JP2012009394A - Charged particle beam application device and method for detecting abnormality of transfer path - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charged particle beam application device capable of instantly detecting abnormality of a transfer path by a simple constitution.SOLUTION: A charged particle beam application device includes a charged particle beam device and a transfer path for connecting an image processing device to the charged particle beam device. The transfer path includes a first signal transmission line for transferring image data from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device, and a second signal transmission line for transferring a synchronous signal from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device. The image processing device includes a transfer path monitoring part for monitoring a state of the transfer path by monitoring the synchronous signal transmitted through the first signal transmission line.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charged particle beam application apparatus including a charged particle beam apparatus.

  Semiconductor devices such as a processor and a memory are manufactured by repeating a circuit pattern formed on a silicon wafer by a process such as an exposure process, a lithography process, and an etching process. In the semiconductor manufacturing process, in order to determine whether or not each of these processes has been normally performed, appearance inspection and measurement are performed for each process. In addition, by reporting information such as the type and location of the abnormality that occurred in each process to the process before or after the abnormality occurred, processing correction, exclusion of defective parts, etc. were carried out, and manufacturing yield was reduced. Contributes to improvement.

  A semiconductor inspection apparatus equipped with a scanning electron microscope is often used for appearance inspection and measurement of a sample in a semiconductor manufacturing process. In a semiconductor inspection apparatus, an image generated by a scanning electron microscope is transferred to an image processing apparatus, where abnormalities such as contamination of foreign matters and insufficient line width in a circuit pattern are detected. The detected abnormality is transferred to the image display device and can be visually confirmed by the operator. Patent Document 1 describes an example of a sample inspection technique.

JP 2009-122046 A

  The semiconductor inspection apparatus operates as a part of a semiconductor production line. Therefore, the semiconductor inspection apparatus needs to inspect the input samples one after another, and periodically generates and transfers image data. When an abnormality occurs in the transfer path of image data, the reliability of the inspection result is lost, and the throughput and reliability of the production line are lowered.

  However, a charged particle beam application apparatus used as a semiconductor inspection apparatus usually does not include means for detecting an abnormality in a transfer path of image data. For this reason, the operator knows the possibility of an abnormality in the transfer path only after an abnormality in the inspection result displayed on the display device.

  For this reason, when an abnormality occurs in the transfer path, it takes time to recover, and not only the throughput of the apparatus decreases, but also adversely affects the throughput of the entire semiconductor manufacturing line.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam application apparatus that can immediately detect an abnormality in a transfer path with a simple configuration.

  The charged particle beam application apparatus includes a charged particle beam apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and a transfer path that connects the charged particle beam apparatus and the image processing apparatus.

  The transfer path is a first signal transmission line for transferring the image data from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device, and for transferring the synchronization signal from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device. A second signal transmission line.

  The image processing apparatus includes a transfer path monitoring unit that monitors a state of the transfer path by monitoring a synchronization signal transmitted via the first signal transmission line.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the charged particle beam application apparatus which can detect abnormality of a transfer path immediately can be provided.

It is a figure explaining the outline of the structure of the 1st example of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the example of a structure of the charged particle beam apparatus of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the example of the signal transferred via the twisted pair cable of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the transfer path | route monitoring part of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the example of operation | movement of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the example of the process in the transfer path monitoring part of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the example of the process which determines the abnormality of a synchronizing signal in the transfer path monitoring part of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the outline of the structure of the 2nd example of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the outline of the structure of the 3rd example of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the outline of the structure of the 4th example of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the other example of operation | movement of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining the outline of the structure of the 5th example of the charged particle beam application apparatus of this invention.

  A first example of a charged particle beam application apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The charged particle beam application apparatus of this example includes a charged particle beam apparatus 100, an image processing apparatus 200, a control apparatus 210, and a display apparatus 211. The image processing device 200 and the control device 210 may be configured by a computer. The display device 211 may be a display device connected to a computer.

  The charged particle beam application apparatus of the present invention can be applied to a defect review apparatus, a semiconductor inspection apparatus, a length measurement apparatus, and the like, but can also be applied to other apparatuses.

