Real time monitoring simultaneous imaging and exposure in charged particle beam systems
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsPeter S. Chao, Steve Rosenberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beam processing system, such as a focused ion beam or an electron beam system, addressing an arbitrary series of points and receives data from the points in real time. The data can be used to image or to alter the processing, even within a single dwell period, thereby allowing closed feedback loop for processing. A delay calculator automatically determines the delay between instructing the system to move the beam and detecting a signal from the work piece surface so that the detector signal can be matched with the location on the work piece at which the signal was generated.
Claims21
A method of charged particle beam processing, comprising:
- directing a beam of charged particles toward an arbitrary sequence of multiple points on a specimen surface to process the points;
- and
- detecting while processing the multiple points a signal corresponding to each of the multiple points, the signal generated by the charged particle beam processing of the point;
- storing in a memory location associated with each of the multiple points a value derived from the signal corresponding to that point;
- and
- comparing the detected signals to criteria and if one of the signals meets a criterion, altering the beam processing of the corresponding point from the arbitrary sequence of multiple points.
A method of charged particle beam processing, comprising:
- directing a beam of charged particles toward arbitrary sequence of multiple points on a specimen surface process the points;
- and
- detecting while processing the multiple points a signal corresponding to each of the multiple points, the signal generated by the charged particle beam processing of the point;
- storing the signal for each of the multiple points in a memory location associated with the corresponding point;
- comparing the detected signals to criteria and if one of the signals meets a criterion, altering the beam processing of the corresponding point from the arbitrary sequence of multiple points.
A method of charged particle beam processing, comprising:
- directing a beam of charged particles toward an arbitrary sequence of multiple points on a specimen surface to process the points;
- detecting while processing the multiple points a signal corresponding to each of the multiple points, the signal generated by the charged particle beam processing of the point;
- automatically determining a system delay corresponding to the delay between the time that the beam is directed to a point and the time that a signal generated by the beam at that point is received and in which detecting while processing the multiple points a signal corresponding to each of the multiple points includes using the delay time to determine which signal corresponds to each point;
- and
- comparing the detected signals to criteria and if one of the signals meets a criterion, altering the beam processing of the corresponding point from the arbitrary sequence of multiple points.
A method of simultaneously processing and collecting surface information using a charged particle beam system, comprising:
- directing a charged particle beam toward an arbitrary sequence of impact points on a work piece to purposefully alter the work piece surface;
- detecting particles emitted from the work piece at the one of the impact points;
- and
- forming or updating an image based upon the particles detected while the charged particle beam is purposefully altering the work piece surface.
A method of forming an image using a charged particle beam system, comprising
- directing a beam of charged particles toward multiple points on a work piece surface;
- and
- detecting a signal caused by the impact of the charged particles on the multiple points on a work piece surface;
- and
- automatically determining a system delay corresponding to the time between the time the beam is directed to a particular point and the time that the beam signal caused by the impact of the beam at that point is detected;
- and
- determining based on the system delay time the position of the beam corresponding to a detected signal.
In a system in which a beam exposes points on a work piece surface under the direction of a beam control system and a detector detects a signal generated by the exposure to the beam of points on the surface, and in which there is a time delay between instructing the beam control system to move the beam to a specific point and receiving the signal generated by exposure of that point to the beam, a method of correlating the detected signal with the position of the beam on the surface when the signal was generated, comprising:
- determining a system delay by:
- providing to a control system one or more instructions directing the beam to perform one or more actions;
- receiving from a detector a signal corresponding to the result of the one or more actions;
- and
- measuring the time elapsed between sending an instruction to direct the beam and detecting a signal corresponding to the determining the time between elapsed time between providing instructions and detecting to determine a system delay time;
- providing to the control system instructions to direct the beam to a sequence of points;
- receiving from a detector a signal including signal elements generated by the exposure of points in the sequence to the beam;
- determining using the system delay time signal elements correspond to which point in the sequence.
A system for processing a work piece by exposing portions of the work piece to a beam, comprising;
- a beam source;
- a beam deflector for directing the beam;
- a detector for detecting signals generated by the impact of the beam on the work piece;
- a pattern memory for storing arbitrary points to which the beam is addressed;
- a frame memory for storing data corresponding to the signals generated on the work piece, the frame memory including a memory location for each of the arbitrary points to which the beam is addressed;
- a control unit for determining a system delay, receiving a signal from the detector, using the system delay to determine to which of the arbitrary points the signal corresponds, and storing the corresponding data corresponding to each of the arbitrary points in the associated memory location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.