Ion sources, systems and methods

• US 7,557,360 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alis Corp. (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Alis Corp. (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Markwort, Lars, Notte, John A. IV, Hill, Raymond, Farkas, Louis S. III, Ward, Billy W., Percival, Randall G., Aderhold, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells; Nikita
• Application Number:
  US11/600,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20070210250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 250/423.F, 250/423.R, 250/424, 250/426, 250/492.21, 250/492.2
• US Class Current: 250/423.00F
• 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 2237/0807 Gas field ion sources [GFIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/202 Movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/20228 Mechanical X-Y scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2566 ion
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2623 Field-emission microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2812 Emission microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/30438 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3174 Etching microareas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31755 using ion beams
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 27/26 using surface ionisation, e.g. field effect ion sources, thermionic ion sources H01J27/20, H01J27/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/08 Ion sources; Ion guns
• 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 37/252 Tubes for spot-analysing by electron or ion beams; Microanalysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3056 for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography

Abstract

Ion sources, systems and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating an ion beam by interacting a gas with a gas field ion source;

interacting the ion beam with a sample including a feature, the ion beam having a spot size of 50 nm or less on a surface of a sample; and

determining the size of the feature wherein the sample comprises a semiconductor article, the feature comprises a line, and the method measures line edge roughness or line width roughness.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a spot size of 20 nm or less on the surface of the sample.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a spot size of 10 nm or less on the surface of the sample.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the feature is measured multiple times to provide statistical information regarding the size of the feature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the line comprises conductive material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the line comprises a resist material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 100 nm or less.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 75 nm or less.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 100 nm or less.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 75 nm or less.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 50 nm or less.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 25 nm or less.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 20 nm or less.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 15 nm or less.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of 10 nm or less.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of five nm or less.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of four nm or less.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of three nm or less.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of two nm or less.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature has a linear dimension of one nm or less.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a reduced etendue of 1×

10<sup>−

16</sup> cm²srV or less.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has an etendue of 5×

10<sup>−

21</sup> cm²sr or less.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a reduced brightness at a surface of the sample of 5×

10⁸ A/m² srV or more.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam has a brightness at a surface of the sample of 1×

10⁹ A/cm²sr or more.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed using a gas field ion microscope.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed using a helium ion microscope.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed using a scanning ion microscope.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed using a scanning helium ion microscope.