MOVEABLE DETECTOR

• US 20200135426A1
• Filed: 10/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruker Nano GmbH (Bruker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bruker Nano GmbH (Bruker Corporation)
• Inventors: Goran, Daniel, Hahn, Waldemar
• Granted Patent: US 11,087,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/024 Moving components not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/20207 Tilt
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/20278 Motorised movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/24455 Transmitted particle detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/24475 Scattered electron detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/20 Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/244 Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor

Abstract

The present invention refers to an apparatus (100) and a method for detecting characteristics of a probe. In an embodiment, the apparatus (100) comprises a vacuum chamber (104) and a beam generator (102) adapted to generate a beam of charged particles within the vacuum chamber (104). When the beam of charged particles falls onto the probe, interaction particles and/or interaction radiation are generated. The apparatus (100) further comprises an electromechanical unit (114) within the vacuum chamber (104) and a detector (110) comprising a plurality of detection units and being arranged on the electromechanical unit (114) allowing for the detector (110) to move from a first position (302) with respect to the beam generator (102) to a second position (304) with respect to the beam generator (102) and vice versa, upon a corresponding actuation of the electromechanical unit (114) performable from outside of the vacuum chamber (104).

Claims

1. An apparatus (100) for detecting characteristics of a probe, wherein the apparatus (100) comprises:

a vacuum chamber (104),

a beam generator (102), adapted to generate a beam of charged particles within the vacuum chamber (104), wherein interaction particles and/or interaction radiation are generated when the beam of charged particles falls onto the probe;

an electromechanical unit (114) within the vacuum chamber (104);

a detector (110) comprising a plurality of detection units and being arranged on the electromechanical unit (114), wherein the electromechanical unit (114) allowing for the detector (110) to move from a first position (302) with respect to the beam generator (102) to a second position (304) with respect to the beam generator (102) and vice versa, upon a corresponding actuation of the electromechanical unit (114) performable from outside of the vacuum chamber (104).

2. The apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the detector (110) is configured to:

perform a first measurement method in the first position (302); and

perform a second measurement method in the second position (304), wherein the second measurement method is different from the first measurement method.

3. The apparatus (100) of claim 2, wherein the first measurement method corresponds to electron backscattered diffraction, EBSD.

4. The apparatus (100) of claim 2, wherein the second measurement method corresponds to transmission Kikuchi diffraction, TKD.

5. The apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical unit (114) comprises

a tilting unit (112);

a drive system connected to the tilting unit (112);

a power source connected to the drive system; and

an actuation interface positioned outside of the vacuum chamber (104), and wherein the detector (110) is positioned on the tilting unit (112), and

wherein the electromechanical unit (114) is adapted to operate the tilting unit (112) and to tilt the detector (110) within a predefined angle with respect to the beam generator (102) upon the actuation of the electromechanical unit (114) via the actuation interface.

6. The apparatus (100) of claim 2, wherein, in the first position (302), an active surface (202) of the detector (110) is substantially parallel to a beam axis (106) along which the beam of charged particles is generated.

7. The apparatus (100) of claim 2, wherein, in the second position (304), an active surface (202) of the detector (110) is substantially perpendicular to a beam axis (106) along which the beam of charged particles is generated.

8. The apparatus (100) of claim 7, wherein, in the first position (302), the active surface (202) of the detector (110) is at a predefined angle with respect to a probe surface, wherein the predefined angle substantially ranges from 10 to 30 degrees, and wherein in the second position (304), the active surface (202) of the detector (110) is substantially parallel to the probe surface.

9. The apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein an alignment and/or a height of the detector (110) within the vacuum chamber (104) are recalibrated based on a position and/or height of the probe.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 is one of a scanning electron microscope, SEM, and a transmission electron microscope, TEM.

11. A method for detecting characteristics of a probe, wherein the method comprises:

generating, by a beam generator (102), a first beam of charged particles within a vacuum chamber (104), wherein interaction particles and/or interaction radiation are generated when the first beam of charged particles falls onto the probe;

detecting, by the detector (110) in a first position (302), the interaction particles and/or interaction radiation to perform a first measurement method; and

moving, by an electromechanical unit (114), the detector (110) from the first position (302) to a second position (304) upon a corresponding actuation of an electromechanical unit (114) performable from outside of the vacuum chamber (104).

12. The method of claim 11 further comprises:

generating, by the beam generator (104), a second beam of charged particles within the vacuum chamber (104);

performing, by the detector (110) in the second position (304), a second measurement method when the second beam of charged particles falls onto the probe, wherein the first measurement method is different from the second measurement method.

13. The method of claims 12, wherein the first measurement method corresponds to electron backscattered diffraction, EBSD, and the second measurement method corresponds to transmission Kikuchi diffraction TKD.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein,

in the first position (302), an active surface (202) of the detector (110) is substantially parallel to a beam axis (106) along which the first beam of charged particles is generated;

and

in the second position (304), the active surface (202) of the detector (110) is substantially perpendicular to the beam axis (106) along which the second beam of charged particles is generated.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which can be loaded into a processor and which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 11.