Charged particle optical apparatus having a selectively positionable differential pressure module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9741528-B2
Application number	US-201514724681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a charged particle optical apparatus, which includes a particle optical arrangement, configured to define a particle beam path for inspecting an object. The object is accommodated in a pressure-controlled interior of a specimen chamber during the inspection of the object. The charged particle optical apparatus further includes a differential pressure module having a differential pressure aperture. A positioning arm is arranged in the specimen chamber for selectively position the differential pressure module within the pressure-controlled interior of the specimen chamber into an operating position in which the particle beam path passes through the differential pressure aperture. The selective positioning includes an advancing movement of the differential pressure module toward the primary particle beam path. The advancing movement is transmitted to the differential pressure module by a track-guided movement of the positioning arm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A charged particle optical apparatus, comprising:
a particle optical arrangement, configured to define a primary particle beam path for inspecting an object;
a specimen chamber configured to accommodate an object in a pressure-controlled interior of the specimen chamber during the inspection of the object;
a differential pressure module having a differential pressure aperture; and
a positioning arm being at least partially arranged in the specimen chamber and configured to selectively position the differential pressure module within the pressure-controlled interior of the specimen chamber into an operating position in which the primary particle beam path passes through the differential pressure aperture;
a guide having a rail, wherein the selective positioning comprises an advancing movement of the differential pressure module directed toward the primary particle beam path, wherein the advancing movement is a substantially longitudinal track-guided movement of the positioning arm along the guide.

2. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the advancing movement of the differential pressure module and/or the track-guided movement of the positioning arm is a substantially translational movement.

3. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rail extends transverse or substantially perpendicular to a direction of the particle beam path, wherein the direction of the particle beam path is measured at a location within the specimen chamber.

4. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein at least a portion of the guide is located in the surrounding atmosphere of the charged particle optical apparatus;
wherein the at least the portion of the guide, which is located in the surrounding atmosphere comprises two mating guide members.

5. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the differential pressure module comprises a module-mounted detector for detecting particles and/or radiation;
wherein the differential pressure aperture is formed by a component of the module-mounted particle detector, which contributes to a generation of a detector signal in response to receiving particles and/or radiation.

6. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein during the advancing movement of the differential pressure module, at least a portion of the positioning arm passes through at least a portion of an opening, which extends through a wall portion of the specimen chamber.

7. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein during the advancing movement of the differential pressure module, at least portion of a driving member of the particle optical apparatus, which is drivingly coupled to the positioning arm, passes through at least the portion of an opening, which extends through a wall portion of the specimen chamber.

8. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the differential pressure module comprises an intermediate vacuum zone, wherein in the operating position of the differential pressure module, the particle beam path passes through the intermediate vacuum zone.

9. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the intermediate vacuum zone comprises a vacuum port for evacuating the intermediate vacuum zone.

10. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the differential pressure module comprises two intermediate vacuum zones.

11. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a degree of freedom of the positioning arm for performing at least a portion of the positioning of the differential pressure module is provided by a guide clearance of the guide.

12. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the guide comprises two mating guide members;
wherein the positioning arm is connected by a movable connection to the guide so that an orientation of the positioning arm relative to each of the guide members is variable.

13. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a degree of freedom of the positioning arm for performing at least a portion of the positioning of the differential pressure module is provided by the movable connection.

14. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the positioning arm is an elongate body extending along a longitudinal axis of the positioning arm;
wherein the longitudinal axis of the positioning arm is oriented at an angle relative to a plane which is perpendicular to a direction of the primary beam path, wherein the angle is smaller than 80 degrees and the direction is measured at a location within the specimen chamber;
wherein the positioning arm is configured as a guide member of the guide.

15. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the positioning arm is an elongate body extending along a longitudinal axis of the positioning arm;
wherein the longitudinal axis is oriented transverse or substantially perpendicular to a direction of the primary beam path; wherein the direction is measured at a location within the specimen chamber;
wherein the positioning arm is configured as a guide member of the guide.

16. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the rail is oriented at an angle relative to a plane which is perpendicular to a direction of the primary beam path, wherein the direction is measured at a location within the specimen chamber;
wherein the angle is smaller than 80 degrees.

17. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first and a second bearing element which cooperatively form a positioning bearing;
wherein:
during the positioning of the differential pressure aperture into the operating position, the first bearing element is brought into contact with the second bearing element, and
the positioning bearing is configured to bring the positioning arm into a final position in which the differential pressure module is in the operating position.

18. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 17 , wherein
the first bearing element is rigidly coupled to the positioning arm and/or to one of two mating guide members of a guide for guiding the track-guided movement; and
the second bearing element is rigidly coupled to the objective lens and/or the specimen chamber.

19. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 4 , wherein during the advancing movement of the differential pressure module,
at least a portion of the positioning arm passes through at least a portion of an opening, which extends through a wall portion of the specimen chamber; and/or
at least portion of a driving member of the particle optical apparatus, which is drivingly coupled to the positioning arm, passes through at least the portion of the opening.

20. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the two mating guide members comprise a first and a second guide member; wherein the first guide member forms the rail and the second guide member is configured to be movable along the rail.

21. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the differential pressure module comprises a further differential pressure aperture through which the primary particle beam path enters into the intermediate vacuum zone when the differential pressure module is in the operating position.

22. The charged particle optical apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the intermediate vacuum zone further comprises a vacuum port for evacuating the intermediate

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Microscopy Gmbh

Inventors

• Albiez Michael
• Meyer Stefan
• Kirsten Daniel
• Bean Stewart
• Essers Erik

Classifications

• H01J2237/188

  Differential pressure · CPC title

• H01J2237/10

  Lenses · CPC title

• H01J2237/2605

  operating at elevated pressures, e.g. atmosphere · CPC title

• H01J37/28

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

• H01J37/18 Primary

  Vacuum locks {; Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the vessel} · CPC title