Patent · US Active

Apparatus of plural charged-particle beams

US10236156B2 · kind B2 · utility

12Cited by
30References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 23, 2016
Grant dateMar 19, 2019
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 17, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2813
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with oblique illumination is proposed. In the apparatus, a new source-conversion unit changes a single electron source into a slant virtual multi-source array, a primary projection imaging system projects the array to form plural probe spots on the sample with oblique illumination, and a condenser lens adjusts the currents of the plural probe spots. In the source-conversion unit, the image-forming means not only forms the slant virtual multi-source array, but also compensates the off-axis aberrations of the plurality of probe spots. The apparatus can provide dark-field images and/or bright-field images of the sample.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.