Method for determining the energy spread of a charged particle beam

Abstract

To provide a method of determining an energy width of a charged particle beam.SOLUTION: A method of determining an energy width of a charged particle beam, comprises the steps of: providing a charged particle beam; directing the beam toward a specimen; forming an energy-dispersed beam from a flux of a charged particles transmitted through the specimen. The present method comprises the steps of: providing a slit element 63a in a slit plane Psl; using the slit element for blocking a part of the energy-dispersed beam 5; and modifying the energy-dispersed beam at a position of the slit plane in such a way that the energy-dispersed is partially blocked at the slit element. Imaging an unblocked part 67 of the energy-dispersed beam and determining intensity gradients 11a to 11c of the imaged energy-dispersed beam can determine an energy width of the charged particle beam.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] overview The present invention relates to a method for determining the energy spread of a charged particle beam. [Background technology]

[0002] Charged particle microscopy is a well-known and increasingly important technique for imaging microscopic objects, especially in the form of electron microscopy.Historically, the basic type of electron microscope has evolved into many well-known device types, such as transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), as well as various subtypes, such as the so-called "dual beam" device (e.g., FIB-SEM), which further uses a "machining" focused ion beam (FIB) to enable supporting activities such as ion beam milling or ion beam induced deposition (IBID).Those skilled in the art will be familiar with the different types of charged particle microscopy.

[0003] In an SEM, a scanning electron beam is directed at a sample, causing the emission of "auxiliary" radiation from the sample in the form of secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, X-rays, and cathodoluminescence (infrared, visible, and / or ultraviolet photons). One or more components of this emitted radiation can be detected and used for sample analysis.

[0004] In a TEM, a beam of electrons is passed through a sample to form an image from the interaction of the electrons with the sample as the beam passes through the sample. This image is magnified and focused onto an imaging device, such as a fluorescent screen, a layer of photographic film, or a sensor such as a scintillator attached to a charge-coupled device (CCD). The scintillator converts the primary electrons in the microscope into photons that the CCD can detect.

[0005] In a (S)TEM, the interactions of the electrons in the beam can be divided into elastic and inelastic interactions. In elastic interactions, the primary electrons scatter on the sample, changing their direction or, equivalently, the phase of their wave function, but without significant energy loss. These phase changes are used to create images in TEM mode (which is why TEM imaging is sometimes called phase-contrast imaging). Changes in direction (or angle) are used to create images in STEM mode.

[0006] In an inelastic interaction, the primary electron transfers energy to an electron in the sample, for example by exciting an electron in the sample to a higher atomic orbital, or by exciting a plasmon vibration, or by exciting a band gap transition. If the resulting energy loss of the primary electron can be measured, it can be used advantageously, for example, to extract information about the chemical composition or electrical properties of the sample. This is a technique known as electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). EELS is usually combined with a STEM to collect an EELS spectrum pixel by pixel.

[0007] However, inelastic interactions can also be a disadvantage, especially in TEM imaging, because the primary electrons that experience energy loss may not be properly focused by the TEM imaging system due to their energy bias. In general, the best resolution in TEM imaging is obtained when the energy spread of the primary electrons is minimal.

[0008] For this reason, modern TEMs (especially those used for cryo-electron microscopy of biological samples) are often equipped with so-called energy filters. Such filters, placed in or after the imaging system of the TEM, typically contain an energy-dispersive element (e.g. a bending magnet) to disperse the primary electrons into a spectrum of electrons with different energies, an energy-selecting slit to select and transmit only a certain range of electron energies, optics to construct (or image) a TEM image of those selected electrons, and a camera to record this energy-filtered TEM image.

[0009] Such a camera may be a scintillator mounted on a charge-coupled device (CCD), which converts the primary electrons in the microscope into photons so that the CCD can detect them. Modern energy filters often employ some sort of direct detection camera. In this type of camera, the primary electrons strike and enter the pixels of the sensing array directly (there is no intermediate step of a scintillator and its associated conversion to photons), and the energy deposited at the pixel is measured directly electronically. The advantage of such direct detection cameras is that they are essentially noise-free, meaning that every incident primary electron can be detected with perfect accuracy without loss. However, because they are directly detected, the performance of the pixel-by-pixel electronics of such cameras can be degraded by radiation damage caused by the incident primary electrons. This damage can occur when a total dose of about 10 10 If such a direct detection camera continuously records images at 30 primary electrons per pixel per second, the lifetime of such a camera is limited to about 10 years.

[0010] Energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM) is known to significantly improve contrast in imaging of biological samples (see for example Nature, Volume 587 Issue 7832, 25 November 2020, https: / / www.nature.com / nature / volumes / 587 / issues / 7832).

