Charged particle beam system and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016247663-A1
Application number	US-201415026189-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprises extracting a particle beam from a source; performing a first accelerating of the particles of the beam; forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the beam after the performing of the first accelerating; performing a second accelerating of the particles of the beamlets; performing a first decelerating of the particles of the beamlets after the performing of the second accelerating; deflecting the beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of the particles of the beamlets after the performing of the first decelerating; performing a second decelerating of the particles of the beamlets after the deflecting of the beamlets; and allowing the particles of the beamlets to be incident on an object surface after the performing of the second decelerating.

First claim

1 - 29 . (canceled)

30 . A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprising:
extracting a particle beam from a source; performing a first accelerating of particles of the particle beam; forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the particle beam after performing the first accelerating; performing a second accelerating of particles of the particle beamlets; performing a first decelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets after performing the second accelerating; deflecting the particle beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of the particles of the particle beamlets after performing the first decelerating; performing a second decelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets after deflecting the particle beamlets; and allowing the particles of the particle beamlets to be incident on an object surface after performing the second decelerating.

31 . The method of claim 30 , further comprising performing a first converging of the particle beam before deflecting the particle beamlets;
wherein the first converging is performed before forming the plurality of particle beamlets.

32 . The method of claim 31 , further comprising performing a second converging of the particle beamlets before deflecting the particle beamlets;
wherein the second converging is performed such that a bundle of the particle beamlets forms a crossover; and wherein the crossover is formed after the second accelerating and before the second decelerating.

33 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising performing a third accelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets before the crossover is formed;
wherein the third accelerating increases the kinetic energy of the particles an energy amount greater than 10 keV.

34 . The method of claim 30 , wherein at least one of the first accelerating and the second accelerating increases a kinetic energy of the particles by more than a first energy amount;
wherein at least one of the first decelerating and the second decelerating decreases the kinetic energy of the particles by more than the first energy amount; and wherein the first energy amount is greater than 10 keV.

35 . The method of claim 30 , wherein forming the plurality of particle beamlets includes generating beamlet foci and imaging the beamlet foci onto the substrate surface.

36 . A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprising:
extracting a particle beam from a source; performing a first accelerating of particles of the particle beam; forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the particle beam after performing the first accelerating; performing a first decelerating of particles of the particle beamlets; performing a second accelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets after performing the first decelerating; deflecting the particle beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of the particles of the particle beamlets after performing the first decelerating; performing a second decelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets after deflecting the particle beamlets; and allowing the particles of the particle beamlets to be incident on an object surface after performing the second decelerating.

37 . The method of claim 36 , further comprising performing a first converging of the particle beam before deflecting the particle beamlets;
wherein the first converging is performed before forming the plurality of particle beamlets.

38 . The method of claim 37 , further comprising performing a second converging of the particle beamlets before deflecting the particle beamlets;
wherein the second converging is performed such that a bundle of the particle beamlets forms a crossover; and wherein the crossover is formed after the second accelerating and before the second decelerating.

39 . The method of claim 38 , further comprising performing a third accelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets before the crossover is formed;
wherein the third accelerating increases the kinetic energy of the particles an energy amount greater than 10 keV.

40 . The method of claim 36 , wherein at least one of the first accelerating and the second accelerating increases a kinetic energy of the particles by more than a first energy amount;
wherein at least one of the first decelerating and the second decelerating decreases the kinetic energy of the particles by more than the first energy amount; and wherein the first energy amount is greater than 10 keV.

41 . The method of claim 36 , wherein forming the plurality of particle beamlets includes generating beamlet foci and imaging the beamlet foci onto the substrate surface.

42 . A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprising:
extracting a particle beam from a source; performing a first accelerating of particles of the particle beam; performing a second accelerating of the particles of the particle beam after performing the first accelerating; performing a first decelerating of the particles of the particle beam after performing the second accelerating; forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the particle beam after performing the first decelerating; deflecting the particle beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of particles of the particle beamlets; performing a second decelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets after deflecting the particle beamlets; and allowing the particles of the particle beamlets to be incident on an object surface after performing the second decelerating.

43 . The method of claim 42 , further comprising performing a first converging of the particle beam before deflecting the particle beamlets;
wherein the first converging is performed before forming the plurality of particle beamlets.

44 . The method of claim 43 , further comprising performing a second converging of the particle beamlets before deflecting the particle beamlets;
wherein the second converging is performed such that a bundle of the particle beamlets forms a crossover; and wherein the crossover is formed after the second accelerating and before the second decelerating.

45 . The method of claim 44 , further comprising performing a third accelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets before the crossover is formed;
wherein the third accelerating increases the kinetic energy of the particles an energy amount greater than 10 keV.

46 . The method of claim 42 , wherein at least one of the first accelerating and the second accelerating increases a kinetic energy of the particles by more than a first energy amount;
wherein at least one of the first decelerating and the second decelerating decreases the kinetic energy of the particles by more than the first energy amount; and wherein the first energy amount is greater than 10 keV.

47 . A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprising:
extracting a particle beam from a source; performing a first accelerating of particles of the particle beam; performing a first decelerating of the particles of the particle beam after performing the first accelerating; performing a second accelerating of the particles of the particle beam after performing the first decelerating; forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the particle beam after performing the second accelerating; deflecting the particle beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propa

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Microscopy Gmbh
• Applied Materials Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Schubert Stefan
• Kemen Thomas
• Knippelmeyer Rainer

Classifications

• H01J37/28 Primary

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

• H01J2237/047

  Changing particle velocity · CPC title

• H01J37/1472

  Deflecting along given lines · CPC title