# US 2021/0280386 A1 · Arrayed Column Detector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0280386 A1 - Document ID: US20210280386A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/812,720 - Filed: 2020-03-09 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09 - Assignees: KLA Corporation - Applicants: KLA Corporation - Inventors: Alan D. Brodie; Lawrence P. Muray; John Fielden - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280386A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor - H01J 37/226: {Optical arrangements for illuminating the object; optical arrangements for collecting light from the object} - H01J 2237/2443: Scintillation detectors - H01J 2237/24465: Sectored detectors, e.g. quadrants - H01J 2237/24495: Signal processing, e.g. mixing of two or more signals - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract An electron beam inspection system is disclosed, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The inspection system may include an electron beam source configured to generate one or more primary electron beams. The inspection system may also include an electron-optical column including a set of electron-optical elements configured to direct the one or more primary electron beams to a sample. The inspection system may further include a detection assembly comprising: a scintillator substrate configured to collect electrons emanating from the sample, the scintillator substrate configured to generate optical radiation in response to the collected electrons; one or more light guides; one or more reflective surfaces configured to receive the optical radiation and direct the optical radiation along the one or more light guides; and one or more detectors configured to receive the optical radiation from the light guide. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electron beam inspection system, comprising: an electron beam source configured to generate one or more primary electron beams; an electron-optical column including a set of electron-optical elements configured to direct the one or more primary electron beams to a sample; and a detection assembly comprising: a scintillator substrate configured to collect electrons emanating from the sample in response to the one or more primary electron beams, the scintillator substrate configured to generate optical radiation in response to the collected electrons; one or more light guides; one or more reflective surfaces configured to receive the optical radiation generated by the scintillator substrate and direct the optical radiation along the one or more light guides; and one or more detectors configured to receive the optical radiation from the light guide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein the electron beam source comprises a plurality of primary electron beams. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein the electron-optical column comprises a plurality of electron-optical columns. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein the electron-optical column comprises one or more micro-electron optical columns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more detectors, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive one or more signals generated by the one or more detectors in response to the optical radiation; and determine one or more characteristics of the sample based on the one or more signals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electron beam inspection system of claim 5, wherein the one or more characteristics of the sample comprise at least one of a measurement of the sample or a defect of the sample. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The electron beam inspection system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to generate one or more control signals configured to selectively adjust one or more characteristics of one or more process tools based on the one or more determined characteristics. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein the sample and scintillator substrate are disposed within a vacuum chamber, and wherein the one or more detectors are disposed exterior to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electron beam inspection system of claim 8, wherein the one or more light guides are configured to direct the optical radiation generated by the scintillator substrate to the one or more detectors through at least one vacuum-feedthrough port in the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, the detection assembly further comprising one or more index-matching materials disposed at an interface of the scintillator substrate and the one or more light guides. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein a light guide of the one or more light guides comprises a bundle of one or more optical fibers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electron beam inspection system of claim 11, wherein the light guide of the one or more light guides further comprises: one or more micro-optical elements configured to focus at least a portion of the optical radiation generated by the scintillator substrate to at least a portion of the bundle of one or more optical fibers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein the one or more detectors comprise at least one of a charge-coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device, a photomultiplier tube (PMT), an avalanche photodiode (APD), or a photodiode array. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein the scintillator substrate is divided up into a first region and at least one additional region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electron beam inspection system of claim 14, wherein the one or more light guides comprise: a first light guide configured to receive optical radiation generated by the first region of the scintillator substrate and direct the optical radiation to a first detector; and at least one additional light guide configured to receive optical radiation generated by the at least one additional region of the scintillator substrate and direct the optical radiation to at least one additional detector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electron beam inspection system of claim 15, wherein the first light guide includes a first set of micro-optical elements configured to focus the optical radiation generated by the first region of the scintillator substrate, and wherein the at least one additional light