  The image processing apparatus 200 may be configured by a high-speed large computer equipped with a high-performance CPU, a memory, and the like in order to detect a sample defect and anomaly or measure a sample surface. Therefore, the image processing apparatus 200 is disposed at a location far from the charged particle beam apparatus 100. The charged particle beam apparatus 100 and the image processing apparatus 200 are connected by a twisted pair cable 110. The twisted pair cable 110 has a signal line 110A for transferring image data and a signal line 110B for transferring a synchronization signal. The charged particle beam device 100, the image processing device 200, and the control device 210 are connected to each other by control cables 114, 115, and 116.

  The charged particle beam apparatus 100 includes a charged particle beam optical system 101 that irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam, an image data generation unit 102 that generates image data of the sample, and a synchronization that generates a synchronization signal (clock signal) synchronized with the image data. A signal generation unit 103 and a control unit 104 are included. The control unit 104 controls devices that constitute the charged particle beam apparatus 100.

  The image processing apparatus 200 includes a reception interface 201 and an image processing unit 204. The reception interface 201 includes an image data buffer 202 that temporarily stores the image data transmitted from the image data generation unit 102 and a transfer path monitoring unit 203 that monitors the state of the transfer path. The reception interface 201 is connected to the twisted pair cable 110 and may be configured by a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) capture board or a PCI-Express capture board.

  The transfer path monitoring unit 203 monitors the transfer path, that is, the twisted pair cable 110. The transfer path monitoring unit 203 inputs the synchronization signal (clock signal) transmitted from the synchronization signal generation unit 103 and the control signal transmitted from the control device 210 or the control unit 104, and transmits the image data via the twisted pair cable 110. Monitor the transfer status. When the transfer path monitoring unit 203 detects a transfer state abnormality, the transfer path monitoring unit 203 transmits the transfer state abnormality to the control device 210. The function of the transfer path monitoring unit 203 will be described later.

  The image processing unit 204 generates a two-dimensional image, detects a defect and an abnormality of the sample, or measures the sample surface. The image processing unit 204 may be configured by a CPU, a memory, and the like.

  The control device 210 controls the charged particle beam device 100 and the image processing device 200. The control device 210 transmits the two-dimensional image generated by the image processing unit 204, the inspection result, and the like to the display device 211. The display device 211 displays the inspection result and the like together with the two-dimensional image. Thereby, the operator can visually check the abnormal part and the measurement result. Further, the display device 211 displays an input image and provides an interface for inputting a desired command or data to the operator.

  When receiving an abnormality in the transfer state from the transfer path monitoring unit 203, the control device 210 transmits an abnormality detection signal to the control unit 104 of the charged particle beam device 100. The control device 210 can also stop beam scanning and stage operation in the charged particle beam device 100 via the control unit 104. Thereby, the damage to the sample by beam irradiation can be reduced. The control device 210 further displays an abnormality in the transfer state on the display device 211. Thereby, the operator can know the abnormality of the transfer path.

  An example of the charged particle beam apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, a scanning electron microscope will be described as an example of the charged particle beam apparatus 100. However, the charged particle beam apparatus 100 may be a transmission microscope or a scanning transmission microscope, or a sample is processed by a charged particle beam. A charged particle beam apparatus may be used. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the charged particle beam device 100 may be a transmission microscope.

  The scanning electron microscope includes an optical system 101 and an image data generation unit 102. The optical system 101 includes a sample stage 1012 that supports a sample 1011, an electron beam generation source 1014 that generates an electron beam 1013, and a deflector 1015 that deflects the electron beam 1013. The image data generation unit 102 includes a secondary electron detector 1021 that detects secondary electrons generated from the sample and a quantizer 1022 that converts signals from the secondary electron detector 1021 into digital image data.

