Thermal-aided inspection by advanced charge controller module in a charged particle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728131-B2
Application number	US-202117553357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2021
Priority date	Dec 16, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing beams for controlling charges on a sample surface of charged particle beam system. In some embodiments, a module comprising a laser source configured to emit a beam. The beam may illuminate an area adjacent to a pixel on a wafer to indirectly heat the pixel to mitigate a cause of a direct photon-induced effect at the pixel. An electron beam tool configured to detect a defect in the pixel, wherein the defect is induced by the indirect heating of the pixel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electron beam system, the system comprising: a module configured to emit a beam that illuminates an area adjacent to a pixel on a wafer to indirectly heat the pixel to mitigate a cause of a direct photon-induced effect at the pixel; and an electron beam tool configured to detect a defect in the pixel, wherein the defect is induced by the indirect heating of the pixel.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electron beam tool is further configured to detect the defect using voltage contrast.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module comprises a laser source.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein: the beam comprises a plurality of beams, the laser source comprises a plurality of laser sources, and each laser source of the plurality of laser sources is configured to emit a beam of the plurality of beams.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the area comprises a plurality of areas and each beam of the plurality of beams illuminates each area of the plurality of areas adjacent to the pixel on the wafer.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams indirectly heats the pixel.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises a beam splitter and a mirror.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the beam splitter is configured to split the beam into a plurality of beams.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the area comprises a plurality of areas and the mirror is configured to reflect each beam of the plurality of beams to each area of the plurality of areas.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams illuminates each area of the plurality of areas adjacent to the pixel on the wafer.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams indirectly heats the pixel.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the beam splitter comprises a plurality of beam splitters.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the mirror comprises a plurality of mirrors.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beam comprises a plurality of beams.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the module further comprises a first parabolic mirror and a second parabolic mirror.

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Ye Ning
• Jiang Jun
• Zhang Jian
• Wang Yixiang

Classifications

• H01J37/226 Primary

  Optical arrangements for illuminating the object; optical arrangements for collecting light from the object · CPC title

• H01J37/263

  Contrast, resolution or power of penetration · CPC title

• H01J37/28 Primary

  with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01J2237/0047

  using electromagnetic radiations, e.g. UV, X-rays, light · CPC title

• H01J2237/0048

  Charging arrangements · CPC title