Enhancement of deposition rate by applying negative voltage to gas injection nozzle in focused ion beam system

Abstract

A method for depositing material onto a localized region of a sample includes positioning the sample in a vacuum chamber such that the localized region is under the field of view of a charged particle beam column; injecting a deposition precursor gas into the vacuum chamber using a gas injection nozzle at a location adjacent to the deposition region; generating a charged particle beam using the charged particle beam column and focusing the charged particle beam within the deposition region of the sample; scanning the charged particle beam across the deposition region of the sample to activate molecules of the deposition gas attached to the sample surface within the deposition region and deposit material within the deposition region on the sample; and applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle while the focused ion beam is scanned across the deposition region to modify the trajectories of secondary electrons and repel the secondary electrons toward the sample surface.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 950,960, filed Sep. 22, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] Related Applications This application is related to commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 17 / 725,023, entitled "Reduced Charging by Low Negative Voltage in FIB Systems," filed Apr. 20, 2022. The '023 application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] In the study of electronic materials and processes for fabricating such materials into electronic structures, samples of the electronic structures can be used for microscopy for purposes of failure analysis and device validation. For example, samples such as silicon, gallium nitride, or other types of wafers containing one or more integrated circuits (ICs) or other electronic structures formed thereon can be milled with a focused ion beam (FIB) and / or analyzed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study specific characteristics of the circuits or other structures formed on the wafer.

[0004]

[0004] FIB and SEM tools are similar in that they each contain a charged particle column that generates a charged particle beam and directs the beam at a sample. However, the charged particle beam generated in an FIB column is, as the name suggests, a focused beam of ions, while the charged particle beam generated in an SEM column is a focused beam of electrons.

[0005]

[0005] While FIB and SEM tools (as well as FIB-SEM tools, which include both FIB and SEM columns) are often used to analyze and otherwise characterize structures within a sample, the tools can also be used to etch or deposit materials on a sample. For example, a focused ion beam can be scanned across the surface of a sample while a gas injection system directs a flow of deposition precursor gas toward the scanned area, selectively depositing material with nanometer precision in the scanned area according to a technique often referred to as focused ion beam-enhanced deposition, or FIB-enhanced deposition for short. During the FIB-enhanced deposition process, molecules of the injected gas attach to the surface of the sample. As the ion beam is scanned across an area of ​​the sample, energy released by a cascade of collisions of impinging ions causes dissociation of precursor molecules adsorbed on the surface, resulting in the release of volatile residues and the deposition of solids on the surface. As another example, to deposit material under an SEM column, a deposition gas can be introduced into the sample near where an electron beam is scanned across the surface.

[0006]

[0006] Although FIB-enhanced deposition has been used in many different examples and applications, improved deposition techniques are continually being sought. Summary of the Invention

[0007]

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to improved methods and systems for charged particle beam-enhanced deposition, such as focused ion beam-enhanced deposition. The embodiments can be used to increase the deposition rate of charged particle beam-enhanced deposition, thereby increasing the throughput of processes employing charged particle beam-enhanced deposition. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to increase the rate at which materials are deposited on a variety of different types of specimens, with some embodiments being particularly useful in depositing materials on specimens that are semiconductor wafers or similar specimens.

[0008] In some embodiments, a method for depositing material on a sample at a localized region of the sample is provided. The method may include positioning the sample in a vacuum chamber such that the localized region is under the field of view of a charged particle beam column, injecting a deposition precursor gas into the vacuum chamber using a gas injection nozzle at a location adjacent to the deposition region, generating a charged particle beam using the charged particle beam column and focusing the charged particle beam within the deposition region of the sample, scanning the charged particle beam across the deposition region of the sample to activate molecules of the deposition gas attached to the sample surface within the deposition region and depositing material within the deposition region on the sample, and applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle while the focused ion beam is scanned across the deposition region to modify the trajectories of secondary electrons and repel the secondary electrons toward the sample surface.