[0011] It is usually noted that such energy filters can also be configured to operate in the so-called "EELS mode". In EELS mode, the spectrum of electrons generated by the energy dispersive element is not filtered but "fanned out" to build a TEM image (as in EFTEM mode), but instead the spectrum is expanded and imaged on a spectral detector. This spectral detector can be the same camera as that used to record the EFTEM image in EFTEM mode, or it can be a dedicated spectral detector, optimized for example for a wide dynamic range and / or fast readout and / or low noise. Such an energy filter operating in EELS mode can be called an EELS spectrometer.

[0012] Elastic interactions are often the dominant type of interaction in TEM imaging. Therefore, the energy distribution in the electron beam after the sample is dominated by the so-called zero-loss electrons or "zero-loss peak" (ZLP), and the highest spatial resolution in TEM can be obtained when the energy spread at this zero-loss peak is as small as possible. The achievable spatial resolution is therefore limited by the energy spread within the zero-loss peak.

[0013] The width of this zero-loss peak can be mainly attributed to the effect that the electron gun, the primary electron source, has an intrinsic energy width. This energy width DE varies depending on the type of electron gun, but in practice is about 0.3-1 eV. It is customary to define the energy width of TEM imaging or the energy resolution of EELS experiments as the full width at half maximum of the zero-loss peak. Various factors can affect this energy width. For example, the energy width of the electrons emitted by a field emitter gun depends on the operating temperature of the emitter, the extraction electric field applied to this emitter, and the radius of the emitter's apex (which may change gradually during its lifetime). Another example is the energy width of the electrons of a monochromated electron gun. Here, the width depends (among other things) on the excitation of the monochromator, the width of the monochromator slit, and the adjustment of possible aberrations of the monochromator. It is therefore desirable to be able to accurately measure and monitor the energy width of the zero-loss peak in order to obtain and maintain the best spatial resolution in TEM imaging.

[0014] Traditionally, the energy width DE is measured in EELS mode. In this mode, the optics of the energy filter are set up in such a way that the spectrum of the energy-selecting slit is expanded and imaged with a camera or a dedicated spectral detector. This focuses the entire beam entering the energy filter into a small ZLP image on the camera. Such an image is typically about (height x width) = (20 x 10) pixels on the camera. If the beam incident on the energy filter has 0.1 nA, the current density of the ZLP image is 0.5 pA / pixel or 3,000,000 electrons / pixel / sec. This current density is too high for a direct detection camera, so dedicated detector equipment is required to measure the ZLP.

[0015] Improved methods for measuring the energy width DE of the zero-loss peak (ZLP) are desired. According to one embodiment, the energy width is not only useful in EELS applications, but can also be useful in non-EELS applications. The energy width can be used to optimally tune certain parts of a charged particle microscope. As an example, a charged particle microscope may include a monochromator that can be tuned using knowledge of the energy width to reduce color blurring and thereby increase the spatial resolution of the charged particle microscope. The energy width can additionally or alternatively be used to minimize external influences, such as stray AC fields, on the microscope. Summary of the Invention

[0016] With the above in mind, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved method for determining the energy width of a charged particle beam.In particular, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a method for determining the energy width of a charged particle beam for use in non-EELS applications.It is desirable to be able to measure the energy width of a charged particle beam without having to go back to a dedicated EELS instrument, such as a dedicated detector that can withstand the relatively high current density of ZLP images.

[0017] To this end, the present disclosure provides a method as defined in claim 1. The method as defined herein relates to determining the energy width of a charged particle beam, in particular of a charged particle microscope. The method as defined herein comprises the steps of providing a charged particle beam and directing said beam towards a sample. The method further comprises the steps of forming an energy-dispersed beam from the flux of charged particles transmitted through the sample and imaging said energy-dispersed beam. Imaging may comprise the step of directing the energy-dispersed beam towards a detector or image sensor or the like.

[0018] As defined herein, the method includes providing a slit element at a slit plane, said slit element being operable to block a portion of said energy dispersive beam, as will be described below, said slit plane being located downstream of a dispersive element, at or near where the energy dispersive beam is formed, and upstream of where the energy dispersive beam is imaged.

[0019] As defined herein, the method includes modifying the energy dispersive beam at the slit plane. The modifying includes forming a shadow portion of the energy dispersive beam by partially blocking the energy dispersive beam with the slit element, and forming a non-blocked portion of the energy dispersive beam. The shadow portion and the non-blocked portion of the energy dispersive beam are then imaged. Thus, the energy dispersive beam is modified to block only a portion of the energy dispersive beam at the slit plane, while allowing another portion of the energy dispersive beam to move freely further downstream. By blocking a portion of the energy dispersive beam, a shadow portion is created. At least a portion of the shadow portion and at least a portion of the non-blocked portion are then imaged, for example using an image sensor or detector.

