Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for inspection and testing of flat panel display substrates

US7435956B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
17References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 12, 2005
Grant dateOct 14, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 22, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2817
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A charged particle optical system for testing, imaging or inspecting substrates comprises: a charged particle optical assembly configured to produce a line of charged particle beams equally spaced along a main scan axis, each beam being deflectable through a large angle along the main scan axis; and linear detector optics aligned along the main scan axis. The detector optics includes a linear secondary electron detector, a field free tube, voltage contrast plates and a linear backscattered electron detector. The large beam deflection is achieved using an electrostatic deflector for which the exit aperture is larger than the entrance aperture. One embodiment of the deflector includes: two parallel plates with chamfered inner surfaces disposed perpendicularly to the main scan axis; and a multiplicity of electrodes positioned peripherally in the gap between the plates, the electrodes being configured to maintain a uniform electric field transverse to the main scan axis.

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