[0009] In various embodiments, the method may include one or more of the following features: The charged particle beam column may be a focused ion beam column, and the charged particle beam may be a focused ion beam. The gas injection nozzle may be positioned between the tip of the charged particle column and the sample. The gas injection nozzle may include a channel formed through a distal end of the nozzle aligned to allow the focused ion beam to pass through the channel to the sample. The step of applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle may apply a voltage between minus 50 and minus 1000 volts, or between minus 100 and minus 500 volts. The sample may be a semiconductor wafer.

[0010] In some embodiments, a system for depositing material onto a specimen at a localized region of the specimen is provided. The system may include a vacuum chamber, a specimen support configured to hold the specimen within the vacuum chamber during a deposition operation, a charged particle beam column configured to direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber toward a region of the specimen during the deposition operation, a gas injection nozzle configured to introduce a deposition gas to a surface of the specimen during the deposition operation, and a voltage source operable to apply a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle during the localized deposition process.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable memory may include a plurality of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to: position a specimen in a vacuum chamber so that a localized region is under the field of view of a charged particle beam column; inject a deposition precursor gas into the vacuum chamber using a gas injection nozzle at a location adjacent to the deposition region; generate a charged particle beam using the charged particle beam column and focus the charged particle beam within the deposition region of the specimen; scan the charged particle beam across the deposition region of the specimen to activate molecules of the deposition gas attached to the specimen surface within the deposition region and deposit material within the deposition region on the specimen; and apply a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle while the focused ion beam is scanned across the deposition region to modify the trajectories of secondary electrons and repel the secondary electrons toward the specimen surface.

[0012]

[0012] For a better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following description and accompanying figures. It should be understood, however, that the figures are provided for illustrative purposes only, are not drawn to scale, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, as a general rule, and unless otherwise clear from the description, when elements in different figures use the same reference numerals, the elements are generally identical or at least similar in function or purpose. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified diagram of a sample focused ion beam (FIB) characterization system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]

[0014] 1 is a simplified diagram of a sample focused ion beam (FIB) characterization system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3]

[0015] FIG. 1 is a simplified flow diagram illustrating steps associated with a method for depositing material onto a specimen, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4]

[0016] 1 is a simplified diagram of areas on a semiconductor wafer where material may be deposited, according to embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 5]

[0017] 1 is a simplified diagram of secondary electrons produced by the collision of an ion beam with a sample. [Figure 6A]

[0018] 1 is a simplified diagram of a portion of a FIB column and gas nozzle, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6B]

[0019] FIG. 6B is a simplified plan view showing a portion of the gas injection nozzle shown in FIG. 6A positioned above a sample. [Figure 6C]

[0020] 1 is a simplified diagram of a gas injection nozzle according to some embodiments positioned above a specimen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014]

[0021] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to improved methods and systems for charged particle beam enhanced deposition, such as focused ion beam enhanced deposition. The embodiments can be used to increase the deposition rate of charged particle beam enhanced deposition, thereby increasing the throughput of processes employing charged particle beam enhanced deposition.

[0015] Exemplary Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Tools

[0022] To better understand and appreciate the present disclosure, reference is first made to Figure 1, which is a simplified schematic diagram of a focused ion beam (FIB) characterization system 100. The FIB system 100 can be used for, among other operations, particle-enhanced deposition of various materials onto semiconductor wafers.

[0016]

[0023] 1 , system 100 may include, among other elements, a vacuum chamber 110 along with a focused ion beam (FIB) column 120. A support element 140 may support a sample 130 (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) within chamber 110 during processing operations in which the sample 130 (sometimes referred to herein as an “object” or “sample”) is subjected to a charged particle beam from FIB column 120.

[0017]

[0024] During processing operations, one or more gases may be supplied into chamber 110 by gas injection system 150 for a particular operation. For ease of explanation, gas injection system 150 is shown in FIG. 1 as a nozzle; however, it should be noted that gas injection system 150 may include, among other elements, a gas reservoir, a gas source, a valve, one or more inlets, and one or more outlets. In some embodiments, gas injection system 150 may be configured to supply gas to a localized region of sample 130 exposed to the scanning pattern of the charged particle beam, as opposed to supplying gas to the entire top surface of the sample. For example, in some embodiments, gas injection system 150 has a nozzle opening diameter measuring several hundred microns (e.g., between 400 and 500 microns) configured to supply gas directly to a relatively small portion of the sample surface encompassing the scanning pattern of the charged particle beam.