[0020] As defined herein, the modification may include having a defocus and / or other aberrations on the energy-dispersed beam at the position of the slit plane. As defined herein, the modification may include a slit blocking the energy-dispersed beam at some parts of the image sensor or detector. In other words, the energy-dispersed spectral plane may be intentionally modified, for example, slightly defocused from the slit plane. This means that the energy-dispersed beam is manipulated so that its focal point is located upstream or downstream of the slit plane. The defocus may be relatively small, which means that the slit plane may be relatively close to the slit plane. This defocus may be the same at all positions of the incident beam (round defocus) or different astigmatism at different directions / positions of the incident beam (non-round) or any combination of round, non-round, or higher order aberrations. However, the defocus may be done so that the ZLP of the spectral plane acts as an electron source and the slit element casts a shadow on the image plane.

[0021] The method as defined herein further comprises imaging at least a portion of the shadowed portion and the unblocked portion of the energy dispersive beam, which may be done using a detector or an image sensor.

[0022] As defined herein, the method further comprises determining an intensity gradient of the imaged energy dispersive beam to determine the energy width. Thus, the method may comprise determining an intensity gradient of at least an unblocked portion of the energy dispersive beam. Said step may comprise determining an intensity gradient between an unblocked portion and a blocked portion (i.e., a shadow portion) of the energy dispersive beam. The unblocked portion of the energy dispersive beam is imaged at an image plane. A slit element blocks at least a portion of the energy dispersive beam from being imaged at the image plane. This blocked portion appears as a shadow of the slit in the image. Since the width of the ZLP of the spectral plane is finite, different portions of the ZLP of the spectral plane are blocked by the slit element in a slightly different way, and the shadow of the slit does not contain an infinitely sharp edge. Thus, an intensity gradient appears in the image across the edge of the shadow, i.e., from the blocked portion (i.e., the shadow portion) to the unblocked portion of the energy dispersive beam. This shadow and its variation can be used to determine the intensity distribution (or shape) of the ZLP and thus the energy width of the charged particle beam. Since the properties of the beam's shadow are used to determine the energy spread, the method defined herein is also called the shadow method.

[0023] The shadow technique offers better resolution than conventional EELS techniques primarily because, unlike EELS, the shadow technique is largely immune to the spectral broadening caused by the camera's point spread function. Furthermore, the shadow technique is not affected by optical aberrations.

[0024] Furthermore, the shadow technique does not require the use of relatively expensive dedicated detector equipment. Due to defocusing, the current density in the image plane is significantly reduced compared to the current densities generated in conventional EELS techniques.

[0025] The method defined herein therefore provides an improved method for determining the energy spread of a charged particle beam, thereby achieving the objectives as defined herein.

[0026] Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims. In the following, some advantageous embodiments will be described.

[0027] In an embodiment, modifying the energy dispersive beam comprises providing a defocus to the energy dispersive beam. Additionally or alternatively, modifying the energy dispersive beam may comprise providing an aberration to the energy dispersive beam.

[0028] The step of modifying the energy-dispersive beam may be performed to introduce non-isochromatism (non=not, iso=equal, chroma=color), in which case the selected energy is not the same at all positions in the image, so that the image of the energy-dispersive beam contains different energies across the image.

[0029] The method may include a method of measuring non-isochromaticity. In one embodiment, the measurement may be performed by providing multiple settings for the high tension and recording which areas of the camera are illuminated with which corresponding settings (i.e. offsets) of the high tension. Alternatively, the measurement may be performed by providing multiple settings for the excitation of the dispersive element (e.g. multiple currents for the bending magnet), or by providing multiple excitations for the deflector that scans the beam across the energy selection slit, or by adjusting the potential of the electron beam in the dispersive element (e.g. by multiple voltage offsets of the potential in this element), or by providing multiple positions for the slit element, or by any combination of these methods.

[0030] The step of introducing and / or measuring nonisochromaticity may be performed with the slit element spaced apart from the energy-dispersive beam, i.e. in a non-blocking position of the slit element relative to the energy-dispersive beam. Thus, the method may comprise the step of introducing nonisochromaticity and then providing a slit element with nonisochromaticity to the energy-dispersive beam. The step of measuring nonisochromaticity may be performed prior to the step of providing nonisochromaticity to said slit element in the energy-dispersive beam.

