Charged particle beam device with retarding field analyzer

US8203119B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ICT Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft für Halbleiterprüftechnik mbH · DE

Inventors

• Ralf Degenhardt · Landsham, DE
• Hans-Peter Feuerbaum · Hersbruck, DE
• Dirk Hambach · Munich, DE
• Walter Kögler · Munich, DE
• Harry Munack · Heimstetten, DE
• Carlo Salvesen · Neumarkt-Sankt Veit, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 10, 2005
• Grant date: Jun 19, 2012
• Expiry date: Dec 18, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/24585
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The invention provides a charged particle beam device to inspect or structure a specimen with a primary charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis; a beam tube element having a tube voltage; and a retarding field analyzer in the vicinity of the beam tube element to detect secondary charged particles generated by the primary charged particle beam on the specimen. According to the invention, the retarding field analyzer thereby comprises an entrance grid electrode at a second voltage; at least one filter grid electrode at a first voltage; a charged particle detector to detect the secondary charged particles; and at least one further electrode element arranged between the entrance grid electrode and the at least one filter grid electrode. The at least one further electrode element reduces the size of the stray fields regions in the retarding electric field region to improve the energy resolution of the retarding field analyzer. The improvement of the energy resolution is significant, in particular when the beam tube element is part of a high voltage beam tube.