuations in image brightness and contrast occur due to varying charging levels
Solution Approach 1:
The device applies different pre-charging irradiation amounts to different inspection areas based on their specific pattern characteristics. Areas with low secondary electron emission receive higher pre-charging doses, while areas with sufficient emission receive lower or no pre-charging. This localized quality adjustment ensures uniform image brightness and contrast across all regions while maintaining relatively simple operational control through automated calculation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach stabilizes the emission rates of secondary electrons, reduces fluctuations in image brightness and contrast, and significantly improves the overall accuracy of inspections by ensuring consistent charging levels across all inspection areas.
Implementation Method 1
irradiating an inspection object with a charged particle beam and generating an image of the inspection object
Data Source
AI summary
An inspection device includes control unit that acquires pre-charging irradiation amounts for inspection areas on an inspection target. The pre-charging irradiation amounts are based on pattern information for each of the inspection areas. An irradiation unit is provided to control a plurality of first beams to supply the pre-charging irradiation amounts to each of the inspection areas using a corresponding one of the plurality of first beams. After supplying the respective pre-charging irradiation amount to at least one of the inspection areas, irradiation unit controls one of a plurality of second beams to irradiate a pre-charged one of the inspection areas. A generation unit generates images of each of the plurality of inspection areas based on the respective irradiation of the inspection areas with the second beams.