Debris removal from high aspect structures

Abstract

An apparatus is provided that can clean substrates with high aspect ratio structures, such as optical proximity correction features on photomasks, without destroying nanoscale structures. A system for collecting and analyzing debris from a tip used in a nanofabrication process includes an illumination source, an illumination detector, an actuator, and a controller. The illumination source directs incident illumination onto the tip, and the illumination detector receives sample illumination from the tip, the sample illumination being generated as a result of the directly incident illumination being applied to the tip. The controller is operably coupled to the actuator system and the illumination detector, the controller configured to receive a first signal based on a first response of the illumination detector to the sample illumination, and the controller is operable to cause relative movement between the tip and at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector based on the first signal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 898,836, filed Sep. 17, 2007 (issued as U.S. Patent No. 8,287,653), which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 652,114, filed Oct. 15, 2012 (issued as U.S. Patent No. 8,696,818), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 193,725, filed Feb. 28, 2014, and claims priority benefit to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 011,411, filed Jan. 29, 2016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] (Technical field) The present disclosure relates generally to nanofabrication processes. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to debris removal during and / or after nanofabrication processes. Furthermore, the debris removal process of the present disclosure can be applied to the removal of any foreign matter from a substrate. [Background technology]

[0003] Nanofabrication, by definition, involves the mechanical removal of nanoscale volumes of material from, for example, a photolithography mask, a semiconductor substrate / wafer, or any surface amenable to scanning probe microscopy (SPM). For the purposes of this discussion, "substrate" will refer to any object amenable to nanofabrication.

[0004] Examples of photolithography masks include standard photomasks (193 nm wavelength, with or without immersion), next-generation lithography masks (imprint, self-assembly, etc.), extreme ultraviolet lithography masks (EUV or EUVL), and any other viable or useful mask technology. Examples of other surfaces that may be considered substrates are membranes, pellicle films, and microelectro / nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS / NEMS). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the use of the terms "mask" or "substrate" in this disclosure includes the above examples, but that other photomasks or surfaces may also be applicable.

[0005] Prior art nanofabrication can be performed by applying a force to the surface of a substrate using a tip (e.g., a diamond cutting bit) positioned on the cantilever arm of an atomic force microscope (AFM). More specifically, the tip can first be inserted into the substrate surface and then dragged across the substrate in a plane parallel to the surface (i.e., the xy plane). This results in the displacement and / or removal of material from the substrate as the tip is dragged along the substrate.

[0006] As a result of this nano-fabrication, debris (including any foreign matter to the substrate surface) is generated on the substrate. More specifically, small particles may be generated during the nano-fabrication process as material is removed from the substrate. These particles may, in some cases, remain on the substrate once the nano-fabrication process is complete. Such particles are often found, for example, in trenches and / or cavities present on the substrate.

[0007] Wet cleaning techniques have been used to remove debris, particles, or foreign matter from the substrate, particularly in high-aspect-ratio photolithographic masks and electronic circuits. More specifically, the use of chemicals in a liquid state and / or agitation of the entire mask or circuitry can be used. However, chemical and agitation methods (e.g., megasonic (high-frequency ultrasonic) agitation, etc.) can adversely affect or destroy both high-aspect-ratio structures and mask optical proximity correction features (i.e., features that are typically so small that they do not image but rather create diffraction patterns that are advantageously used by mask designers to form patterns).

[0008] To better understand why high aspect ratio shapes and structures are particularly susceptible to destruction by chemicals and agitation, it must be remembered that such shapes and structures, by definition, contain a large surface area and are therefore highly thermodynamically unstable, making them highly vulnerable to delamination and / or other forms of destruction when chemical and / or mechanical energy is applied.

[0009] It is important to note that the use of pellicles to keep particles away from the lithographic surface being replicated is currently not feasible in imprint lithography and EUV (or EUVL). Technologies that do not utilize pellicles are generally more susceptible to failure due to particle contamination that disrupts the ability to transfer patterns to the wafer. While pellicles were developed for EUV masks, experience with DUV pellicle masks has shown that the use of pellicles only mitigates (but does not completely prevent) marginal particles and other contaminants from falling onto the surface; any subsequent exposure to high-energy photons tends to anchor these particles to the mask surface with significant adhesive forces. Furthermore, these techniques can be performed with smaller feature sizes (1-300 nm), making them more susceptible to damage from standard wet cleaning practices that are typically available. In the specific case of EUV or EUVL, these techniques may require the substrate to be placed in a vacuum environment during use and possibly during storage pending use. To use standard wet cleaning techniques, this vacuum must be broken, which can easily lead to further particle contamination.

