Abstract:
An electron microscope provided with an electron source; an energy-dispersive element; an accelerating tube; a plate mounted between the energy-dispersive element and the specimen, in which a selection slit is provided at right angles to the dispersive direction of the dispersive element; source imaging electron optics for obtaining an image of a source in the plane of the plate comprising the selection slit. In addition to the selection slit, the plate comprises a plurality of further apertures useful for the determination of the cross-sectional form of the beam; and the electron microscope comprises means for the determination of the intensity of the beam being transmitted through and/or onto the plate, so that subject thereto, setting parameters of the energy-dispersive element and the source imaging electron optics can be aligned. The dimensions of the apertures are in the nanometric range and the plate constitutes a thin membrane placed at a position where the electron's kinetic energy is so low that it can be blocked by the thin membrane. Further, the plate is positioned directly after the energy-dispersive element and the source imaging electron optics.
Abstract:
Apparatus for acting upon charged particles has particular application in a mass analysis apparatus. An array of elongate magnetic poles (311) extends longitudinally in the direction of a longitudinal axis (350) of the array, the array having a symmetrical reference surface (320) containing the longitudinal axis and passing through the array with magnetic poles (311) on each side of the reference surface. Charged particles (314) enter into, or originate in, the field of the magnetic pole array at a position spaced from the said longitudinal axis (350). The array of magnetic poles is such as to provide between opposed poles (311A, 311B), an extended region of magnetic field in which the charged magnetic particles pass with a curved motion imposed thereon by the field, together with entry and exit regions (312A and 312B) which provide curved magnetic fields (312A, 312B), giving focusing or divergence of the beam of charged particles passing through the fringe field at an angle to the normal to the entry or exit region. The apparatus includes resolving means (332) for selecting a required species of particle from the beam by parameter dependent dispersion in a plane transverse to the reference surface (320), by focusing of the beam of particles at different focal points (331) along the general direction of propagation of the beam (314).
Abstract:
An apparatus for implanting ions into the wafer (22) in the manufacture of a semiconductor device, especially an apparatus suitable for implanting double-charge ions into the wafer (22). Only those ions having predetermined masses are chosen by the mass-separation electromagnet (14) from among ion beams (12) originating from the ion source (10) and implanted into the wafer (22) through the slit (16). Between the slit (16) and the mass-separation electromagnet (14) are provided electrodes (24) for separating ions having different energy levels disposed with the direction of deflection parallel to that of the mass-separation electromagnet, and a deflective magnetic field (26) for separating neutral particles and so on disposed with the direction of deflection perpendicular to that of the mass-separation electromagnet.
Abstract:
An apparatus which has the capability of filtering unwanted species from an extracted ion beam without the use of a mass analyzer magnet is disclosed. The apparatus includes an ion source having chamber walls that are biased by an RF voltage. The use of RF extraction causes ions to exit the ion source at different energies, where the energy of each ion species is related to its mass. The extracted ion beam can then be filtered using only electrostatic energy filters to eliminate the unwanted species. The electrostatic energy filter may act as a high pass filter, allowing ions having an energy above a certain threshold to reach the workpiece. Alternatively, the electrostatic energy filter may act as a low pass filter, allowing ions having an energy below a certain threshold to reach the workpiece. In another embodiment, the electrostatic energy filter operates as a bandpass filter.
Abstract:
A system and method are provided for implanting ions at low energies into a workpiece (109). An ion source configured to generate an ion beam is provided, wherein a mass resolving magnet (102) is configured to mass resolve the ion beam. The ion beam may be a ribbon beam or a scanned spot ion beam. A mass resolving aperture (103) positioned downstream of the mass resolving magnet filters undesirable species from the ion beam. A combined electrostatic lens (106) system is positioned downstream of the mass analyzer, wherein a path of the ion beam is deflected and contaminants are generally filtered out of the ion beam, while concurrently decelerating and parallelizing the ion beam. A workpiece scanning system is further positioned downstream of the combined electrostatic lens system, and is configured to selectively translate a workpiece in one or more directions through the ion beam, therein implanting ions into the workpiece.
Abstract:
The present invention is a C-shaped yoke-coil assembly which operates as a markedly improved mass analyzer device; and is able to achieve at least one identifiable modification (such as an effective separation of dissimilar charged ion species) in an adjacent traveling ribbon-shaped beam. The C-shaped yoke coil assembly offers a commercially useful resolving power; is far easier and less expensive to manufacture; and is quickly positioned, aligned, and operated in comparison to conventionally known mass analyzer devices.
Abstract:
One embodiment relates to a method of inspecting a site location on a target substrate. Contours are obtained, the contours having been generated from a reference image using a design clip. A target image of the site location is acquired. The contours are aligned to the target image, and contrast values are computed for pixels on the contours. A threshold is applied to the contrast values to determine contour-based defect blobs. Another embodiment relates to a method of generating contours for use in inspecting a site location for defects. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.