Swing objective lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9583306-B2
Application number	US-201514964274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a swing objective lens (SOL) reduces the off-aberrations to enhance the image resolution, and extends the e-beam scanning angle. The scanning electron microscope comprises a charged particle source, an accelerating electrode, and a swing objective lens system including a pre-deflection unit, a swing deflection unit and an objective lens, all of them are rotationally symmetric with respect to an optical axis. The upper inner-face of the swing deflection unit is tilted an angle θ to the outer of the SEM and its lower inner-face is parallel to the optical axis. A distribution for a first and second focusing field of the swing objective lens is provided to limit the off-aberrations and can be performed by a single swing deflection unit. Preferably, the two focusing fields are overlapped by each other at least 80 percent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for tilting a charged particle beam focused by an immersion objective lens, comprising:
a pre-lens deflector above and adjacent to a magnetic field generated by the immersion objective lens, said pre-lens deflector deflecting the charged particle beam to a pre-determined angle; and
a swing deflector, located inside said immersion objective lens, for swinging a magnetic lens generated by the immersion objective lens into the pre-determined angle, such that the charged particle beam is focused by the swung magnetic lens and bombards a specimen with the pre-determined angle.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the charged particle beam is an electron beam.

3. A swing objective lens, comprising:
an immersion objective lens for focusing a charged particle beam on a specimen;
a pre-lens deflector above and adjacent to a magnetic lens generated by the immersion objective lens, said pre-lens deflecting the charged particle beam to a pre-determined angle; and
a swing deflector, located inside said magnetic lens, providing an electrostatic field with a first condition;
wherein when the first condition matches a second condition generated by the immersion objective lens and the swing deflector, the magnetic lens is swung into the pre-determined angle.

4. The swing objective lens according to claim 3 , wherein the first condition is [φ′(z)+½″(z)(z−z 0 )], and φ is an electric potential produced by the swing deflector.

5. The swing objective lens according to claim 4 , wherein the second condition is √{square root over (φ(z))}[B(z)+½B′(z)(z−z 0 )], and B is the magnetic field generated by the immersion objective lens.

6. The swing objective lens according to claim 5 , wherein the match is the first condition mostly overlapped with the second condition.

7. The swing objective lens according to claim 5 , wherein the match is a first peak value of the first condition close to a second peak value of the second condition.

8. The swing objective lens according to claim 5 , wherein the match is a first distribution of the first condition similar and close to a second distribution of the second condition.

9. A swing objective lens, comprising:
an immersion objective lens for focusing a charged particle beam on a specimen, wherein the charged particle beam along an optical axis;
a pre-lens deflector above and adjacent to a magnetic lens generated by the immersion objective lens, said pre-lens deflecting the charged particle beam to a pre-determined angle; and
a swing deflector, located inside said magnetic lens, a first portion of an inner surface of the swing deflector having an inclined angle to the optical axis and a second portion of the inner surface of the swing deflector being parallel to the optical axis, wherein the magnetic lens is swung by the swing deflector into the pre-determined angle.

10. The swing objective lens according to claim 9 , wherein the swing deflector generates an electric potential φ with a first condition, [φ′(z)+½φ″(z)(z−z 0 )].

11. The swing objective lens according to claim 10 , wherein the immersion objective lens generates a magnetic field B with a second condition, √{square root over (φ(z))}[B(z)+½′(z)(z−z 0 )].

12. The swing objective lens according to claim 11 , wherein the first condition matches the second condition.

13. The swing objective lens according to claim 12 , wherein the match is a first distribution of the first condition similar and close to a second distribution of the second condition.

14. The swing objective lens according to claim 13 , further comprising a scanning deflector unit for scanning the charged particle beam on the specimen.

15. The swing objective lens according to claim 14 , further comprising a retard electrode below the immersion objective lens.

16. A scanning electron microscope, comprising:
an electron source for providing an electron beam along an optical axis;
a condenser lens for condensing the electron beam;
a detector for receiving signal electrons emanating from the specimen; and
a swing objective lens, comprising:
an immersion objective lens for focusing a charged particle beam on a specimen,

wherein the charged particle beam along an optical axis, wherein the immersion objective lens generates a magnetic field B with a second condition, √{square root over (φ(z))}[B(z)+½B′(z)(z−z 0 )];
a pre-lens deflector above and adjacent to a magnetic lens generated by the immersion objective lens, said pre-lens deflecting the charged particle beam to a pre-determined angle;
a swing deflector, located inside said magnetic lens, a first portion of an inner surface of the swing deflector having an inclined angle to the optical axis and a second portion of the inner surface of the swing deflector being parallel to the optical axis, wherein the magnetic lens is swung by the swing deflector into the pre-determined angle, the swing deflector generates an electric potential co with a first condition, [φ′(z)+½φ″(z)(z−z 0 )], and a first distribution of the first condition similar and close to a second distribution of the second condition;
a scanning deflector unit for scanning the charged particle beam on the specimen.; and
a retard electrode below the immersion objective lens.

17. A method for tilting a charged particle beam, comprising:
deflecting the charged particle beam to a pre-determined angle;
providing an immersion magnetic lens to the charged particle beam such that the charged particle beam is focused on a specimen; and
providing a swinging electrostatic field to the immersion magnetic lens such that the immersion magnetic lens is swung to the pre-determined angle, wherein the swing electric field has a first condition match to a second condition generated by the immersion magnetic lens and the swinging electrostatic field.

Assignees

• Hermes Microvision Inc

Inventors

• Li Shuai

Classifications

• H01J2237/1035

  Immersion lens · CPC title

• H01J2237/2801

  Details · CPC title

• H01J2237/12

  electrostatic · CPC title

• H01J37/28

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

• H01J37/145

  Combinations of electrostatic and magnetic lenses · CPC title