Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam in a charged particle beam system for adjusting the axis of the beam by a first alignment coil that deflects the beam in a first direction and a second alignment coil that deflects the beam in a second direction crossing the first direction, irradiating a sample with the beam, detecting a signal emanating from the sample, and obtaining image data, said method comprising the steps of:obtaining at least first through sixth image data while varying acquisition conditions including a focal position of the beam on the sample in a direction of incidence, an excitation current in the first alignment coil, and an excitation current in the second alignment coil; andcalculating a value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil and a value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil for the axial alignment of the beam from the at least first through sixth image data obtained by the step of obtaining the image data;wherein during said step of obtaining the at least first through sixth image data,said first image data is obtained under conditions where said focal position is a first position, the value of the excitation current in said first alignment coil is a first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in said second alignment coil is a second electric current value,said second image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is a second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value,said third image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the second electric current value by a first incremental current value,said fourth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the second electric current value by the first incremental current value,said fifth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value, andsaid sixth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value. 2. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in claim 1, wherein during said step of calculating the values, a first image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the second image data, a second image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the third image data and the fourth image data, and a third image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the fifth image data and the sixth image data are calculated, and wherein values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated from the first through third image displacement vectors. 3. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in claim 2, wherein during said step of obtaining the at least first through sixth image data, seventh image data and eighth image data are also obtained, andwherein said seventh image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the second electric current value by a second incremental current value, and said eighth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the first electric current value by the second incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value. 4. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in claim 3, wherein during said step of calculating the values, a fourth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the seventh image data and a fifth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the eighth image data are also calculated, and wherein values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated from the first through fifth image displacement vectors. 5. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in claim 2, wherein during said step of calculating the values, a fourth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the third image data and a fifth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the fifth image data are also calculated, and wherein values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated from the first through fifth image displacement vectors. 6. A charged particle beam system for adjusting the axis of a charged particle beam by a first alignment coil that deflects the beam in a first direction and a second alignment coil that deflects the beam in a second direction crossing the first direction, irradiating a sample with the beam, detecting a signal emanating from the sample, and obtaining image data, said charged particle beam system comprising:image data acquisition means for obtaining at least first through sixth image data while varying acquisition conditions including a focal position of the beam on the sample in the direction of incidence and excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively; andcomputing means for calculating values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the beam from the at least first through sixth image data obtained by the image data acquisition means;wherein said first image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is a first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is a first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is a second electric current value,said second image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is a second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value,said third image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the second electric current value by a first incremental current value,said fourth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the second electric current value by the first incremental current value,said fifth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is a value obtained by varying the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value, andsaid sixth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value. 7. A charged particle beam system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said computing means calculates a first image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the second image data, a second image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the third image data and the fourth image data, and a third image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the fifth image data and the sixth image data, and wherein values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated from the first through third image displacement vectors. 8. A charged particle beam system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said image data acquisition means further obtains seventh and eighth image data, andwherein said seventh image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the second electric current value by a second incremental current value, said eighth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the first electric current value by the second incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value. 9. A charged particle beam system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said computing means further calculates a fourth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the seventh image data and a fifth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the eighth image data, and wherein values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated from the first through fifth image displacement vectors. 10. A charged particle beam system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said computing means further calculates a fourth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the third image data and a fifth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the fifth image data, and wherein values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated from the first through fifth image displacement vectors. 11. A charged particle beam system as set forth in any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein said image data acquisition means controls said focal position by controlling at least one of an accelerating voltage of a beam source producing the charged particle beam and a value of an excitation current in an objective lens. 12. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein during said step of calculating the values, a decision is made as to whether the calculated first through third image displacement vectors are used to calculate the values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, and wherein if the decision is that the first through third image displacement vectors are not used for the calculations, at least one of magnification and field of view is varied and the first through sixth image data are again obtained. 13. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in claim 4, wherein during said step of calculating the values, a decision is made as to whether the calculated fourth and fifth image displacement vectors are used to calculate the values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, and wherein if the decision is that the fourth and fifth image displacement vectors are not used for the calculations, at least one of magnification and field of view is varied and the first through sixth image data are again obtained. 14. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising the steps of:obtaining two image data under conditions in which the values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, are calculated by said step of calculating the values and in which the two image data are obtained at different values of the focal position;calculating a sixth image displacement vector from these two image data; andmaking a second decision as to whether or not the sixth image displacement vector is greater in magnitude than the first image displacement vector;wherein if the second decision is that the sixth image displacement vector is greater in magnitude than the first image displacement vector, at least one of magnification and field of view is varied and the first through sixth image data are again obtained. 15. