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US 11,645,740 B2Granted
Method for detector equalization during the imaging of objects with a multi-beam particle microscope
AssigneeCarl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH
InventorsDirk Zeidler, Michael Behnke, Stefan Schubert, Christof Riedesel
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Abstract
A method for detector equalization during the imaging of objects with a multi-beam particle microscope includes performing an equalization on the basis of individual images in or on the basis of overlap regions. For detector equalization, contrast values and/or brightness values are used and iterative methods can be employed.
Claims21
A method, comprising:
- irradiating an object with a multiplicity of primary particle beams, each primary particle beam irradiating a separate individual field region of the object in a scanning fashion;
- projecting interaction products, which emanate from the object due the primary particle beams, onto detection regions of a detection unit which comprises a detector so that the interaction products emanating from two different individual field regions are projected onto different detection regions;
- generating individual images from each of the individual field regions based on data which are obtained or have been obtained in each case with the aid of signals from the detection regions;
- and
- equalizing the detection unit with its plurality of detection regions by adjusting the detection unit so that:
- a first predetermined multiplicity of the individual images have the same contrast value to within 10% of a reference contrast value;
- and
- a second predetermined multiplicity of the individual images have the same brightness value to within 10% of a reference brightness value,
- wherein adjusting the detection unit comprises adjusting a gain and/or adjusting an offset for at least some detection regions of the detection unit.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- irradiating a test sample with a multiplicity of primary particle beams, each primary particle beam irradiating a separate individual test field region of the object in a scanning fashion;
- projecting interaction products, which emanate from the test sample due the primary particle beams, onto a plurality of detection regions of a detection unit which comprises a detector so that the interaction products emanating from two different individual test field regions are projected onto different detection regions;
- generating individual test images from each of the individual test field regions based on data which are obtained or have been obtained in each case with the aid of signals from the detection regions;
- determining a contrast and/or a brightness of the individual test images;
- based on the contrast and/or the brightness of the individual test images, equalizing the detection unit with its plurality of detection regions by adjusting the detection unit by adjusting a gain of the detection unit and/or adjusting an offset of the detection unit;
- and
- after equalizing the detection unit by adjusting the detection unit:
- irradiating a real sample with the multiplicity of primary particle beams, each primary particle beam irradiating a separate individual field region of the real sample in a scanning fashion;
- projecting interaction products, which emanate from the real sample due the primary particle beams, onto the plurality of detection regions of the detection unit so that the interaction products emanating from two different individual field regions are projected onto different detection regions;
- and
- generating individual images from each of the individual field regions based on data which are obtained or have been obtained in each case with the aid of signals from the detection regions.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.