Invention Application
- Patent Title: CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM DEVICE FOR INSPECTION OF A SPECIMEN WITH A PLURALITY OF CHARGED PARTICLE BEAMLETS
-
Application No.: US16778468Application Date: 2020-01-31
-
Publication No.: US20200273667A1Publication Date: 2020-08-27
- Inventor: Ali Mohammadi-Gheidari , Erik René Kieft , Pieter Kruit
- Applicant: FEI Company
- Applicant Address: US OR Hillsboro
- Assignee: FEI Company
- Current Assignee: FEI Company
- Current Assignee Address: US OR Hillsboro
- Priority: com.zzzhc.datahub.patent.etl.us.BibliographicData$PriorityClaim@7b1ae88d
- Main IPC: H01J37/317
- IPC: H01J37/317 ; H01J37/12 ; H01J37/244

Abstract:
The invention relates to a charged particle beam device for inspection of a specimen with a plurality of charged particle beamlets. The charged particle beam device comprises a specimen holder for holding a specimen; a source for producing a beam of charged particles; and an illuminator for converting said beam of charged particles into a plurality of charged particle beamlets and directing said plurality of charged particle beamlets onto said specimen. According to the disclosure, the illuminator comprises a multi-aperture lens plate having a plurality of apertures for defining the corresponding plurality of charged particle beamlets; as well as at least a first electrode for generating an electrical field at a surface of the multi-aperture lens plate. The apertures in said multi-aperture lens plate have a noncircular cross-sectional shape to correct for neighbouring aperture induced aberrations. This allows for decreased spot size, and with this imaging resolution of the device is increased.
Information query