Mapper Lithography IP B.v.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Willem Henk Urbanus

Marco Jan-Jaco Wieland

Alexander Hendrik Vincent Van Veen

Stijn Willem Herman Karel Steenbrink

Remco Jager

Johan Joost Koning

Laura Dinu-Gürtler

Christiaan Otten

Johannes Petrus Sprengers

A lens element of a charged particle system comprises an electrode having a central opening. The lens element is configured for functionally cooperating with an aperture array that is located directly adjacent said electrode, wherein the aperture array is configured for blocking 5 part of a charged particle beam passing through the central opening of said electrode. The electrode is configured to operate at a first electric potential and the aperture array is configured to operate at a second electric potential different from the first electric potential. The electrode and the aperture array together form an aberration correcting lens.

Aberration correction in charged particle system

The invention relates to charged particle beam generator comprising a charged particle source for generating a charged particle beam, a collimator system comprising a collimator structure with a plurality of collimator electrodes for collimating the charged particle beam, a beam source vacuum chamber comprising the charged particle source, and a generator vacuum chamber comprising the collimator structure and the beam source vacuum chamber within a vacuum, wherein the collimator system is positioned outside the beam source vacuum chamber. Each of the beam source vacuum chamber and the generator vacuum chamber may be provided with a vacuum pump.

Vacuum chamber arrangement for charged particle beam generator

The disclosure relates to an electron-optical module of an electron-optical apparatus. The electron-optical module comprises a vacuum chamber, a high voltage shielding arrangement located within the vacuum chamber, and an aperture array configured to form a plurality of beamlets from an electron beam and located within the high voltage shielding arrangement. Wherein the electron-optical module can be configured to be removable from the electron-optical apparatus.

A lens element of a charged particle system comprises an electrode having a central opening. The lens element is configured for functionally cooperating with an aperture array that is located directly adjacent said electrode, wherein the aperture array is configured for blocking part of a charged particle beam passing through the central opening of said electrode. The electrode is configured to operate at a first electric potential and the aperture array is configured to operate at a second electric potential different from the first electric potential. The electrode and the aperture array together form an aberration correcting lens.

The invention relates to a charged particle beam generator. The generator may comprise a high voltage shielding arrangement () for shielding components outside the shielding arrangement from high voltages within the shielding arrangement, and a vacuum pump () located outside the shielding arrangement for regulating a pressure of a space within the shielding arrangement. The generator may comprise a collimator system with a cooling arrangement (-) comprising cooling channels inside electrodes of the collimator system.

High voltage shielding and cooling in a charged particle beam generator

The invention relates to a collimator electrode stack (), comprising: &#x2014;at least three collimator electrodes (-) for collimating a charged particle beam along an optical axis (A), wherein each collimator electrode comprises an electrode body with an electrode aperture for allowing passage to the charged particle beam, wherein the electrode bodies are spaced along an axial direction (Z) which is substantially parallel with the optical axis, and wherein the electrode apertures are coaxially aligned along the optical axis; and &#x2014;a plurality of spacing structures () provided between each pair of adjacent collimator electrodes and made of an electrically insulating material, for positioning the collimator electrodes at predetermined distances along the axial direction. Each of the collimator electrodes (-) is electrically connected to a separate voltage output (-). The invention further relates to a method of operating a charged particle beam generator.

Multi-electrode electron optics

The invention relates to a charged particle lithography system for exposing a target. The system includes a charged particle beam generator for generating a charged particle beam; an aperture array () for forming a plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam; and a beamlet projector () for projecting the beamlets onto a surface of the target. The charged particle beam generator includes a charged particle source () for generating a diverging charged particle beam; a collimator system () for refracting the diverging charged particle beam; and a cooling arrangement () for removing heat from the collimator system, the cooling arrangement comprising a body surrounding at least a portion of the collimator system.

Charged particle lithography system and beam generator

The invention relates to an electrode stack () comprising stacked electrodes (-) for manipulating a charged particle beam along an optical axis (A). Each electrode comprises an electrode body with an aperture for the charged particle beam. The electrode bodies are mutually spaced and the electrode apertures are coaxially aligned along the optical axis. The electrode stack comprises electrically insulating spacing structures () between each pair of adjacent electrodes for positioning the electrodes (-) at predetermined mutual distances along the axial direction (Z). A first electrode and a second electrode each comprise an electrode body with one or more support portions (), wherein each support portion is configured to accommodate at least one spacing structure (). The electrode stack has at least one clamping member (-) configured to hold the support portions () of the first and second electrodes, as well as the intermediate spacing structure () together.

Multi-electrode stack arrangement

The invention relates to a collimator electrode, comprising an electrode body () that is provided with a central electrode aperture (), wherein the electrode body defines an electrode height between two opposite main surfaces, and wherein the electrode body accommodates a cooling conduit () inside the electrode body for transferring a cooling liquid (). The electrode body preferably has a disk shape or an oblate ring shape. The invention further relates to a collimator electrode stack for use in a charged particle beam generator, comprising a first collimator electrode and a second collimator electrode that are each provided with a cooling conduit () for transferring the cooling liquid (), and a connecting conduit () for a liquid connection between the cooling conduits of the first and second collimator electrodes.

Multi-electrode cooling arrangement

A charged particle lithography system for transferring a pattern onto the surface of a target, comprising a source for generating a charged particle beam, a first chamber housing the source, a collimating system for collimating the charged particle beam, a second chamber housing the collimating system, and a first aperture array element for generating a plurality of charged particle subbeams from the collimated charged particle beam.

Charged particle lithography system with intermediate chamber

A charged particle lithography system for transferring a pattern onto the surface of a target, comprising a main vacuum chamber, a source chamber and an intermediate chamber, both located in the main vacuum chamber, a beam generator for generating a charged particle beam, the beam generator located in the source chamber, and a first aperture array element for generating a plurality of charged particle beamlets from the beam, the first aperture array element located in the intermediate chamber. The system is adapted for maintaining a first pressure in the main vacuum chamber, a second pressure in the intermediate chamber, and a third pressure in the source chamber, and wherein the first pressure is lower than an ambient pressure, the second pressure is lower than the first pressure, and the third pressure is lower than the second pressure.

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Delft, Netherlands

Willem Henk Urbanus