[0031] In one embodiment, the unblocked energy dispersive beam is imaged onto an image sensor. A slit element may be provided such that the slit element blocks the energy dispersive beam on a portion of the image sensor. In other words, the slit element blocks a portion of the energy dispersive beam and at least a portion of a shadow formed by the slit element is imaged onto the image sensor.

[0032] In one embodiment, the slit element includes two adjustable (movable) slit edges, one edge adjusted to block a portion of the image on the sensor and the other edge adjusted to not block any portion of the image on the image sensor, in another embodiment, the two edges are both adjusted to block a portion of the image on the image sensor.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method includes determining an intensity gradient of the imaged energy dispersive beam, particularly between unblocked and blocked (i.e., shadowed) portions of said energy dispersive beam on an image sensor.

[0034] In one embodiment, the method includes providing relative motion between the slit element and the energy dispersive beam, and imaging a plurality of intermediate positions of the relative motion to determine the intensity gradient.

[0035] In one embodiment, the method includes adjusting a parameter of the charged particle microscope using at least one result obtained by the shadow method defined herein. The adjustment may relate to AC field compensation, or to the focus or stigmatism of the monochromator. The method may include determining a plurality of energy spreads for different parameters of the charged particle microscope and determining an optimal setting.

[0036] According to one aspect, there is provided a transmission charged particle microscope (TCPM) according to claim 8. The TCPM as defined herein includes a sample holder for holding a sample, a light source for generating a beam of charged particles, and an illuminator for directing said beam to said sample. The TCPM further includes an imaging system for receiving a flux of charged particles transmitted through the sample and directing it to a sensing device, said imaging system including a post-column filter (PCF) module having an entrance face, an image plane, and a slit plane between said entrance face and said image plane, said PCF module further including a dispersion device disposed between said entrance face and said slit plane for forming an energy dispersed beam. The PCF module includes a slit element at the slit plane. The TCPM also includes a controller for controlling at least some operational aspects of said microscope.

[0037] The TCPM as defined herein is arranged to determine the energy width of the charged particle beam by performing a method according to any one of the preceding claims. In particular, a controller of the TCPM may be configured and / or programmed to perform at least a part of the method as defined herein. The TCPM may be arranged and / or programmed to determine the energy width based on a signal emitted from a sensing device in response to at least a part of the method being performed by the TCPM.

[0038] The advantages of such a TCPM have been elucidated above with respect to the methods defined herein. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] The herein disclosed device and method will now be explained in more detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments and the accompanying schematic drawings. [Figure 1] 1 shows a longitudinal section of a charged particle microscope. [Diagram 2] 1 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a spectroscopic apparatus including a projection system. [Diagram 3] An example of an EELS spectrum is shown. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an example of the Shadow Method as defined herein. [Figure 5a] 1 illustrates an embodiment of the Shadow Method, as defined in more detail herein. [Figure 5b] 1 illustrates an embodiment of the Shadow Method, as defined in more detail herein. [Figure 5c] 1 illustrates an embodiment of the Shadow Method, as defined in more detail herein. [Figure 5d] 1 illustrates an embodiment of the Shadow Method, as defined in more detail herein. [Figure 5e] 1 illustrates an embodiment of the Shadow Method, as defined in more detail herein. [Figure 5f] 1 illustrates an embodiment of the Shadow Method, as defined in more detail herein. [Figure 6a] 1 illustrates an embodiment in which the shadow method defined herein is used to adjust the settings of a charged particle microscope. [Figure 6b] 1 illustrates an embodiment in which the shadow method defined herein is used to adjust the settings of a charged particle microscope. [Figure 6c] 1 illustrates an embodiment in which the shadow method defined herein is used to adjust the settings of a charged particle microscope. [Figure 6d] 1 illustrates an embodiment in which the shadow method defined herein is used to adjust the settings of a charged particle microscope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] In the drawings, corresponding parts have been indicated using corresponding reference numerals where appropriate. It should be noted that the drawings are generally not to scale.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a highly schematic illustration of an embodiment of a transmission charged particle microscope M, which in this case is a TEM / STEM (although in the context of the present disclosure a transmission charged particle microscope may also be useful, for example, an ion-based microscope or a proton microscope). In FIG. 1, within a vacuum enclosure E, an electron source 4 (such as, for example, a Schottky emitter) generates a beam of electrons (B) that passes through an electron-optical illuminator 6, which serves to direct / focus the electron beam onto a selected portion of a sample S (which may, for example, be (locally) thinned / flattened). This illuminator 6 has an electron-optical axis B' and typically includes a wide variety of electrostatic / magnetic lenses, (scanning) deflectors D, correctors (such as stigmators), etc., and typically the illuminator 6 may also include a capacitor system (the entire set of parts 6 may be referred to as the "capacitor system").

