Scanning electron microscope having time constant measurement capability
US8274048B2 · kind B2 · utility
4Cited by
3References
5Claims
0Family size
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Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 25, 2010 |
| Grant date | Sep 25, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 25, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/2449
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In a scanning electron microscope, an optimum scanning method for reducing the amount of deflection of a primary electron beam and secondary electrons is determined to acquire stable images. An energy filter is used to discriminate between energy levels. The change in yield of obtained electrons is used to measure the variation in specimen potential. The time constant of charging created during electron beam irradiation is extracted. The scanning method is optimized based on the extracted time constant to reduce the distortion and magnification variation that appear in a SEM image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.