Particle-optical systems and arrangements and particle-optical components for such systems and arrangements

• US 7,244,949 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated, Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated, Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Knippelmeyer, Rainer, Kienzle, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells; Nikita
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOUW, BERNARD E
• Application Number:
  US11/366,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20060289804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 250/310, 250/396.ML
• US Class Current: 250/396.0ML
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0435 Multi-aperture
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0453 multiple apertures
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/047 Changing particle velocity
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/04735 with electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/04756 with electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/06 Sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/14 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2817 Pattern inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31774 Multi-beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/04 Arrangements of electrodes and associated parts for generating or controlling the discharge, e.g. electron-optical arrangement, ion-optical arrangement electron or ion-optical systems for localised treatment of materials H01J37/3007; discharge control means in gas filled discharge tubes H01J37/32009
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/09 Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/10 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/14 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/153 Electron-optical or ion-optical arrangements for the correction of image defects, e.g. stigmators
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3007 Electron or ion-optical systems electron or ion-optical details H01J37/06 - H01J37/153
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3177 Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe

Abstract

An electron-optical arrangement provides a primary beam path for a beam of primary electrons and a secondary beam path for secondary electrons. The electron-optical arrangement includes a magnet arrangement having first, second and third magnetic field regions. The first magnetic field region is traversed by the primary beam path and the secondary beam path. The second magnetic field region is arranged in the primary beam path upstream of the first magnetic field region and is not traversed by the secondary beam path. The first and second magnetic field regions deflect the primary beam path in substantially opposite directions. The third magnetic field region is arranged in the secondary beam path downstream of the first magnetic field region and is not traversed by the first beam path. The first and third magnetic field regions deflect the secondary beam path in a substantially same direction.

Claims

1. An electron-optical arrangement providing a primary electron beam path for a beam of primary electrons directed from a primary electron source to an object positionable in an object plane of the arrangement, and a secondary electron beam path for secondary electrons originating from the object, the electron microscopy arrangement comprising a magnet arrangement having:

a first magnetic field region traversed by the primary electron beam path and the secondary electron beam path for separating the primary electron beam path and the secondary electron beam path from each other,

a second magnetic field region arranged in the primary electron beam path upstream of the first magnetic field region, wherein the second magnetic field region is not traversed by the secondary electron beam path, and wherein the first and second magnetic field regions deflect the primary electron beam path in substantially opposite directions,

a third magnetic field region arranged in the secondary electron beam path downstream of the first magnetic field region, wherein the third magnetic field region is not traversed by the first electron beam path, and wherein the first and third magnetic field regions deflect the secondary electron beam path in a substantially same direction.

2. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 1, wherein no further magnetic field regions deflecting the primary electron beam path by more than 5°

are provided in the primary electron beam path from other than the first and second magnetic field regions.

3. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 2, wherein a deflection angle of the second magnetic field region for the primary electron beam path is higher than a deflection angle of the first magnetic field region for the primary electron beam path.

4. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a deflection angle of the first magnetic field region for the secondary electron beam path is lower than a deflection angle of the second magnetic field region for the primary electron beam path.

5. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a first drift region, which is substantially free of magnetic fields, is provided in the primary electron beam path between the second and first magnetic field regions.

6. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a second drift region, which is substantially free of magnetic fields, is provided in the secondary electron beam path between the first and third magnetic field regions.

7. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising an objective lens provided between the first magnetic field region and the object plane, wherein the objective lens is traversed by the primary and secondary electron beam paths.

8. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least one electrode provided between the first magnetic field region and the object plane, wherein the at least one electrode is traversed by the primary electron beam path for decelerating the primary electrons before impinging on the object, wherein the at least one electrode is traversed by the secondary electron beam path for accelerating the secondary electrons after emerging from the object.

9. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 8, further comprising a driver for supplying an adjustable voltage to the at least one electrode.

10. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 9, further comprising a controller for changing a magnetic field strength in the third magnetic field region relative to a magnetic field strength in the first magnetic field region in dependence of the voltage supplied to the at least one electrode.

11. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the magnet arrangement further comprises a fourth magnetic field region in the secondary electron beam path downstream of the third magnetic field region, wherein a magnetic field strength in the fourth magnetic field region is adjustable relative to a magnetic field strength in the third magnetic field region.

12. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising a controller for changing the field strength in the fourth magnetic field region relative to the field strength in the third magnetic field region in dependence of the voltage supplied to the at least one electrode.

13. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the third and fourth magnetic field regions are arranged substantially directly adjacent to each other in the secondary electron beam path.

14. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 9, further comprising at least one quadrupole lens arranged in the secondary electron beam path downstream of the third magnetic field region.

15. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 14, further comprising a controller for changing a field strength of the quadrupole lens in dependence of the voltage supplied to the at least one electrode.

16. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising a fifth magnetic field region arranged in the secondary electron beam path between the fourth magnetic field region and the quadrupole lens.

17. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising a controller for changing the field strength in the fifth magnetic field region relative to the field strength in the third magnetic field region in dependence of the voltage supplied to the at least one electrode.

18. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the fourth and fifth magnetic field regions are arranged substantially directly adjacent to each other in the secondary electron beam path.

19. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 16, wherein an intermediate image of the object plane is formed by the secondary electrons in a region of the beam path between the first and fifth magnetic field region.

20. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a detector arranged in the secondary beam path downstream of the third magnetic field region.

21. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 20, further comprising a transfer lens arrangement arranged in the secondary beam path upstream of the detector.

22. The electron microscopy arrangement according to claim 16, wherein substantially homogeneous magnetic fields are provided in at least one of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth magnetic field regions.

23. A multi-electron-beamlet inspection system, comprising:

a stage for mounting an object to be inspected;

an electron source arrangement for generating an array of primary electron beamlets;

an objective lens for focusing each of the primary electron beamlets on the object, wherein an array of secondary electron beamlets is generated by the primary electron beamlets, the secondary electron beamlets traversing the objective lens;

a beam splitter for separating a secondary electron beam path of the secondary electron beamlets from a primary electron beam path of the primary electron beamlets;

a detector arrangement for producing an array of signals corresponding to the array of secondary electron beamlets;

wherein the beam splitter includes a magnet arrangement having;

a first magnetic field region traversed by the primary electron beam path and the secondary electron beam path for separating the primary electron beam path and the secondary electron beam path from each other,

a second magnetic field region arranged in the primary electron beam path upstream of the first magnetic field region, wherein the second magnetic field region is not traversed by the secondary electron beam path, and wherein the first and second magnetic field regions deflect the primary electron beam path in substantially opposite directions,

a third magnetic field region arranged in the secondary electron beam path downstream of the first magnetic field region, wherein the third magnetic field region is not traversed by the first electron beam path, and wherein the first and third magnetic field regions deflect the secondary electron beam path in a substantially same direction.

24. A method of multi-electron-beamlet inspection of a substrate, the method comprising:

generating an array of primary electron beamlets;

focusing each primary electron beamlet on the substrate such that an array of secondary electron beamlets emanating from the substrate is generated;

detecting intensities of the secondary electron beamlets; and

separating a secondary electron beam path of the secondary electron beamlets from a primary electron beam path of the primary electron beamlets using a beam splitter, the beam splitter including a magnet arrangement having;

a first magnetic field region traversed by the primary electron beam path and the secondary electron beam path for separating the primary electron beam path and the secondary electron beam path from each other,

a second magnetic field region arranged in the primary electron beam path upstream of the first magnetic field region, wherein the second magnetic field region is not traversed by the secondary electron beam path, and wherein the first and second magnetic field regions deflect the primary electron beam path in substantially opposite directions, and

a third magnetic field region arranged in the secondary electron beam path downstream of the first magnetic field region, wherein the third magnetic field region is not traversed by the first electron beam path, and wherein the first and third magnetic field regions deflect the secondary electron beam path in a substantially same direction.