公开(公告)号：US11417497B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-16

申请号：US16901900

申请日：2020-06-15

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Remco Schoenmakers ,  Jaydeep Sanjay Belapure

IPC: H01J37/256 ,  G01N23/20091 ,  H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of examining a sample using a charged particle microscope, comprising the steps of providing a charged particle beam, as well as a sample; scanning said charged particle beam over said sample at a plurality of sample positions; and acquiring an EELS spectrum for each of said plurality of sample positions. According to the method, it comprises the further steps of scanning, once more, said charged particle beam over said sample at said plurality of sample positions; acquiring a further EELS spectrum for each of said plurality of sample positions; and combining, for each of said plurality of sample positions, said EELS spectrum with said further EELS spectrum. With this, it is possible to acquire rapid information on the sample being investigated, allowing for faster processing of samples.

公开(公告)号：US11417493B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-16

申请号：US17127749

申请日：2020-12-18

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Lubomír Tůma

IPC: H01J37/14 ,  H01J37/143 ,  H01J37/21 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A charged particle beam system can include a vacuum chamber, a specimen holder for holding a specimen within the vacuum chamber, and a charged particle column. The charged particle column can include a charged particle source for producing a beam of charged particles along an optical axis and a magnetic immersion lens for focusing the beam of charged particles. The magnetic immersion lens can include a first lens pole disposed adjacent a first surface of the specimen, an excitation coil surrounding the first lens pole, and a counterpole disposed adjacent a second surface of the specimen, the counterpole including one or more magnets disposed on the counterpole.

公开(公告)号：US11373839B1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-28

申请号：US17166885

申请日：2021-02-03

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Petr Hlavenka ,  Jan Klusacek ,  Ondrej Sembera

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Responsive to irradiation of a charged particle beam, emission from sample is acquired in the form of spectral data. The spectral data is decomposed by a machine learning estimator to abundances and spectral components based on a character of the detector. Images showing compositional information of the sample are generated based on the abundances and the spectral components.

公开(公告)号：US20220199353A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-23

申请号：US17130987

申请日：2020-12-22

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Alexander Henstra ,  Ali Mohammadi-Gheidari ,  Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer

IPC: H01J37/14 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: An adjustable magnetic field free objective lens for a charged particle microscope is disclosed herein. An example charged particle microscope at least includes first and second optical elements arranged on opposing sides of a sample plane, a third optical element arranged around the sample plane, and a controller coupled to control the first, second and third optical elements. The controller coupled to excite the first and second optical elements to generate first and second magnetic lenses, the first and second magnetic lenses formed on opposing sides of the sample plane and oriented in the same direction, and excite the third optical element to generate a third magnetic lens at the sample plane that is oriented in an opposite direction, where a ratio of the excitation of the third optical element to the excitation of the first and second optical elements adjusts a magnetic field at the sample plane.

公开(公告)号：US11328892B2

公开(公告)日：2022-05-10

申请号：US16987172

申请日：2020-08-06

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Erik Rene Kieft ,  Pleun Dona ,  Jasper Frans Mathijs van Rens ,  Wouter Verhoeven ,  Peter Mutsaers ,  Jom Luiten ,  Ond{hacek over (r)}ej Ba{hacek over (c)}o

IPC: H01J37/04 ,  H01J37/26 ,  H01P7/06

Abstract: Disclosed herein are radio frequency (RF) cavities and systems including such RF cavities. The RF cavities are characterized as having an insert with at least one sidewall coated with a material to prevent charge build up without affecting RF input power and that is heat and vacuum compatible. One example RF cavity includes a dielectric insert, the dielectric insert having an opening extending from one side of the dielectric insert to another to form a via, and a coating layer disposed on an inner surface of the dielectric insert, the inner surface facing the via, wherein the coating layer has a thickness and a resistivity, the thickness less than a thickness threshold, and the resistivity greater than a resistivity threshold, wherein the thickness and resistivity thresholds are based partly on operating parameters of the RF cavity.

