Patent · US Active

Charged particle beam apparatus

US9177758B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
6References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 9, 2014
Grant dateNov 3, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 9, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2814
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides a dual-beam apparatus which employs the dark-field e-beam inspection method to inspect small particles on a surface of a sample such as wafer and mask with high throughput. The dual beam apparatus comprises two single-beam dark-field units placed in a same vacuum chamber and in two different orientations. The two single-beam dark-field units can perform the particle inspection separately or almost simultaneously by means of the alternately-scanning way. The invention also proposes a triple-beam apparatus for both inspecting and reviewing particles on a sample surface within the same vacuum chamber. The triple-beam apparatus comprises one foregoing dual-beam apparatus performing the particle inspection and one high-resolution SEM performing the particle review.

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