[0018]

[0025] The FIB column 120 is connected to the vacuum chamber 110, and a charged particle beam generated by the FIB column propagates through the vacuum environment created within the vacuum chamber 110 and strikes the sample 130. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the FIB column 120 can generate a focused ion beam 125 that passes through the vacuum environment of the chamber 110 and strikes the sample 130.

[0019]

[0026] The FIB column 120 can mill (e.g., drill recesses into) the sample 130 to form a cross section and, if desired, smooth the cross section by irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam 125. The FIB milling process typically operates by positioning the sample in a vacuum environment and firing a focused ion beam toward the sample to etch or mill material on the sample. In some cases, the vacuum environment can be purged by controlling the concentration of background gases, which helps control the etching rate and quality or control material deposition. Accelerated ions are generated from xenon, gallium, or other suitable elements and can be accelerated toward the sample by voltages typically ranging from 500 volts to 100,000 volts, more typically ranging from 3,000 volts to 30,000 volts. Beam currents typically range from a few picoamperes to a few microamperes, depending on the configuration and application of the FIB instrument, and pressures typically vary from 10 to 100 volts in different parts of the system and in different operating modes. -10 From 10 -5 It is controlled between mbar.

[0020]

[0027] The milling process can be performed, for example, by: (i) determining a location of interest to be milled to remove a portion of material (e.g., a portion of one or more layers) from the sample, (ii) moving the sample (e.g., by mechanical support element 140) so that the sample is under the field of view of the FIB unit, and (iii) milling the sample to remove the desired amount of material at the location of interest. The milling process can include forming a recess in the sample (typically a few microns to a few hundred microns in size with lateral dimensions).

[0021]

[0028] The milling process typically involves scanning a charged particle beam back and forth (e.g., in a raster or other scan pattern) across a specific region of the sample to be imaged or milled. One or more lenses (not shown) coupled to the charged particle column can implement the scan pattern, as known to those skilled in the art. The scan area is typically a small fraction of the total area of ​​the sample. For example, the sample may be a semiconductor wafer with a diameter of 150 mm, 200 mm, or 300 mm, while each scanned region on the wafer (i.e., the milled area) may be a rectangular region with a width and / or length measured in microns or tens of microns. Each iteration (or frame) of the ion beam scanned across the milled region is typically measured in microseconds, removing a very small amount of material (e.g., on the order of 0.01 atomic layers using a low-i probe (e.g., 10 pA) or on the order of 1000 atomic layers using a high-i probe (e.g., 1000 nA)) so that the scan pattern is repeated thousands or millions of times to etch holes to the desired depth.

[0022]

[0029] During the milling operation, the charged particle beam 120 generated by the FIB column 120 propagates through the vacuum environment created within the vacuum chamber 110 and impacts the sample 130. The milling process generates by-products, such as molecules, atoms, and ions of the material being milled, along with secondary electrons. For example, when ions impact the sample surface with relatively high energy levels, they can initiate a collision cascade that transfers momentum and energy from the ions to the sample until the ions are stopped and implanted. The momentum and energy transfer during the collision cascade can cause atomic rearrangements, ionization of atoms, and the generation of phonons (heat). The cascade can reach the sample surface, causing sputtering of atoms with sufficient momentum and energy to escape the solid sample, and the combination of ionization and sputtering generates secondary ions and electrons, which also escape from the sample surface. The secondary ions or electrons can be detected by an appropriate detector (not shown). The detected secondary ions or electrons can then be used to analyze the properties of the milled layer and structure.

