Charged particle beam applied apparatus

• US 8,350,214 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Otaki, Hiroki, Enyama, Momoyo, Ohta, Hiroya
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore, David A
• Application Number:
  US13/143,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20110272576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 250/310, 250/311
• US Class Current: 250/310
• 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: G01R 31/305 using electron beams investigating or analysing materials by measuring photoelectric effect G01N23/227
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/004 Charge control of objects or beams
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0044 of objects being observed or treated
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3023 Programme control
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3177 Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe

Abstract

Provided is a multi-beam type charged particle beam applied apparatus in an implementable configuration, capable of achieving both high detection accuracy of secondary charged particles and high speed of processing characteristically different specimens. An aperture array (111) includes plural aperture patterns. A deflector (109) for selecting an aperture pattern through which a primary beam passes is disposed at the position of a charged particle source image created between an electron gun (102), i.e., a charged particle source, and the aperture array (111). At the time of charge-control beam illumination and at the time of signal-detection beam illumination, an aperture pattern of the aperture array (111) is selected, and conditions of a lens array (112), surface electric-field control electrode (118) and the like are switched in synchronization with each beam scanning. Thus, the charges are controlled and the signals are detected at different timings under suitable conditions, respectively.

Claims

1. A charged particle beam applied apparatus comprising:

a charged particle source that produces charged particles;

a primary electron optical system that includes an illumination-system separation unit separating the charged particles produced by the charged particle source into a plurality of charged particle beams, one or more lenses used to apply the plurality of charged particle beams onto a specimen, and a scanning-beam deflector causing the plurality of charged particle beams to scan the specimen;

a signal detecting unit that detects individual secondary charged particle beams produced at a plurality of positions on the specimen by illuminating the specimen with the plurality of charged particle beams;

a secondary electron optical system that guides the secondary charged particle beams to the signal detecting unit;

a movable stage on which the specimen is mounted; and

a control unit that controls the switching times of charge-control beam illumination and signal-detection beam illumination, the charge-control beam illumination carried out for negatively charging the specimen by illuminating the specimen with a plurality of charge-control charged particle beams, and the signal-detection beam illumination carried out for detecting signals from the specimen by illuminating the specimen with a plurality of signal-detection charged particle beams,

wherein the control unit controls optical conditions of the primary electron optical system to switch between the charge-control beam illumination and the signal-detection beam illumination, and

wherein the primary electron optical system further includes a first deflector disposed between the charged particle source and the illumination-system separation unit, and the control unit controls the first deflector to deflect the charged particles so that the charged particles selectively pass through a part of the illumination-system separation unit to form the charge-control charged particle beams or the signal-detection charged particle beams.

2. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the primary electron optical system further includes a second deflector that causes the charge-control charged particle beams and the signal-detection charged particle beams from the illumination-system separation unit to illuminate any positions on the specimen.

3. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit controls the first deflector and the second deflector in synchronization with each other.

4. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the illumination-system separation unit includes an aperture array with a plurality of aperture patterns, and

the control unit causes the first deflector to select one of the plurality of aperture patterns to form the charge-control charged particle beams or the signal-detection charged particle beams.

5. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the illumination-system separation unit includes an aperture array with a single aperture pattern that separates the charged particles into the plurality of charged particle beams.

6. A charged particle beam applied apparatus comprising:

a charged particle source that produces charged particles;

a primary electron optical system that includes an illumination-system separation unit separating the charged particles produced by the charged particle source into a plurality of charged particle beams, one or more lenses used to apply the plurality of charged particle beams onto a specimen, and a scanning-beam deflector causing the plurality of charged particle beams to scan the specimen;

a signal detecting unit that detects individual secondary charged particle beams produced at a plurality of positions on the specimen by illuminating the specimen with the plurality of charged particle beams;

a movable stage on which the specimen is mounted;

a surface electric-field control unit that controls the surface electric field of the specimen; and

a control unit that controls optical conditions of the first electron optical system and the surface electric-field control unit and controls the switching times of charge-control beam illumination and signal-detection beam illumination, the charge-control beam illumination carried out for charging the specimen by illuminating the specimen with a plurality of charge-control charged particle beams, and the signal-detection beam illumination carried out for illuminating the specimen with a plurality of signal-detection charged particle beams,

wherein the primary electron optical system further includes a first deflector between the charged particle source and the illumination-system separation unit, and the first deflector deflects the charged particles so as to select a part of the illumination-system separation unit to form the charge-control charged particle beams or the signal-detection charged particle beams.

7. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the primary electron optical system further includes a second deflector that causes the charge-control charged particle beams and the signal-detection charged particle beams from the illumination-system separation unit to illuminate any positions on the specimen.

8. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the control unit controls the first deflector and the second deflector in synchronization with each other.

9. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the control unit controls the surface electric-field control unit to negatively charge or positively charge the specimen.

10. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the illumination-system separation unit includes an aperture array with a plurality of aperture patterns, and

the control unit controls the first deflector to select one of the plurality of aperture patterns.

11. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the illumination-system separation unit includes an aperture array with a single aperture pattern that separates the charged particles into the plurality of charged particle beams.

12. A charged particle beam applied apparatus comprising:

a charged particle source that produces charged particles;

an illumination-system separation unit that includes a plurality of aperture patterns and separates the charged particles produced by the charged particle source into a plurality of charged particle beams;

a primary electron optical system that includes a pattern-selecting deflector disposed between the charged particle source and the illumination-system separation unit, the pattern-selecting deflector applying the charged particles from the charged particle source to one of the plurality of aperture patterns, one or more lenses used to apply the plurality of charged particle beams onto a specimen, and a scanning-beam deflector causing the plurality of charged particle beams to scan the specimen;

a signal detecting unit that detects individual secondary charged particle beams produced at a plurality of positions on the specimen by illuminating the specimen with the plurality of charged particle beams;

a secondary electron optical system that guides the secondary charged particle beams to the signal detecting unit;

a movable stage on which the specimen is mounted;

a surface electric-field control unit that controls the surface electric field of the specimen; and

a control unit that controls optical conditions of the first electron optical system and the surface electric-field control unit and controls switching between charge-control beam illumination and signal-detection beam illumination, the charge-control beam illumination carried out for charging the specimen with a plurality of charge-control charged particle beams, and the signal-detection beam illumination carried out for detecting signals from the specimen.

13. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

at the time of charge-control beam illumination, the control unit controls the surface electric-field control unit to negatively charge the specimen.

14. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

at the time of charge-control beam illumination, the control unit controls the surface electric-field control unit to positively charge the specimen or eliminate the charge.

15. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the plurality of aperture patterns include different aperture patterns that select the plurality of charged particle beams for the charge-control beam illumination or the signal-detection beam illumination.

16. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the control unit includes a storage section that stores the optical conditions of the primary electron optical system.

17. The charged particle beam applied apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the control unit controls the scanning-beam deflector of the primary electron optical system, and

the plurality of charged particle beams used for the charge-control beam illumination and the plurality of charged particle beams used for the signal-detection beam illumination travel in the opposite directions to each other or in the same direction.