Patent · US Active

Method of operating a scanning electron microscope

US8227752B1 · kind B1 · utility

7Cited by

6References

22Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH · US

Inventors

Hubert Mantz · Neu-Ulm, DE
Jaroslaw Paluszynski · Oberkochen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 17, 2011
Grant date	Jul 24, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 17, 2031

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH01J2237/2611
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of inspecting an object using a scanning particle beam microscope, the method comprising: operating the microscope in a high-resolution mode by laterally scanning a particle beam of the high-resolution mode; operating the microscope in a 3D-mode for acquiring a three-dimensional representation of the object by laterally scanning a particle beam of the 3D-mode; wherein the particle beam of the high-resolution mode and the particle beam of the 3D-mode have a same beam energy and a same focus distance; and wherein an aperture angle of the particle beam of the 3D-mode is at least 2 times greater, or at least 5 times greater, or at least 10 times greater, or at least 100 times greater than an aperture angle of the particle beam of the high-resolution mode.

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