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US 9,754,764 B2Granted
Method for coincident alignment of a laser beam and a charged particle beam
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsMarcus Straw, Mark Emerson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for aligning a laser beam coincident with a charged particle beam. The invention described provides a method for aligning the laser beam through the center of an objective lens and ultimately targeting the eucentric point of a multi-beam system. The apparatus takes advantage of components of the laser beam alignment system being positioned within and outside of the vacuum chamber of the charged particle system.
Claims19
A method for laser alignment within a charged particle beam system, comprising:
- positioning a laser beam so that it passes through a laser injection port window and into a vacuum chamber toward a workpiece;
- based on information from a first alignment detector, adjusting the laser beam so that it is pointed on a first designated point located before an objective lens and so that it passes through the objective lens;
- moving a second alignment detector to a designated position in the laser beam pathway;
- monitoring the position of the beam on the objective lens with second alignment detector;
- based on information from the second alignment detectors, adjusting the laser beam so that the laser beam is pointed to a second designated point aligned with the workpiece and so that the laser beam is aligned eucentrically to the workpiece.
2 more elements
A multi-beam system, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber;
- a workpiece support for supporting a workpiece within the vacuum chamber;
- a focused ion beam system for generating a focused ion beam, said ion beam directed toward the workpiece and operable to remove material from the workpiece;
- a laser beam system for generating a laser beam for processing the workpiece in the vacuum chamber;
- an electron beam system for monitoring the material removal process;
- an objective lens;
- a laser beam alignment system operable to adjust the position laser beam through the center of the objective lens and direct it to a eucentric point of the workpiece.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.