  The irradiation position 1011a on the sample is detected by a synchronization signal synchronized with the scanning signal by the deflector 1015, and is made to correspond to the pixels 2021a arranged on the two-dimensional coordinates. By quantizing the secondary electron signal generated from the irradiation position on the sample, a digitized luminance signal (gray value) can be obtained. This luminance signal is obtained for each pixel. Thus, two-dimensional image data 2021 composed of pixels having a luminance signal is obtained. When the contrast of each pixel is insufficient with a single electron beam irradiation, a value obtained by integrating luminance signals obtained by a plurality of irradiations may be used for each pixel.

  The function of the twisted pair cable 110 will be described with reference to FIG. The twisted pair cable 110 transfers the synchronization signal 131 and the image data signal 133. The pixel valid signal 132 may be transferred together with the image data signal 133. An image signal of one frame is formed by signals of a plurality of lines, but the first few lines of signals cannot be used as image data signals. Therefore, the pixel valid signal 132 is used to indicate the timing that can be used as the image data signal.

  The twisted pair cable 110 includes signal lines for transferring the synchronization signal 131 and the image data signal 133 respectively, and is a means for connecting two or more cables to one connector.

  The synchronization signal 131 is a clock signal generated by the synchronization signal generator 103. The image data signal 133 is a digital signal generated by the image data generation unit 102, and is a digitized luminance value corresponding to each pixel. The pixel valid signal 132 is a signal indicating whether the pixel data is valid or invalid. As shown in the figure, the rising edge of the synchronization signal corresponds to the start and end positions of one pixel data included in the image data signal.

  Here, the abnormality of the synchronization signal 131 is defined. The synchronization signal consists of a high level and a low level that repeat periodically. Here, a high level (or low level) period is referred to as one clock. In the synchronization signal, switching between a high level and a low level occurs every clock.

  The transfer path monitoring unit 203 always records a synchronization signal. It is monitored whether there is switching between a high level and a low level every clock of the synchronization signal. If the high level and the low level are switched every clock, it is determined that the synchronization signal is normal, and monitoring is continued. If there is no switching between the high level and the low level every clock, the control device 210 is notified that the synchronization signal is abnormal or has not been normally received. The time used for the criteria for determining the abnormality of the synchronization signal is not limited to one clock time. It can be set to a time of 1 clock or more according to the setting of the operator.

  In the image processing apparatus 200, a synchronization signal is required to generate a two-dimensional image from image data. If the synchronization signal is abnormal or there is no synchronization signal, the start and end times of one pixel in the image data signal are unknown. Therefore, the synchronization signal is always transmitted via the twisted pair cable 110 together with the image data signal. Therefore, in order to detect an abnormality in the twisted pair cable 110, that is, the transfer path, the synchronization signal may be monitored.

  When the reception interface 201 receives the synchronization signal normally, it may be determined that the transfer path is normal. However, when the synchronization signal cannot be received normally, the transfer path is not necessarily abnormal. For example, the image transfer speed from the charged particle beam device 100 to the reception interface 201 may be changed to any one of 25 MHz, 50 MHz, and 80 MHz. In such a case, the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is temporarily stopped.

  Therefore, if the synchronization signal cannot be received normally, it is necessary to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the transfer path or whether the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal has been temporarily stopped. According to the present invention, a control signal is used for the determination.

  The operation of the transfer path monitoring unit 203 will be described with reference to FIG. The table of FIG. 4 shows the result of determining whether the transfer path is normal or abnormal depending on the presence / absence of a synchronization signal and the presence / absence of a control signal. In this table, the sync signal is marked with a circle to indicate that the sync signal is being received, and the sync signal is marked with an x to indicate that the sync signal has not been received. Show. The control signal will be described. The control signal is transmitted from the control device 210 or the control unit 104. When the transfer rate is changed as described above, the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is temporarily stopped. The control signal is an interrupt signal for stopping the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal. During the interrupt period, the register flag becomes 1, and when the interrupt ends, the register flag becomes 0.

  In cases (1) and (2), the synchronization signal is circled. Therefore, it may be determined that the transfer path is normal. In cases (3) and (4), the synchronization signal is marked with a cross. In this case, the transfer path may be abnormal, but it is not always abnormal. Therefore, the control signal is determined.

