Method and apparatus for enhancing SE detection in mirror-based light imaging charged particle microscopes
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsGalen Gledhill, Mostafa Maazouz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus include a reflector positioned adjacent to a sample location that is situated to receive a charged particle beam (CPB) along a CPB axis from a CPB focusing assembly so that the reflector is situated to receive light emitted from a sample at the sample location based on a CPB-sample interaction or a photon-sample interaction and to direct the light to a photodetector, and a steering electrode situated adjacent to the reflector so as to direct secondary charged particles emitted from the sample based on the CPB-sample interaction away from the reflector and CPB axis. Methods and systems are also disclosed.
Claims24
An apparatus, comprising:
- a reflector positioned adjacent to a sample location that is situated to receive a charged particle beam (CPB) passing through a reflector aperture along a CPB axis from a CPB focusing assembly so that the reflector is situated to receive light emitted from a sample at the sample location based on a CPB-sample interaction or a photon-sample interaction and to direct the light to a photodetector;
- and
- a steering electrode situated adjacent to the reflector so as to direct secondary charged particles emitted from the sample based on the CPB-sample interaction away from the reflector and CPB axis.
A method, comprising:
- positioning a reflector adjacent to a CPB sample location situated to receive a charged particle beam (CPB) along a CPB axis from a CPB focusing assembly so that the reflector is situated to receive light emitted from the sample at the sample location based on a CPB-sample interaction or a photon-sample interaction and to direct the light to a photodetector;
- and
- positioning a steering electrode adjacent to the reflector so as to direct secondary charged particles emitted from the sample based on the CPB-sample interaction away from the reflector and CPB axis.
A system, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- one or more computer-readable storage media including stored instructions that, responsive to execution by the at least one processor, cause the system to control a-voltage of a steering electrode situated adjacent to a reflector so as to direct secondary charged particles away from the reflector and a charged particle beam (CPB) axis, wherein the second charged particles are emitted from a sample at a sample location based on an interaction between a CPB propagating along a CPB axis and the sample, wherein the reflector is positioned adjacent to the sample location and the sample location is situated to receive the CPB along the CPB axis from a CPB focusing assembly so that the reflector is situated to receive light emitted from the sample based on the CPB-sample interaction or a photon-sample interaction and to direct the light to a photodetector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.