公开(公告)号：WO2020239507A1

公开(公告)日：2020-12-03

申请号：PCT/EP2020/063833

申请日：2020-05-18

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： REN, Weiming ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  HU, Xuerang ,  CHEN, Zhong-wei

IPC: H01J37/12

Abstract: Systems and methods of reducing the Coulomb interaction effects in a charged particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The charged particle beam apparatus may comprise a charged particle source and a source conversion unit comprising an aperture-lens forming electrode plate configured to be at a first voltage, an aperture lens plate configured to be at a second voltage that is different from the first voltage for generating a first electric field, which enables the aperture-lens forming electrode plate and the aperture lens plate to form aperture lenses of an aperture lens array to respectively focus a plurality of beamlets of the charged particle beam, and an imaging lens configured to focus the plurality of beamlets on an image plane. The charged particle beam apparatus may comprise an objective lens configured to focus the plurality of beamlets onto a surface of the sample and form a plurality of probe spots thereon.

公开(公告)号：WO2019211072A1

公开(公告)日：2019-11-07

申请号：PCT/EP2019/059206

申请日：2019-04-11

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： HU, Xuerang ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  CHEN, Zhongwei ,  REN, Weiming

IPC: H01J37/317

Abstract: An improved source conversion unit of a charged particle beam apparatus is disclosed. The source conversion unit comprises a first micro-structure array including a plurality of micro- structures. The plurality of micro-structures is grouped into one or more groups. Corresponding electrodes of micro-structures in one group are electrically connected and driven by a driver to influence a corresponding group of beamlets. The micro-structures in one group may be single-pole structures or multi-pole structures. The micro-structures in one group have same or substantially same radial shifts from an optical axis of the apparatus. The micro-structures in one group have same or substantially same orientation angles with respect to their radial shift directions.

公开(公告)号：WO2020141031A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-09

申请号：PCT/EP2019/082625

申请日：2019-11-26

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： REN, Weiming ,  ZHANG, Qian ,  HU, Xuerang ,  LIU, Xuedong

IPC: H01J37/147

Abstract: A micro-structure deflector array (622) is disclosed. The micro-structure deflector array includes a plurality of multipole structures (622-1 to 622-47). The micro-deflector deflector array comprises a first multipole structure (622-26,..., 622-47) having a first radial shift from a central axis of the array and a second multipole structure (622-1) having a second radial shift from the central axis of the array. The first radial shift is larger than the second radial shift, and the first multipole structure comprises a greater number of pole electrodes than the second multipole structure to reduce deflection aberrations when the plurality of multipole structures deflects a plurality of charged particle beams. The micro-structure deflector array may be included in an improved source conversion unit of a multi-beam inspection apparatus.

公开(公告)号：WO2020099095A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-22

申请号：PCT/EP2019/079076

申请日：2019-10-24

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： REN, Weiming ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  HU, Xuerang ,  CHEN, Zhongwei

IPC: H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/143

Abstract: An electromagnetic compound lens may be configured to focus a charged particle beam. The compound lens may include an electrostatic lens provided on a secondary optical axis and a magnetic lens also provided on the secondary optical axis. The magnetic lens may include a permanent magnet. A charged particle optical system may include a beam separator configured to separate a plurality of beamlets of a primary charged particle beam generated by a source along a primary optical axis from secondary beams of secondary charged particles. The system may include a secondary imaging system configured to focus the secondary beams onto a detector along the secondary optical axis. The secondary imaging system may include the compound lens.

公开(公告)号：WO2020078660A1

公开(公告)日：2020-04-23

申请号：PCT/EP2019/075316

申请日：2019-09-20

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： HU, Xuerang ,  LUO, Xinan ,  XI, Qingpo ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  REN, Weiming

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/317

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：WO2020239505A1

公开(公告)日：2020-12-03

申请号：PCT/EP2020/063831

申请日：2020-05-18

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： REN, Weiming ,  HU, Xuerang ,  XI, Qingpo ,  LIU, Xuedong

IPC: H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing imaging resolution by reducing crosstalk between detection elements of a secondary charged- particle detector in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The multibeam apparatus comprises an electro-optical system for projecting a plurality of secondary charged-particle beams from a sample onto a charged-particle detector (140). The electro-optical system includes a first pre-limit aperture plate (155P) comprising a first aperture configured to block peripheral charged-particles of the plurality of secondary charged-particle beams, and a beam-limit aperture array (155) comprising a second aperture configured to trim the plurality of secondary charged-particle beams. The charged-particle detector may include a plurality of detection elements (140_1, 140_2, 140_3), wherein a detection element of the plurality of detection elements is associated with a corresponding trimmed beam of the plurality of secondary charged-particle beams.

公开(公告)号：WO2018122176A1

公开(公告)日：2018-07-05

申请号：PCT/EP2017/084429

申请日：2017-12-22

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V. ,  HERMES MICROVISION, INC.

Inventor： REN, Weiming ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  HU, Xuerang ,  CHEN, Zhongwei

IPC: H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/317

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes an anti-rotation lens and using it as an anti-rotation condenser lens in a multi-beam apparatus with a pre-beamlet-forming mechanism. The anti-rotation condenser lens keeps rotation angles of beamlets unchanged when changing currents thereof, and thereby enabling the pre-beamlet-forming mechanism to cut off electrons not in use as much as possible. In this way, the multi-beam apparatus can observe a sample with high resolution and high throughput, and is competent as a yield management tool to inspect and/or review defects on wafers/masks in semiconductor manufacturing industry.

公开(公告)号：WO2020239504A1

公开(公告)日：2020-12-03

申请号：PCT/EP2020/063829

申请日：2020-05-18

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： REN, Weiming ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  HU, Xuerang ,  CHEN, Zhong-wei ,  MAASSEN, Martinus, Gerardus, Maria, Johannes

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/09

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：WO2020193102A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-01

申请号：PCT/EP2020/055959

申请日：2020-03-06

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： XI, Qingpo ,  HU, Xuerang ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  REN, Weiming ,  CHEN, Zhong-wei

IPC: H01J37/05 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A multi-beam inspection apparatus including an adjustable beam separator is disclosed. The adjustable beam separator is configured to change a path of a secondary particle beam. The adjustable beam separator comprises a first Wien filter and a second Wien filter. Both Wien filters are aligned with a primary optical axis. The first Wien filter and the second Wien filter are independently controllable via a first excitation input and a second excitation input, respectively. The adjustable beam separator is configured move the effective bending point of the adjustable beam separator along the primary optical axis based on the first excitation input and the second excitation input.

公开(公告)号：WO2019063794A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-04

申请号：PCT/EP2018/076477

申请日：2018-09-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： WANG, Joe ,  WANG, Yongxin ,  CHEN, Zhongwei ,  HU, Xuerang

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: A multi-cell detector includes a first layer (420) having a region (422) of a first conductivity type and a second layer (440) including a plurality of regions (444) of a second conductivity type. The second layer may also include one or more regions (442) of the first conductivity type. The plurality of regions of the second conductivity type is partitioned from one another, perferably by the one or more regions (444) of the first conductivity type of the second layer. The plurality of regions (444) of the second conductivity type may be spaced apart from one or more regions (442) of the first conductivity type in the second layer. The detector further includes an intrinsic layer (430,432) between the first and second layers.