[0023]

[0030] 1, FIB system 100 may include one or more controllers, processors, or other hardware units that control the operation of system 100 by executing computer instructions stored in one or more computer-readable memories as known to those skilled in the art. By way of example, the computer-readable memories may include solid-state memory (such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), programmable, flash-updateable, and / or the like), disk drives, optical storage devices, or similar non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

[0024]

[0031] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of a portion of another focused ion beam (FIB) characterization system 200, according to some embodiments. System 200 is a counterpart to system 100, and the same reference numerals are used in FIG. 2 to indicate similar or identical components to those shown in FIG. 1. However, system 200 includes a gas injection nozzle 250 positioned directly between FIB column 120 and sample 130. To allow focused ion beam 125 to reach sample 130, gas injection nozzle 250 may include holes or channels 252 formed therethrough that allow ion beam 125 to pass through the gas injection nozzle and strike sample 130 at a location directly below the nozzle. One suitable example of a gas injection nozzle that may be employed as nozzle 250 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,992,288, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0025]

[0032] In some embodiments, each of gas injection nozzles 150 and 250 may be in a fixed relationship in the X and Y planes relative to FIB column 120 and movable in the Z plane to allow the nozzles to be in close proximity (e.g., up to 300 microns in some embodiments) to the top surface of sample 300. Thus, gas injection nozzles 150 and 250 may typically be positioned much closer to the surface during processing operations than the tip of FIB column 120.

[0026] Charged particle enhanced deposition process

[0033] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may deposit material onto a sample positioned on a sample support by initiating a deposition process beneath the FIB column. As an example, in some embodiments, the FIB column 120 may be used in a deposition mode to initiate a focused ion beam-enhanced deposition process. To this end, a deposition gas is supplied to the sample 130 by the gas injection nozzle 150 or 250, and some molecules of the deposition gas may attach to the surface of the sample. Energy from the FIB column 120 may generate an ion beam 125 that may be focused into a deposition zone on the sample. A cascade of impinging ions may activate molecules of the deposition gas that have attached to the sample surface, resulting in the deposition of material on the sample that is localized to the region of the sample scanned by the ion beam. Thus, deposition occurring according to such embodiments does not occur simultaneously across the entire surface of the sample or wafer being processed. Instead, the ion beam (which, by way of non-limiting example, may have a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 25 microns for xenon plasma) strikes the wafer, and deposition occurs only in the general area where the ion beam is scanned across these regions of the wafer. Thus, deposition according to some embodiments can be performed with micron-level resolution.

[0027]

[0034] The rate at which material is deposited in such focused ion beam (FIB) enhanced deposition processes can have a direct impact on the throughput of the process. Thus, a faster deposition rate can result in a higher throughput. The rate at which material is deposited onto a specimen during a FIB deposition process depends on several different factors, including the energy level of the charged particle beam, the type of material on the surface of the specimen, the temperature of the specimen surface, and the precursor gases used in the deposition process.

[0028]

[0035] As described in more detail below, embodiments of the present invention can increase deposition rates during FIB deposition processes by applying a negative voltage to a gas injection nozzle made of a conductive material. The negative voltage can repel secondary electrons emitted from the sample (e.g., by collision with a focused ion beam) back toward the sample. The repelled electrons can then cause further dissociation at or near the sample surface, which can lead to increased deposition rates in the process.

[0029] Increasing deposition rate in charged particle enhanced deposition processes

[0036] To facilitate higher deposition rates, and therefore higher throughput rates, some embodiments of the present disclosure may apply a negative voltage to the gas injection nozzle during the charged particle-enhanced deposition process. For illustration, see FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a simplified flow diagram illustrating steps associated with a method 300 for depositing material onto a specimen according to some embodiments, and FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of a specimen 400, which may be representative of the specimen 130 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The method 300 begins with positioning a specimen within a processing chamber of a specimen evaluation system (block 310). The processing chamber, which may be, for example, chamber 100, may include one or more charged particle beam columns that may operate in a deposition mode to deposit material onto the specimen 400 in one or more localized regions. Block 310 may include positioning the specimen on a specimen support (e.g., support 140) within a vacuum chamber.