[0042] The sample S is held on a sample holder H. As shown here, part of this holder H (in a housing E) is mounted on a cradle A' that can be positioned / moved in multiple degrees of freedom by a positioning device (stage) A. For example, the cradle A' may be displaced (among other things) in the X, Y and Z directions (see the illustrated Cartesian coordinate system) and rotated about a longitudinal axis parallel to X. Such movements allow different parts of the sample S to be illuminated / imaged / inspected by an electron beam moving along axis B' (and / or a scanning movement is performed instead of beam scanning [using deflector(s) D] and / or selected parts of the sample S are machined, for example, by a focused ion beam (not shown)).

[0043] The (focused) electron beam B moving along the axis B' interacts with the sample S in a way that causes it to emit various types of "stimulated" radiation, including (for example) secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, X-rays, and photoradiation (cathodoluminescence). If desired, one or more of these radiation types can be detected using a detector 22, which may be, for example, a combined scintillator / photomultiplier, or an EDX (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) module, and in such cases, images can be constructed using essentially the same principles as in an SEM. However, alternatively or supplementarily, electrons that traverse the sample S, are emitted from the sample, and continue to propagate along the axis B' (but are substantially generally deflected / scattered to some extent) can be studied. Such a transmitted electron bundle is incident on an imaging system (combined objective / projection lens) 24, which broadly includes a wide variety of electrostatic / magnetic lenses, deflectors, correctors (such as astigmatism correctors), and the like.

[0044] In normal (non-scanning) TEM mode, this imaging system 24 can focus the transmitted electron beam onto a phosphor screen 26, which can be retracted / retracted, if required, out of the way of axis B' (schematically indicated by arrow 26'). An image (or diffractogram) of (a portion of) the sample S is formed on the screen 26 by the imaging system 24, which image can be viewed through a viewing port 28 located in a suitable part of the wall of the housing E. A retraction mechanism for the screen 26 can be, for example, mechanical and / or electrical in nature and is not shown here.

[0045] Instead of viewing an image on the screen 26, one can alternatively take advantage of the fact that the focal depth of the electron beam emerging from the imaging system 24 is typically quite large (e.g., on the order of one meter). As a result, various types of sensing devices / analyzers can be used downstream of the screen 26, such as: -TEM camera 30. At the position of camera 30 the electron flux can form a still image (or diffractogram) which can be processed by controller C and displayed on a display device (not shown), for example a flat panel display. When not required, camera 30 can be retracted / extended (as shown diagrammatically by arrow 30') to move the camera off axis B'. - STEM recorder 32. The output from recorder 32 can be recorded as a function of the (X,Y) scanning position of beam B on sample S, to construct an image that is a "map" of the output from recorder 32 as a function of X,Y. Recorder 32 differs from the pixel matrix typically present in camera 30 and may include a single pixel, e.g., 20 mm in diameter. Furthermore, recorder 32 is typically a 10 mm pixel, e.g., 10 mm pixel. 2 A much higher acquisition speed (e.g., 10 images / sec) 6 points / sec). Again, when not needed, recorder 32 can be retracted / retracted (as shown diagrammatically by arrow 32') away from axis B' (although such retraction is not required, for example, in the case of a doughnut-shaped annular dark field recorder 32, in which a central hole allows the beam to pass when the recorder is not in use). As an alternative to using the camera 30 or recorder 32 to perform imaging, it is also possible to drive a spectroscopic device 34, which may for example be an EELS spectrometer.

[0046] It should be noted that the order / position of components 30, 32, and 34 is not strict and many possible variations are possible. For example, spectroscopic device 34 could be integrated with imaging system 24.

[0047] It is noted that a controller C (which may be a combined controller and processor) is connected via control lines (bus) C' to the various components shown. The controller may be connected to a computer screen 51 on which a user interface (UI) may be provided. This controller C may provide various functions such as synchronizing operations, providing set points, processing signals, performing calculations, and displaying messages / information on a display device (not shown). It will be understood that the controller C (shown diagrammatically) may be (partly) inside or outside the housing E and may have a unitary or composite structure as required. Those skilled in the art will understand that the interior of the housing E does not need to be maintained in a strict vacuum. For example, in so-called "environmental TEM / STEM", a background atmosphere of a given gas is deliberately introduced / maintained in the housing E. Those skilled in the art will also understand that in practice it may be advantageous to limit the volume of the housing E. This means that, where possible, the volume of the housing E essentially extends along the axis B' and takes the form of a small tube (e.g., about 1 cm in diameter) through which the electron beam used passes, but is expanded to accommodate structures such as the electron source 4, the sample holder H, the screen 26, the camera 30, the recorder 32, the spectrometer 34, etc.