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam in a charged particle beam system for adjusting the axis of the beam by a first alignment coil that deflects the beam in a first direction and a second alignment coil that deflects the beam in a second direction crossing the first direction, irradiating a sample with the beam, detecting a signal emanating from the sample, and obtaining image data, said method comprising the steps of:obtaining first through fifth image data under acquisition conditions where a focal position of the beam on the sample in the direction of incidence, an excitation current in the first alignment coil, and an excitation current in the second alignment coil are varied;obtaining sixth image data;calculating first through fourth image displacement vectors from the first through fifth image data;determining acquisition conditions under which seventh and eighth image data are obtained, based on the first through fourth image displacement vectors;obtaining the seventh and eighth image data based on the acquisition conditions determined by the determining step; andcalculating values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam from the first through eighth image data obtained by the steps of obtaining the first through eighth image data;wherein during said step of obtaining the first image data, said first image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is a first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is a first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is a second electric current value,said second image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by varying the second electric current value by a first incremental current value,said third image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by incrementing the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value,said fourth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by decrementing the second electric current value by the first incremental current value, andsaid fifth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by decrementing the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value;wherein during said step of obtaining the second image data, said sixth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is a second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value in the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value;wherein during said step of calculating the first through fourth image displacement vectors, said first image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the third image data, said second image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the second image data, said third image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the fifth image data, and said fourth image data displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the fourth image data are calculated;wherein during said acquisition determining step, two adjacent vectors of a set are selected based on given conditions from the first through fourth image displacement vectors to thereby determine the values of the excitation currents in the second and first alignment coils, respectively, for the seventh and eighth image data, respectively; andwherein during said step of obtaining the seventh and eighth image data, the seventh image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value determined by the acquisition condition determining step, and the eighth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value determined by the acquisition condition determining step, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value. 16. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in claim 15, wherein during said acquisition condition determining step, two adjacent angles of a set which make an angle closest to an angle made between said first direction and said second direction among sets of the first through fourth image displacement vectors are selected from these sets. 17. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in claim 15, wherein during said acquisition condition determining step, said set is selected from the sets of the first through fourth image displacement vectors based on a sum of magnitudes of two adjacent vectors of the set. 18. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in any one of claims 16 and 17, wherein during said step of calculating the values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils,one of the second image data and the fourth image data is selected and one of the third image data and the fifth image data is selected based on the selected set,a fifth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the sixth image data, a sixth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the selected one of the second and fourth image data and the seventh image data, and a seventh image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the selected one of the third and fifth image data and the eighth image data are calculated, andthe values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated from the first through seventh image displacement vectors. 19. A charged particle beam system for adjusting the axis of a charged particle beam by a first alignment coil that deflects the beam in a first direction and a second alignment coil that deflects the beam in a second direction crossing the first direction, irradiating a sample with the beam, detecting a signal emanating from the sample, and obtaining image data, said charged particle beam system comprising:image data acquisition means for obtaining first through eighth image data while varying acquisition conditions including a focal position of the beam on the sample in the direction of incidence and excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively;image acquisition condition determining means for determining image acquisition conditions under which the seventh and eighth image data are obtained based on the first through fifth image data obtained by the image data acquisition means; andcomputing means for calculating values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam from the first through eighth image data obtained by the image data acquisition means;wherein said first image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is a first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is a first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is a second electric current value,said second image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by incrementing the second electric current value by a first incremental current value,said third image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by incrementing the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value,said fourth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by decrementing the second electric current value by the first incremental current value,said fifth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the first position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value obtained by decrementing the first electric current value by the first incremental current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value,said sixth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is a second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value,said seventh image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is the first electric current value, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is an electric current value determined by said image acquisition condition determining means, andsaid eighth image data is obtained under conditions where the focal position is the second position, the value of the excitation current in the first alignment coil is an electric current value determined by the image acquisition condition determining means, and the value of the excitation current in the second alignment coil is the second electric current value;wherein said computing means calculates a first image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the third image data, a second image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the second image data, a third image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the fifth image data, and a fourth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the fourth image data; andwherein said image acquisition condition determining means selects two adjacent vectors of a set from the first through fourth image displacement vectors based on given conditions to thereby determine values of excitation currents in the second and first alignment coils, respectively, for the seventh and eighth image data, respectively. 20. A charged particle beam system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said image acquisition condition determining means selects two adjacent vectors of a set which make an angle closest to an angle made between the first direction and the second direction among the sets of the first through fourth image displacement vectors from these sets. 21. A charged particle beam system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said image acquisition condition determining means selects the set from the sets of the first through fourth image displacement vectors based on a sum of magnitudes of the two adjacent vectors of the set. 22. A charged particle beam system as set forth in one of claims 20 and 21, wherein said computing meansselects one of the second image data and the fourth image data and selects one of the third image data and the fifth image data based on the selected set,calculates a fifth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the first image data and the sixth image data, a sixth image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the selected one of the second image data and the fourth image data and the seventh image data, and a seventh image displacement vector indicating an amount of positional deviation between the selected one of the third image data and the fifth image data and the eighth image data, andcalculates values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam from the first through seventh image displacement vectors. 23. A method of making axial alignment of a charged particle beam as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 5, 13, and 15 to 17, further comprising the step of making a first decision as to whether or not an image displacement vector calculated from two image data which are different only in the focal position is greater than a given value, and wherein if the first decision is that the image displacement vector is greater than the given value, values of the excitation currents in the first and second alignment coils, respectively, for the axial alignment of the charged particle beam are calculated.