Adaptive illumination for a dual beam system
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsTilman FRANKE, Thierry BOTTARO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed here for a charged particle dual beam (CPDB) system. In one example, the CPDB system includes an ion beam column coupled to a chamber surrounding a sample, and an electron beam column coupled to the vacuum chamber and having a focal point aligned with the sample at a eucentric point of the electron beam column and the ion beam column. The CPDB system further includes an optical light microscope, also coupled to the chamber, having a first field of view (FOV) that is to be superimposed with data collected using one or more of the ion beam column or the electron beam column. The optical light microscope includes an adaptive illumination device to adjust an area of illumination in the sample.
Claims20
A dual beam system, comprising:
- an ion beam column coupled to a chamber surrounding a sample;
- an electron beam column coupled to the chamber and having a focal point aligned with the sample at a eucentric point of the electron beam column and the ion beam column;
- an optical light microscope coupled to the chamber, the optical light microscope having a first field of view (FOV), the first FOV corresponding to an area of the sample that is illuminated by the optical light microscope, that is to be superimposed with data collected using one or more of the ion beam column or the electron beam column, wherein the optical light microscope comprises an adaptive illumination device to adjust illumination of the area of the sample.
A method for a dual beam system, comprising:
- identifying a region of interest (ROI) of a sample using an optical light microscope coupled to a chamber surrounding the sample, the chamber also coupled to an electron beam column and an ion beam column;
- receiving a request for virtual magnification of a first field of view (FOV) of the optical light microscope to a second FOV;
- in response to the received request, adjusting, using an adaptive illumination device of the optical light microscope, illumination of the sample in a region outside of the second FOV;
- and
- using the second FOV to apply to the sample one or more of an electron beam generated by the electron beam column or an ion beam generated by the ion beam column.
A charged particle dual beam apparatus, comprising:
- an electron beam column configured to scan a sample within a vacuum chamber using an electron beam;
- an ion beam column configured to apply an ion beam to the sample;
- an optical light microscope having a field of view (FOV) aligned with the sample and comprising an adaptive illumination device;
- and
- a controller having executable instructions thereon that, when executed, cause the controller to:
- identify one or more regions of interest (ROIs) in the sample using the optical light microscope;
- operate the adaptive illumination device to adjust illumination of the sample outside of the field of view (FOV) of the optical light microscope;
- and
- use one or more images obtained by the optical light microscope to apply, to the sample, one or more of the electron beam or the ion beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.