[0030]

[0037] Often, a specimen 400 includes multiple different regions where material is to be deposited. For example, FIG. 4 shows a top view of the specimen 400 and two enlarged views of specific portions of the specimen 400. The specimen 400 may be, for example, a 150 mm, 200 mm, or 300 mm semiconductor wafer and may include multiple integrated circuits 410 (52 in the illustrated example) formed thereon. The integrated circuits 410 may be at an intermediate stage of fabrication, and the method 300 may be used to deposit material onto one or more regions 420 of the integrated circuits. For example, enlarged view A of FIG. 4 shows multiple regions 420 of one of the integrated circuits 410 where material may be deposited according to the techniques described herein. Enlarged view B shows one of these regions 420 in more detail, with dotted line 430 representing the region within the integrated circuit 410 that is directly adjacent to the opening of a gas nozzle during a charged particle deposition process according to some embodiments.

[0031]

[0038] 3 , support 140 may be moved to a position such that a region on the sample where material is to be deposited (e.g., one of regions 420, referred to herein as the “deposition region”) is positioned directly beneath the tip of the focused ion beam column (block 320). A negative bias voltage may then be applied to the gas injection nozzle (block 330), and a deposition precursor gas may be injected into chamber 110 by, for example, gas injection system 150 at a location proximate to the deposition region (block 340). During block 340, molecules of the deposition precursor gas attach to the surface of the sample according to the sticking coefficient of the precursor gas.

[0032]

[0039] While gas is supplied to the deposition region and a negative voltage is applied to the gas injector nozzle, a charged particle beam (e.g., an ion beam) is generated (step 350) and may be focused and scanned across a region of interest on the sample (step 360). The charged particle beam may be focused by a focusing lens and scanned across a region of the substrate using one or more deflection lenses (not shown). As described above, the cascade of charged particles from beam 125 may activate molecules of the deposition gas attached to the sample in the deposition region, resulting in the deposition of material on the sample localized in the region of the sample scanned by the ion beam. For example, the charged particle beam may dissociate a precursor gas, breaking the gas into volatile and nonvolatile components, with the nonvolatile components remaining on the surface of the sample as the deposition material.

[0033]

[0040] The interaction of the ion beam with the sample 400 also generates secondary electrons, some of which are emitted from the sample toward the gas injection nozzle. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the collision of the ion beam 125 with the sample 130 can generate secondary electrons 500 that are emitted from the sample 130 along many different trajectories. A negative bias voltage (block 330) applied to the gas injection nozzle by embodiments of the invention during the deposition process can repel the emitted secondary electrons 500 toward the sample surface, causing further dissociation events, which can result in an increased deposition rate of the process, as described below in conjunction with FIGS. 6A-6C.

[0034]

[0041] In an actual implementation, steps 350 and 360 may occur substantially simultaneously and very rapidly, and steps 330 and 340 may be maintained while steps 350 and 360 are performed (i.e., a negative voltage may be continuously applied to the gas injection nozzle and deposition gas may be continuously introduced into the chamber).

[0035]

[0042] Once material from the precursor gases is deposited in the first deposition sequence, if there are additional areas on the specimen where material is to be deposited (block 370), the specimen may be moved via the substrate support to position the next or subsequent deposition area under the tip of the charged particle column (block 320). Otherwise, the deposition process is complete and the specimen may be transferred from the system 100 or otherwise processed (block 380).

[0036]

[0043] Although the method 300 can be used to deposit many different types of materials, and the embodiments described herein are not limited to the use of any particular deposition precursor gas, in one specific example, the deposition precursor gas can be tungsten hexacarbonyl (W(CO)), which can be dissociated by a charged particle beam leaving a layer of tungsten material deposited on the sample in a localized deposition region.

[0037] Gas injection nozzle

[0044] Reference is now made to FIG. 6A, which is a simplified diagram of a portion of the specimen evaluation system shown in FIG. 2, in which only a portion of the FIB column 120, gas injection nozzle 250, and specimen 130 are shown. As shown, gas injection nozzle 250 includes a channel 252 that penetrates nozzle 250 from the top surface of nozzle 250 to the bottom surface of the nozzle. Channel 252 may have a circular cross-section, such that ion beam 125 may be centered and impinge on specimen 130 as the ion beam traverses channel 252 of gas injection nozzle 250 (e.g., in region 600 shown in FIG. 6B). Nozzle 250 also includes an opening 254 on the bottom surface of the nozzle adjacent the top surface of specimen 130. Gas flowing through nozzle 250 may be distributed to the surface of specimen 130 through opening 254.

