Ceos Corrected Electron Optical Systems Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-stiftung

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

U.S. Philips Corporation

Other

Carl Zeiss Nts Gmbh

Leo Elektronenmikroskopie Gmbh

Max-planck-gesellschaft Zur F&#xf6;rderung Der Wissenschaften E. V.

Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Standard Elektrik Lorenz Ag

Carl Zeizz Nts Gmbh

Harald Rose

Joachim Zach

Stephan Uhlemann

Gerd Ludwig Benner

Heiko Müller

Rasmus Schröder

Bastian Barton

Dirk Preikszas

Ralf Degenhardt

Stefan Lanio

Burkhard Lischke

Karel D Van Der Mast

Eugen Weimer

Kurt-Manfred Tischer

Rainer Spehr

Johan G Bakker

Alan F De Jong

Peter Hartel

Christoph Weissb&auml;cker

Christoph Weissbacker

Gerald Schonecker

Peter Schmid

Roland Janzen

Gerald Schoenecker

Christoph Weissbäcker

A phase-shifting element for shifting a phase of at least a portion of a particle beam is described, as well as a particle beam device having a phase-shifting element of this type. In the phase-shifting element and the particle beam device having a phase-shifting element, components shadowing the particle beam are avoided, so that proper information content is achieved and in which the phase contrast is essentially spatial frequency-independent. The phase-shifting element may have at least one means for generating a non-homogeneous or anisotropic potential. The particle beam device according to the system described herein may be provided with the phase-shifting element.

Phase-shifting element and particle beam device having a phase-shifting element

A corrective for eliminating the third-order aperture aberration and the first-order, first-degree axial chromatic aberration includes two correction pieces, which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the optical axis, in which each correction piece has a plurality of quadrupole fields (QP) and at least one octupole field (OP.) Each correction piece is constructed such that it is symmetrical with respect to its central plane (S, S') with each correction piece having an uneven number of at least five quadrupole fields (QP) and at least one octupole field (OP). Each correction piece is further constructed so that it is symmetrical with respect to its central plane. The central quadrupole field is arranged so that it is centered with respect to the central plane of the correction piece and is electromagnetic. The quadrupole fields of the two correction pieces are antisymmetrical and a transfer lens system is arranged such that it is symmetrical with respect to the central plane of the corrective between the correction pieces. The transfer lens system has two round lenses and the setting of the transfer lens system takes place so that the two round lenses image the central plane of the two correction pieces anamorphically onto one another, in which the enlargement in one main section is the reciprocal of the enlargement in the other main section and with an octupole field superimposed on the central quadrupole field.

Corrective for eliminating the third-order aperture aberration and the first-order, first-degree axial, chromatic aberration

According to the invention, the image contrast in electron optics can be improved without causing aberrations that are no longer tolerable by using, for production and correction of the at least one anamorphic image, quadrupole fields before and after this image whose extent in the direction of the optical axis is equal to at least twice their focal length, and wherein at least one of the axial rays, by an appropriate choice of the magnification M of the intermediate image, enters the quadrupole field before the at least one anamorphic image at a slope 1/M such that a length of the anamorphic image is achieved at which any aberrations caused are still within a tolerable range. The invention also relates to devices for implementing this method.

Method for producing image contrast by phase shifting in electron optics

A phase-shifting element for shifting a phase of at least a portion of a particle beam is described, as well as a article beam device having a phase-shifting element of this type. In the phase-shifting element and the particle beam device having a phase-shifting element, components shadowing the particle beam are avoided, so that proper information content is achieved and in which the phase contrast is essentially spatial frequency-independent. The phase-shifting element may have at least one means for generating a non-homogeneous or anisotropic potential. The particle beam device according to the system described herein may be provided with the phase-shifting element.

A corrector () for the axial and off-axial beam path of a particle-optical system, comprises a first () and a second () correction piece, which are disposed one behind the other in the beam path () on an optical axis (). Each correction piece () comprises four successive multipole elements () disposed symmetrically with respect to a center plane () and with the following fields: wherein the first () and the fourth () multipole elements of the multipole elements () are used to generate quadrupole fields (') and the second () and third () are used to generate octupole fields (&#x2032;&#x2033;) and quadrupole fields (&#x2032;), wherein the latter are superposed magnetic () and electric fields (&#x2033;), wherein the quadrupole fields (&#x2032;) of all four multipole elements () are rotated from one to the next through 90&#xb0;. An astigmatism of third order is corrected by a central multipole element disposed in the center plane and generating an octupole field.

