Kla Tencor Corporation

Ichiro Honjo

Christopher Sears

Xinrong Jiang

Liqun Han

Thanh Huy Ha

Hedong Yang

Christopher Malcolm Stanley Sears

Jianwei Wang

Huina Xu

Objective lens alignment of a scanning electron microscope review tool with fewer image acquisitions can be obtained using the disclosed techniques and systems. Two different X-Y voltage pairs for the scanning electron microscope can be determined based on images. A second image based on the first X-Y voltage pair can be used to determine a second X-Y voltage pair. The X-Y voltage pairs can be applied at the Q4 lens or other optical components of the scanning electron microscope.

Scanning electron microscope objective lens calibration using X-Y voltages iteratively determined from images obtained using said voltages

One embodiment relates to a tilt-imaging scanning electron microscope apparatus. The apparatus includes an electron gun, first and second deflectors, an objective electron lens, and a secondary electron detector. The first deflector deflects the electron beam away from the optical axis, and the second deflector deflects the electron beam back towards the optical axis. The objective lens focuses the electron beam onto a spot on a surface of a target substrate, wherein the electron beam lands on the surface at a tilt angle. Another embodiment relates to a method of imaging a surface of a target substrate using an electron beam with a trajectory tilted relative to a substrate surface. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed.

Tilt-imaging scanning electron microscope

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Ichiro Honjo