[0038]

[0045] 6B is a simplified diagram of a portion of the nozzle 250 looking at the sample 130 through the opening 254. As shown in FIG. 6B, the opening 620 may also have a circular cross-section that encompasses the channel 252 and symmetrically surrounds the region 600 on the sample 130 where the ion beam 125 strikes the sample. In this manner, gas supplied by the nozzle 250 may be supplied directly to the deposition region 600 of the sample 130.

[0039]

[0046] 2 and 6A, the gas injection nozzle 250 is much closer to the sample 130 than the tip of the FIB column. For example, the nozzle 250 may be an order of magnitude or more closer to the deposition region on the top surface of the sample 130 than the closest portion of the focused ion beam column to the deposition region. In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the nozzle 250 may be spaced a distance X2 (shown in FIG. 6C) measured in tens or hundreds of microns from the top surface of the sample 130. As a non-limiting example, in some charged particle deposition operations, the bottom surface of the nozzle 250 may be spaced approximately 200-700 microns from the sample surface.

[0040]

[0047] In known systems, the substrate support 130 and gas nozzle 250 are typically electrically grounded. However, the embodiments disclosed herein apply a negative voltage to the gas injection nozzle 250 to repel secondary electrons generated during charged particle deposition operations back toward the sample. For illustrative purposes, refer to FIG. 6C, which is a simplified diagram of a portion of the gas injection nozzle 250 positioned above the sample 130 while the ion beam 125 strikes the sample.

[0041]

[0048] 6B, the design of the gas nozzle 250 to completely and symmetrically surround the milling region, and the extremely close spacing (in the micron range) between the gas nozzle 250 and the sample, can result in the rejected secondary electrons 610 being returned to the sample 130 in a region centered on the milling region and having a radius of approximately Y2, measured in tens of microns as opposed to millimeters (and therefore at least one or two orders of magnitude smaller than Y1). Thus, the secondary electrons can be rejected to a region on the sample in the same general vicinity (measured in microns) as the deposition region, allowing the rejected secondary electrons to interact with molecules of the deposition gas, causing further dissociation events and thereby increasing the rate at which material is deposited on the sample 130.

[0042]

[0049] To facilitate increased deposition rates, the negative bias voltage applied to the gas injection nozzle should be high enough to repel secondary electrons escaping the sample surface back toward the sample, but not so high as to adversely affect the trajectory of the ion beam 125, thereby adversely affecting the deposition process. In some embodiments, the negative bias voltage may be the minimum voltage required to repel a predetermined percentage of secondary electrons. The appropriate value of the negative bias voltage depends in part on the geometry of the gas injection nozzle, the spacing of the nozzle relative to the sample, and the predetermined percentage of secondary electrons that are repelled toward the sample. Therefore, an appropriate negative bias voltage can be determined by simulation or experiment, as can be readily determined by one skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the bias voltage may be between minus 50 and minus 1000 volts, and in other embodiments, the bias voltage may be between minus 100 and minus 500 volts.

[0043] Additional Embodiments

[0050] In the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, specific terminology is used to facilitate a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required to practice the described embodiments. Accordingly, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. For example, while the above embodiments describe a focused ion column as part of a tool having a single charged particle column, in some embodiments, the focused ion beam column may be positioned in a SEM-FIB tool having both a scanning electron microscope column and a focused ion beam column.

