公开(公告)号：US20240079207A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-07

申请号：US18502683

申请日：2023-11-06

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Michael Behnke ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Christof Riedesel ,  Arne Thoma ,  Dirk Zeidler

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/304

CPC classification number: H01J37/3177 ,  H01J37/304 ,  H01J37/1474 ,  H01J2237/0453

Abstract: A multi-beam charged particle system and a method of setting a working distance WD of the multi beam charged particle system are provided. With the method, the working distance is adjusted while the imaging performance of a wafer inspection task is maintained by computing parameter values of components from predetermined calibration parameter values. The method can allow a relatively fast wafer inspection task even with a wafer stage with a fixed z-position parallel to an optical axis of the multi-beam charged particle system.

公开(公告)号：US20210066037A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-04

申请号：US17098965

申请日：2020-11-16

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Yanko Sarov ,  Jan Horn ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Christof Riedesel ,  Erik Essers

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/24 ,  H01J37/10 ,  H01J37/04

Abstract: A multi-beam particle beam system includes a multi-aperture plate having a multiplicity of apertures. During operation, one particle beam of the plurality of particle beams passes through each of the apertures. A multiplicity of electrodes are insulated from the second multi-aperture plate to influence the particle beam passing through the aperture. A voltage supply system for the electrodes includes: a signal a generator to generate a serial sequence of digital signals; a D/A converter to convert the digital signals into a sequence of voltages between an output of the D/A converter and the multi-aperture plate; and a controllable changeover system, which feeds the sequence of voltages successively to different electrodes.

公开(公告)号：US10854423B2

公开(公告)日：2020-12-01

申请号：US16277572

申请日：2019-02-15

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Yanko Sarov ,  Jan Horn ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Christof Riedesel ,  Erik Essers

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/04 ,  H01J37/24 ,  H01J37/10

Abstract: A multi-beam particle beam system includes a multi-aperture plate having a multiplicity of apertures. During operation, one particle beam of the plurality of particle beams passes through each of the apertures. A multiplicity of electrodes are insulated from the second multi-aperture plate to influence the particle beam passing through the aperture. A voltage supply system for the electrodes includes: a signal a generator to generate a serial sequence of digital signals; a D/A converter to convert the digital signals into a sequence of voltages between an output of the D/A converter and the multi-aperture plate; and a controllable changeover system, which feeds the sequence of voltages successively to different electrodes.

公开(公告)号：US20220392734A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17820798

申请日：2022-08-18

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Yanko Sarov ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Hans Fritz ,  Dirk Zeidler ,  Georg Kurij ,  Ralf Lenke ,  András G. Major ,  Christof Riedesel

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/09

Abstract: Certain improvements of multi-beam raster units such as multi-beam generating units and multi-beam deflector units of a multi-beam charged particle microscopes are provided. The improvements include design, fabrication and adjustment of multi-beam raster units including apertures of specific shape and dimensions. The improvements can enable multi-beam generation and multi-beam deflection or stigmation with higher precision. The improvements can be relevant for routine applications of multi-beam charged particle microscopes, for example in semiconductor inspection and review, where high reliability and high reproducibility and low machine-to-machine deviations are desirable.

公开(公告)号：US20210217577A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-15

申请号：US17215995

申请日：2021-03-29

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Dirk Zeidler ,  Christof Riedesel ,  Arne Thoma ,  Georgo Metalidis ,  Joerg Jacobi ,  Stefan Schubert ,  Ralf Lenke ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Yanko Sarov ,  Georg Kurij

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A method of operating a multi-beam particle beam system includes: generating a multiplicity of particle beams such that they each pass through multipole elements that are either intact or defective; focusing the particle beams in a predetermined plane; determining excitations for the deflection elements of the multipole elements; exciting the deflection elements of the multipole elements that are intact with the determined excitations; modifying the determined excitations for the deflection elements of the multipole elements that are defective; and exciting the deflection elements of the defective multipole elements with the modified excitations. Modifying the determined excitations includes adding corrective excitations to the determined excitations. The corrective excitations are the same for all deflection elements of the defective multipole element.