Corrector for axial and off-axial beam paths

A particle-optical corrector for eliminating both the third-order aperture aberration and the third-order extra-axial coma, using circular lenses and hexapole fields, includes three coaxially arranged hexapole fields, at least one circular lens doublet being arranged between adjacent hexapole fields and adjusted so that the center hexapole field is imaged on the hexapole fields. Between the hexapole fields, an intermediate plane prevails and the intermediate planes are conjugated with one another. The three hexapole fields are identically oriented in the Larmor reference system with the intensities of the three fields being chosen so that the image aberration coefficient of the astigmatism with three-fold symmetry becomes 0. The corrective contains two hexapole fields, in which the fields of the hexapole field pair are excited anti-symmetrically to one another, and the pairs are in each case arranged around the two intermediate planes. The orientation of the hexapole field pairs is rotated with respect to the orientation defined by the hexapole fields by a sufficient angle so that the extra-axial third order coma is corrected.

Electron-optical corrector for aplanatic imaging systems

The invention is directed to a corrector for correcting energy-dependent first-order aberrations of the first degree as well as third-order spherical aberrations of electron-optical lens systems. The corrector includes at least one quadrupole septuplet (S) having seven quadrupoles (Qto Q). The quadrupoles are mounted symmetrically to a center plane (ZS) so as to permit excitation along a linear axis. The corrector furthermore includes at least five octopoles (Oto O) which can be excited within the quadrupole septuplet. In an advantageous embodiment, two quadrupole septuplets are mounted in series one behind the other. The quadrupole fields of the two quadrupole septuplets are excited antisymmetrically to a center plane lying between the two quadrupole septuplets. With such a system, all geometric third-order aberrations and additional energy-dependent first-order aberrations of the third degree and geometric fifth-order aberrations of a lens system can be corrected in addition to the axial and off-axial first-order chromatic aberrations of the first degree.

Corrector for correcting first-order chromatic aberrations of the first degree

The invention is directed to a corrector for correcting energy-dependent first-order aberrations of the first degree as well as third-order spherical aberrations of electron-optical lens systems. The corrector includes at least one quadropole septuplet (S) having seven quadrupoles (Qto Q). The quadrupoles are mounted symmetrically to a center plane (ZS) so as to permit excitation along a linear axis. The corrector furthermore includes at least five octopoles (Oto O) which can be excited within the quadrupole septuplet. In an advantageous embodiment, two quadrupole septuplets are mounted in series one behind the other. The quadrupole fields of the two quadrupole septuplets are excited antisymmetrically to a center plane lying between the two quadrupole septuplets. With such a system, all geometric third-order aberrations and additional energy-dependent first-order aberrations of the third degree and geometric fifth-order aberrations of a lens system can be corrected in addition to the axial and off-axial first-order chromatic aberrations of the first degree.

An optical particle corrector with a straight optical axis for eliminating color and aperture aberrations in optical particle lenses includes multipole elements in the form of electric and/or magnetic quadrupole and octupole elements. There are at least twelve quadrupole elements and ten octupole elements, in which three quadrupole elements and two octupole elements are assembled into a group. These groups are arranged successively along the straight optical axis, in which a first symmetrical plane is defined between the first and second groups, a second symmetrical plane is defined between the second and third groups and a third symmetrical plane is defined between the third and fourth groups. The multipole elements from one group to another correspond to each other in pairs, in which the multipole elements of the corresponding following group are positioned in reverse order along the straight optical axis in comparison with the corresponding multipole elements of the preceding group. The structure and refractive powers of the multipole elements that correspond to each other are mirror-symmetrically configured relative to the corresponding symmetrical plane between the groups. At least two of the quadrupole elements generate electric-magnetic quadrupole fields, in which the quadrupole element are, preferably, arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner relative to the second, or to all, symmetrical planes. An additional octupole element is arranged in the first and third symmetrical planes. The corrector enables the transmission of extremely large image fields, while the optical quality remains the same due to the fact image aberrations outside the axis can be corrected.

