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US 2015/0083929 A1Published application
Focused ion beam low kv enhancement
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorMostafa Maazouz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a charged particle beam system wherein the middle section of the focused ion beam column is biased to a high negative voltage allowing the beam to move at higher potential than the final beam energy inside that section of the column. At low kV potential, the aberrations and coulomb interactions are reduced, which results in significant improvements in spot size.
Claims24
1-12. (canceled)
A charged particle beam system, comprising:
- a source of charged particles;
- a charged particle beam focusing column configured to focus the charged particles into a charged particle beam, wherein components of a middle section of the charged particle beam focusing column includes a scanning electrostatic deflector configured to scan the charged particle beam across a surface of the target;
- and
- voltage module configured to reduce a spot size of the charged particle beam on the surface by applying a floating bias voltage to the components.
1 more element
A charged particle beam system, comprising:
- a source of charged particles;
- a charged particle beam column configured to direct a charged particle beam comprising the charged particles from the source onto a target, wherein a middle section of the charged particle beam column includes a booster tube containing a scanning electrostatic deflector configured to scan the charged particle beam across a surface of the target;
- and
- a voltage module configured to reduce a spot size of the charged particle beam by applying a floating bias voltage to the booster tube as the charged particle beam traverses a length of the charged particle column along an optical axis extending from the source to the target.
1 more element
A method for imaging and/or processing a target using a charged particle beam, the method comprising:
- directing a charged particle beam along an optical axis of a charged particle beam column that extends from a source of charged particles toward a target;
- and
- reducing a spot size of the charged particle beam on the target by applying a floating bias voltage to components of a middle section of the charged particle beam column, wherein the components comprise a scanning electrostatic deflector configured to scan the charged particle beam across a surface of the target.
A charged particle beam system, comprising:
- a source of charged particles;
- a charged particle beam column configured to focus and direct a beam of the charged particles along a path extending from the source to a target, the charged particle beam column comprising a middle section, a scanning electrostatic deflector located in the middle section configured to direct the charged particle beam to points on a surface of the target, and a lens disposed downstream of the scanning electrostatic deflector along the optical axis;
- a voltage module configured to increase a difference in electrical potential between the middle section and the target by applying a floating bias voltage to the middle section, wherein raising the difference in electrical potential reduces a spot size of the beam on the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.