Processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8939108-B2
Application number	US-201213708936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2012
Priority date	Feb 18, 2008
Publication date	Jan 27, 2015
Grant date	Jan 27, 2015

Abstract

A processing system for processing an object ( 3 ) is provided, wherein the processing system is adapted, to focus a first energy beam, in particular an electron beam ( 11 ), and a second energy beam, in particular an ion beam ( 21 ), on a focusing region ( 29 ) in which a object ( 3 ) to be processed is arrangeable. A processing chamber wall ( 35 ) having two openings ( 38, 39 ) for traversal of both energy beams and a connector ( 37 ) for supplying process gas delimits a processing chamber ( 45 ) from a vacuum chamber ( 2 ) of the processing system. Processing the object by activating the process gas through one of the energy beams and inspecting the object via one of the energy beams is enabled for different orientations of the object relative to a propagation direction of one of the energy beams.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A processing system for processing an object, the processing system comprising:
a first energy beam guiding system having first optics configured for generating a first energy beam and focusing the first energy beam in a focusing region located in a vacuum chamber;
a second energy beam guiding system having second optics configured for generating a second energy beam and focusing the second energy beam in the focusing region;
at least one processing chamber wall which is arrangeable within the vacuum chamber such that the processing chamber wall at least partially encompasses the focusing region;
wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a front face substantially disposed in a plane, wherein the front face surrounds a beam path of the first energy beam and a beam path of the second energy beam;
wherein the processing chamber wall has at least one connector for supplying a process gas to the focusing region;
wherein a first opening traversed by the beam path of the first energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall;
wherein a second opening traversed by the beam path of the second energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein the second opening is spaced apart from the first opening;
wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion, which are configured to be displaceable relative to each other; and
wherein the processing system is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other changes an inclination of the front face relative to at least one of the beam path of the first energy beam and the beam path of the second energy beam.

2. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first energy beam is an electron beam and the second energy beam is an ion beam.

3. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first energy beam guiding system comprises an electron beam column, and wherein the second energy beam guiding system comprises an ion beam column.

4. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber wall has a portion extending in a direction transverse to the plane.

5. The processing system according of claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber wall further comprises a connector for discharging the process gas from the focusing region.

6. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein in the first and in the second orientation, at least one of the front face and a fitting plane of the front face substantially extends parallel to a surface of the object.

7. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second wall portion comprises at least a portion of the front face;
wherein the processing system is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other causes the second wall portion to move relative to the vacuum chamber.

8. The processing system according to claim 7 , wherein the processing chamber wall is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other leaves a position of the first opening and a position of the second opening substantially unchanged.

9. The processing system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing system further comprises an object holder for holding the object, wherein the object holder is adapted to change an orientation of the object relative to the beam path of the first energy beam from a first orientation to a second orientation;
wherein an angle between the first orientation and the second orientation is between 10° and 60°; and
wherein a gap is formed between the front face of the processing chamber wall and at least one of the object and the object holder in both the first orientation and the second orientation, wherein for each portion of the front face, the gap has a width of less than 0.5 mm.

10. The processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the gap has a width of less than 200 μm.

11. The processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the front face of the processing chamber wall lies flush against the at least one of the object and the object holder in both the first orientation and the second orientation.

12. A processing system for processing an object, the processing system comprising:
a first energy beam guiding system having first optics configured for generating a first energy beam and focusing the first energy beam in a focusing region located in a vacuum chamber;
a second energy beam guiding system having second optics configured for generating a second energy beam and focusing the second energy beam in the focusing region;
at least one processing chamber wall which has a recessed shape which opens toward a plane; wherein the processing chamber wall is arrangeable within the vacuum chamber such that the processing chamber wall at least partially encompasses the focusing region;
wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a front face substantially disposed in the plane, wherein the front face surrounds a beam path of the first energy beam and a beam path of the second energy beam;
wherein the processing chamber wall has at least one connector for supplying a process gas to the focusing region;
wherein a first opening traversed by the beam path of the first energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein a second opening traversed by the beam path of the second energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein the second opening is spaced apart from the first opening;
wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion being displaceable relative to each other; and
wherein the first wall portion provides the first opening and the second opening, and wherein the second wall portion comprises at least a portion of the front face.

13. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are pivotable relative to each other about an axis.

14. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are arranged side by side such that portions of surfaces of the first and second wall portions overlap.

15. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are elastically connected to each other by a third wall portion.

16. The processing system according to claim 12 , further comprising an object holder for holding the object, wherein the object holder is adapted to change an orientation of the object relative to the beam path of the first energy beam from a first orientation to a second orientation;
wherein an angle between the first orientation and the second orientation is between 10° and 60°.

17. The processing system according to claim 16 , wherein the first and the second wall portions are configured such that a gap is formed between the front face of the processing chamber wall and at least one of the object or the object holder in both the first and the second orientation, wherein for each portion of the front face, the gap has a width of less than 0.5 mm.

18. The processing system according to claim 16 , wherein the processing chamber wall is configured such that in the second orientation, a position of the first opening and a position of the second opening remain substantially unchanged compared to the first orientation.

19. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first energy beam is an elect

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Microscopy Gmbh

Inventors

• Bertagnolli Emmerich
• Wanzenboeck Heinz
• Buehler Wolfram
• Stebler Camille
• Zeile Ulrike
• Rosenthal Alexander

Classifications

• H01J37/16 Primary

  Vessels; Containers · CPC title

• H01J37/30

  Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects · CPC title

• H01J37/3056

  for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components · CPC title

• H01J2237/188

  Differential pressure · CPC title

• H01J37/20

  Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support · CPC title