Optical particle corrector

The invention relates to an electron-optical corrector for eliminating third-order aberrations, such as spherical aberrations, field curvature and off-axis astigmatism; said corrector being devoid of third-order off-axis coma, third-order distortion and first-order chromatic aberration of the first degree. The corrector has a construction which is symmetrical about the central plane in the direction of the linear optical axis. A hexapole Sof length lis first positioned in the direction of the beam path, followed by a circular lens R, a hexapole Sof length land subsequently a circular lens Rwhich is followed by a third hexapole Swith the same strength with the same strength of the hexapole Sand double the length of the latter l=21. The separation of the two circular lenses R, Rand the distance from the circular lens to the first hexapole Sis chosen in such a way that the internal plane of Scomes to rest in the front principal focus of the circular lens that is positioned downstream and the center of the hexapoles Sand Sis located on the focal plane. Additional elements of the corrector also follow in sequence, said elements being symmetrical about the central plane Zof the hexapole S.

Electron-optical corrector for eliminating third-order aberations

The invention relates to a particle beam system comprising a particle source (), a mirror corrector (to), and an objective lens (). The mirror corrector comprises an electrostatic mirror () and a magnetic beam deflector (), which is arranged between the particle source () and the electrostatic mirror () as well as between the electrostatic mirror () and the objective lens (). The magnetic beam deflector () is free from dispersion for each single pass. The magnetic beam deflector () also comprises quadrupoles and/or quadrupole components, which are provided in such a manner that a maximum of two planes, which are conjugated with regard to the diffraction plane () of the objective lens (), occur on the entire path length between the first outlet from the magnetic beam deflector () and from the objective lens ().

Particle beam system having a mirror corrector

An electrostatic corrector with a rectilinear optical axis has two corrective parts, which are arranged one behind the other along the optical axis and which have respective quadrupole fields and superimposed circular lens fields. The astigmatic intermediate image of one cross-section that is created by an axis point lies in one corrective part and the astigmatic intermediate image of the other cross-section, which is perpendicular to the first cross-section, lies in the other corrective part. An object of the invention is to eliminate the chromatic aberration of particle lenses. To achieve this, an electrostatic corrector is used, which includes two corrector units having similar instrumental construction, with each of the two corrector units having input and output sides on which two additional electrostatic quadrupoles are located. The two corrector units represent the axial paths in a telescopic manner in a 1:1 representation. The two corrector units are arranged one behind the other along the optical axia and are rotated by 90&deg; about the optical axis relative to one another.

Electrostatic corrector

An electrostatic corrector for eliminating the chromatic aberration of particle lenses, includes a corrector having a straight optical axis and an electrostatic quadrupole for allocating to the objective lens. Two corrector pieces are positioned behind the quadrupole, along the optical axis in the direction of radiation. Each corrector piece has three electrical quadrupole fields with an overlying circular lens field. The quadrupole fields, however, are rotated 90&deg; about the optical axis in relation to each other. This arrangement is adjusted so that the astigmatic first image of one sectional view lies in one corrector piece and the astigmatic first image perpendicular thereto, of the other sectional view, lies in the other corrector piece, with another electrostatic quadrupole being located on the output side.

Electrostatic corrector for eliminating the chromatic aberration of particle lenses

The invention is directed to a corrector for correcting energy-dependent first-order aberrations of the first degree as well as third-order spherical aberrations of electron-optical lens systems. The corrector includes at least one quadropole septuplet (S ) having seven quadrupoles (Q to Q ). The quadrupoles are mounted symmetrically to a center plane (ZS) so as to permit excitation along a linear axis. The corrector furthermore includes at least five octopoles (O to O ) which can be excited within the quadrupole septuplet. In an advantageous embodiment, two quadrupole septuplets are mounted in series one behind the other. The quadrupole fields of the two quadrupole septuplets are excited antisymmetrically to a center plane lying between the two quadrupole septuplets. With such a system, all geometric third-order aberrations and additional energy-dependent first-order aberrations of the third degree and geometric fifth-order aberrations of a lens system can be corrected in addition to the axial and off-axial first-order chromatic aberrations of the first degree.

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Darmstadt, Germany

Harald Rose