# US 10,504,681 B2 · Particle-optical systems and arrangements and particle-optical components for such systems and arrangements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,681 B2 - Document ID: US10504681B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/608,229 - Filed: 2017-05-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2003-09-05 - Assignees: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH; Applied Materials Israel Ltd. - Applicants: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH; Applied Materials Israel Ltd. - Inventors: Rainer Knippelmeyer; Oliver Kienzle; Thomas Kemen; Heiko Mueller; Stephan Uhlemann; Maximilian Haider; Antonio Casares; Steven Rogers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504681B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/04: Arrangements of electrodes and associated parts for generating or controlling the discharge, e.g. electron-optical arrangement or ion-optical arrangement {(H01J37/32009, H01J37/32623, H01J37/3266, H01J37/32697 take precedence; electron or ion-optical systems for localised treatment of objects H01J37/3007)} - B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic - B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures - H01J 37/09: Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields - H01J 37/10: Lenses - H01J 37/14: magnetic - H01J 37/153: Electron-optical or ion-optical arrangements for the correction of image defects, e.g. stigmators - H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} - H01J 37/3007: {Electron or ion-optical systems} - H01J 37/3177: {Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe} - H01J 2237/0435: Multi-aperture - H01J 2237/0453: multiple apertures - H01J 2237/047: Changing particle velocity - H01J 2237/04735: with electrostatic means - H01J 2237/04756: with electrostatic means - H01J 2237/06: Sources - H01J 2237/14: magnetic - H01J 2237/2817: Pattern inspection - H01J 2237/31774: Multi-beam - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES ## Abstract A particle-optical arrangement comprises a charged-particle source for generating a beam of charged particles; a multi-aperture plate arranged in a beam path of the beam of charged particles, wherein the multi-aperture plate has a plurality of apertures formed therein in a predetermined first array pattern, wherein a plurality of charged-particle beamlets is formed from the beam of charged particles downstream of the multi-aperture plate, and wherein a plurality of beam spots is formed in an image plane of the apparatus by the plurality of beamlets, the plurality of beam spots being arranged in a second array pattern; and a particle-optical element for manipulating the beam of charged particles and/or the plurality of beamlets; wherein the first array pattern has a first pattern regularity in a first direction, and the second array pattern has a second pattern regularity in a second direction electron-optically corresponding to the first direction, and wherein the second regularity is higher than the first regularity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A particle-optical component comprising: at least one multi-aperture plate having a plurality of apertures formed therein, each for manipulating particles of a charged particle beamlet passing therethrough; wherein the multi-aperture plate comprises plural conductive layer portions arranged substantially in a single plane, the portions including a plurality of concentric ring-shaped portions, with adjacent ring-shaped portions being electrically insulated from one another, wherein plural apertures are formed in each of the plural conductive layer portions, and wherein a resistant gap is formed between adjacent conductive layer portions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The particle-optical component according to claim 1, wherein the component is configured such that adjacent conductive layer portions are at different electric potentials. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The particle-optical component according to claim 1, further comprising at least one voltage source for supplying predetermined voltages to the plural conductive layer portions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The particle-optical component according to claim 1, further comprising at least one resistor electrically coupling different conductive layer portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The particle-optical component according to claim 4, wherein a resistance of a first resistor connecting a first pair of adjacent conductive layer portions located at a first distance from a center of the concentric ring-shaped portions is higher than a resistance of a second resistor connecting a second pair of adjacent conductive layer portions located at a second distance smaller than the first distance from the center of the first pattern. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The particle-optical component according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive layer portions comprises a first conductive layer portion substantially surrounding a second conductive layer portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The particle-optical component according to claim 1, wherein a radial width of the ring-shaped conductive layer portions decreases with an increasing distance from a center of the concentric ring-shaped portions. ### Claim 8 A particle-optical arrangement, the arrangement comprising: at least one charged-particle source for generating at least one beam of charged particles, or a plurality of charged particle beamlets; and at least one particle-optical component; wherein the at least one particle-optical component comprises: at least one multi-aperture plate having a plurality of apertures formed therein, each for manipulating particles of a charged particle beamlet passing therethrough; wherein the multi-aperture plate comprises plural conductive layer portions arranged