Patent · US Expired

Charged beam apparatus having cleaning function and method of cleaning charged beam apparatus

US5539211A · kind A · utility

33Cited by
1References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 29, 1994
Grant dateJul 23, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 29, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/022
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A charged beam apparatus comprises a source tank provided outside the column and containing a plasma source, a plasma generating apparatus for generating plasma from a plasma source supplied from the source tank, gate valves and an exhausting pump for introducing plasma generated by the plasma generating apparatus into the column and for exhausting the plasma therefrom, and an O-ring for restricting a passage of plasma in the column such that those portions of cleaning portions to be cleaned to which internal contaminants stick are mainly exposed to plasma. Therefore, it is possible to generation of an oxide film, a fluoride film, or the likes which cause drifting can be restricted.

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