公开(公告)号：US20200381211A1

公开(公告)日：2020-12-03

申请号：US16885872

申请日：2020-05-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming REN ,  Xuedong LIU ,  Xuerang HU ,  Zhong-wei CHEN ,  Martinus Gerardus Johannes Maria MAASSEN

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods of mitigating Coulomb effect in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The multi-beam apparatus may include a charged-particle source configured to generate a primary charged-particle beam along a primary optical axis, a first aperture array comprising a first plurality of apertures having shapes and configured to generate a plurality of primary beamlets derived from the primary charged-particle beam, a condenser lens comprising a plane adjustable along the primary optical axis, and a second aperture array comprising a second plurality of apertures configured to generate probing beamlets corresponding to the plurality of beamlets, wherein each of the plurality of probing beamlets comprises a portion of charged particles of a corresponding primary beamlet based on at least a position of the plane of the condenser lens and a characteristic of the second aperture array.

公开(公告)号：US20200161079A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-21

申请号：US16679023

申请日：2019-11-08

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/285

Abstract: An electromagnetic compound lens may be configured to focus a charged particle beam. The compound lens may include an electrostatic lens provided on a secondary optical axis and a magnetic lens also provided on the secondary optical axis. The magnetic lens may include a permanent magnet. A charged particle optical system may include a beam separator configured to separate a plurality of beamlets of a primary charged particle beam generated by a source along a primary optical axis from secondary beams of secondary charged particles. The system may include a secondary imaging system configured to focus the secondary beams onto a detector along the secondary optical axis. The secondary imaging system may include the compound lens.

公开(公告)号：US20200152412A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-14

申请号：US16551655

申请日：2019-08-26

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

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

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：US20190333732A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-31

申请号：US16474027

申请日：2017-12-22

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/145

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes an anti-rotation lens and using it as an anti-rotation condenser lens in a multi-beam apparatus with a pre-beamlet-forming mechanism. The anti-rotation condenser lens keeps rotation angles of beamlets unchanged when changing currents thereof, and thereby enabling the pre-beamlet-forming mechanism to cut off electrons not in use as much as possible. In this way, the multi-beam apparatus can observe a sample with high resolution and high throughput, and is competent as a yield management tool to inspect and/or review defects on wafers/masks in semiconductor manufacturing industry.

公开(公告)号：US20190279844A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-12

申请号：US16295971

申请日：2019-03-07

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

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

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：US20190279842A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-12

申请号：US16357309

申请日：2019-03-18

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/28

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with oblique illumination is proposed. In the apparatus, a new source-conversion unit changes a single electron source into a slant virtual multi-source array, a primary projection imaging system projects the array to form plural probe spots on the sample with oblique illumination, and a condenser lens adjusts the currents of the plural probe spots. In the source-conversion unit, the image-forming means not only forms the slant virtual multi-source array, but also compensates the off-axis aberrations of the plurality of probe spots. The apparatus can provide dark-field images and/or bright-field images of the sample.