公开(公告)号：US12278081B2

公开(公告)日：2025-04-15

申请号：US17598841

申请日：2020-03-06

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/05 ,  H01J37/147

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：US12243709B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US17373766

申请日：2021-07-12

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/145

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：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：US11715619B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-01

申请号：US17713189

申请日：2022-04-04

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Yongxin Wang ,  Weiming Ren ,  Zhonghua Dong ,  Zhongwei Chen

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28 ,  G01N23/2251

CPC classification number: H01J37/244 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/24465 ,  H01J2237/24495 ,  H01J2237/24507 ,  H01J2237/24578 ,  H01J2237/24592 ,  H01J2237/2817

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for charged particle detection. The detection system can comprise a signal processing circuit configured to generate a set of intensity gradients based on electron intensity data received from a plurality of electron sensing elements. The detection system can further comprise a beam spot processing module configured to determine, based on the set of intensity gradients, at least one boundary of a beam spot; and determine, based on the at least one boundary, that a first set of electron sensing elements of the plurality of electron sensing elements is within the beam spot. The beam spot processing module can further be configured to determine an intensity value of the beam spot based on the electron intensity data received from the first set of electron sensing elements and also generate an image of a wafer based on the intensity value.

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：US10586681B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-10

申请号：US14830062

申请日：2015-08-19

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Zhongwei Chen ,  Jack Jau ,  Weiming Ren

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/14 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/02 ,  H01J37/285 ,  H01J37/29

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatuses to inspect small particles on the surface of a sample such as wafer and mask. The apparatuses provide both high detection efficiency and high throughput by forming Dark-field BSE images. The apparatuses can additionally inspect physical and electrical defects on the sample surface by form SE images and Bright-field BSE images simultaneously. The apparatuses can be designed to do single-beam or even multiple single-beam inspection for achieving a high throughput.

公开(公告)号：US12237144B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-25

申请号：US18477213

申请日：2023-09-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

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

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/26

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a first electrically conductive layer, a second electrically conductive layer; a plurality of optics element s between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer, wherein the plurality of optics elements are configured to influence a plurality of beams of charged particles; a third electrically conductive layer between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer; and an electrically insulating layer physically connected to the optics elements, wherein the eclectically insulating layer is configured to electrically insulate the optics elements from the first electrically conductive layer, and the second electrically conductive layer.