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：WO2021204740A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-14

申请号：PCT/EP2021/058832

申请日：2021-04-06

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： LIU, Xuedong ,  ZHOU, Weimin ,  CHEN, Xiaoxue ,  JI, Xiaoyu ,  LI, Heng ,  HOQUE, Shahedul ,  LI, Zongyao ,  LIU, Shuhao ,  REN, Weiming

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/145

Abstract: Systems and methods of imaging a sample using a charged- particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The charged-particle beam apparatus may include a compound objective lens (307) comprising a magnetic lens (307M) and an electrostatic lens (307ES), the magnetic lens comprising a cavity, and an electron detector (312) located immediately upstream from a polepiece of the magnetic lens and inside the cavity of the magnetic lens. In some embodiments, deflectors may be located between the electron detector and the opening of the polepiece adjacent to the sample to achieve a large field of view. Electron distributions among the detectors can be manipulated without changing the landing energy by changing the potential of the control electrode(s) in the electrostatic objective lens. The electron source can be operated with several discrete potentials to cover different landing energies, while the potential difference between electron source and the extractor is fixed.

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：WO2019063532A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-04

申请号：PCT/EP2018/075930

申请日：2018-09-25

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： LIU, Kuo-Shih ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  FANG, Wei ,  JAU, Jack

IPC: H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising: generating a plurality of probe spots (310A-310C) on a sample by a plurality of beams of charged particles; while scanning the plurality of probe spots across a region (300) on the sample, recording from the plurality of probe spots a plurality of sets of signals respectively representing interactions of the plurality of beams of charged particles and the sample; generating a plurality of images (361-363) of the region (300) respectively from the plurality of sets of signals; and generating a composite image of the region from the plurality of images.

公开(公告)号：WO2021073868A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-22

申请号：PCT/EP2020/077276

申请日：2020-09-30

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： REN, Weiming ,  LIU, Xuedong ,  CHEN, Zhong-wei ,  JI, Xiaoyu ,  CHEN, Xiaoxue ,  ZHOU, Weimin ,  ZHANG, Frank, Nan

IPC: H01J37/02 ,  H01J37/26

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：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.