Charged particle source with integrated energy filter

• US 7,999,225 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FEI Company (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FEI Company (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Henstra, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US12/472,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 250/305, 250396 R-396 ML, 250/493.1
• US Class Current: 250/305
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/045 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/057 Energy or mass filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/061 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/08 Ion sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/15 Means for deflecting or directing discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/1534 Aberrations
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 3/027 Construction of the gun or parts thereof H01J3/021 - H01J3/025, H01J3/026 and H01J3/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 3/04 Ion guns
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/05 Electron or ion-optical arrangements for separating electrons or ions according to their energy or massparticle separator tubes H01J49/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/063 Geometrical arrangement of electrodes for beam-forming

Abstract

The invention describes a particle source in which energy selection occurs. The energy selection occurs by sending a beam of electrically charged particles 103 eccentrically through a lens 107. As a result of this, energy dispersion will occur in an image formed by the lens. By projecting this image onto a slit 109 in an energy selecting diaphragm 108, it is possible to allow only particles in a limited portion of the energy spectrum to pass. Consequently, the passed beam 113 will have a reduced energy spread. Deflection unit 112 deflects the beam to the optical axis 101. One can also elect to deflect a beam 105 going through the middle of the lens toward the optical axis and having, for example, greater current.

The energy dispersed spot is imaged on the slit by a deflector 111. When positioning the energy dispersed spot on the slit, central beam 105 is deflected from the axis to such an extent that it is stopped by the energy selecting diaphragm. Hereby reflections and contamination resulting from this beam in the region after the diaphragm are avoided. Also electron-electron interaction resulting from the electrons from the central beam interacting with the energy filtered beam in the area of deflector 112 is avoided.

Claims

1. Charged particle source for producing a beam of charged particles, comprising

a charged particle emitting surface emitting charged particles,

a lens for forming an image of the charged particle emitting surface, said lens having an optical axis

a beam limiting diaphragm for limiting of the beam, embodied in such a way that at least two beams are formed, a central beam going through the middle of the lens and an eccentric beam going eccentrically through the lens,

a first deflector embodied to deflect one of the beams towards the axis, and

an energy selecting diaphragm showing an energy selecting aperture for passing a part of the eccentric beam and a central aperture for passing the central beam, said energy selecting diaphragm positioned between the particle emitting surface and the deflector, and

a second deflector to align the eccentric beam on the energy selecting aperture, the source configured such that

when the eccentric beam is focused and aligned on the energy selecting aperture using the second deflector, the second deflector simultaneously deflects the central beam to such an extent that the central beam is blocked by the energy selecting diaphragm.

2. The charged particle source according to claim 1 in which the second deflector and the lens are integrated in one multipole element.

3. The charged particle source according to claim 2 in which the multipole element is equipped to be used as a stigmator for the beam.

4. The charged particle source according to claim 2 in which the multipole element is an electrostatic multipole element.

5. The charged particle source according to claim 1 in which the energy selecting diaphragm shows a multitude of energy selective apertures for passing a part of the eccentric beam.

6. The charged particle source according to claim 1 in which a multitude of eccentric beams is formed, each of which eccentric beam may be used as the eccentric beam to pass through an energy selective aperture.

7. The charged particle source according to claim 1 in which no eccentric beam passes through the energy selective diaphragm when the central beam passes through the energy selective diaphragm.

8. The charged particle source according to claim 1 in which the second deflector causes a deflection of the eccentric beam that differs from the deflection of the central beam.

9. A particle optical apparatus for forming an image of a sample equipped with a particle optical source according to claim 1.

10. The particle optical apparatus according to claim 9 in which the apparatus is equipped to form a focused beam on the sample.

11. The particle optical apparatus according to claim 9 in which the apparatus is equipped to change the energy of the charged particles produced by the charged particle source and deflected by the deflector towards the axis before the charged particles impinge on the sample.

12. The particle optical apparatus according to claim 11 in which the energy change is a lowering of the energy.

13. Charged particle source for producing a beam of charged particles, comprising

a charged particle emitter;

a lens for focusing the charged particles emitted by the emitter into a beam, said lens having an optical axis;

multiple first apertures for producing at least two beams including, a central beam passing through the center of the lens and at least one eccentric beam passing through the lens away from its center;

a deflector for selecting either the central beam or one of the eccentric beams to pass through a corresponding aperture and out of the charged particle source, the beams not selected being blocked so that a single beam leaves the charged particle source.

14. The charged particle source of claim 13 further comprising an additional aperture, the additional aperture corresponding to the at least one eccentric beam and comprising an energy filtering aperture for reducing the energy spread of the eccentric beam.

15. The charged particle source of claim 13 in which the deflector is a multipole deflector.

16. The charged particle source of claim 13 further comprising an additional deflector for selectively deflecting the one of the eccentric beam so that the one of the eccentric beam exits the charged particle source essentially parallel to the optical axis.

17. The charged particle source of claim 13 in which the multiple first apertures produce multiple eccentric beams, and apertures corresponding to the multiple eccentric beams comprise one or more energy filtering aperture for reducing the energy spread of the beam leaving the source.