  In cases (1) and (3), the control signal is circled. This indicates that an interrupt for temporarily stopping the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is performed. In case (1), a synchronization signal is received. This is immediately after the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is resumed, and indicates that the interrupt period has not ended yet. The register flag is still 1. In case (3), no synchronization signal is received. The transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is stopped. The register flag is 1.

  In the cases (2) and (4), the control signal is marked with a circle. This indicates that the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is not temporarily stopped. That is, it indicates that no interrupt has been performed. The register flag is 0.

  In case (2), a synchronization signal is received. Therefore, the synchronization signal and the image data signal are normally transferred. In case (4), no synchronization signal is received. In this case, it is determined that the transfer path is abnormal. That is, breakage of the twisted pair cable 110, poor connection at the joint, and the like are conceivable.

  A first example of the image transfer method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In step S101, processing is started. Steps S <b> 103 to S <b> 105, step S <b> 110, and step S <b> 111 are processes in the charged particle beam apparatus 100. Steps S <b> 106 to S <b> 109 and steps S <b> 112 to S <b> 114 are processes in the image processing apparatus 200.

  In step S103, the charged particle beam optical system 101 irradiates the sample with a charged particle beam. In step S104, the image data generation unit 102 generates image data. In step S <b> 105, the charged particle beam apparatus 100 transfers image data to the image processing apparatus 200. In parallel with the transfer of the image data, the synchronization signal generation unit 103 generates a synchronization signal in step S110, and transfers the synchronization signal in step S111.

  In step S <b> 106, the image processing apparatus 200 receives image data from the charged particle beam apparatus 100 via the reception interface 201. In parallel with the reception of the image data, the image processing apparatus 200 receives a synchronization signal via the reception interface 201 in step S112. In step S107, the image data is stored in the image data buffer 201. In step S108, the image processing unit 204 executes image processing. In parallel with the image processing, in step S113, the transfer path monitoring unit 203 monitors the synchronization signal. In step S114, if a transfer path abnormality occurs, the transfer path monitoring unit 203 notifies the controller 210 of the abnormality.

  In step S109, it is determined whether or not the next image is to be acquired. If it is necessary to acquire the next image, the process returns to step S103. If it is not necessary to acquire the next image, the process proceeds to the end of step S102. The image transfer system according to the present invention operates according to the above flow.

  With reference to FIG. 6, step S113 and step S114 of the image transfer method of FIG. 5 will be described in detail. In step S201, processing is started. In step S203, the transfer path monitoring unit 203 determines whether the synchronization signal is normal or abnormal. If the synchronization signal is normal, step S203 is repeated. If the synchronization signal is not normal, the process proceeds to step S204. In step S204, it is determined whether there is a control signal. Here, “there is a control signal” means a state in which an interruption is performed to temporarily stop the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal due to a change in the transfer speed or the like. “No signal” indicates a state where the synchronization signal and the image data signal are being transferred.

  If there is a control signal, it is determined that the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is temporarily stopped, and the process returns to step S203. When there is no control signal, the transfer of the synchronization signal and the image data signal is not temporarily stopped. Therefore, in step S114, it is determined that the transfer path is abnormal, and reports to the control device 210.

  Details of step S203 of FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIG. Processing starts in step S301. As shown in FIG. 3, the synchronization signal alternately changes between a high level and a low level every clock. If the synchronization signal is normal, the signal level should be different every clock. Therefore, when the signal level is compared for each clock, it can be determined whether the synchronization signal is normal or abnormal. In step S303, the value of the synchronization signal register is stored in the register A for calculation. In step S304, a time of 1 clock is awaited. In step S305, the value of the synchronization signal register is stored in the calculation register B. In step S306, the values of register A and register B are compared.

  If the values of register A and register B do not match in step S306, the synchronization signal is normal, and the value of register B is stored in register A in step S307. Steps S304 to S307 are repeated. That is, if the synchronization signal is normal, monitoring is continued. If the values of the register A and the register B match, the synchronization signal is abnormal, and a value is set in the interrupt register for notifying the control device 210 in step S308, and the control device 210 is notified.

