公开(公告)号：US12196692B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US17769690

申请日：2020-09-30

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Zhong-wei Chen ,  Xiaoyu Ji ,  Xiaoxue Chen ,  Weimin Zhou ,  Frank Nan Zhang

IPC: G01N23/2202 ,  G01N1/44 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  H01J37/02 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a probe spot in multiple modes of operation of a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate a primary charged-particle beam and selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation of the charged-particle beam apparatus. In the flooding mode, the condenser lens may focus at least a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam passing through an aperture of the aperture plate to form a second portion of the primary charged-particle beam, and substantially all of the second portion is used to flood a surface of a sample. In the inspection mode, the condenser lens may focus a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam such that the aperture of the aperture plate blocks off peripheral charged-particles to form the second portion of the primary charged-particle beam used to inspect the sample surface.

公开(公告)号：US12087541B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-10

申请号：US17460381

申请日：2021-08-30

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Shuai Li ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Zhongwei Chen

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/147

CPC classification number: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/1472 ,  H01J37/1477 ,  H01J2237/04924 ,  H01J2237/083 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1516 ,  H01J2237/2817

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit changes a single electron source into a virtual multi-source array, a primary projection imaging system projects the array to form plural probe spots on the sample, and a condenser lens adjusts the currents of the plural probe spots. In the source-conversion unit, the image-forming means is on the upstream of the beamlet-limit means, and thereby generating less scattered electrons. The image-forming means not only forms the virtual multi-source array, but also compensates the off-axis aberrations of the plurality of probe spots.

公开(公告)号：US11887807B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-30

申请号：US18158444

申请日：2023-01-23

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Xuerang Hu ,  Zhongwei Chen

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/06 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/1474 ,  H01J37/06 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/1477 ,  H01J37/1478 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/024 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/0492 ,  H01J2237/103 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1516 ,  H01J2237/1534 ,  H01J2237/1536

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.

公开(公告)号：US11614416B2

公开(公告)日：2023-03-28

申请号：US16655140

申请日：2019-10-16

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuerang Hu ,  Xinan Luo ,  Qingpo Xi ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Weiming Ren

IPC: G01N23/225 ,  G01N21/95 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: An improved charged particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, a particle beam inspection apparatus including an improved alignment mechanism is disclosed. An improved charged particle beam inspection apparatus may include a second electron detection device to generate one or more images of one or more beam spots of the plurality of secondary electron beams during the alignment mode. The beam spot image may be used to determine the alignment characteristics of one or more of the plurality of secondary electron beams and adjust a configuration of a secondary electron projection system.

公开(公告)号：US10892138B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-12

申请号：US16295971

申请日：2019-03-07

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Xuerang Hu ,  Zhong-wei Chen

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/30 ,  B82Y40/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes a crossover-forming deflector array of an electro-optical system for directing a plurality of electron beams onto an electron detection device. The crossover-forming deflector array includes a plurality of crossover-forming deflectors positioned at or at least near an image plane of a set of one or more electro-optical lenses of the electro-optical system, wherein each crossover-forming deflector is aligned with a corresponding electron beam of the plurality of electron beams.

公开(公告)号：US12211669B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-28

申请号：US17127956

申请日：2020-12-18

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Zizhou Gong ,  Xuerang Hu ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Zhong-wei Chen

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods of forming images of a sample using a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may include generating a plurality of secondary electron beams from a plurality of probe spots on the sample upon interaction with a plurality of primary electron beams. The method may further include adjusting an orientation of the plurality of primary electron beams interacting with the sample, directing the plurality of secondary electron beams away from the plurality of primary electron beams, compensating astigmatism aberrations of the plurality of directed secondary electron beams, focusing the plurality of directed secondary electron beams onto a focus plane, detecting the plurality of focused secondary electron beams by a charged-particle detector, and positioning a detection plane of the charged-particle detector at or close to the focus plane.

公开(公告)号：US11854765B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-26

申请号：US16885872

申请日：2020-05-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Xuerang Hu ,  Zhong-wei Chen ,  Martinus Gerardus Johannes Maria Maassen

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/3177 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/0453

Abstract: Systems and methods of mitigating Coulomb effect in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The multi-beam apparatus may include a charged-particle source configured to generate a primary charged-particle beam along a primary optical axis, a first aperture array comprising a first plurality of apertures having shapes and configured to generate a plurality of primary beamlets derived from the primary charged-particle beam, a condenser lens comprising a plane adjustable along the primary optical axis, and a second aperture array comprising a second plurality of apertures configured to generate probing beamlets corresponding to the plurality of beamlets, wherein each of the plurality of probing beamlets comprises a portion of charged particles of a corresponding primary beamlet based on at least a position of the plane of the condenser lens and a characteristic of the second aperture array.

公开(公告)号：US11705304B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-18

申请号：US17373716

申请日：2021-07-12

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Shuai Li ,  Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Juying Dou ,  Xuerang Hu ,  Zhongwei Chen

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/244

CPC classification number: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/0492 ,  H01J2237/04924 ,  H01J2237/04926 ,  H01J2237/04928 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1501 ,  H01J2237/1502 ,  H01J2237/2446 ,  H01J2237/2448 ,  H01J2237/2806 ,  H01J2237/2817

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput and in flexibly varying observing conditions is proposed. The apparatus uses a movable collimating lens to flexibly vary the currents of the plural probe spots without influencing the intervals thereof, a new source-conversion unit to form the plural images of the single electron source and compensate off-axis aberrations of the plural probe spots with respect to observing conditions, and a pre-beamlet-forming means to reduce the strong Coulomb effect due to the primary-electron beam.

公开(公告)号：US11670477B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US16753285

申请日：2018-10-02

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Xuerang Hu ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Weiming Ren ,  Zhong-wei Chen

IPC: H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/14 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/1472 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1534 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/2817

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for multi-beam inspection with an improved source conversion unit providing more beamlets with high electric safety, mechanical availability and mechanical stabilization has been disclosed. The source-conversion unit comprises an image-forming element array having a plurality of image-forming elements, an aberration compensator array having a plurality of micro-compensators, and a pre-bending element array with a plurality of pre-bending micro-deflectors. In each of the arrays, adjacent elements are placed in different layers, and one element may comprise two or more sub-elements placed in different layers. The sub-elements of a micro-compensator may have different functions such as micro-lens and micro-stigmators.

公开(公告)号：US11594396B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-28

申请号：US16834778

申请日：2020-03-30

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Xuerang Hu ,  Zhong-Wei Chen

IPC: H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: A multi-beam inspection apparatus supporting a plurality of operation modes is disclosed. The charged particle beam apparatus for inspecting a sample supporting a plurality of operation modes comprises a charged particle beam source configured to emit a charged particle beam along a primary optical axis, a movable aperture plate, movable between a first position and a second position, and a controller having circuitry and configured to change the configuration of the apparatus to switch between a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the movable aperture plate is positioned in the first position and is configured to allow a first charged particle beamlet derived from the charged particle beam to pass through. In the second mode, the movable aperture plate is positioned in the second position and is configured to allow the first charged particle beamlet and a second charged particle beamlet to pass through.