Charged particle beam device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12469665-B2
Application number	US-202118691071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	Oct 19, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a charged particle beam device that can precisely manage a temperature at which a cold field emitter is heated. A charged particle beam device includes: a cold field emitter including a tip having a sharpened distal end, a filament connected to the tip, and an auxiliary electrode covering the filament and having an opening from which the tip protrudes; an extraction electrode to which an extraction voltage for extracting electrons from the cold field emitter is applied; and an acceleration electrode to which an acceleration voltage for accelerating the electrons extracted from the cold field emitter is applied. When the tip and the filament are heated, thermionic electrons emitted from the tip and the filament are collected by the auxiliary electrode to measure a current by applying a positive voltage with respect to the tip to the auxiliary electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A charged particle beam device comprising:
a cold field emitter including a tip having a sharpened distal end, a filament connected to the tip, and an auxiliary electrode covering the filament and having an opening from which the tip protrudes; an extraction electrode to which an extraction voltage for extracting electrons from the cold field emitter is applied; an acceleration electrode to which an acceleration voltage for accelerating the electrons extracted from the cold field emitter is applied; a power supply configured to apply a positive voltage to the auxiliary electrode with respect to the tip; and a current detector coupled to the auxiliary electrode and configured to measure a current caused by thermionic electrons emitted from the tip and the filament, when the tip and the filament are heated, that are collected by the auxiliary electrode during application of the positive voltage by the power supply.

2 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary voltage applied to the auxiliary electrode is larger than the extraction voltage when the tip and the filament are heated.

3 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 2 , wherein
the extraction voltage is set to zero or a negative voltage when the tip and the filament are heated.

4 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 3 , wherein
the acceleration voltage is applied when the tip and the filament are heated.

5 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 , wherein
the power supply is configured to apply both positive and negative voltages to the auxiliary electrode with respect to the tip during image observation.

6 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 , wherein
the tip and the filament are heated during a period in which any one of a change in the acceleration voltage, a movement of an observation site, replacement of a sample, adjustment of a focal position, and adjustment of a voltage or a current applied to each unit is performed.

7 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 6 , wherein
the acceleration voltage is applied when the tip and the filament are heated.

8 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit configured to display at least one of the acceleration voltage, the extraction voltage, the auxiliary voltage applied to the auxiliary electrode, the current measured in the auxiliary electrode, a calculated temperature, a current supplied to the filament, and a time during which the current is supplied to the filament when the tip and the filament are heated.

9 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 8 , wherein
the acceleration voltage is applied when the tip and the filament are heated.

10 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to record at least one of the acceleration voltage, the extraction voltage, the auxiliary voltage applied to the auxiliary electrode, the current measured in the auxiliary electrode, a calculated temperature, a current supplied to the filament, and a time during which the current is supplied to the filament when the tip and the filament are heated.

11 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 , wherein
the acceleration voltage is applied when the tip and the filament are heated.

12 . A charged particle beam device comprising:
a cold field emitter including a tip having a sharpened distal end, a filament connected to the tip, and an auxiliary electrode covering the filament and having an opening from which the tip protrudes; an extraction electrode to which an extraction voltage for extracting electrons from the cold field emitter is applied; and an acceleration electrode to which an acceleration voltage for accelerating the electrons extracted from the cold field emitter is applied; a power supply configured to apply an auxiliary voltage Vs to the auxiliary electrode and an extraction voltage V1 to the extraction electrode; and a current detector coupled to the extraction electrode and configured to, when the tip and the filament are heated, measure a current in the extraction electrode caused by thermionic electrons emitted from the tip in a state in which −5.49V1≤Vs ≤−0.150V1+1.18, and −146/(V1−4.13)+6.40≤Vs≤0.

13 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 12 , wherein
the acceleration voltage is applied when the tip and the filament are heated.

14 . A charged particle beam device comprising:
a cold field emitter including a tip having a sharpened distal end, a filament connected to the tip, and an auxiliary electrode covering the filament and having an opening from which the tip protrudes; an extraction electrode to which an extraction voltage for extracting electrons from the cold field emitter is applied; and an acceleration electrode to which an acceleration voltage V0 (kV) for accelerating the electrons extracted from the cold field emitter is applied; a power supply configured to apply an auxiliary voltage to the auxiliary electrode and an extraction voltage to the extraction electrode; and a control unit configured to control an operation of the cold field emitter, the extraction electrode, the acceleration electrode and the power supply, wherein the control unit is further configured to: control the power supply to apply the auxiliary voltage to be larger than the extraction voltage when the tip and the filament are heated; control the power supply to apply the acceleration voltage when the tip and the filament are heated; and control an observation stop time when the tip and the filament are heated to be V0 (sec) or shorter.

15 . A charged particle beam device comprising:
a cold field emitter including a tip having a sharpened distal end, a filament connected to the tip, and an auxiliary electrode covering the filament and having an opening from which the tip protrudes; an extraction electrode to which an extraction voltage for extracting electrons from the cold field emitter is applied; an acceleration electrode to which an acceleration voltage for accelerating the electrons extracted from the cold field emitter is applied; a control unit configured to control an operation of the cold field emitter, the extraction electrode and the acceleration electrode; a power supply configured to apply a positive voltage to the auxiliary electrode with respect to the tip; and a current detector coupled to the auxiliary electrode and configured to measure a current in the auxiliary electrode caused by thermionic electrons emitted from the tip and the filament, when the tip and the filament are heated, that are collected by the auxiliary electrode during application of the positive voltage by the power supply, wherein the control unit is configured to convert the measured current into a temperature.

16 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 15 , wherein
the auxiliary voltage applied to the auxiliary electrode is larger than the extraction voltage when the tip and the filament are heated.

17 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 16 , wherein
the extraction voltage is set to zero or a negative voltage when the tip and the filament are heated.

18 . The charged particle beam device according to claim 15 , wherein
the power supply is configured to apply both positive and negative voltages to the auxiliary electrode with respect to the tip during image observation.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Kasuya Keigo
• Ishikawa Shuhei
• Tanimoto Kenji
• Watanabe Shunichi
• Doi Takashi
• Sakai Yusuke

Classifications

• H01J2237/06341

  Field emission · CPC title

• H01J2237/04735

  with electrostatic means · CPC title

• H01J37/28

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

• H01J37/073 Primary

  Electron guns using field emission, photo emission, or secondary emission electron sources · CPC title

• H01J37/07

  Eliminating deleterious effects due to thermal effects or electric or magnetic fields (H01J37/073 - H01J37/077 take precedence) · CPC title