Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Applied Materials Israel Limited

Ict Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft Fur Halbleiterpruftechnik Mbh

Carl Zeiss Multisem Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Applied Materials Isreal Ltd

Carl Ziess Smt Ag

Thomas Kemen

Rainer K Knippelmeyer

Dirk Zeidler

Christof Riedesel

Antonio Casares

Stefan Schubert

Steven Robert Rogers

Stephan Uhlemann

Oliver Kienzle

Heiko Mueller

Maximilian Haider

Ralf Lenke

Joerg Jacobi

Gerd Ludwig Benner

Nissim Elmaliah

Benjamin John Cook

Ingo Mueller

Arne Thoma

Roman Barday

Markus Doering

Juergen Kynast

Johann Greschner

Dieter Winkler

Thomas Bayer

Heiko Müller

Pascal Anger

Mario Muetzel

Samuel Kalt

Markus Thomann

Nicole Rauwolf

Nicole Bengesser

Anger Pascal

Maximillian Haider

Georg Fritz

Steven R Rodgers

A charged particle beam apparatus for inspecting a specimen with a plurality of beamlets is described. The charged particle beam apparatus includes a charged particle beam emitter () for generating a charged particle beam () propagating along an optical axis (A) and a multi-beamlet generation- and correction-assembly (), including a first multi-aperture electrode () with a first plurality of apertures for creating the plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam, at least one second multi-aperture electrode () with a second plurality of apertures of varying diameters for the plurality of beamlets for providing a field curvature correction, and a plurality of multipoles () for individually influencing each of the plurality of beamlets, wherein the multi-beamlet generation- and correction-assembly () is configured to focus the plurality of beamlets to provide a plurality of intermediate beamlet crossovers. The charged particle beam apparatus further includes an objective lens () for focusing each of the plurality of beamlets to a separate location on the specimen, and a single transfer lens () for beamlet collimation arranged between the multi-beamlet generation- and correction-assembly and the objective lens. Further, a method of inspecting a specimen with a charged particle beam apparatus is described.

Charged particle beam apparatus, multi-beamlet assembly, and method of inspecting a specimen

A multi-beam charged particle system includes: a vacuum enclosure having an opening covered by a door; a particle source configured to generate charged particles, wherein the particle source is arranged within the vacuum enclosure; at least one multi-aperture plate module including at least one multi-aperture plate and a base; and a transfer box having an opening covered by a door. The at least one multi-aperture plate includes a plurality of apertures. The base is configured to hold the at least one multi-aperture plate. The base is configured to be fixed relative to the vacuum enclosure such that the multi-aperture plate module is arranged in an interior of the vacuum enclosure such that, during operation of the particle beam system, particles traverse the plural multi-aperture plates through the apertures of the plates.

Multi-beam charged particle system

A charged particle beam device is described, which includes: a beam source configured to generate a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis (A); an aperture device with a plurality of apertures configured to create a plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam; and a field curvature corrector. The field curvature corrector includes: a first multi-aperture electrode with a first plurality of openings having diameters that vary as a function of a distance from the optical axis (A); a second multi-aperture electrode with a second plurality of openings; and an adjustment device configured to adjust at least one of a first electrical potential (U1) of the first multi-aperture electrode and a second electrical potential (U2) of the second multi-aperture electrode. Further, a field curvature corrector and methods of operating a charged particle beam device are described.

Charged particle beam device, field curvature corrector, and methods of operating a charged particle beam device

Particle beam system comprising a particle source; a first multi-aperture plate with a multiplicity of openings downstream of which particle beams are formed; a second multi-aperture plate with a multiplicity of openings which are penetrated by the particle beams; an aperture plate with an opening which is penetrated by all the particles which also penetrate the openings in the first and the second multi-aperture plate; a third multi-aperture plate with a multiplicity of openings which are penetrated by the particle beams, and with a multiplicity of field generators which respectively provide a dipole field or quadrupole field for a beam; and a controller for feeding electric potentials to the multi-aperture plates and the aperture plate so that the second openings in the second multi-aperture plate respectively act as a lens on the particle beamsand feed adjustable excitations to the field generators.

Particle beam system

A charged particle beam system comprises a particle beam source having a particle emitter at a first voltage, a first electrode downstream of the particle beam source at a second voltage, a multi-aperture plate downstream of the first electrode, a second electrode downstream of the multi-aperture plate at a third voltage, a third electrode downstream of the second electrode at a fourth voltage, a deflector downstream of the third electrode, an objective lens downstream of the deflector, a fourth electrode downstream of the deflector at a fifth voltage; and an object mount at a sixth voltage. Voltage differences between the first, second, third, fourth and fifth voltages have same and opposite signs.

