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：US20240145214A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-02

申请号：US18504089

申请日：2023-11-07

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

CPC classification number: H01J37/3177 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/0453

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：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.