[0048] Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which shows an enlarged and more detailed view of the spectroscopic device 34 of FIG. 1, which is used to determine the energy width of a charged particle beam. Here, the spectroscopic device 34 is an EELS module. In FIG. 2, an electron bundle 1 (having passed through the sample S and the imaging system 24) is shown propagating along an electron-optical axis B'. This bundle 1 enters a dispersing device 3 ("electron prism") and is dispersed (fanned out) into an energy-resolved (energy-distinguished) array 5 of spectral sub-beams distributed along the dispersion direction. For illustrative purposes, three of these sub-beams are labeled 5a, 5b, and 5c in FIG. 3.

[0049] Downstream of the dispersion device 3, the array of sub-beams 5 encounters a post-dispersion electron optics 9 where it is, for example, expanded / focused and finally directed / projected onto a detector 11. The detector 11 may comprise an assembly of sub-detectors arranged along the dispersion direction, where different sub-detectors are adjustable to have different detection sensitivities. It is noted that other detector configurations for measuring EELS spectra are known to those skilled in the art. Figure 3 shows an example of an EELS spectrum. The figure shows the intensity I (in arbitrary units, au) as a function of the energy loss E (in eV) of the electrons passing through a sample containing carbon and titanium. From left to right, the main features of the spectrum are: -Zero loss peak ZLP, -plasmon resonance peak component / section PRP, -Core loss peak component / section CLP.

[0050] According to the prior art, the energy spread DE of the charged particle beam is measured in EELS mode, where the optics of the energy filter are set up in such a way that the spectrum of the energy selection slit is expanded and imaged by a camera or a dedicated spectral detector. The energy spread of the ZLP is then measured and used to determine the energy spread from the charged particle beam.

[0051] Now referring to FIG. 4, the basic principle of the method and device defined herein is illustrated in a schematic manner. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a spectroscopic device 34 in the form of an EFTEM module. In each figure, similar or corresponding features are indicated using the same reference numbers. Here, a charged particle beam is provided and directed to a sample S (see FIG. 2), and an energy-dispersed beam 5 is formed from a flux 1 of charged particles transmitted through the sample S. A slit element 63a is provided in a slit plane Psl. The energy-dispersed beam 5 is further modified at the location of said slit plane Psl, such that said energy-dispersed beam is partially blocked at said slit element 63a or at the slit edge. As can be seen in FIG. 4, there is a blocked portion 66 of said energy-dispersed beam, and a non-blocked portion 67 of said energy-dispersed beam. The modification of the energy-dispersed beam is performed such that the energy-dispersed beam is defocused and / or aberrated at the location of the slit plane Psl. In the embodiment shown, the spectral plane Psp is intentionally slightly defocused from the slit plane Psl. The ZLP in the spectral plane Psp then acts as an electron source, and the slit edge 63a from the slit element creates a shadow portion 11c on the camera 11. Because the width of the ZLP is finite, the shadow has a soft edge with a transition 11b from bright 11a to dark 11c. By imaging an unblocked portion 67 of said energy dispersive beam 5, the intensity gradient 11a-11c of said imaged energy dispersive beam can be measured and determined. In particular, the intensity across this soft shadow 11b can be measured, from which the shape of the ZLP can be calculated.

[0052] Note that Figure 4 shows a simplified sketch that does not show the imaging optics between the slit and the image sensor, however these details are known to those skilled in the art.

[0053] The basic principle shown in Fig. 4 will now be explained in more detail with respect to Figs. 5a-5f. Fig. 5a shows a suitably adjusted filter, in which the prism 3 forms a spectrum in the plane of the energy-selecting slits 63a, 63b, and the final image 11 is formed by electrons of only certain selected energies (see Fig. 2, left). According to the method defined herein and as shown in Fig. 5b, the filter 3 is adjusted so that different energies are selected for different positions of the final image 11. The energy-dispersive beam 5 is therefore modified so that the spectral plane is not exactly focused at the slit plane. In this case, the slits do not select a specific energy. Instead, different energies are selected for different positions in the image. The effect that the selected energy is not the same for all positions in the image is called nonisochromatism. Nonisochromaticity can be measured by scanning the high tension and recording which areas of the camera are illuminated at which offsets of the high tension. Alternatively, this measurement can be performed by providing multiple settings for the excitation of the dispersive element (e.g. multiple currents for a bending magnet), or by providing multiple excitations for a deflector that scans the beam across an energy selection slit, or by adjusting the potential of the electron beam in the dispersive element (e.g. by multiple voltage offsets of the potential in this element), or by providing multiple positions for said slit element, or by any combination of these methods.

