# US 6,900,447 B2 · Focused ion beam system with coaxial scanning electron microscope > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,900,447 B2 - Document ID: US6900447B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/635,228 - Filed: 2003-08-06 - Published: 2004-06-10 - Granted: 2005-05-31 - Earliest claimed: 2002-08-07 - Assignees: FEI Company - Inventors: Robert L. Gerlach; Mark W. Utlaut; Michael R. Scheinfein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6900447B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/12: electrostatic - H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} - H01J 37/3056: {for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components} - H01J 2237/12: electrostatic - H01J 2237/31732: Depositing thin layers on selected microareas - H01J 2237/3174: Etching microareas - H01J 2237/31749: Focused ion beam - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A system including co-axial focused ion beam and an electron beam allows for accurate processing with the FIB using images formed by the electron beam. In one embodiment, a deflector deflects the electron beam onto the axis of the ion beam and deflects secondary particles collected through the final lens toward a detector. In one embodiment, a positively biased final electrostatic lens focuses both beams using the same voltage to allow simultaneous or alternating FIB and SEM operation. In one embodiment, the landing energy of the electrons can be varied without changing the working distance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a source of a primary electron beam; an ion optical column including an ion beam generating source, said ion optical column having an optical axis; a deflector for deflecting the primary electron beam to travel substantially along the ion column optical axis toward the work piece; and a non-unipotential electrostatic final lens that focuses both the primary electron beam and the ion beam onto a work piece. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the electrostatic non-unipotential lens includes at least three elements and at least three of the elements are insulated from each other and include electrical connections for applying voltages that are independent of the voltages applied to the other elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the source of the primary electron beam includes electrical connections for biasing the primary electron beam source without changing its focal length. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the deflector uses a magnetic field to deflect the primary electron beam. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus in claim 1 in which the deflector comprises a Wien filter or an electrostatic deflector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 in which the non-unipotential electrostatic final lens includes a high voltage element that is maintained at a sufficiently high positive electrical potential to focus both the primary electron beam and the ion beam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 in which the element of the non-unipotential electrostatic final lens that is nearest the deflector is maintained at approximately the same electrical potential as the deflector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 in which the element of the non-unipotential electrostatic final lens that is nearest the deflector is maintained at a potential of between +500 V and +5,000 V. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 in which the element of the final lens that is nearest the work piece is at maintained at approximately the same electrical potential as the work piece. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 in which the element of the final lens that is nearest the work piece is at approximately ground potential. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an electron detector for detecting secondary electrons emitted from the work piece. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus in claim 11 in which the electron detector is positioned between the final lens and the work piece. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 in which the electron detector detects electrons collected through the final lens. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 in which the deflector deflects secondary electrons collected through the final lens away from the optical axis and toward the electron detector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus in claim 13 in which the final lens is positively biased with respect to the work piece so as to cause secondary electrons emitted from the work piece to travel from the work piece through the final lens. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The apparatus in claim 2 in which the final lens includes a lower lens element, a middle lens element, and an upper lens element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus in claim 16 in which the final lens lower element is maintained at approximately the same voltage as the work piece to within 1,000 V, the middle lens element is maintained at a voltage of greater than +15,000 V, and the upper lens element is maintained at a voltage greater than the voltage of the lower lens element and less than the voltage of the center element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17 in which the lower lens is maintained at approximately ground potential, the center lens element is maintained at a voltage of greater than +30,000 V and the upper lens element is maintained at between about +500 V and about +5,000 V. ### Claim 19 An apparatus including an ion beam column and an electron beam column, comprising: a source of a primary electron beam; an ion optical column including an ion beam generating source, said ion optical column having an optical axis; a detector for detecting secondary particles generated by the electron beam or the ion beam striking the work piece; a deflector for deflecting the primary electron beam to travel substantially along the ion column optical axis toward the work piece and for deflecting the secondary particles toward the detector; and a final, non-unipotential electrostatic lens that focuses both the primary electron beam and the ion beam onto a work piece and that draws secondary particles through the lens in the opposite direction of the primary electron beam. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 in which the deflector uses a magnetic field to deflect the primary electron beam. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 in which the non-unipotential electrostatic final lens includes multiple elements and in which a center element is at a sufficiently high positive electrical potential to simultaneously focus the primary electron beam and the ion beam. ### Claim 22 A method for imaging and processing a work piece using an electron beam and an ion beam, the method comprising: generating a focused ion beam including ions traveling along an ion column optical axis toward a work piece; generating an electron beam including electrons traveling in direction different from the ion column optical axis; deflecting the electron beam to be approximately co-axial with the ion beam; focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto a work piece using a single final lens; accelerating back along the optical axis secondary particles generated when the focused ion beam or the beam of electrons strikes the work piece; and deflecting the secondary electrons toward an electron detector. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which focusing the electron beam and the ion beam using a single final lens includes focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto the work piece using a non-unipotential lens. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 further comprising adjusting the landing energy of the electrons in the electron beam without changing the working distance by changing the electrical potential of the work piece, the electron source, or both the work piece and the electron source. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 in which focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto the work piece using a non-unipotential lens includes focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto the work piece using a non-unipotential lens having at least three elements and in which the element closest to the electron source is set to approximately the potential of the electron source and the potential of the element closest to the work piece is set to approximately the potential of the work piece. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 further comprising adjusting the range of landing energies of the electrons in the electron beam by changing the size of the opening in the lower element of the non-unipotential lens. ### Claim 27 A method for imaging and processing a work piece using an electron beam and an ion beam, the method comprising: generating a focused ion beam including ions traveling along an ion column optical axis toward a work piece; generating from an electron source an electron beam including electrons traveling in direction different from the ion column optical axis; deflecting the electron beam to be approximately co-axial with the ion beam; and focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto a work piece using a single, non-unipotential final lens. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 in which focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto a work piece using a single, non-unipotential final lens includes focusing a non-unipotential final lens that includes at least three elements including a high voltage element and further comprising adjusting the landing energy of the electrons in the electron beam by: changing the voltage of the work piece; changing the voltage of the unipotential lens element that is closest to the work piece to be at approximately at the potential as the work piece; and adjusting the voltage on the high voltage element to focus the electron beam. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 further comprising adjusting the beam energy of the ion beam to focus the ion beam. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 in which focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto a work piece using a single, non-unipotential final lens includes focusing a non-unipotential final lens that includes at least three elements including a high voltage element and further comprising adjusting the landing energy of the electrons in the electron beam by: changing the voltage of the electron source; changing the voltage of the unipotential lens element that is closest to the electron source; and adjusting the voltage on the high voltage element to focus the electron beam. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30 further comprising adjusting the beam energy of the ion beam. ### Claim 32 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further comprising collecting secondary electrons through the non-unipotential final lens. ### Claim 33 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 in which: focusing the electron beam and the ion beam onto a work piece using a single, non-unipotential final lens includes focusing a non-unipotential final lens that includes at least three elements including a high voltage element; and deflecting the electron beam to be approximately co-axial with the ion beam includes deflecting the electron beam using a magnetic deflector; and further comprising: setting the potential of element nearest the work piece to approximately the same potential as the work piece and setting the potential of element nearest the magnetic deflector to the same potential as the magnetic deflector. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 in which setting the potential of element nearest the work piece to approximately the same potential as the work piece includes setting the potential of element nearest the work piece to approximately ground potential. ### Claim 35 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further comprising changing the available range of the electron landing energies by changing the geometry of the final lens. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35 in which changing the geometry of the final lens including changing the diameter of the lower lens elements.