Patent · US Active

Charged particle multi-beam inspection system and method of operating the same

US9263233B2 · kind B2 · utility

28Cited by

1References

5Claims

0Family size

Assignees

Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH · DE
Applied Materials Israel Ltd. · IL

Inventors

Dirk Zeidler · Oberkochen, DE
Rainer Knippelmeyer · Utting am Ammersee, DE
Thomas Kemen · Meppen, DE
Mario Muetzel · Oberkochen, DE
Stefan Schubert · Oberkochen, DE
Nissim Elmaliah · Raanana, IL
Steven R. Rogers · Ashdod, IL

Key dates

Filing date	Sep 28, 2014
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Sep 28, 2034

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH01J2237/24592
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A charged particle multi-beam inspection system comprises a beam generator directing a plurality of primary charged particle beams onto an object to produce an array of beam spots; an array of a first number of detection elements generating detection signals upon incidence of electrons; imaging optics imaging the array of beam spots onto the array of detection elements; wherein the beam generator includes a multi-aperture plate having an array of a second number of apertures greater than the first number; wherein the beam generator includes a selector having plural different states, wherein, in each of the plural different states, the apertures of a different group of apertures are each traversed by one primary charged particle beam, wherein a number of the apertures of the different group of apertures is equal to the first number.

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