Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for acquiring simultaneous and overlapping optical and charged particle beam images

US8440969B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
6References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 2, 2011
Grant dateMay 14, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 5, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2445
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for producing multiple pixel-by-pixel simultaneous and overlapping images of a sample in a microscope with multiple imaging beams. A scanning electron microscope, a focused ion-beam microscope, or a microscope having both beams, also has an optical microscope. A region of interest on a sample is scanned by both charged-particle and optical beams, either by moving the sample beneath the beams by use of a mechanical stage, or by synchronized scanning of the stationary sample by the imaging beams, or by independently scanning the sample with the imaging beams and recording imaging signals so as to form pixel-by-pixel simultaneous and overlapping images.

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