公开(公告)号：US20230028799A1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-26

申请号：US17785896

申请日：2020-12-17

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Wei FANG ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/24 ,  H01J37/075 ,  H01J37/073

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems for ultra-fast beam current adjustment for a charged-particle inspection system include an charged-particle source configured to emit charged particles for scanning a sample; and an emission booster configured to configured to irradiate electromagnetic radiation onto the charged-particle source for boosting charged-particle emission in a first cycle of a scanning operation of the charged-particle inspection system, and to stop irradiating the electromagnetic radiation in a second cycle of the scanning operation.

公开(公告)号：US20220005665A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-06

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：US20200303155A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-24

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 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/12

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：US20200271598A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-27

申请号：US16812109

申请日：2020-03-06

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Kuo-Feng TSENG ,  Zhonghua DONG ,  Yixiang WANG ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: G01N23/203 ,  G01N23/2276 ,  G01N23/2254 ,  G01N23/2252

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a source configured to emit charged particles, an optical system and a stage; wherein the stage is configured to support a sample thereon and configured to move the sample by a first distance in a first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to form probe spots on the sample with the charged particles; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance in the first direction and by a second distance in a second direction, simultaneously, while the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance less a width of one of the probe spots in an opposite direction of the first direction, after the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction.

公开(公告)号：US20230076943A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-09

申请号：US17985087

申请日：2022-11-10

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Lingling PU ,  Wei FANG ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/39

Abstract: Systems and methods for in-die metrology using target design patterns are provided. These systems and methods include selecting a target design pattern based on design data representing the design of an integrated circuit, providing design data indicative of the target design pattern to enable design data derived from the target design pattern to he added to second design data, wherein the second design data is based on the first design data. Systems and methods can further include causing structures derived from the second design data to be printed on a wafer, inspecting the structures on the wafer using a charged-particle beam tool, and identifying metrology data or process defects based on the inspection. In some embodiments the systems and methods further include causing the charged-particle beam tool, the second design data, a scanner, or photolithography equipment to be adjusted based on the identified metrology data or process defects.

公开(公告)号：US20220084777A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-17

申请号：US17420123

申请日：2019-12-19

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Jan-Gerard Cornelis VAN DER TOORN ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/22

Abstract: A charged particle inspection system may include a shielding plate having an aperture or more than one aperture, for example, to permit additional inspection by an additional instrument requiring a line of sight to the area of interest. A field shaping element, such as a window element or a raised rim, is placed at the aperture to prevent or reduce a component of an electric field.

公开(公告)号：US20200286708A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-10

申请号：US16652398

申请日：2018-09-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Joe WANG ,  Yongxin WANG ,  Zhong-wei CHEN ,  Xuerang HU

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A multi-cell detector may include a first layer having a region of a first conductivity type and a second layer including a plurality of regions of a second conductivity type. The second layer may also include one or more regions of the first conductivity type. The plurality of regions of the second conductivity type may be partitioned from one another by the one or more regions of the first conductivity type of the second layer. The plurality of regions of the second conductivity type may be spaced apart from one or more regions of the first conductivity type in the second layer. The detector may further include an intrinsic layer between the first and second layers.

公开(公告)号：US20200211845A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-02

申请号：US16730897

申请日：2019-12-30

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Lingling PU ,  Wei FANG ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: Systems and methods for in-die metrology using target design patterns are provided. These systems and methods include selecting a target design pattern based on design data representing the design of an integrated circuit, providing design data indicative of the target design pattern to enable design data derived from the target design pattern to be added to second design data, wherein the second design data is based on the first design data. Systems and methods can further include causing structures derived from the second design data to be printed on a wafer, inspecting the structures on the wafer using a charged-particle beam tool, and identifying metrology data or process defects based on the inspection. In some embodiments the systems and methods further include causing the charged-particle beam tool, the second design data, a scanner, or photolithography equipment to be adjusted based on the identified metrology data or process defects.

公开(公告)号：US20240044820A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-08

申请号：US18484161

申请日：2023-10-10

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Kuo-Feng TSENG ,  Zhonghua DONG ,  Yixiang WANG ,  Zhong-wei CHEN

IPC: G01N23/2206 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  G01N23/203

CPC classification number: G01N23/2206 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  G01N23/203 ,  G01N2223/6116 ,  G01N2223/3307

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a source configured to emit charged particles, an optical system and a stage; wherein the stage is configured to support a sample thereon and configured to move the sample by a first distance in a first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to form probe spots on the sample with the charged particles; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance in the first direction and by a second distance in a second direction, simultaneously, while the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance less a width of one of the probe spots in an opposite direction of the first direction, after the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction.

公开(公告)号：US20220375712A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-24

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: H01J37/02 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/244

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.