  In the above description, in step S304, one clock time is awaited. However, the waiting time may be one clock or more. Further, if a counter is added between the start step S301 and the end step S302 of the process, it is possible to monitor the state of the synchronization signal after several clocks.

  A second example of the charged particle beam application apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The charged particle beam application apparatus of this example includes a charged particle beam apparatus 100, an image processing apparatus 200, an image processing apparatus 300, and a control apparatus 210. The charged particle beam device 100 and the two image processing devices 200 and 300 are connected by a twisted pair cable 110, respectively. The second image processing apparatus 300 may have a configuration similar to that of the first image processing apparatus 200.

  In this example, the image data signal and the synchronization signal generated by the charged particle beam apparatus 100 are transmitted to the two image processing apparatuses 200 and 300. The two image processing apparatuses 200 and 300 include transfer path monitoring units 203 and 303, respectively, and can independently detect transfer path abnormalities.

  A third example of the charged particle beam application apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The charged particle beam application apparatus of this example includes a charged particle beam apparatus 100, an image processing apparatus 200, an image display apparatus 310, and a control apparatus 210. The charged particle beam device 100, the image processing device 200, and the image display device 310 are connected by a twisted pair cable 110. The image display device 310 includes a reception interface 311 and an image display unit 314. The image display unit 314 generates a two-dimensional image. The two-dimensional image generated by the image display unit 314 is displayed by the display device 211.

  In this example, the image data signal and the synchronization signal generated by the charged particle beam device 100 are transmitted to the image processing device 200 and the image display device 310. The image processing apparatus 200 and the image display apparatus 310 include transfer path monitoring units 203 and 313, respectively, and can independently detect transfer path abnormalities.

  A fourth example of the charged particle beam application apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In the charged particle beam application apparatus of this example, the memory 205 provided in the image processing apparatus 200 stores the image processing result by the image processing unit 204 and the transfer path monitoring result by the transfer path monitoring unit 203. The operator can read out the monitoring result of the transfer path stored in the memory 205 at any time, and can easily examine a sample that needs re-examination. Here, the memory 205 is provided in the image processing apparatus 200, but may be provided in the control apparatus 210.

  With reference to FIG. 11, a second example of the image transfer method of the present invention will be described. In step S401, processing is started. Steps S <b> 403 to S <b> 405 are processes in the charged particle beam apparatus 100. Steps S406, S407, and S414 are processes in the reception interface 201 of the image processing apparatus 200. Steps S408 to S412, S415, and S416 are processes in the image processing apparatus 200.

  In step S403, the charged particle beam optical system 101 irradiates the sample with a charged particle beam. In step S404, the image data generation unit 102 of the charged particle beam apparatus 100 generates image data. In step S405, the charged particle beam apparatus 100 transfers image data to the image processing apparatus 200.

  In step S406, when the reception interface 201 of the image processing apparatus 200 receives the image data signal, the reception interface 201 adds the count value of the counter for each pixel or frame. In step S414, the count value of the counter is stored in the memory. In step S407, the reception interface 201 detects that the reception of the image data signal is completed. In step 408, the image processing unit 204 inputs the count value of the counter. In step S409, the image processing unit 204 detects whether the reception of the image data signal is missed or there is no leakage. If reception of the image data signal is missed or there is no omission, the received image data signal is stored in step S410. In step S411, the image processing unit 204 executes image processing. If reception of the image data signal is missed or there is leakage, it is determined in step S415 whether or not retransmission of the image data signal is necessary. If it is determined that retransmission is necessary, the process returns to step S405. If it is determined that retransmission is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S416. In step S416, the received image is skipped.

  In step S412, it is determined whether or not the next image is to be acquired. If it is necessary to acquire the next image, the process returns to step S403. If it is not necessary to acquire the next image, the process proceeds to the end of step S402. The image transfer system according to the present invention operates according to the above flow.

