Ict Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft Fur Halbleiterpruftechnik Mbh

Leica Microsystem Lithography Gmbh

Dirk Hambach

Hans-Peter Feuerbaum

Ralf Degenhardt

Carlo Salvesen

Harry Munack

Bastian Niemann

Walter Kögler

Gerd Schneider

The invention provides a charged particle beam device to inspect or structure a specimen with a primary charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis; a beam tube element having a tube voltage; and a retarding field analyzer in the vicinity of the beam tube element to detect secondary charged particles generated by the primary charged particle beam on the specimen. According to the invention, the retarding field analyzer thereby comprises an entrance grid electrode at a second voltage; at least one filter grid electrode at a first voltage; a charged particle detector to detect the secondary charged particles; and at least one further electrode element arranged between the entrance grid electrode and the at least one filter grid electrode. The at least one further electrode element reduces the size of the stray fields regions in the retarding electric field region to improve the energy resolution of the retarding field analyzer. The improvement of the energy resolution is significant, in particular when the beam tube element is part of a high voltage beam tube.

Charged particle beam device with retarding field analyzer

The invention is based on a method for examining structures on a semiconductor substrate. The structures are imaged with X-radiation in an X-ray microscope. The wavelength of the X-radiation is established as a function of the thickness of the semiconductor substrate in such a way that both a suitable transmission of the X-radiation through the semiconductor substrate and a high-contrast image are obtained. As a result, the structures can be observed continuously with short exposure times, high resolution and even while they are in operation.

Method for examining structures on a semiconductor substrate

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Munich, Germany

Dirk Hambach