[0054] In the presently disclosed shadow method, the spectrum is intentionally misfocused at the slit plane, so there are several eV of nonisochromaticity across the camera, as shown in FIG. 5c. The method disclosed herein may include establishing the nonisochromaticity of the energy dispersive beam. The method may include measuring the nonisochromaticity. The method may include fitting an equation, such as a polynomial fit, to the measured nonisochromaticity. The left image in FIG. 5c shows an example of a nonisochromaticity map measured in a 7×7 region across the camera's field of view. A polynomial fit f(x,y) can be made to this nonisochromaticity map to create an interpolated map, as shown in the right image in FIG. 5c.

[0055] The method may include a step of inserting a slit element into the energy dispersive beam with established nonisochromaticity. The slit element is provided such that a part of the energy dispersive beam is blocked (forming a shadow portion) and another part of the energy dispersive beam is unblocked. The unblocked part of the energy dispersive beam is then imaged such that the image includes the unblocked part but also includes a part of the shadow portion formed by the slit element introduced into the energy dispersive beam with established nonisochromaticity. An example of an image is shown in FIG. 5d. Here, the bright part 11a corresponds to the unblocked part being recorded, while the dark part 11c (shadow part 11c) corresponds to the blocked part that is blocked by the slit element and creates a shadow on the image sensor or detector.

[0056] Figure 5e plots the intensity of the pixels in Figure 5d as a function of energy in the nonisochromaticity map of Figure 5c. These are the grey points in Figure 5e. The noise is reduced by collecting the points in multiple energy bins, for example 60 bins in total. These are the 60 black points in Figure 5e. The black points represent the integrated energy distribution of the source.

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[0057] The filter 34 can compensate for the effects of stray AC fields (which typically occur at 50Hz / 60Hz and their higher harmonics such as 150Hz / 180Hz) by applying sine / cosine-like corrections at 50Hz / 60Hz (and 150Hz / 180Hz, etc.) to the TCPM or energy filter. These corrections can be sine / cosine-like offsets in high tension, dispersive excitation, deflector, or potentials of the electron beam in dispersive elements (e.g., by sine / cosine voltage offsets of the potentials in these elements), or combinations of these. Figures 6a-6d show an embodiment in which the shadow method is used to compensate for stray AC fields.

[0058] Figures 6a-6c show the shadow method measurement of the ZLP of a monochromatized FEG in the presence of a stray AC field. Without compensation, the stray AC field disturbs the electron beam, causing a clearly visible splitting of the ZLP at 0.2 eV. Note that the applied nonisochromaticity in Figure 6a is a saddle function, in contrast to the previous figures, where the applied nonisochromaticity was essentially linear. To find the optimal excitation of the AC compensation function, the following method can be applied: The AC compensation is set to several values ​​in an interval, for example from -3 to +3 units, and for each setting, the integral of the energy distribution (Figure 6b) and the ZLP fit (Figure 6c) are determined. The ZLP value is therefore measured at each value using the shadow method disclosed herein. The obtained data (Figure 6d) are expressed by the following function: DE tot =(DE ZLP 2 +DE AC 2 ) 1 / 2 , D.E. AC =c × (ACComp-ACComp0) Optimal compensation is achieved when ACCOMP=ACCOMP0.

[0059] In a similar manner, the monochromator can be adjusted using the shadow method. The monochromator stigmator can be set at various settings and at each setting the ZLP is determined and the acquired data is represented in a similar manner to how the AC compensation was adjusted.

[0060] The shadow technique primarily provides better resolution than the classical EELS technique. This is because, unlike the EELS technique, the shadow technique is hardly affected by the spectral broadening caused by the camera's point spread function. Furthermore, the shadow technique is not affected by optical aberrations. For example, the shadow technique gives a CFEG FWHM=0.23eV, whereas the EELS measurement can have a FWHM=0.27eV, with the EELS measurement differing by 0.04eV due to a 0.02eV loss of resolution due to the signal in the EELS detector spreading to neighboring pixels ("point spread") and a further 0.02eV loss of resolution due to aberrations in the energy spectrum of the EELS detector (imperfect focus).

[0061] The shadow method can handle very low doses and can handle very long exposure times because, unlike EELS mode, the entire camera is used. For example, when using 25 pA with a direct electron detector (e.g., Falcon™ 4, ThermoScientific™), the method works well with exposure times ranging from 0.04 s to 10 s.

[0062] There is no need to mistune isochromaticity with aberrations that are linear in position. In principle, the shadow algorithm can handle any mistuning. Quadratic mistuning (as in Fig. 6a) has the advantage of increasing the sampling f(E) around the energy of interest (E0 ≒ eV).

