Proximity-electrode, charged particle beam device and method for inspecting and/or imaging a sample
AssigneeICT Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft für Halbleiterprüftechnik mbH
InventorStephan Heinrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A proximity-electrode for a charged particle beam device is provided, the proximity-electrode including a body having an aperture within the body, and the body having a plurality of protrusions cantilevering radially into the aperture, and the aperture and the protrusions having an n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is an integer.
Claims19
A proximity-electrode for a charged particle beam device, comprising:
- a body having an aperture within the body;
- and
- the body having a plurality of protrusions cantilevering radially into the aperture, the aperture and the protrusions having an n-fold rotational symmetry, n being an integer;
- wherein a minimum radius of curvature of each of the plurality of protrusions is more than 5% of a width or a diameter of the respective protrusion or wherein the protrusions have a minimum radius of curvature such that a maximum magnitude of a surface electric field on the protrusions is less than 3 times a maximum magnitude of a surface electric field on a body of the proximity-electrode.
A charged particle beam device for at least one of imaging and inspecting a sample, the charged particle beam device comprising:
- a beam emitter for emitting a primary charged particle beam;
- and
- a retarding field device for retarding the primary charged particle beam before the primary charged particle beam impinges on the sample, the retarding field device comprising an objective lens and a proximity-electrode arranged downstream of a principal plane of the objective lens;
- wherein the charged particle beam device is adapted for guiding the primary charged particle beam along an optical axis to the sample for generating signal charged particles from the sample;
- wherein the proximity-electrode comprises a body having an aperture within the body;
- and the body having a plurality of protrusions cantilevering radially into the aperture, the aperture and the protrusions having an n-fold rotational symmetry, n being an integer.
A method for at least one of imaging and inspection of a sample using a charged particle beam device, wherein the charged particle beam device is adapted for guiding the primary charged particle beam along an optical axis to the sample for generating signal charged particles from the sample, the method comprising:
- emitting a primary charged particle beam with a beam emitter;
- and
- retarding the primary charged particle beam before the primary charged particle beam impinges on the sample with a retarding field device, the retarding field device comprising an objective lens and a proximity-electrode arranged downstream of a principal plane of the objective lens;
- wherein the proximity-electrode comprises a body having an aperture within the body;
- and the body having a plurality of protrusions cantilevering radially into the aperture, the aperture and the protrusions having an n-fold rotational symmetry, n being an integer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.