Charged particle beam apparatus and method for inspecting samples

A method of separating between a primary charged particle beam and a secondary charged particle beam, the secondary charged particle beam resulting from interaction of the primary charged particle beam with the sample, the method comprising:

• (a) directing the primary charged particle beam towards a deflection assembly along a first axis passing through an opening in a detector, which has charged particle detecting regions outside said opening;
• (b) passing the primary charged particle beam through the deflection assembly thereby affecting the trajectory of the primary charged particle beam to provide the primary charged particle beam propagation to the sample along a second axis substantially parallel to and spaced-apart from said first axis, thereby causing the secondary charged particle beam propagation to the detecting region of said detector outside said opening.

A method of separating between a primary charged particle beam and a secondary charged particle beam, the secondary charged particle beam resulting from interaction of the primary charged particle beam with the sample, the method comprising:

• (a) directing the primary charged particle beam towards a beam directing device along a first axis passing through an opening in a detector, which has charged particle detecting regions outside said opening;
• (b) passing the primary charged particle beam through the beam directing device that includes a focusing assembly defining an optical axis and a deflection assembly, the deflection assembly being operable to produced two deflection fields in two successive regions, respectively, along the optical axis of the focusing assembly, to thereby affect the trajectory of the primary charged particle beam to provide the primary charged particle beam deflection from its propagation along the first axis to the propagation of the primary charged particle beam to the sample along a second axis substantially parallel to and spaced-apart from said first axis, said two deflection fields affecting the trajectory of the secondary charged particle beam to cause the secondary charged particle beam propagation to the detecting region of said detector outside said opening.

A method of separating between a primary charged particle beam and a secondary charged particle beam, the secondary charged particle beam resulting from interaction of the primary charged particle beam with the sample, the method comprising:

• directing the primary charged particle beam towards a beam directing device along a first axis passing through an opening in a detector, which has charged particle detecting regions outside said opening;
• passing the primary charged particle beam through the beam directing device that includes a focusing assembly defining an optical axis forming an angle with said first axis, and a deflection assembly, the deflection assembly being operable to deflect the primary charged particle beam from its propagation along the first axis to the propagation of the primary charged particle beam to the sample along a second axis substantially parallel to the optical axis of the focusing assembly, and to affect the trajectory of the secondary charged particle beam to provide the secondary charged particle beam propagation to the detecting region of said detector outside said opening.

A method of inspecting a sample with a charged particle beam, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a primary charged particle beam propagating towards a beam directing device along a first axis passing through an opening in a detector, which has charged particle detecting regions outside said opening;
• passing the primary charged particle beam through the beam directing device that includes a focusing assembly defining an optical axis and a deflection assembly, to thereby affect the trajectory of said primary charged particle beam to cause the primary charged particle beam propagation along a second axis parallel to and spaced-apart from said first axis and to cause propagation of a secondary charged particle beam, produced by interaction between the primary charged particle beam and the sample, to the detecting region outside said opening.

A method of inspecting a sample with a charged particle beam, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a primary charged particle beam propagating towards a beam directing device along a first axis passing through an opening in a detector, which has charged particle detecting regions outside said opening;
• passing the primary charged particle beam through the beam directing device that includes a focusing assembly defining an optical axis forming an angle with said first axis, and a deflection assembly, to thereby affect the trajectory of said primary charged particle beam to cause the primary charged particle beam propagation along a second axis parallel to and spaced-apart from said first axis and to cause propagation of a secondary charged particle beam, produced by interaction between the primary charged particle beam and the sample, to the detecting region outside said opening.

A beam directing device for use in a charged particle beam apparatus, which defines a primary charged particle beam propagating towards the beam directing device along a first axis and utilizes a detector that is formed with an opening and charged particle detecting regions outside said opening and is accommodated such that said first axis passes through said opening of the detector, the beam directing device comprising:

• a focusing assembly that defines an optical axis and is operable to focus the primary charged particle beam onto a sample;
• and
• a deflection assembly operable to affect the trajectory of the primary charged particle beam to direct the primary charged particle beam onto the sample along a second axis substantially parallel to and spaced-apart from said first axis, thereby causing the secondary charged particle beam propagation to the detecting region of said detector outside said opening.

A beam directing device for use in a charged particle beam apparatus, which defines a primary charged particle beam propagating towards the beam directing device along a first axis and utilizes a detector that is formed with an opening and charged particle detecting regions outside said opening and is accommodated such that said first axis passes through said opening of the detector, the beam directing device comprising:

• a focusing assembly that defines an optical axis that forms an angle with said first axis and is operable to focus the primary charged particle beam onto a sample;
• and
• a deflection assembly operable to affect the trajectory of the primary charged particle beam to direct the primary charged particle beam onto the sample along a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis, thereby causing the secondary charged particle beam propagation to the detecting region of said detector outside said opening.