公开(公告)号：US20240014003A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-11

申请号：US18345956

申请日：2023-06-30

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Shuai LI ,  Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Juying DOU ,  Xuerang HU ,  Zhongwei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/10

CPC classification number: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/20

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput and in flexibly varying observing conditions is proposed. The apparatus uses a movable collimating lens to flexibly vary the currents of the plural probe spots without influencing the intervals thereof, a new source-conversion unit to form the plural images of the single electron source and compensate off-axis aberrations of the plural probe spots with respect to observing conditions, and a pre-beamlet-forming means to reduce the strong Coulomb effect due to the primary-electron beam.

公开(公告)号：US20230360877A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-09

申请号：US18144821

申请日：2023-05-08

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuedong LIU ,  Qingpo XI ,  Youfei JIANG ,  Weiming REN ,  Xuerang HU ,  Zhongwei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/12

CPC classification number: H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/0048

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a source of charged particles configured to emit a beam of charged particles along a primary beam axis of the apparatus; a condenser lens configured to cause the beam to concentrate around the primary beam axis; an aperture; a first multi-pole lens; a second multi-pole lens; wherein the first multi-pole lens is downstream with respect to the condenser lens and upstream with respect to the second multi-pole lens; wherein the second multi-pole lens is downstream with respect to the first multi-pole lens and upstream with respect to the aperture.

公开(公告)号：US20230280293A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-07

申请号：US18111503

申请日：2023-02-17

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuerang HU ,  Xinan LUO ,  Qingpo XI ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Weiming REN

IPC: G01N23/225 ,  G01N21/95 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: G01N23/225 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/32321 ,  H01J2237/082 ,  H01J2237/2806 ,  H01J2237/2817

Abstract: An improved charged particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, a particle beam inspection apparatus including an improved alignment mechanism is disclosed. An improved charged particle beam inspection apparatus may include a second electron detection device to generate one or more images of one or more beam spots of the plurality of secondary electron beams during the alignment mode. The beam spot image may be used to determine the alignment characteristics of one or more of the plurality of secondary electron beams and adjust a configuration of a secondary electron projection system.

公开(公告)号：US20220319808A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-06

申请号：US17697842

申请日：2022-03-17

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Xuerang HU ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/30 ,  H01J37/28 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  B82Y40/00

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes a crossover-forming deflector array of an electro-optical system for directing a plurality of electron beams onto an electron detection device. The crossover-forming deflector array includes a plurality of crossover-forming deflectors positioned at or at least near an image plane of a set of one or more electro-optical lenses of the electro-optical system, wherein each crossover-forming deflector is aligned with a corresponding electron beam of the plurality of electron beams.

公开(公告)号：US20220223366A1

公开(公告)日：2022-07-14

申请号：US17656731

申请日：2022-03-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuerang HU ,  Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/26

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a first electrically conductive layer; a second electrically conductive layer; a plurality of optics element s between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer, wherein the plurality of optics elements are configured to influence a plurality of beams of charged particles; a third electrically conductive layer between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer; and an electrically insulating layer physically connected to the optics elements, wherein the electrically insulating layer is configured to electrically insulate the optics elements from the first electrically conductive layer, and the second electrically conductive layer.

公开(公告)号：US20220216029A1

公开(公告)日：2022-07-07

申请号：US17583176

申请日：2022-01-24

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Qian ZHANG ,  Xuerang HU ,  Xuedong LIU

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/317

Abstract: A multi-beam inspection apparatus including an improved source conversion unit is disclosed. The improved source conversion unit may comprise a micro-structure deflector array including a plurality of multipole structures. The micro-deflector deflector array may comprise a first multipole structure having a first radial shift from a central axis of the array and a second multipole structure having a second radial shift from the central axis of the array. The first radial shift is larger than the second radial shift, and the first multipole structure comprises a greater number of pole electrodes than the second multipole structure to reduce deflection aberrations when the plurality of multipole structures deflects a plurality of charged particle beams.

公开(公告)号：US20210319977A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-14

申请号：US17226017

申请日：2021-04-08

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuedong LIU ,  Weimin ZHOU ,  Xiaoxue CHEN ,  Xiaoyu JI ,  Heng LI ,  Shahedul HOQUE ,  Zongyao LI ,  Shuhao LIU ,  Weiming REN

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/147

Abstract: Systems and methods of imaging a sample using a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The charged-particle beam apparatus may include a compound objective lens comprising a magnetic lens and an electrostatic lens, the magnetic lens comprising a cavity, and an electron detector located immediately upstream from a polepiece of the magnetic lens and inside the cavity of the magnetic lens. In some embodiments, deflectors may be located between the electron detector and the opening of the polepiece adjacent to the sample to achieve a large field of view. Electron distributions among the detectors can be manipulated without changing the landing energy by changing the potential of the control electrode(s) in the electrostatic objective lens. The electron source can be operated with several discrete potentials to cover different landing energies, while the potential difference between electron source and the extractor is fixed.

公开(公告)号：US20210193433A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-24

申请号：US17074001

申请日：2020-10-19

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Xuerang HU ,  Zhongwei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/29 ,  H01J37/14 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: A secondary projection imaging system in a multi-beam apparatus is proposed, which makes the secondary electron detection with high collection efficiency and low cross-talk. The system employs one zoom lens, one projection lens and one anti-scanning deflection unit. The zoom lens and the projection lens respectively perform the zoom function and the anti-rotating function to remain the total imaging magnification and the total image rotation with respect to the landing energies and/or the currents of the plural primary beamlets. The anti-scanning deflection unit performs the anti-scanning function to eliminate the dynamic image displacement due to the deflection scanning of the plural primary beamlets.

公开(公告)号：US20210116398A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-22

申请号：US17073271

申请日：2020-10-16

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Zhong-wei CHEN ,  Xiaoyu JI ,  Xiaoxue CHEN ,  Weimin ZHOU ,  Frank Nan ZHANG

IPC: G01N23/2202 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  G01N1/44

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a probe spot in multiple modes of operation of a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate a primary charged-particle beam and selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation of the charged-particle beam apparatus. In the flooding mode, the condenser lens may focus at least a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam passing through an aperture of the aperture plate to form a second portion of the primary charged-particle beam, and substantially all of the second portion is used to flood a surface of a sample. In the inspection mode, the condenser lens may focus a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam such that the aperture of the aperture plate blocks off peripheral charged-particles to form the second portion of the primary charged-particle beam used to inspect the sample surface.

公开(公告)号：US20200381207A1

公开(公告)日：2020-12-03

申请号：US16886461

申请日：2020-05-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Xuerang HU ,  Qingpo XI ,  Xuedong LIU

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/153

Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing imaging resolution by reducing crosstalk between detection elements of a secondary charged-particle detector in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The multi-beam apparatus may comprise an electro-optical system for projecting a plurality of secondary charged-particle beams from a sample onto a charged-particle detector. The electro-optical system may include a first pre-limit aperture plate comprising a first aperture configured to block peripheral charged-particles of the plurality of secondary charged-particle beams, and a beam-limit aperture array comprising a second aperture configured to trim the plurality of secondary charged-particle beams. The charged-particle detector may include a plurality of detection elements, wherein a detection element of the plurality of detection elements is associated with a corresponding trimmed beam of the plurality of secondary charged-particle beams.