Charged particle inspection method and charged particle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10354831-B2
Application number	US-201615137796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2016
Priority date	Sep 6, 2005
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a charged particle system comprising: a charged particle source; a first multi aperture plate; a second multi aperture plate disposed downstream of the first multi aperture plate, the second multi aperture plate; a controller configured to selectively apply at least first and second voltage differences between the first and second multi aperture plates; wherein the charged particle source and the first and second multi aperture plates are arranged such that each of a plurality of charged particle beamlets traverses an aperture pair, said aperture pair comprising one aperture of the first multi aperture plate and one aperture of the second multi aperture plate, wherein plural aperture pairs are arranged such that a center of the aperture of the first multi aperture plate is, when seen in a direction of incidence of the charged particle beamlet traversing the aperture of the first multi aperture plate, displaced relative to a center of the aperture of the second multi aperture plate. The invention further pertains to a particle-optical component configured to change a divergence of a set of charged particle beamlets and a charged particle inspection method comprising inspection of an object using different numbers of charged particle beamlets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charged particle beam system, comprising:
a charged particle source configured to generate a beam of charged particles;
a first field generating arrangement configured to generate at least one of a magnetic or electrostatic field extending over a space traversed by the beam of charged particles;
a beam stop disposed downstream of the first field generating arrangement, wherein the beam stop includes a multi aperture plate having a plurality of apertures formed therein;
a second field generating arrangement disposed downstream of the beam stop and configured to generate at least one of a magnetic or electrostatic field extending over a space traversed by the beam of charged particles; and
a controller configured to selectively switch the first and second field generating arrangements from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, wherein a first field of the first field generating arrangement associated with the first mode of operation is different from a second field of the first field generating arrangement associated with the second mode of operation, and wherein a first field of the second field generating arrangement associated with the first mode of operation is different from a second field of the second field generating arrangement associated with a second mode of operation;
wherein the first and second field generating arrangements, the beam stop, and the controller are arranged such that:
the beam of charged particles impinges onto the beam stop when the first and second field generating arrangements are switched to the first mode of operation, and
the beam of charged particles is deflected by the first field generating arrangement in a first direction, bypasses the beam stop, and is deflected by the second field generating arrangement in a second direction opposite the first direction to be incident on an object positioned downstream of the second field generating arrangement when the first and second field generating arrangements are switched to the second mode of operation; and

wherein the charged particle beam system further comprises a beam splitter and a detector arrangement, wherein the beam splitter is configured to separate a beam path of particles of the beam of charged particles travelling towards the object from electrons emerging from the object, and to direct the electrons emerging from the object towards the detector arrangement; and
wherein the charged particle beam system is configured to direct beamlets of the charged particles of the beam of charged particles traversing the apertures of the multi aperture plate onto a surface of the object and wherein the charged particle beam system is furthermore configured such that a first number of the beamlets are directed onto the object surface such that an array of beam spots are formed on the surface of the object when the field generating arrangement is switched to the first mode of operation.

2. The charged particle beam system of claim 1 , further comprising an objective lens for focusing the beamlets onto the surface of the object.

3. The charged particle system according to claim 1 , wherein the field generating arrangement comprises a single first pair of electrodes for generating the electrostatic field between the first pair of electrodes, wherein beam paths of all charged particles impinging onto the beam stop in the first mode of operation and bypassing the beam stop in the second mode of operation traverse a space between the single first pair of electrodes; and
wherein the controller is configured to selectively apply, in the first mode of operation, a first voltage difference to the first pair of electrodes to generate a first electrical field and, in the second mode of operation, a second voltage difference to the first pair of electrodes to generate a second electrical field.

4. The charged particle system according to claim 3 , wherein an absolute value of the first voltage difference is less than an absolute value of the second voltage difference.

5. The charged particle system according to claim 3 , wherein an absolute value of the second voltage difference is less than an absolute value of the first voltage difference.

6. The charged particle system according to claim 3 , wherein the field generating arrangement further comprises at least one second pair of electrodes for generating the electrostatic field, wherein the second pair of electrodes is arranged downstream of the first pair of electrodes, and wherein the beam paths of the charged particles impinging onto the beam stop in the first mode of operation and bypassing the beam stop in the second mode of operation traverse a space between the at least one second pair of electrodes.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Microscopy Gmbh
• Applied Materials Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Kemen Thomas
• Knippelmeyer Rainer
• Schubert Stefan

Classifications

• H01J2237/04924

  electrostatic · CPC title

• H01J37/04 Primary

  Arrangements of electrodes and associated parts for generating or controlling the discharge, e.g. electron-optical arrangement or ion-optical arrangement {(H01J37/32009, H01J37/32623, H01J37/3266, H01J37/32697 take precedence; electron or ion-optical systems for localised treatment of objects H01J37/3007)} · CPC title

• H01J2237/04922

  electromagnetic · CPC title

• H01J2237/04926

  combined · CPC title

• H01J2237/2448

  Secondary particle detectors · CPC title