Compensation for collection variations in scanning charged particle optics

The charged particle optics system with detector elements and a controller compensates for field-of-view variations, addressing inefficiencies in scanning electron microscopes to enhance image quality and throughput for IC structure evaluation.

JP2026520276APending Publication Date: 2026-06-23ASML NETHERLANDS BV
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
ASML NETHERLANDS BV
Filing Date
2024-04-08
Publication Date
2026-06-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing scanning electron microscopes face challenges in achieving high detection efficiency for both secondary and backscattered electrons, leading to insufficient image quality for evaluating complex IC structures, particularly in critical dimensions and periodicity metrology, due to variations in the collection efficiency of signal charged particles across the field of view.

Method used

A charged particle optics system with multiple detector elements and a controller that compensates for field-of-view variations in the proportion of signal charged particles incident on each detector element, ensuring uniform collection efficiency across the field.

Benefits of technology

Improves image quality and throughput by reducing the impact of variations in scanning data, enhancing the accuracy of defect detection and evaluation of two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures in IC manufacturing.

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Abstract

A charged particle optics apparatus is provided for scanning a sample with charged particles and detecting signal charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising: a charged particle optics device configured to guide a charged particle beam into a field of view of the sample; a detector including a plurality of detector elements configured to detect signal charged particles emitted from each location in the field of view to generate scanning data; and a controller configured to compensate for field-of-view variations in the proportion of signal charged particles emitted from those locations that are incident on each detector element, in order to reduce the effect of variations on the scanning data.
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