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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12125669-B2
Application number	US-202318362757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2023
Priority date	Dec 16, 2020
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

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. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a set of instructions that is executable by at least one processor of a computing device to cause the computing device to perform a method for inspection, the method comprising:
emitting, from a module, 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
detecting a defect in the pixel, wherein the defect is induced by the indirect heating of the pixel.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions that is executable by the at least one processor of the computing device to cause the computing device to further perform:
detecting the defect using voltage contrast.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the module comprises a laser source.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the beam comprises a plurality of beams and the laser source comprises a plurality of laser sources, wherein the set of instructions that is executable by the at least one processor of the computing device to cause the computing device to further perform:
emitting a beam of the plurality of beams from each laser source of the plurality of laser sources.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium 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 non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams indirectly heats the pixel.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises a beam splitter and a mirror.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the beam comprises a plurality of beams.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the module further comprises a first parabolic mirror and a second parabolic mirror.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first parabolic mirror is configured to reflect each beam of the plurality of beams to the second parabolic mirror.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein:
the area comprises a plurality of areas,
the second parabolic mirror is configured to receive each beam of the plurality of beams, and
the second parabolic mirror is configured to reflect each beam of the plurality of beams to each area of the plurality of areas adjacent to the pixel on the wafer.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams indirectly heats the pixel.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of beams form a ring shape surrounding the pixel.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3 , wherein:
the laser source comprises a plurality of laser sources, and
at least one laser source of the plurality of laser sources is configured to tune a plurality of surface charges on the wafer.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the indirect heating causes a temperature of the pixel to reach an operating temperature of the pixel.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the module comprises an advanced charge controller (ACC) module.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein mitigating the cause of a direct photon-induced effect at the pixel comprises generating substantially zero photon-induced charges at the pixel or generating substantially zero photon-induced carrier density changes at the pixel.

18. An electron beam system, the system comprising:
a module configured to emit a beam that illuminates a pixel on a wafer to 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 heating of the pixel.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the module comprises an infrared laser.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein mitigating the cause of a direct photon-induced effect at the pixel comprises generating substantially zero photon-induced charges at the pixel or generating substantially zero photon-induced carrier density changes at the pixel.

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01J2237/2817

  Pattern inspection · CPC title

• H01J2237/0047

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

• H01J37/265

  Controlling the tube; circuit arrangements adapted to a particular application not otherwise provided, e.g. bright-field-dark-field illumination · CPC title

• H01J37/244

  Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor · CPC title

• H01J2237/2065

  Temperature variations · CPC title