公开(公告)号：US20190341222A1

公开(公告)日：2019-11-07

申请号：US16401065

申请日：2019-05-01

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/14

Abstract: An improved source conversion unit of a charged particle beam apparatus is disclosed. The source conversion unit comprises a first micro-structure array including a plurality of micro-structures. The plurality of micro-structures is grouped into one or more groups. Corresponding electrodes of micro-structures in one group are electrically connected and driven by a driver to influence a corresponding group of beamlets. The micro-structures in one group may be single-pole structures or multi-pole structures. The micro-structures in one group have same or substantially same radial shifts from an optical axis of the apparatus. The micro-structures in one group have same or substantially same orientation angles with respect to their radial shift directions.

公开(公告)号：US20240420916A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-19

申请号：US18706592

申请日：2022-10-05

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xiaoyu JI ,  Zizhou GONG ,  Weiming REN

IPC: H01J37/20

Abstract: An improved method of wafer inspection is disclosed. The improved method includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions that are executable by at least one processor of a device to cause the device to perform a method comprising: placing the wafer at a location on a stage; moving one or more movable segments of a conductive ring inward in a radial direction to enable the conductive ring to be within a predetermined distance from an edge of the wafer; and adjusting a voltage applied to the conductive ring or to a voltage applied to the wafer so that to enable the voltage applied to the conductive ring to be substantially equal to the voltage applied to the wafer to provide a substantially consistent electric field across an inner portion of the conductive ring and an outer portion of the wafer.

公开(公告)号：US20240128044A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-18

申请号：US18392494

申请日：2023-12-21

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/06 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/1474 ,  H01J37/06 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/1477 ,  H01J37/1478 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/024 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/0492 ,  H01J2237/103 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1516 ,  H01J2237/1534 ,  H01J2237/1536

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.

公开(公告)号：US20240079204A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-07

申请号：US18269532

申请日：2021-12-08

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Yongxin WANG ,  Oleg KRUPIN ,  Weiming REN ,  Xuerang HU ,  Xuedong LIU

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A method of detecting charged particles may include detecting beam intensity as a primary charged particle beam moves along a first direction; acquiring a secondary beam spot projection pattern as the primary charged particle beam moves along a second direction; and determining a parameter of a secondary beam spot based on the acquired secondary beam spot projection pattern. A method of compensating for beam spot changes on a detector may include acquiring a beam spot projection pattern on the detector, determining a change of the beam spot projection pattern, and adjusting a parameter of a detector cell of the detector based on the change. Another method may be provided for forming virtual apertures with respect to detector cells of a detector.

公开(公告)号：US20240021404A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18256865

申请日：2021-11-17

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Shahedul HOQUE ,  Xiaoyu JI ,  Hermanus Adrianus DILLEN

IPC: H01J37/147

CPC classification number: H01J37/1478 ,  H01J37/1477 ,  H01J2237/1507 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods of imaging a sample using a tilted charged-particle beam. The apparatus may comprise a first deflector located between the charged-particle source and an objective lens and configured to deflect the charged-particle beam away from the primary optical axis; a second deflector located substantially at a focal plane of the objective lens and configured to deflect the charged-particle beam back towards the primary optical axis; and a third deflector located substantially at a principal plane of the objective lens, wherein the third deflector is configured to shift a wobbling center of the objective lens to an off-axis wobbling location, and wherein the first and the second deflectors are configured to deflect the charged-particle beam to pass through the off-axis wobbling location to land on a surface of a sample at a first landing location and having a beam-tilt angle.

公开(公告)号：US20230282441A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-07

申请号：US18158444

申请日：2023-01-23

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/06 ,  H01J37/10

CPC classification number: H01J37/1474 ,  H01J37/1477 ,  H01J37/1478 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/06 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J2237/024 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/0492 ,  H01J2237/103 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1516 ,  H01J2237/1536 ,  H01J2237/1534

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.

公开(公告)号：US20200286705A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-10

申请号：US16799773

申请日：2020-02-24

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuedong LIU ,  Weiming REN ,  Shuai LI ,  Zhongwei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/04 ,  H01J37/153

Abstract: One modified source-conversion unit and one method to reduce the Coulomb Effect in a multi-beam apparatus are proposed. In the modified source-conversion unit, the aberration-compensation function is carried out after the image-forming function has changed each beamlet to be on-axis locally, and therefore avoids undesired aberrations due to the beamlet tilting/shifting. A Coulomb-effect-reduction means with plural Coulomb-effect-reduction openings is placed close to the single electron source of the apparatus and therefore the electrons not in use can be cut off as early as possible.

公开(公告)号：US20200211811A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-02

申请号：US16729190

申请日：2019-12-27

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

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

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：US20190259573A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-22

申请号：US16398178

申请日：2019-04-29

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Shuai Li ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Zhongwei Chen

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/147

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit changes a single electron source into a virtual multi-source array, a primary projection imaging system projects the array to form plural probe spots on the sample, and a condenser lens adjusts the currents of the plural probe spots. In the source-conversion unit, the image-forming means is on the upstream of the beamlet-limit means, and thereby generating less scattered electrons. The image-forming means not only forms the virtual multi-source array, but also compensates the off-axis aberrations of the plurality of probe spots.

公开(公告)号：US20250027990A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-23

申请号：US18713108

申请日：2022-10-26

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Datong ZHANG ,  Xiaoyu JI ,  Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Chia Wen LIN

IPC: G01R31/307 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods of inspecting a sample using a charged-particle beam apparatus with enhanced probe current and high current density of the primary charged-particle beam are disclosed. The apparatus includes a charged-particle source, a first condenser lens configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam and operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein: in the first mode, the first condenser lens is configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam, and in the second mode, the first condenser lens is configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam sufficiently to form a crossover along the primary optical axis. The apparatus further includes a second condenser lens configured to adjust a first beam current of the primary charged-particle beam in the first mode and adjust a second beam current of the primary charged-particle beam in the second mode, the second beam current being larger than the first beam current.