公开(公告)号：US20220115205A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-14

申请号：US17559553

申请日：2021-12-22

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Marcus Straw ,  Alexander Makarov ,  Josh Gilbert ,  Aaron Torok ,  Joseph Christian ,  Alan Bahm ,  Kun Liu ,  Tom Nichols ,  Jeff Kosmoski ,  Dmitry Grinfeld

IPC: H01J37/295 ,  H01J49/42 ,  H01J37/20

Abstract: Systems and method for the preparation and delivery of biological samples for charged particle analysis are disclosed herein. An example system at least includes an ion filter coupled to select a sample ion from an ionized sample supply, the ion filter including a quadrupole filter to select the sample ion from the sample supply, an energy reduction cell coupled to receive the selected sample ion and reduce a kinetic energy of the sample ion, a validation unit coupled to receive the sample ion and determine whether the sample ion is a target sample ion, a substrate coupled to receive the sample, wherein the substrate is electron transparent, an ion transport module coupled to receive the sample ion from the ion filter and transport the sample ion to the substrate, and an imaging system arranged to image, with a low energy charged particle beam, the sample located on the substrate, wherein the substrate is arranged in an analysis location. The imaging system including a charge particle emitter coupled to direct coherent charged particles toward the sample; and a detector arranged to detect interference patterns formed from interaction of the coherent charged particles and the sample.

公开(公告)号：US20220102284A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-31

申请号：US17037276

申请日：2020-09-29

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Sean Morgan-Jones ,  Mark Najarian ,  Michael Schmidt ,  Victoriea Bird

IPC: H01L23/544 ,  H01J37/305 ,  H01J37/09

Abstract: Redeposition of substrate material on a fiducial resulting from charged particle beam (CPB) or laser beam milling of a substrate can be reduced with a shield formed on the substrate surface. The shield typically has a suitable height that can be selected based on proximity of an area to be milled to the fiducial. The shield can be formed with the milling beam using beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The same or different beams can be used for milling and beam-assisted CVD.

公开(公告)号：US11282670B1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-22

申请号：US17136431

申请日：2020-12-29

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Pavel Potocek ,  Luká{hacek over (s)} Hübner ,  Milo{hacek over (s)} Hovorka ,  Erik Rene Kieft

IPC: H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Methods and systems include acquiring instances of data relating to multiple layers of a sample obtained via slice and view imaging where the electron interaction depth of the charged particle beam during each irradiation of the sample is larger than the thickness of the first layer and/or the thickness of the second layer. A simulated model is then accessed that identifies a plurality of yield values that identify expected portions/ratios of detected emissions that are expected to be generated by material in corresponding layers/depths of the sample. The yield values are used to segregate the instances of data into component portions based on the particular layer of the sample in which the structures expected to have generated the associated emissions are located. The component portions are then used to create reconstructions of individual layers and/or 3D reconstructions of the sample with reduced depth blur.

公开(公告)号：US20220065804A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-03

申请号：US17462933

申请日：2021-08-31

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Oleksii Kaplenko ,  Ondrej Machek ,  Tomás Vystavel ,  Jan Klusácek ,  Kristýna Bukvisová ,  Mykola Kaplenko

IPC: G01N23/2206 ,  G01N23/203 ,  G01N23/2204

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, examining a sample using a charged particle beam apparatus. The method as defined herein comprises the step of detecting, using a first detector, emissions of a first type from the sample in response to the charged particle beam illuminating the sample. The method further comprises the step of acquiring spectral information on emissions of a second type from the sample in response to the charged particle beam illuminating the sample. As defined herein, said step of acquiring spectral information comprises the steps of providing a spectral information prediction algorithm and using said algorithm for predicting said spectral information based on detected emissions of the first type as an input parameter of said algorithm. With this it is possible to gather EDS data using only a BSE detector.

公开(公告)号：US11257683B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-22

申请号：US16903922

申请日：2020-06-17

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： James Clarke ,  Micah LeDoux ,  Jason Lee Monfort ,  Brett Avedisian

IPC: H01L21/32 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L27/11582 ,  G11C5/02 ,  H01L27/11556 ,  H01J37/305 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G11C5/06 ,  G01N1/32

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for sample preparation, suitable for online or offline use with multilayer samples. Ion beam technology is leveraged to provide rapid, accurate delayering with etch stops at a succession of target layers. In one aspect, a trench is milled around a region of interest (ROI), and a conductive coating is developed on an inner sidewall. Thereby, reliable conducting paths are formed between intermediate layers within the ROI and a base layer, and stray current paths extending outside the ROI are eliminated, providing better quality etch progress monitoring, during subsequent etching, from body or scattered currents. Ion beam assisted gas etching provides rapid delayering with etch stops at target polysilicon layers. Uniform etching at deep layers can be achieved. Variations and results are disclosed.