guide includes at least one additional set of micro-optical elements configured to focus the optical radiation generated by the at least one additional region of the scintillator substrate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The electron beam inspection system of claim 1, wherein the one or more reflective surfaces are configured at an angle with respect to a surface of the scintillator substrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electron beam inspection system of claim 17, wherein the angle of the reflective surface is between 35-55 degrees. ### Claim 19 A multi-column inspection system, comprising: an electron beam source configured to generate an array of primary electron beams; a plurality of electron-optical columns, each electron-optical column includes a set of electron-optical elements configured to direct a primary electron beam of the array of primary electron beams to a sample at an array of locations; and a detection assembly comprising: an array of scintillator substrates configured to collect electrons emanating from the sample in response to the array of primary electron beams, the array of scintillator substrates configured to generate optical radiation in response to the collected electrons; a plurality of light guides, the plurality of light guides optically coupled to the array of scintillator substrates; a plurality of reflective surfaces configured to receive the optical radiation generated by a scintillator substrate of the array of scintillator substrates; and a plurality of detectors optically coupled to the plurality of light guides, each detector of the plurality of detectors configured to receive the optical radiation from a light guide of the plurality of light guides. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The multi-column inspection system of claim 19, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality detectors, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive one or more signals generated by the plurality of detectors in response to the optical radiation; and determine one or more characteristics of the sample based on the one or more signals. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The multi-column inspection system of claim 19, wherein the sample and the array of scintillator substrates are disposed within a vacuum chamber, and wherein the plurality of detectors are disposed exterior to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The multi-column inspection system of claim 21, wherein the one or more light guides are configured to direct the optical radiation generated by the array of scintillator substrates to the plurality of detectors through at least one vacuum-feedthrough port in the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The multi-column inspection system of claim 19, the detection assembly further comprising one or more index-matching materials disposed at an interface of the array of scintillator substrates and the plurality of light guides. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The multi-column inspection system of claim 19, wherein the light guide of the plurality of light guides comprises a bundle of one or more optical fibers. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The multi-column inspection system of claim 24, wherein the light guide of the plurality of light guides further comprises: one or more micro-optical elements configured to focus at least a portion of the optical radiation generated by the scintillator substrate to at least a portion of the bundle of one or more optical fibers. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The multi-column inspection system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of detectors comprise at least one of a charge-coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device, a photomultiplier tube (PMT), an avalanche photodiode (APD), or a photodiode array. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The multi-column inspection system of claim 19, wherein at least one scintillator substrate of the plurality of scintillator substrates is divided up into a first region and at least one additional region. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The multi-column inspection system of claim 27, wherein at least one light guide of the plurality of light guides comprise: a first light guide configured to receive optical radiation generated by the first region of the scintillator substrate and direct the optical radiation to a first detector; and at least one additional light guide configured to receive optical radiation generated by the at least one additional region of the scintillator substrate and direct the optical radiation to at least one additional detector. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The multi-column inspection system of claim 28, wherein the first light guide includes a first set of micro-optical elements configured to focus the optical radiation generated by the first region of the scintillator substrate, and wherein the at least one additional light guide includes at least one additional set of micro-optical elements configured to focus the optical radiation generated by the at least one additional region of the scintillator substrate. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The multi-column inspection system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of reflective surfaces are configured at an angle with respect to a surface of the array of scintillator substrates. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The multi-column inspection system of claim 30, wherein the angle of the reflective surface is between 35-55 degrees. ### Claim 32 A method, comprising: generating one or more primary electron beams with an electron beam source; directing the one or more primary electron beams to a sample with an electron-optical column; collecting electrons emanating from the sample in response to the one or more primary electron beams with a scintillator substrate; generating optical radiation with the scintillator substrate in response to the collected electrons; directing, with a reflective surface, the optical radiation to a light guide; directing, with the light guide, the optical radiation to a detector, wherein the detector is configured to generate one or more signals in response to the optical radiation; and determining one or more characteristics of the sample based on the one or more signals.