Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Chris Huang

Rudy Flores Garcia

Ming Lun Yu

Matthew Lent

Niles MacDonald

Kenneth Krzeczowski

Garrett Pickard

Mehran Naser-Ghodsi

Sergey D Lopatin

Tzu-Chin Chuang

Mehran Nasser-Ghodsi

Gabor D Toth

Khashayar Shadman

Stanislaw Marek Borowicz

Wo-Tak Wu

Structural modification using electron beam activated chemical etch (EBACE) is disclosed. A target or portion thereof may be exposed to a gas composition of a type that etches the target when the gas composition and/or target are exposed to an electron beam. By directing an electron beam toward the target in the vicinity of the gas composition, an interaction between the electron beam and the gas composition etches a portion of the target exposed to both the gas composition and the electron beam. Structural modifications of the target may be conducted by means of etching due to interaction between the electron beam and gas composition.

Structural modification using electron beam activated chemical etch

Etch selectivity enhancement during electron beam activated chemical etch (EBACE) is disclosed. A target or portion thereof may be exposed to a gas composition of a type that etches the target when the gas composition and/or target are exposed to an electron beam. By directing an electron beam toward the target in the vicinity of the gas composition, an interaction between the electron beam and the gas composition etches a portion of the target exposed to both the gas composition and the electron beam. Selectivity of etching of the target due to interaction between the electron beam and gas composition may be enhanced in a number of ways.

Etch selectivity enhancement in electron beam activated chemical etch

A scanning electron beam apparatus with an Auger spectrometer. The apparatus includes at least an electron column for generating a primary electron beam, a magnetic objective lens configured to focus the primary electron beam onto a surface of a target substrate, and a spectrometer configured to detect Auger electrons emitted from the surface of the target substrate. The magnetic objective lens applies a magnetic field strength greater than 10 Gauss and less than 50 Gauss at the surface of the target substrate. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

Auger electron spectrometer with applied magnetic field at target surface

Methods and apparatus for imaging a structure and a related processor-readable medium are disclosed. A surface of a substrate (or a portion thereof) is exposed to a gas composition. The gas composition includes one or more components that etch the substrate upon activation by interaction with a beam of electrons. A beam of electrons is directed to one or more portions of the surface of the substrate that are exposed to the gas composition to etch the one or more portions. A plurality of images is obtained of the one or more portions at different instances of time as the one or more portions are etched. A three-dimensional model of one or more structures embedded within the one or more portions of the substrate is generated from the plurality of images.

Three-dimensional imaging using electron beam activated chemical etch

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Chris Huang