  A fifth example of the charged particle beam application apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In the charged particle beam application apparatus of this example, the image processing unit 204 has a function of detecting an abnormality in the transfer path of image data. In this example, the image processing unit 204 can input an image data signal from a route other than the reception interface 201. That is, the image processing unit 204 inputs image data through the cable 111 other than the twisted pair cable 110. The image processing unit 204 compares the image data signal input via the twisted pair cable 110 and the image data signal input via a cable other than the twisted pair cable 110. The state of the image data is determined from the comparison result. For example, when there is a difference between two images, it can be determined that there is a cause of noise or the like in either cable or path.

  According to the present invention, in a charged particle beam application apparatus for inspecting and measuring a sample using a scanning electron microscope, which is used in a semiconductor manufacturing line, etc., to transfer image data from the scanning electron microscope to an image processing apparatus. It is possible to immediately detect an abnormality in the transfer path. In addition, by notifying the operator of an abnormality in the transfer path, the abnormal stop time of the charged particle beam application apparatus can be shortened, and a decrease in throughput of the semiconductor manufacturing line can be suppressed.

  Although the examples of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples, and it is easy for those skilled in the art to make various modifications within the scope of the invention described in the claims. Will be understood.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Charged particle beam apparatus, 101 ... Charged particle beam optical system, 102 ... Image data generation part, 103 ... Synchronization signal generation part, 104 ... Control part, 110 ... Twisted pair cable, 200 ... Image processing apparatus, 201 ... Reception interface, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 202 ... Image data buffer, 203 ... Transfer path monitoring part, 204 ... Image processing apparatus, 205 ... Memory, 210 ... Control apparatus, 211 ... Display apparatus, 1011 ... Sample, 1012 ... Sample stage, 1013 ... Charged particle beam, 1014 ... Charged particle beam source, 1015 ... deflection means, 1021 ... detector, 1022 ... quantization circuit, 2021 ... image, 2021a ... pixel

Claims (20)

