Method for calibrating and imaging using multi-tip scanning probe microscope

    公开(公告)号:US10139429B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-11-27

    申请号:US15591071

    申请日:2017-05-09

    申请人: FEI Company

    IPC分类号: G01Q60/38 G01Q40/00

    摘要: Systems, methods, and program products are provided for the calibration and scanning of multiple AFM probe heads used employed together for synchronous scanning. An automated calibration process is provided employing scan data from multiple AFM probe heads to automatically calibrate the system and position the probe heads at relative offset positions that are successively closer and more precise. Multiple heads are scanned simultaneously and synchronously to produce scan images, which are automatically evaluated to recognize a common feature. From this, a relative offset of the images is calculated and the true position of each probe tip may be known. Using this knowledge, a position offset is applied to bring the probe tips closer together at a desired spatial relationship. The techniques may be repeated at two or more levels varying from coarse to fine, and may be repeated after probing or movement to a new region of interest.

    Hat ventilated through brim
    4.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10085511B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-10-02

    申请号:US15418456

    申请日:2017-01-27

    申请人: William F. Crunk

    发明人: William F. Crunk

    IPC分类号: A42C5/04 A42B1/06 A42B1/24

    摘要: A ventilated hat is provided that includes a crown and a brim, the brim having air passages that extends from the front and/or sides of the brim, through the brim to the crown. Air is enters the air passages at the front or sides of the brim when the wearer moves or when any slight breeze blows into the brim, cooling the wearer's head. The hat can be constructed as a single unit or as a frame upon which replaceable hat covers are mounted.

    Preparation of lamellae for TEM viewing

    公开(公告)号:US10068749B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-09-04

    申请号:US13899278

    申请日:2013-05-21

    摘要: A method and apparatus for producing thin lamella for TEM observation. The steps of the method are robust and can be used to produce lamella in an automated process. In some embodiments, a protective coating have a sputtering rate matched to the sputtering rate of the work piece is deposited before forming the lamella. In some embodiments, the bottom of the lamella slopes away from the feature of interest, which keeps the lamella stable and reduces movement during thinning. In some embodiments, a fiducial is used to position the beam for the final thinning, instead of using an edge of the lamella. In some embodiments, the tabs are completed after high ion energy final thinning to keep the lamella more stable. In some embodiments, a defocused low ion energy and pattern refresh delay is used for the final cut to reduce deformation of the lamella.

    Fiducial design for tilted or glancing mill operations with a charged particle beam

    公开(公告)号:US10026590B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-07-17

    申请号:US14758466

    申请日:2013-12-30

    申请人: FEI Company

    IPC分类号: H01J37/317 H01J37/305

    摘要: A method for analyzing a sample with a charged particle beam including directing the beam toward the sample surface; milling the surface to expose a second surface in the sample in which the end of the second surface distal to ion source is milled to a greater depth relative to a reference depth than the end of the first surface proximal to ion source; directing the charged particle beam toward the second surface to form one or more images of the second surface; forming images of the cross sections of the multiple adjacent features of interest by detecting the interaction of the electron beam with the second surface; assembling the images of the cross section into a three-dimensional model of one or more of the features of interest. A method for forming an improved fiducial and determining the depth of an exposed feature in a nanoscale three-dimensional structure is presented.

    Seed layer laser-induced deposition

    公开(公告)号:US10023955B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-07-17

    申请号:US13600735

    申请日:2012-08-31

    IPC分类号: C23C16/02 C23C16/04 C23C16/18

    摘要: A method of creating a layer of a target deposit-material, in a first target pattern, on a substrate surface. The substrate surface is placed in a vacuum and exposed to a first chemical vapor, having precursor molecules for a seed deposit-material, thereby forming a first substrate surface area that has adsorbed the precursor molecules. Then, a charged particle beam is applied to the first substrate surface area in a second target pattern, largely identical to the first target pattern thereby forming a seed layer in a third target pattern. The seed layer is exposed to a second chemical vapor, having target deposit-material precursor molecules, which are adsorbed onto the seed layer. Finally, a laser beam is applied to the seed layer and neighboring area, thereby forming a target deposit-material layer over and about the seed layer, where exposed to the laser beam.

    Glancing angle mill
    8.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US09941096B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-04-10

    申请号:US13609811

    申请日:2012-09-11

    IPC分类号: G01N1/28 H01J37/30 H01J37/305

    摘要: A method and system for forming a planar cross-section view for an electron microscope. The method comprises directing an ion beam from an ion source toward a first surface of a sample to mill at least a portion of the sample; milling the first surface, using the ion beam, to expose a second surface in which the end of the second surface distal to the ion source is milled to a greater depth relative to a reference depth than the end of the first surface proximal to the ion source; directing an electron beam from an electron source to the second surface; and forming an image of the second surface by detecting the interaction of the electron beam with the second surface. Embodiments also include planarzing the first surface of the sample prior to forming a cross-section.

    Innovative source assembly for ion beam production

    公开(公告)号:US09941094B1

    公开(公告)日:2018-04-10

    申请号:US15422454

    申请日:2017-02-01

    申请人: FEI Company

    摘要: A source assembly for producing an ion beam and comprising a collision ionization ion source having: A pair of stacked plates, sandwiched about an intervening gap; An ionization space between said plates, connected to a gas supply duct; An input zone, provided in a first of said plates, to admit an input beam of charged particles to said ionization space; An output aperture, located opposite said input zone and provided in the second of said plates, to allow emission of a flux of ions produced in said ionization space by said input beam, which source assembly comprises: A carrier provided with a plurality of different collision ionization ion sources that mutually differ in respect of a gap height d between said plates; A selecting device, which allows a given one of said ion sources to be individually selected for production of said ion beam. The various sources in said plurality preferably have a scattering quotient QS=d/li with a value in a range 1-500, preferably in a range 1-200, where li is an ionic mean free path length in said ionization space.