Charged particle beam system and method of operating the same

A particle-optical arrangement comprises a charged-particle source for generating a beam of charged particles; a multi-aperture plate arranged in a beam path of the beam of charged particles, wherein the multi-aperture plate has a plurality of apertures formed therein in a predetermined first array pattern, wherein a plurality of charged-particle beamlets is formed from the beam of charged particles downstream of the multi-aperture plate, and wherein a plurality of beam spots is formed in an image plane of the apparatus by the plurality of beamlets, the plurality of beam spots being arranged in a second array pattern; and a particle-optical element for manipulating the beam of charged particles and/or the plurality of beamlets; wherein the first array pattern has a first pattern regularity in a first direction, and the second array pattern has a second pattern regularity in a second direction electron-optically corresponding to the first direction, and wherein the second regularity is higher than the first regularity.

Particle-optical systems and arrangements and particle-optical components for such systems and arrangements

The present invention relates to a charged particle system comprising: a charged particle source; a first multi aperture plate; a second multi aperture plate disposed downstream of the first multi aperture plate, the second multi aperture plate; a controller configured to selectively apply at least first and second voltage differences between the first and second multi aperture plates; wherein the charged particle source and the first and second multi aperture plates are arranged such that each of a plurality of charged particle beamlets traverses an aperture pair, said aperture pair comprising one aperture of the first multi aperture plate and one aperture of the second multi aperture plate, wherein plural aperture pairs are arranged such that a center of the aperture of the first multi aperture plate is, when seen in a direction of incidence of the charged particle beamlet traversing the aperture of the first multi aperture plate, displaced relative to a center of the aperture of the second multi aperture plate. The invention further pertains to a particle-optical component configured to change a divergence of a set of charged particle beamlets and a charged particle inspection method comprising inspection of an object using different numbers of charged particle beamlets.

Charged particle inspection method and charged particle system

A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprises extracting a particle beam from a source; performing a first accelerating of the particles of the beam; forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the beam after the performing of the first accelerating; performing a second accelerating of the particles of the beamlets; performing a first decelerating of the particles of the beamlets after the performing of the second accelerating; deflecting the beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of the particles of the beamlets after the performing of the first decelerating; performing a second decelerating of the particles of the beamlets after the deflecting of the beamlets; and allowing the particles of the beamlets to be incident on an object surface after the performing of the second decelerating.

A method for operating a multi-beam particle optical unit comprises includes providing a first setting of effects of particle-optical components, wherein a particle-optical imaging is characterizable by at least two parameters. The method also includes determining a matrix A, and determining a matrix S. The method further includes defining values of parameters which characterize a desired imaging, and providing a second setting of the effects of the components in such a way that the particle-optical imaging is characterizable by the parameters having the defined values.

Particle beam system and method for operating a particle optical unit

The present invention concerns a charged-particle multi-beamlet system that comprises a source of charged particles (); a first multi-aperture plate () having plural apertures disposed in a charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source; a first multi-aperture selector plate () having plural apertures; a carrier (), wherein the first multi-aperture selector plate is mounted on the carrier; and an actuator () configured to move the carrier such that the first multi-aperture selector plate is disposed in the charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source in a first mode of operation of the system, and such that the first multi-aperture selector plate is disposed outside of the charged particle beam path in a second mode of operation of the system. The source, the first multi-aperture plate and the carrier of the system are arranged such that a first number of charged particle beamlets is generated at a position downstream of both the first multi-aperture plate and the first multi-aperture selector plate in the first mode of operation, and that a second number of charged particle beamlets is generated at the position in the second mode of operation, wherein the first number of beamlets differs from the second number of beamlets.

Particle beam system comprising a particle source; a first multi-aperture plate with a multiplicity of openings downstream of which particle beams are formed; a second multi-aperture plate with a multiplicity of openings which are penetrated by the particle beams; an aperture plate with an opening which is penetrated by all the particles which also penetrate the openings in the first and the second multi-aperture plate; a third multi-aperture plate with a multiplicity of openings which are penetrated by the particle beams, and with a multiplicity of field generators which respectively provide a dipole field or quadrupole field for a beam; and a controller for feeding electric potentials to the multi-aperture plates and the aperture plate so that the second openings in the second multi-aperture plate respectively act as a lens on the particle beams and feed adjustable excitations to the field generators.

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Aalen, Germany

Thomas Kemen