Method and system for analyzing three-dimensional features
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsBingxing Wu, Zhenxin Zhong, Chunxiao Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Multiple features in a sample are analyzed based on a first sample image of a first surface and a second sample image of a second surface. The first surface includes cross-sections of the multiple features, and the second surface includes cross-sections of the multiple features at different sample depths relative to the first surface. The second surface formed by milling the sample to remove at least a part of the first surface. A 3D model of the multiple features is constructed by comparing the cross-sections of multiple features in the second image and corresponding cross-sections of the multiple features in the first image.
Claims19
A method for analyzing multiple features in a sample, comprising:
- acquiring a first image of a first surface of the sample including cross-sections of the multiple features, wherein the first surface is normal to a direction of a sample depth, and wherein the first image is acquired with a first charged particle beam directed along the direction of the sample depth, normal to the first surface;
- milling the sample using a second charged particle beam, to remove at least a part of the first surface and expose a second surface, wherein the second surface includes cross-sections of the multiple features, and the cross-sections of the multiple features are at multiple sample depths relative to the first surface;
- acquiring a second image of the second surface with the first charged particle beam directed along the direction of the sample depth;
- and
- constructing a 3D model of the multiple features by comparing the cross-sections of multiple features on the second surface in the second image with corresponding cross-sections of the same multiple features on the first surface in the first image.
A charged particle system for analyzing multiple features in a sample, comprising:
- a first source for generating a first charged particle beam towards the sample;
- a second source for generating a second charged particle beam towards the sample;
- a detector for collecting particles emitted from the sample responsive to irradiating the sample with the first charged particle beam;
- a controller including a processor and a non-transitory memory for storing computer readable instructions, by executing the computer readable instructions in the processor, the charged particle system is configured to:
- direct, via the first source, the first charged particle beam towards the sample;
- acquire, via the detector, a first image of a first surface of the sample including first cross-sections of the multiple features, wherein the first surface is normal to a direction of a sample depth, and wherein the first image is acquired with the first charged particle beam directed along the direction of the sample depth, normal to the first surface;
- mill, via the second source, the sample to remove at least a part of the first surface and expose a second surface, wherein the second surface includes second cross-sections of the multiple features, and the second cross-sections of the multiple features are at different sample depths relative to the first surface;
- direct, via the first source, the first charged particle beam towards the sample along the direction of the sample depth;
- acquire, via the detector, a second image of the second surface;
- and
- construct a 3D model of the multiple features by comparing the second cross-sections of the multiple features in the second image with the corresponding first cross-sections of the same multiple features in the first image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.