High Current Density Particle Beam System
First Claim
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1. A charged particle beam device, comprising:
- an emitter for emitting charged particles;
an aperture arrangement with at least one aperture for blocking a part of the emitted charged particles, whereby the aperture arrangement forms a multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam with a cross-section-area and a cross-section-circumference, whereby a ratio between the cross-section-circumference and the cross-section-area is increased by at least 15% as compared to the ratio between a cross-section-circumference and a cross-section-area of a circular beam with the same cross-section-area as the multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam; and
an objective lens for focusing the multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam onto the same location within the focal plane.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to charged particle beam devices. The devices comprise an emitter for emitting charged particles; an aperture arrangement with at least two apertures for separating the emitted charged particles into at least two independent charged particle beams; and an objective lens for focusing the at least two independent charged particle beams, whereby the independent charged particle beams are focused onto the same location within the focal plane.
22 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A charged particle beam device, comprising:
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an emitter for emitting charged particles;
an aperture arrangement with at least one aperture for blocking a part of the emitted charged particles, whereby the aperture arrangement forms a multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam with a cross-section-area and a cross-section-circumference, whereby a ratio between the cross-section-circumference and the cross-section-area is increased by at least 15% as compared to the ratio between a cross-section-circumference and a cross-section-area of a circular beam with the same cross-section-area as the multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam; and
an objective lens for focusing the multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam onto the same location within the focal plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A charged particle beam device, comprising:
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an emitter for emitting charged particles;
an aperture arrangement with at least one aperture for blocking a part of the emitted charged particles, whereby the aperture arrangement forms a multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam with a cross-like shape; and
an objective lens for focusing the at least two independent charged particle beams onto the same location within the focal plane. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A charged particle beam device, comprising:
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an emitter for emitting charged particles;
an aperture arrangement with at least one aperture for separating the emitted charged particles into at least two independent charged particle beams; and
an objective lens for focusing the at least two independent charged particle beams onto the same location within the focal plane. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Method of operating a charged particle beam device, comprising:
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illuminating an aperture arrangement with at least one aperture for blocking a part of the emitted charged particles, whereby the aperture arrangement forms a multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam with a cross-section-area and a cross-section-circumference, whereby a ratio between the cross-section-circumference and the cross-section-area is increased by at least 15% as compared to the ratio between a cross-section-circumference and a cross-section-area of a circular beam with the same cross-section-area as the multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam; and
focusing the multi-area sub-beam charged particle beam with an objective lens onto the same location of a specimen. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification