Back-scatter electrons (BSE) imaging with a SEM in tilted mode using cap bias voltage
US11626267B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 28, 2021 |
| Grant date | Apr 11, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/2804
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of evaluating a region of a sample, the method comprising: positioning a sample within a vacuum chamber; generating an electron beam with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column that includes an electron gun at one end of the column and a column cap at an opposite end of the column; focusing the electron beam on the sample and scanning the focused electron beam across the region of the sample, while the SEM column is operated in tilted mode, thereby generating secondary electrons and backscattered electrons from within the region; and during the scanning, collecting backscattered electrons with one or more detectors while applying a negative bias voltage to the column cap to alter a trajectory of the secondary electrons preventing the secondary electrons from reaching the one or more detectors.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.