Particle beam microscope and method for operating a particle beam microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9859092-B2
Application number	US-201615010346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 2, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A method for operating a particle beam microscope includes: setting a potential of a particle source; setting a potential of an object; directing a particle beam onto the object; focusing the particle beam using a particle-optical lens; providing a dependence between a value of an excitation of the particle-optical lens and a value of the potential of the object; changing a manipulated variable with the aid of an actuating element actuatable by a user; and setting the excitation of the particle-optical lens in a manner dependent on the manipulated variable. In a first mode of operation, the potential of the object is set on the basis of the excitation of the particle-optical lens in accordance with the dependence between the value of the excitation of the particle-optical lens and the value of the potential of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
setting an electric potential of a particle source of a particle beam microscope;
setting an electric potential of an object;
generating a particle beam of particles emitted by the particle source;
directing the particle beam onto the object;
using a particle-optical lens to focus the particle beam;
providing a dependence between a value of an excitation of the particle-optical lens and a value of the electric potential of the object;
using an actuating element to change a variable, the actuating element being actuatable by a user; and
setting the excitation of the particle-optical lens in a manner dependent on the variable,
wherein, in a first mode of operation, the electric potential of the object is set on the basis of the excitation of the particle-optical lens in accordance with the dependence between the value of the excitation of the particle-optical lens and the value of the electric potential of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing the dependence between the value of the excitation of the particle-optical lens and the value of the electric potential of the object so that the particle beam, in each case of various given values of the excitation of the particle-optical lens, is focused to the best possible extent onto the object.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dependence between the value of the excitation of the particle-optical lens and the value of the electric potential of the object is representable as a function having a function value representing the electric potential of the object, and the function has at least one argument comprising the excitation of the particle-optical lens.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the argument of the function further comprise the electric potential of the particle source.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the first mode of operation, the electric potential of the particle source is set so that the difference between the electric potential of the particle source and the electric potential of the object remains constant in the case of changes in the electric potential of the object.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the first mode of operation, the electric potential of the particle source remains constant in the case of changes in the electric potential of the object.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching into a second mode of operation of the particle beam microscope, wherein, in the second mode of operation, the electric potential of the object is kept constant when the excitation of the particle-optical lens is changed.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting particles of the particle beam which have interacted with the object; and/or
detecting particles and/or radiation which emanate from the object due to the particle beam being incident on the object.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
directing the particle beam onto a multiplicity of locations at the object; and
generating an image of the object from detection signals from a detector used when detecting.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising changing the variable based on an analysis of detection signals from a detector used when detecting.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the variable is changed in the first mode of operation until an image generated from the detection signals has a predetermined contrast.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the variable is changed based an analysis of the image generated from the detection signals.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein analyzing the image comprises using image processing software to automatedly analyze the image.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the variable is changed in the second mode of operation until an image generated from the detection signals has a predetermined sharpness.

15. A particle beam microscope, comprising:
a particle source configured to generate a particle beam;
an object holder;
a particle-optical lens;
a control element configured to output a control signal in a manner dependent on an actuation by a user; and
a controller configured so that, in a first mode of operation, the controller is configured to set:
a potential of the particle source;
an excitation of the particle-optical lens in a manner dependent on the control signal; and
a potential of the object holder in a manner dependent on the excitation of the particle-optical lens.

16. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , wherein, in the first mode of operation, the controller is configured to set the potential of the object holder in a manner dependent on the potential of the particle source.

17. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , wherein the dependence between the excitation of the particle-optical lens and the electric potential of the object holder is configured so that the particle beam, for each case of various given excitations of the particle-optical lens, is focused to the best possible extent on an object when held by the object holder.

18. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , further comprising an input apparatus configured to enter a value for the potential of the particle source.

19. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , wherein the controller comprises a memory which, in each case of a multiplicity of combinations of values for the excitation of the particle-optical lens and values for the potential of the particle source, contains at least one value for the potential of the object holder.

20. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , wherein the controller comprises a device configured to calculate a value for the potential of the object holder on the basis of a value of the excitation of the particle-optical lens and a value of the potential of the particle source.

21. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , wherein the controller has a second mode of operation in which the controller is configured to keep the potential of the object holder constant when the excitation of the particle-optical lens is changed and/or when the control signal is changed.

22. The particle beam microscope of claim 21 , further comprising an input element configured so that actuating the input element causes the particle beam microscope to switch: a) from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation; and/or b) from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation.

23. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , wherein the particle-optical lens comprises a condenser lens and/or an objective lens.

24. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , further comprising a detector configured to detect: a) particles of the particle beam which have interacted with an object when held by the object holder; and/or b) particles and/or radiation emanating from the object on account of the particle beam incident on the object.

25. The particle beam microscope of claim 15 , further comprising a deflection device configured to scan the particle beam over an object when held by the object holder.

26. A method, comprising:
directing a particle beam generated by a particle source of a particle beam microscope onto an object;
using a particle-optical lens to focus the particle beam;
providing a dependence between a value of an excitation of the particle-optical lens and a value of an electric potential of the object;
using an actuating element to change a variable, t

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Microscopy Gmbh

Inventors

• Preikszas Dirk

Classifications

• H01J37/21 Primary

  Means for adjusting the focus · CPC title

• H01J2237/0492

  Lens systems · CPC title

• H01J37/265

  Controlling the tube; circuit arrangements adapted to a particular application not otherwise provided, e.g. bright-field-dark-field illumination · CPC title

• H01J37/263

  Contrast, resolution or power of penetration · CPC title

• H01J2237/0048

  Charging arrangements · CPC title