Method for operating a charged particle beam device with adjustable landing energies

• US 9,202,666 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICT Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft Fur Halbleiterpruftechnik mbH
• Original Assignee: ICT Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft Fur Halbleiterpruftechnik mbH
• Inventors: Frosien, Jrgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnston, Phillip A
• Application Number:
  US14/340,335
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 250/307
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/1508 Combined electrostatic-electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/147 Arrangements for directing or deflecting the discharge along a desired path H01J37/045 take precedence; lenses H01J37/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence

Abstract

A method of operating a charged particle beam device is provided. The charged particle beam device includes a beam separator that defines an optical axis, and includes a magnetic beam separation portion and an electrostatic beam separation portion. The method includes generating a primary charged particle beam, and applying a voltage to a sample, the voltage being set to a first value to determine a first landing energy of the primary charged particle beam. The method further includes creating an electric current in the magnetic beam separation portion, the current being set to a first value to generate a first magnetic field, and applying a voltage to the electrostatic beam separation portion, the voltage being set to a first value to generate a first electric field. The method includes guiding the primary charged particle beam to the beam separator, wherein the primary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at a first angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the first magnetic field and the first electric field, leaves the beam separator at a second angle relative to the optical axis. The method includes generating a secondary charged particle beam by impingement of the primary charged particle beam on the sample to which the voltage with the first value is applied, and separating the secondary charged particle beam from the primary charged particle beam in the beam separator, wherein the secondary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at a third angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the first magnetic field and the first electric field, leaves the beam separator at a fourth angle relative to the optical axis. The first angle and the fourth angle are different. The method further includes applying the voltage to the sample, the voltage being set to a second value to determine a second landing energy of the primary charged particle beam, creating the electric current in the magnetic beam separation portion, the electric current being set to a second value to generate a second magnetic field, applying the voltage to the electrostatic beam separation portion, the voltage being set to a second value to generate a second electric field, guiding the primary charged particle beam to the beam separator, wherein the primary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at the first angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the second magnetic field and the second electric field, leaves the beam separator at the second angle relative to the optical axis, generating the secondary charged particle beam by impingement of the primary charged particle beam on the sample to which the voltage with the second value is applied, and separating the secondary charged particle beam from the primary charged particle beam in the beam separator, wherein the secondary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at the third angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the second magnetic field and the second electric field, leaves the beam separator at the fourth angle relative to the optical axis.

Claims

1. A method of operating a charged particle beam device, the charged particle beam device including a beam separator that defines an optical axis and includes a magnetic beam separation portion and an electrostatic beam separation portion, the method comprising:

generating a primary charged particle beam;

applying a voltage to a sample, the voltage being set to a first value to determine a first landing energy of the primary charged particle beam;

creating an electric current in the magnetic beam separation portion, the current being set to a first value to generate a first magnetic field;

applying a voltage to the electrostatic beam separation portion, the voltage being set to a first value to generate a first electric field;

guiding the primary charged particle beam to the beam separator, wherein the primary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at a first angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the first magnetic field and the first electric field, leaves the beam separator at a second angle relative to the optical axis;

generating a secondary charged particle beam by impingement of the primary charged particle beam on the sample to which the voltage with the first value is applied;

separating the secondary charged particle beam from the primary charged particle beam in the beam separator, wherein the secondary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at a third angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the first magnetic field and the first electric field, leaves the beam separator at a fourth angle relative to the optical axis, wherein the first angle and the fourth angle are different;

thereafter

applying the voltage to the sample, the voltage being set to a second value to determine a second landing energy of the primary charged particle beam, the second value being different from the first value;

calculating a second value for the electric current to generate a second magnetic field;

creating the electric current in the magnetic beam separation portion, the electric current being set to the second value to generate the second magnetic field;

calculating a second value for the voltage to generate a second electric field;

applying the voltage to the electrostatic beam separation portion, the voltage being set to the second value to generate the second electric field, wherein the second value for the second magnetic field and the second value for the second electric field are calculated so that the second angle and the fourth angle remain substantially constant with the change from the first landing energy to the second landing energy;

guiding the primary charged particle beam to the beam separator, wherein the primary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at the first angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the second magnetic field and the second electric field, leaves the beam separator at the second angle relative to the optical axis;

generating the secondary charged particle beam by impingement of the primary charged particle beam on the sample to which the voltage with the second value is applied; and

separating the secondary charged particle beam from the primary charged particle beam in the beam separator, wherein the secondary charged particle beam enters the beam separator at the third angle relative to the optical axis and, under the influence of the second magnetic field and the second electric field, leaves the beam separator at the fourth angle relative to the optical axis.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charged particle beam device includes a dispersion compensation element arranged, in relation to the primary charged particle beam, upstream of the beam separator, the method further comprising:

compensating, by the dispersion compensation element, a dispersion which the beam separator introduces into the primary charged particle beam.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

deflecting the primary charged particle beam in the dispersion compensation element by a deflection angle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first angle is a positive angle relative to the optical axis and the fourth angle is a negative angle relative to the optical axis.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third angle equals the second angle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis of the beam separator coincides with an optical axis defined by an objective lens of the charged particle beam device, and wherein the primary charged particle beam travels along the optical axis upon leaving the beam separator.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis of the beam separator coincides with an optical axis defined by an objective lens of the charged particle beam device, and wherein the secondary charged particle beam travels along the optical axis upon entering the beam separator.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the magnitude of the deflection angle equals the magnitude of the first angle.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

the primary charged particle beam enters the dispersion compensation element parallel to the optical axis of the beam separator and the deflection angle is equal to the first angle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary and secondary charged particle beams are electron beams, and the first and second landing energies lie in the range from 0.05 keV to 30 keV.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following holds:

(i) the magnitude of the first angle lies in the range from 0 to 20 degrees, (ii) the magnitude of the second angle lies in the range from 0 to 10 degrees, (iii) the magnitude of the third angle lies in the range from 0 to 5 degrees, and (iv) the magnitude of the fourth angle lies in the range from 0 to 30 degrees.

12. A method of operating a charged particle beam device, the charged particle beam device including a beam separator that includes a magnetic beam separation portion and an electrostatic beam separation portion, the method comprising:

generating a primary charged particle beam;

applying a sample voltage to a sample, the sample voltage being set to a selected sample voltage value to determine a landing energy of the primary charged particle beam;

calculating a first electric current value from a primary reference angle, a secondary reference angle and the sample voltage value, wherein the primary reference angle corresponds to a target deflection of the primary charged particle beam in the beam separator and wherein the secondary reference angle corresponds to a target deflection of a secondary charged particle beam in the beam separator;

creating an electric current in the magnetic beam separation portion, the electric current being set to the calculated first electric current value to generate a first magnetic field;

calculating a first voltage value from the primary reference angle, the secondary reference angle and the sample voltage, wherein the first electric current value and the first voltage value are calculated so that the primary reference angle and the secondary reference angle remain substantially constant with variations in the landing energy;

applying a voltage to the electrostatic beam separation portion, the voltage being set to the calculated first voltage value to generate a first electric field;

guiding the primary charged particle beam through the beam separator, wherein the primary charged particle beam is deflected in the beam separator under the influence of the first magnetic field and the first electric field, wherein the primary charged particle beam is deflected by the primary reference angle;

generating the secondary charged particle beam by impingement of the primary charged particle beam on the sample; and

separating the secondary charged particle beam from the primary charged particle beam in the beam separator, wherein the secondary charged particle beam is deflected in the beam separator under the influence of the first magnetic field and the first electric field, and wherein the secondary charged particle is deflected by the secondary reference angle.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the angle between the primary charged particle beam entering the beam separator and the secondary charged particle beam leaving the beam separator lies in the range from 5 to 30 degrees.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the angle between the primary charged particle beam leaving the beam separator and the secondary charged particle beam entering the beam separator lies in the range from 0 to 20 degrees.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the landing energy lies in the range from 0.05 keV to 30 keV.

16. A charged particle beam device comprising:

a beam emitter for emitting a primary charged particle beam;

a sample voltage source configured for applying a sample voltage to a sample to adjust a landing energy of the primary charged particle beam on the sample;

a beam separator comprising an electrostatic beam separation portion and a magnetic beam separation portion;

a processing unit configured to calculate a first electric current value and a first voltage value from a primary reference angle, a secondary reference angle and a first value of the sample voltage, wherein the primary reference angle corresponds to a target deflection of the primary charged particle beam in the beam separator, and the secondary reference angle corresponds to a target deflection, in the beam separator, of a secondary charged particle beam emitted by impingement of the primary charged particle beam on the sample that is biased by the first value of the sample voltage, wherein the first electric current value and the first voltage value are calculated so that the primary reference angle and the secondary reference angle remain substantially constant with variations in the landing energy;

an electric current source adapted for creating an electric current in the magnetic beam separation portion, the electric current being set to the first electric current value to generate a first magnetic field; and

a voltage source adapted for applying a voltage to the electrostatic beam separation portion, the voltage being set to the first voltage value to generate a first electric field,

wherein, if the electric current created in the magnetic beam separation portion is set to the first electric current value and the voltage applied to the electrostatic beam separation portion is set to the first voltage value, the beam separator separating the primary charged particle beam from the secondary charged particle beam is configured for;

deflecting the primary charged particle beam by the primary reference angle under the influence of the first electric field generated in the electrostatic beam separation portion and the first magnetic field generated in the magnetic beam separation portion;

deflecting the secondary charged particle beam by the secondary reference angle under the influence of the first electric field and first the magnetic field.

17. The device according to claim 16, further including a dispersion compensation element adapted to act on the primary charged particle beam and disposed, relative to the primary charged particle beam, upstream of the beam separator, the dispersion compensation element having an adjustable dispersion for compensating a dispersion of the beam separator.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the dispersion compensation element includes a magnetic dispersion compensation portion and an electrostatic dispersion compensation portion, and wherein the dispersion compensation element is adapted for deflecting the primary charged particle beam at a deflection angle, and the dispersion of the dispersion compensation element is adjustable independently of the deflection angle of the primary charged particle beam.

19. The device according to claim 17, wherein the beam separator defines a first optical axis and the dispersion compensation element defines a second optical axis, wherein the second optical axis is parallel to the first optical axis and disposed at an off-set with respect to the first optical axis.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the off-set lies in the range from 1 to 15 mm.