Debris removal from high aspect structures

A method for determining a composition of a particle using a debris collection and metrology apparatus comprising a substrate support assembly and a tip support assembly, each being supported by a base, the substrate support assembly comprising a fixture configured to support an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) photomask, the tip support assembly comprising a scanning probe microscopy (SPM) tip that is coupled to a tip stage assembly via a tip cantilever, the method comprising:

• transferring the particle from the EUV photomask supported by the fixture to the SPM tip;
• selectively directing a beam of a first incident irradiation from an irradiation source to a first surface of the SPM tip while the SPM tip is coupled to the tip stage assembly, wherein the particle on the SPM tip is irradiated with the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source;
• detecting a first sample irradiation from the particle caused by the first incident irradiation with an irradiation detector, the irradiation detector comprising a light detector, in particular an x-ray detector, and/or an electron beam detector;
• receiving, by a controller, a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation, analyzing, by the controller, the first signal, identifying, by the controller one or more material attributes of the particle on the SPM tip;
• and
• effecting relative motion between the SPM tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector via one or more actuators of an actuator system based on the first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation so that the beam of the first incident irradiation from the irradiation source is selectively directed to a second surface of the SPM tip that is different from the first surface of the SPM tip, wherein the one or more actuators effecting the relative motion are provided in the tip stage assembly.