[0044]

[0051] Also, while different embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed above, the specific details of particular embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Moreover, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It should therefore be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all modifications and variations that fall within the true spirit of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045]

[0052] Furthermore, references in the specification to a method should apply mutatis mutandis to a system capable of carrying out the method, and should apply mutatis mutandis to a computer program product storing instructions that, when executed, result in the performance of the method. Similarly, references in the specification to a system should apply mutatis mutandis to a method that may be performed by the system, and should apply mutatis mutandis to a computer program product storing instructions that may be executed by the system. Also, references in the specification to a computer program product should apply mutatis mutandis to a method that may be performed when executing instructions stored in the computer program product, and should apply mutatis mutandis to a system configured to execute instructions stored in the computer program product.

[0046]

[0053] Furthermore, to the extent that the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented, for the most part, using electronic components and circuits known to those skilled in the art, details of such will not be described beyond the extent deemed necessary, as exemplified above, for an understanding and appreciation of the concepts underlying the present disclosure and so as not to obscure or distract from the teachings of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A method for depositing material onto a localized area of ​​a specimen, comprising: positioning the sample in a vacuum chamber such that the localized region is under the field of view of a charged particle beam column; injecting a deposition precursor gas into the vacuum chamber adjacent to a deposition region using a gas injection nozzle; generating a charged particle beam using the charged particle beam column and focusing the charged particle beam within the deposition region of the specimen; scanning the charged particle beam across the deposition region of the specimen to activate molecules of a deposition gas attached to the specimen surface in the deposition region and deposit material in the deposition region on the specimen; applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle while the focused ion beam is scanned across the deposition region to change the trajectory of secondary electrons and repel the secondary electrons toward the sample surface; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas injection nozzle is positioned between the tip of a charged particle column and the sample.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gas injection nozzle includes a channel formed through a distal end of the nozzle aligned to allow the focused ion beam to pass through the channel to the sample.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle comprises applying a voltage between minus 50 and minus 1000 volts.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle comprises applying a voltage between minus 100 and minus 500 volts.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a semiconductor wafer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charged particle beam column is a focused ion beam column and the charged particle beam is a focused ion beam.

8. 1. A system for depositing material onto a specimen at a localized region of the specimen, comprising: a vacuum chamber; a sample support configured to hold a sample within the vacuum chamber during a deposition operation; a charged particle beam column configured to direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber toward the region of the specimen during the deposition operation; a gas injection nozzle configured to introduce a deposition gas onto a surface of the specimen during the deposition operation; a voltage source operable to apply a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle during a localized deposition process; A system comprising:

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the gas injection nozzle is positioned between a tip of a charged particle column and the sample.

10. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the gas injection nozzle includes a channel formed through a distal end of the nozzle aligned to allow a focused ion beam to pass through the channel and onto the sample.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the specimen is a semiconductor wafer.

12. 12. The system of claim 8, wherein the charged particle beam column is a focused ion beam column and the charged particle beam is a focused ion beam.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the voltage source applies a voltage between minus 50 and minus 1000 volts during the localized deposition process.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the voltage source applies a voltage between minus 100 and minus 500 volts during the localized deposition process.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable memory containing a plurality of computer-readable instructions, the plurality of computer-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the processors to: positioning the sample in a vacuum chamber such that the localized region is under the field of view of a charged particle beam column; injecting a deposition precursor gas into the vacuum chamber adjacent to a deposition region using a gas injection nozzle; generating a charged particle beam using the charged particle beam column and focusing the charged particle beam within the deposition region of the specimen; scanning the charged particle beam across the deposition region of the specimen to activate molecules of a deposition gas attached to the specimen surface in the deposition region and deposit material in the deposition region on the specimen; applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle while the focused ion beam is scanned across the deposition region to change the trajectory of secondary electrons and repel the secondary electrons toward the sample surface; a non-transitory computer readable memory for causing the

16. 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the gas injection nozzle is positioned between a tip of a charged particle column and the sample.

17. 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the gas injection nozzle includes a channel formed through a distal end of the nozzle aligned to allow the focused ion beam to pass through the channel to the sample.

18. 18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the charged particle beam column is a focused ion beam column and the charged particle beam is a focused ion beam.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein applying a negative bias voltage to the gas injection nozzle applies a voltage between minus 100 and minus 500 volts.

20. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the specimen is a semiconductor wafer.

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