substantially in a single plane, the portions including a plurality of concentric ring-shaped portions, with adjacent ring-shaped portions being electrically insulated from one another, wherein plural apertures are formed in each of the plural conductive layer portions, and wherein a resistant gap is formed between adjacent conductive layer portions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The particle-optical arrangement according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of charged-particle beamlets is formed from the at least one beam of charged particles downstream of the multi-aperture plate, and wherein a plurality of beam spots is formed in an object plane of the particle-optical arrangement by the plurality of charged-particle beamlets; the arrangement further comprising at least one first focusing lens arranged in a beam path of the at least one beam of charged particles upstream of the multi-aperture plate and at least one second focusing lens arranged in a beam path of the plurality of charged-particle beamlets downstream of the multi-aperture plate; wherein the arrangement is configured such that adjacent conductive layer portions are at different electric potentials for compensating a field curvature of at least one of the first and second focusing lenses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The particle-optical arrangement according to claim 8, wherein a focusing effect performed by the apertures on a respective beamlet decreases with increasing distance from a center of the first pattern. ### Claim 11 A multi-electron-beamlet inspection system, comprising: a stage for mounting an object to be inspected; at least one electron source for generating at least one electron beam; a multi-aperture plate comprising a pattern of multiple apertures substantially in a plane perpendicular to the at least one electron beam, the multi-aperture plate dividing the at least one electron beam into an array of electron beamlets; an objective lens for focusing the array of electron beamlets on the object to be inspected; and a detector arrangement for detecting secondary electrons from the object generated by the array of electron beamlets, to produce an array of signals corresponding to the secondary electrons generated by substantially a single electron beamlet in the array of electron beamlets; wherein the multi-aperture plate comprises plural conductive layer portions arranged substantially in a single plane, the portions including a plurality of concentric ring-shaped portions, with adjacent ring-shaped portions being electrically insulated from one another, wherein plural apertures are formed in each of the plural conductive layer portions, and wherein a resistant gap is formed between adjacent conductive layer portions. ### Claim 12 A method of multi-electron-beamlet inspection of a substrate, the method comprising: generating at least one electron beam; illuminating at least one multi-aperture plate with the at least one electron beam using at least one first electron optical component; dividing the at least one electron beam into an array of beamlets with the multi-aperture plate comprising a pattern of multiple apertures substantially in a plane perpendicular to the at least one electron beam; and forming an array of electron beam spots with the array of beamlets on the substrate using at least one second charged-particle optical component; wherein the multi-aperture plate comprises plural conductive layer portions arranged substantially in a single plane, the portions including a plurality of concentric ring-shaped portions, with adjacent ring-shaped portions being electrically insulated from one another, wherein plural apertures are formed in each of the plural conductive layer portions, and wherein a resistant gap is formed between adjacent conductive layer portions. ### Claim 13 A charged-particle multi-beamlet lithography system for writing a pattern on a resist coated object, the system comprising: a stage for mounting the object; at least one charged-particle source for generating at least one charged-particle beam; a multi-aperture plate comprising a pattern of multiple apertures substantially in a plane perpendicular to the at least one charged-particle beam, the multi-aperture plate dividing the at least one charged-particle beam into an array of charged-particle beamlets; and an objective lens for focusing the array of charged-particle beamlets on the object; and wherein the multi-aperture plate comprises plural conductive layer portions arranged substantially in a single plane, the portions including a plurality of concentric ring-shaped portions, with adjacent ring-shaped portions being electrically insulated from one another, wherein plural apertures are formed in each of the plural conductive layer portions, and wherein a resistant gap is formed between adjacent conductive layer portions. ### Claim 14 A method of writing a pattern on a resist coated object, the method comprising: generating at least one electron beam; illuminating at least one multi-aperture plate with the at least one electron beam using at least one first electron optical component; dividing the at least one electron beam into an array of beamlets with the multi-aperture plate comprising a pattern of multiple apertures substantially in a plane perpendicular to the at least one electron beam; and forming an array of electron beam spots on the resist coated object with the array of beamlets using at least one second charged-particle optical component; wherein the multi-aperture plate comprises plural conductive layer portions arranged substantially in a single plane, the portions including a plurality of concentric ring-shaped portions, with adjacent ring-shaped portions being electrically insulated from one another, wherein plural apertures are formed in each of the plural conductive layer portions, and wherein a resistant gap is formed between adjacent conductive layer portions.