[0063] The shadowing method is preferably performed using a direct electron detection camera in counting mode, such as the Falcon™ 4. Such a camera avoids possible artifacts caused by nonlinearity or non-uniformity of the camera gain. Furthermore, the optimal statistics of the counting mode improve the energy resolution. (Note that AC tuning and monochromator tuning can also be performed with a scintillator-based camera, such as the Thermo Scientific™ CETA-D, using the shadowing method.)

[0064] The shadow method works with a variety of sources, including cold FEG, Schottky FEG, and monochromator FEG.

[0065] Method D of measuring the energy spread E is not only needed for adjusting the AC compensation or tuning the monochromator, but is also useful for monitoring the operation of the source (e.g., to ensure that the emitter is operated at the optimum setting for the extraction field or temperature) and for troubleshooting.

[0066] The method described herein relates to the determination of an energy distribution obtained from the derivative of the intensity distribution across the shadow of a knife edge in front of the energy spectrum. The method can be used to adjust the AC compensation of an energy filter and / or to adjust a monochromator. The desired protection is conferred by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for determining an energy spread of a charged particle beam, the method comprising: - providing a charged particle beam and directing said charged particle beam towards a sample; forming an energy-dispersive beam from the flux of charged particles transmitted through said sample; - imaging said energy dispersive beam; - providing a slit element in the slit plane; - modifying the energy-dispersed beam at the slit plane, said modifying comprising forming a shadow portion of the energy-dispersed beam by partially blocking the energy-dispersed beam with the slit element and forming a non-blocked portion of the energy-dispersed beam; - imaging at least a portion of the shadowed and unobstructed portions of the energy dispersive beam; - determining an intensity gradient of the imaged energy-dispersive beam to determine the energy spread, The method, wherein modifying the energy dispersive beam comprises defocusing the energy dispersive beam.

2. A method for determining an energy spread of a charged particle beam, the method comprising: - providing a charged particle beam and directing said charged particle beam towards a sample; forming an energy-dispersive beam from the flux of charged particles transmitted through said sample; - imaging said energy dispersive beam; - providing a slit element in the slit plane; - modifying the energy-dispersed beam at the slit plane, said modifying comprising forming a shadow portion of the energy-dispersed beam by partially blocking the energy-dispersed beam with the slit element and forming a non-blocked portion of the energy-dispersed beam; - imaging at least a portion of the shadowed and unobstructed portions of the energy dispersive beam; - determining an intensity gradient of the imaged energy-dispersive beam to determine the energy spread, The method, wherein modifying the energy dispersive beam comprises aberrating the energy dispersive beam.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the unblocked portion of the energy dispersive beam is imaged on an image sensor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the slit element is provided to block the energy dispersive beam on a portion of the image sensor.

5. A method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising determining an intensity gradient between the unblocked and shadowed portions of the energy dispersive beam on an image sensor.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising determining at least a first derivative of the intensity gradient to determine an energy spread function.

7. A method for determining an energy spread of a charged particle beam, the method comprising: - providing a charged particle beam and directing said charged particle beam towards a sample; forming an energy-dispersive beam from the flux of charged particles transmitted through said sample; - imaging said energy dispersive beam; - providing a slit element in the slit plane; - modifying the energy-dispersed beam at the slit plane, said modifying comprising forming a shadow portion of the energy-dispersed beam by partially blocking the energy-dispersed beam with the slit element and forming a non-blocked portion of the energy-dispersed beam; - imaging at least a portion of the shadowed and unobstructed portions of the energy dispersive beam; - determining the intensity gradient of the imaged energy-dispersive beam to determine the energy spread; - providing a relative movement between said slit element and said energy dispersive beam; - imaging a plurality of intermediate positions of said relative movement to determine said intensity gradient.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising determining a plurality of energy spreads for different settings of at least one parameter of a charged particle microscope.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising determining an optimal setting for the at least one parameter.

10. A transmission charged particle microscope, comprising: a sample holder for holding a sample, a source for generating a beam of charged particles; - an illuminator for directing said beam onto said sample; an imaging system for receiving the flux of charged particles transmitted through the sample and directing it towards a sensing device, the imaging system comprising a post-column filter module (PCF module) having an entrance face, an image face and a slit face between the entrance face and the image face, the PCF module further comprising a dispersion device arranged between the entrance face and the slit face for forming an energy dispersed beam, the PCF module comprising a slit element at the position of the slit face; a controller for controlling at least some operational aspects of the transmission charged particle microscope, 10. A transmission charged particle microscope, characterized in that the transmission charged particle microscope is arranged to determine the energy width of the charged particle beam by carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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