Patent · US Expired

Charged particle beam apparatus and method for inspecting samples

US6674075B2 · kind B2 · utility

17Cited by
6References
43Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 13, 2002
Grant dateJan 6, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 24, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/244
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A beam directing method and device are presented for spatially separating between a primary charged particle beam and a beam of secondary particles returned from a sample as a result of its interaction with the primary charged particle beam. The primary charged particle beam is directed towards the beam directing device along a first axis passing an opening in a detector, which has charged particle detecting regions outside this opening. The trajectory of the primary charged particle beam is then affected to cause the primary charged particle beam propagation to the sample along a second axis substantially parallel to and spaced-apart from the first axis. This causes the secondary charged particle beam propagation to the detecting region outside the opening in the detector.

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