公开(公告)号：US20240071711A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-29

申请号：US18477213

申请日：2023-09-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

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

CPC classification number: H01J37/1477 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/26 ,  H01J2237/0213 ,  H01J2237/0262 ,  H01J2237/038 ,  H01J2237/0435

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 eclectically 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：US20230411110A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-21

申请号：US18144131

申请日：2023-05-05

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/1472 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1534 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/2817

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for multi-beam inspection with an improved source conversion unit providing more beamlets with high electric safety, mechanical availability and mechanical stabilization has been disclosed. The source-conversion unit comprises an image-forming element array having a plurality of image-forming elements, an aberration compensator array having a plurality of micro-compensators, and a pre-bending element array with a plurality of pre-bending micro-deflectors. In each of the arrays, adjacent elements are placed in different layers, and one element may comprise two or more sub-elements placed in different layers. The sub-elements of a micro-compensator may have different functions such as micro-lens and micro-stigmators.

公开(公告)号：US20230377831A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-23

申请号：US18027903

申请日：2021-09-02

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/21

CPC classification number: H01J37/1472 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/21 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A method of operating a secondary imaging system of a charged particle beam apparatus may include using an anti-scanning mode. Excitation of a component of the secondary imaging system may be adjusted synchronously with a primary scanning deflection unit. Together with an anti-scanning deflection unit performing anti-scanning, a component of the secondary imaging system, such as a lens, may be adjusted in step. As scanning and anti-scanning is performed, excitation parameters of the component may also be constantly updated.

公开(公告)号：US20230170180A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-01

申请号：US18102766

申请日：2023-01-30

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuedong LIU

IPC: H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/265 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/1474

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for adjusting beam condition of charged particles are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, the apparatus includes one or more first multipole lenses displaced above an aperture, the one or more first multipole lenses being configured to adjust a beam current of a charged-particle beam passing through the aperture. The apparatus also includes one or more second multipole lenses displaced below the aperture, the one or more second multipole lenses being configured to adjust at least one of a spot size and a spot shape of the beam.

公开(公告)号：US20220262594A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-18

申请号：US17662453

申请日：2022-05-09

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/05 ,  H01J37/14 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for compensating dispersion of a beam separator in a single-beam or multi-beam apparatus. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a dispersion device comprising an electrostatic deflector and a magnetic deflector configured to induce a beam dispersion set to cancel the dispersion generated by the beam separator. The combination of the electrostatic deflector and the magnetic deflector can be used to keep the deflection angle due to the dispersion device unchanged when the induced beam dispersion is changed to compensate for a change in the dispersion generated by the beam separator. In some embodiments, the deflection angle due to the dispersion device can be controlled to be zero and there is no change in primary beam axis due to the dispersion device.

公开(公告)号：US20220246395A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-04

申请号：US17718225

申请日：2022-04-11

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

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

Abstract: Systems and methods for observing a sample in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. A charged particle optical system may include a deflector configured to form a virtual image of a charged particle source and a transfer lens configured to form a real image of the charged particle source on an image plane. The image plane may be formed at least near a beam separator that is configured to separate primary charged particles generated by the source and secondary charged particles generated by interaction of the primary charged particles with a sample. The image plane may be formed at a deflection plane of the beam separator. The multi-beam apparatus may include a charged-particle dispersion compensator to compensate dispersion of the beam separator. The image plane may be formed closer to the transfer lens than the beam separator, between the transfer lens and the charged-particle dispersion compensator.

公开(公告)号：US20210233736A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-29

申请号：US17135969

申请日：2020-12-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

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

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：US20210193437A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-24

申请号：US17127956

申请日：2020-12-18

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/147

Abstract: Systems and methods of forming images of a sample using a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may include generating a plurality of secondary electron beams from a plurality of probe spots on the sample upon interaction with a plurality of primary electron beams. The method may further include adjusting an orientation of the plurality of primary electron beams interacting with the sample, directing the plurality of secondary electron beams away from the plurality of primary electron beams, compensating astigmatism aberrations of the plurality of directed secondary electron beams, focusing the plurality of directed secondary electron beams onto a focus plane, detecting the plurality of focused secondary electron beams by a charged-particle detector, and positioning a detection plane of the charged-particle detector at or close to the focus plane.

公开(公告)号：US20210151291A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-20

申请号：US17146409

申请日：2021-01-11

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：US20200381212A1

公开(公告)日：2020-12-03

申请号：US16888424

申请日：2020-05-29

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/147

Abstract: Systems and methods of reducing the Coulomb interaction effects in a charged particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The charged particle beam apparatus may comprise a charged particle source and a source conversion unit comprising an aperture-lens forming electrode plate configured to be at a first voltage, an aperture lens plate configured to be at a second voltage that is different from the first voltage for generating a first electric field, which enables the aperture-lens forming electrode plate and the aperture lens plate to form aperture lenses of an aperture lens array to respectively focus a plurality of beamlets of the charged particle beam, and an imaging lens configured to focus the plurality of beamlets on an image plane. The charged particle beam apparatus may comprise an objective lens configured to focus the plurality of beamlets onto a surface of the sample and form a plurality of probe spots thereon.