Multi-beam scanning electron beam device and methods of using the same

A method of operating a multi-beam scanning electron beam device for generation of an image of a wafer including two or more dies, comprising:

• emitting a multi-beam from an multi-beam emitter comprising a spot grid array, providing the spot grid array with one or more potentials so that the emission of one emitter appears to be generated by multiple sources;
• scanning a first region of a first die of the two or more dies for generating an image of the first region with a first primary electron beam of the multi-beam scanning electron device, wherein the first primary electron beam is configured to release a signal beam on impingement of the first primary electron beam on the wafer;
• scanning a second region of a second die of the two or more dies for generating an image of the second region with a second primary electron beam of the multi-beam scanning electron device simultaneously with scanning of the first region with the first electron beam, wherein the second primary electron beam is configured to release a further signal beam on impingement of the second primary electron beam on the wafer;
• providing an overall current density in an overlap region of the first primary beam and the second primary beam that is equal to the current density in non-overlap regions by using a scanning scheme scanning the first region of the first die and simultaneously the second region of the second die;
• and
• combining the image of the first region and the image of the second region to an image of a virtual die, wherein the image of the one virtual die includes portions of the first die and the second die, wherein the image of the virtual die is built in a way that does not require overlaps between beams of the multi-beam scanning electron device on the wafer for providing the overall current density.

A method of operating a multi-beam scanning electron beam device having at least a first and a second primary electron beam configured to release signal beams on impingement of the first and the second primary electron beam on a wafer for generation of an image of the wafer including at least one die, comprising:

• scanning a non-overlap first region of the die with a first electron beam current of the first primary electron beam for generating an image of the first region;
• scanning a non-overlap second region of the die with a second electron beam current of the second primary electron beam for generating an image of the first region;
• and
• scanning an overlap region between a scanning area of the first and the second primary electron beam with the first primary beam having a first overlap depending beam current function having electron beam currents being smaller than the first electron beam current and with the second primary beam having a second overlap depending beam current function having electron beam currents being smaller than the second electron beam current, thereby providing an overall current density in the overlap region that is substantially equal to the current density in the non-overlap first region and the non-overlap second region, wherein the scanning of physically neighboring regions on the wafer is conducted after a charge of the respective region of the die has sufficiently disappeared for providing an overall current density.

A multi-beam scanning electron beam device having a column, comprising:

• a multi-beam emitter for emitting a plurality of electron beams, wherein the multi-beam emitter is a spot grid array configured to be used at one or more potentials so that the emission of one emitter appears to be generated by multiple sources;
• at least one common electron beam optical element having a common opening for at least two of the plurality of electron beams and being adapted for commonly influencing at least two of the plurality of electron beams;
• at least one individual electron beam optical element for individually influencing the plurality of electron beams, wherein the individual electron beam optical element is selected from the group consisting of:
• a focusing element, a stigmation corrector, an alignment element, a beam tilt introducing element and a scanning element;
• a common objective lens assembly for focusing the plurality of electron beams having a common excitation for focusing at least two of the plurality of electron beams, and being adapted for focusing the plurality of electron beams onto a specimen for generation of a plurality of signal beams, wherein the common objective lens assembly has at least two openings for passing of the plurality of electron beams, wherein the common objective lens assembly acts commonly on two or more of the plurality of electron beams and wherein the common objective lens assembly provides common objective lenses comprising magnetic lenses having a common excitation coil with common pole pieces and an array of individual openings, or comprising common electrostatic lenses having individual openings in a common lens plate adapted for being on one potential;
• and
• a detection assembly for individually detecting each signal beam on a corresponding detection element, wherein the at least one common electron beam optical element is a common beam separator with a common control for separating at least two of the plurality of signal beams from the plurality of electron beams, and wherein the common beam separator is an achromatic beam separator.