A charged particle beam optical system that irradiates and scans a charged particle beam on a sample, an image data generation unit that detects charged particles generated from the sample and generates image data, and a synchronization signal synchronized with the image data are generated A charged particle beam device having a synchronization signal generator;
An image processing apparatus having an image processing unit that inputs the image data, generates a two-dimensional image, and performs image processing on the two-dimensional image;
A transfer path connecting the charged particle beam device and the image processing device;
In a charged particle beam application device having
The transfer path transfers a first signal transmission line for transferring the image data from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device, and a transfer of the synchronization signal from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device. A second signal transmission line,
The image processing apparatus includes a transfer path monitoring unit that monitors a state of the transfer path by monitoring a synchronization signal transmitted via the first signal transmission line. Applied equipment. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
A charged particle beam application apparatus, comprising: a display device that displays an abnormality of the transfer path when the transfer path monitoring unit detects an abnormality of the transfer path. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
A control device for controlling the charged particle beam device and the image processing device;
When the transfer path monitoring unit detects an abnormality in the transfer path, the transfer path monitoring unit notifies the controller of the transfer path error. In the charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 3,
The charged particle beam application device, wherein the control device instructs the charged particle beam device to stop processing to generate image data when receiving an abnormality in the transfer path. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
The image processing device includes a plurality of image processing devices,
The transfer path includes a plurality of transfer paths that connect the charged particle beam apparatus and the plurality of image processing apparatuses, and each of the plurality of transfer paths transfers the image data from the charged particle beam apparatus to the image processing apparatus. A first signal transmission line for transferring to each of the first and second signal transmission lines for transferring the synchronization signal from the charged particle beam device to each of the image processing devices,
Each of the image processing devices includes a transfer path monitoring unit that monitors a state of the transfer path by monitoring a synchronization signal transmitted via the first signal transmission line. Particle beam application equipment. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
The transfer path monitoring unit detects whether the transfer path is normal or abnormal by monitoring a control signal and the synchronization signal input via a control cable different from the transfer path. Wire application equipment. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
The charged particle beam application apparatus, wherein the transfer path monitoring unit monitors whether the synchronization signal changes between a high level and a low level every predetermined clock. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
A third signal transmission line for transferring the image data from the charged particle beam apparatus to the image processing apparatus is provided, and the image processing unit obtains the image data obtained through the first signal transmission line. And the image data obtained through the third signal transmission line are compared with each other. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
The charged particle beam application apparatus, wherein the transfer path includes a twisted pair cable. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 1,
The charged particle beam application apparatus, wherein the image processing apparatus includes a reception interface for connecting the transfer path, and the transfer path monitoring unit is provided in the reception interface. A defect review comprising: a scanning electron microscope that generates a scanning image of a predetermined position on a sample; and an image processing device that detects the defect at a predetermined position on the sample by comparing the scanning image with a reference image prepared in advance. In the device
The scanning electron microscope and the image processing apparatus are connected by a transfer path constituted by a twisted pair cable,
The transfer path transfers a first signal transmission line for transferring the image data from the scanning electron microscope to the image processing device, and a synchronization signal of the image data from the scanning electron microscope to the image processing device. A second signal transmission line for
The image processing apparatus includes a transfer path monitoring unit that monitors a state of the transfer path by monitoring a synchronization signal transmitted via the first signal transmission line. . The defect review apparatus according to claim 11,
The defect review apparatus, wherein the transfer path monitoring unit monitors whether the synchronization signal changes between a high level and a low level every predetermined clock. The defect review apparatus according to claim 11,
The transfer path monitoring unit inputs a control signal generated when the transfer of the image data and the synchronization signal is temporarily stopped from the scanning electron microscope to the image processing apparatus, and the control signal and the synchronization signal are input. A defect review apparatus for detecting whether the transfer path is normal or abnormal by monitoring A charged particle beam optical system that irradiates and scans a charged particle beam on a sample, an image data generation unit that detects charged particles generated from the sample and generates image data, and a synchronization signal synchronized with the image data are generated A charged particle beam device having a synchronization signal generator;
Image processing comprising: a reception interface for inputting the image data and the synchronization signal; and an image processing unit that generates a two-dimensional image from the image data and the synchronization signal and performs image processing on the two-dimensional image Equipment,
In the charged particle beam application apparatus having the charged particle beam apparatus and a transfer path connecting the image processing apparatus,
The transfer path transfers a first signal transmission line for transferring the image data from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device, and a transfer of the synchronization signal from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device. A second signal transmission line, and a twisted pair cable having
The reception interface includes a transfer path monitoring unit that monitors a state of the transfer path by monitoring a synchronization signal transmitted via the first signal transmission line. apparatus. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 14,
The reception interface includes a counter that adds a count value for each pixel or frame when receiving the image data signal, and detects whether or not the image data signal for one image has been received. Charged particle beam application equipment. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 14,
The image processing device detects the presence or absence of reception of the image data signal every time an image data signal for one image is received, and resends the image data to the charged particle beam device when there is the leakage. Charged particle beam application equipment characterized by being requested. The charged particle beam application apparatus according to claim 14,
The transfer path monitoring unit detects whether the transfer path is normal or abnormal by monitoring a control signal input via a control cable different from the twisted pair cable and the synchronization signal. Wire application equipment. In a method for detecting an abnormality in a transfer path connecting a charged particle beam device and an image processing device,
An image data generation step for generating image data by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam by a charged particle beam apparatus;
An image data transfer step of transferring the image data from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device via a first signal transmission line;
A synchronization signal generating step of generating a synchronization signal synchronized with the image data by a charged particle beam device;
A synchronization signal transfer step of transferring the synchronization signal from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device via a second signal transmission line;
A transfer path monitoring step of monitoring a state of the transfer path by monitoring a synchronization signal transmitted via the second signal transmission line by the image processing apparatus;
A method for detecting an abnormality in a transfer path, comprising: The method for detecting an abnormality in a transfer path according to claim 18,
The transfer path monitoring step monitors whether or not the synchronization signal changes between a high level and a low level every predetermined clock. The method for detecting an abnormality in a transfer path according to claim 18,
An image data transfer step of transferring the image data from the charged particle beam device to the image processing device via a third signal transmission line different from the first signal transmission line;
An image data comparison step for comparing the image data transmitted via the first signal transmission line with the image data transmitted via the third signal transmission line by the image processing device;
A method for detecting an abnormality in a transfer path, comprising:

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