公开(公告)号：US12255040B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-18

申请号：US17215995

申请日：2021-03-29

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Dirk Zeidler ,  Christof Riedesel ,  Arne Thoma ,  Georgo Metalidis ,  Joerg Jacobi ,  Stefan Schubert ,  Ralf Lenke ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Yanko Sarov ,  Georg Kurij

IPC: H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/141 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A method of operating a multi-beam particle beam system includes: generating a multiplicity of particle beams such that they each pass through multipole elements that are either intact or defective; focusing the particle beams in a predetermined plane; determining excitations for the deflection elements of the multipole elements; exciting the deflection elements of the multipole elements that are intact with the determined excitations; modifying the determined excitations for the deflection elements of the multipole elements that are defective; and exciting the deflection elements of the defective multipole elements with the modified excitations. Modifying the determined excitations includes adding corrective excitations to the determined excitations. The corrective excitations are the same for all deflection elements of the defective multipole element.

公开(公告)号：US20240170252A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-23

申请号：US18423564

申请日：2024-01-26

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Yanko Sarov ,  Dirk Zeidler ,  Thomas Schmid ,  Georg Kurij ,  Marcus Kaestner ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Wolfgang Singer

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/30

CPC classification number: H01J37/3177 ,  H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/3007 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/1205 ,  H01J2237/1516 ,  H01J2237/1534 ,  H01J2237/20207 ,  H01J2237/30488

Abstract: A multi-beam generation unit for a multi-beam system has larger individual focusing power for each of a plurality of primary charged particle beamlets. The multi-beam generation unit comprises an active terminating multi-aperture plate. The terminating multi-aperture plate can be used for a larger focusing range for an individual stigmatic focus spot adjustment of each beamlet of a plurality of primary charged particle beamlets.

公开(公告)号：US20230043036A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-09

申请号：US17968243

申请日：2022-10-18

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Dirk Zeidler ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Andreas Adolf ,  Nicolas Kaufmann ,  Ingo Mueller ,  Michael Behnke

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: A multi-beam charged particle inspection system and a method of operating a multi-beam charged particle inspection system for wafer inspection can provide high throughput with high resolution and high reliability. The method and the multi-beam charged particle beam inspection system can be configured to extract from a plurality of sensor data a set of control signals to control the multi-beam charged particle beam inspection system and thereby maintain the imaging specifications including a movement of a wafer stage during the wafer inspection task.

公开(公告)号：US20240379322A1

公开(公告)日：2024-11-14

申请号：US18782169

申请日：2024-07-24

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Alexander Wertz ,  Christof Riedesel ,  Ralf Lenke ,  Yanko Sarov ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Michael Kelp ,  Marcus Kaestner ,  Georg Kurij ,  Dieter Schumacher

IPC: H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/12 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A multi-beam generating unit of a multi-beam charged particle imaging system can exhibit reduced sensitivity to drift and extended lifetime. Drifts due to x-ray irradiation and thermal loads can be minimized by a combination of at least one of a shielding element, a cooling member, or an architecture and method for operating an active multi-aperture element. A lifetime can be improved by annealing methods of an active multi-aperture element or a microelectronic device forming for example a voltage supply unit.

公开(公告)号：US11239054B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-01

申请号：US17098965

申请日：2020-11-16

Applicant: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH

Inventor： Yanko Sarov ,  Jan Horn ,  Ulrich Bihr ,  Christof Riedesel ,  Erik Essers

IPC: H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/04 ,  H01J37/24 ,  H01J37/10

Abstract: A multi-beam particle beam system includes a multi-aperture plate having a multiplicity of apertures. During operation, one particle beam of the plurality of particle beams passes through each of the apertures. A multiplicity of electrodes are insulated from the second multi-aperture plate to influence the particle beam passing through the aperture. A voltage supply system for the electrodes includes: a signal a generator to generate a serial sequence of digital signals; a D/A converter to convert the digital signals into a sequence of voltages between an output of the D/A converter and the multi-aperture plate; and a controllable changeover system, which feeds the sequence of voltages successively to different electrodes.