Patent ID: 6515296
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A pattern dimension measuring system comprising:a movable stage for mounting a sample on the upper surface thereof, said sample having a pattern to be measured formed thereon; a first control unit for moving said stage; an electron beam irradiation unit for irradiating said sample with an electron beam; an electron beam deflecting/scanning unit for deflecting and scanning said electron beam on said sample so that the center of the scanning trajectory on said sample is apart from the beam axis of said electron beam; a stage coordinate detecting unit for detecting X-Y coordinates of said stage; a secondary electron detecting unit for detecting a secondary electron and a deflected electron which are emitted from said sample by an irradiation with said electron beam and for outputting an image signal which forms an electron image, said electron image representing a shape of the surface of said sample; a pattern dimension calculating unit for obtaining a dimension of said pattern to be measured by recognizing side edges thereof using said image signal and by calculating said dimension thereof, and a second control unit for controlling said first control unit so that said stage continuously moves during measurement and for controlling said electron beam deflecting/scanning unit using the detected result of said stage coordinate detecting unit so that the position where the scanning of said electron beam starts moves in synchronism with movement of said stage.