[0010] Another currently available method for removing debris from substrates uses cryogenic cleaning systems and techniques. For example, substrates containing high aspect ratio shapes and / or structures can be effectively "sandblasted" using carbon dioxide particles instead of sand.

[0011] However, prior art cryogenic cleaning systems and processes are also known to adversely affect or destroy high-aspect features. Furthermore, cryogenic cleaning processes affect relatively large areas of the substrate (e.g., to clean debris having dimensions on the nanometer scale, the treated area may be approximately 10 millimeters or more in width). As a result, substrate areas from which debris does not need to be removed are still exposed to the cryogenic cleaning process and the potentially structure-destructive energy associated therewith. It should be noted that many physical differences exist between the nanoregime and the microregime, and this specification will focus on those differences related to nanoparticle cleaning processes. While there are many similarities between nano- and macroscale cleaning processes, there are also many crucial differences. For the purposes of this disclosure, a common definition of nanoscale is useful, which defines a size range of 1 to 100 nm. This size range is generic, as many of the processes evaluated herein can occur below this range (down to the atomic scale) and can also affect particles larger than this range (up to the microregime).

[0012] Some physical differences between macroscopic and nanoscopic particle cleaning processes include surface area, mean free path, and transport-related properties, including thermal and field effects. The first two in this list are more related to the thermomechanical and chemical behavior of particles, while the last one is more related to the particle's interaction with electromagnetic fields. These two regimes are separated in that thermal transport phenomena are thermomechanical, physicochemical, and chemical phenomena around particles, whereas the interaction of particles with electromagnetic fields in the infrared wavelength regime. To functionally clarify some of these differences, consider the thought experiment example of a nanoparticle trapped at the bottom of a high-aspect-ratio line-and-space structure (70 nm deep, 40 nm wide, AR = 1.75). To clean this particle using a macroscopic process, the energy required to remove the particle is roughly the same as the energy required to damage the feature or pattern on the substrate, making it impossible to clean this high-aspect-ratio line-and-space structure without damage. In macroscale cleaning processes (water, surfactants, sonic agitation, etc.), the energy levels at which nanoparticles are removed also damage surrounding features or patterns. If there is technological capability to precisely manipulate nanosharp (or nanoscale) structures within nanometer distances relative to the nanoparticles, the energy required to clean the nanoparticles can be applied only to the nanoparticles. In nanoscale cleaning processes, the energy required to remove the nanoparticles is applied only to the nanoparticles, not to surrounding features or patterns on the substrate.

[0013] Looking first at the surface area properties of a particle, there are differences in mathematical scaling that become apparent as a theoretical particle (here modeled as a perfect sphere) approaches the nanoscale regime. While bulk properties of a material are measured by its volume, the surface is measured by its external area. For a hypothetical particle, its volume decreases inversely proportionally to the cube of its diameter, while its surface area decreases as the square of its diameter. This difference means that material properties that govern particle behavior at macro- and microscale diameters become negligible (smaller) in the nanoregime. Examples of these properties include the particle's mass and inertial properties, which are critical considerations for some cleaning techniques, such as sonic agitation or laser bombardment.

[0014] The next transport property we consider here is the mean free path. In the macro- to micro-regime, fluids (both liquids and gases, and mixtures) can be accurately modeled as continuum flows in their behavior. When considering surfaces separated by nanoscale or smaller gaps, such as AFM tips and nanoparticles, these fluids cannot be considered continuum flows. This means that the fluid does not move according to classical flow models but can be more accurately associated with the ballistic atomic motion of a rarefied gas or vacuum. For an average atom or molecule in a gas (approximately 0.3 nm in diameter) at standard temperature and pressure, the calculated mean free path (i.e., the distance a molecule travels in a straight line before colliding with another atom or molecule) is approximately 94 nm, a large distance for an AFM scanning probe. Fluids are much denser than gases and therefore have much smaller mean free paths; however, it should be noted that the mean free path for any fluid cannot be smaller than the diameter of the atom or molecule. Comparing the assumed atomic or molecular diameter of 0.3 nm given above for a typical tip with the average surface separation distance during non-contact scanning mode, which can be as small as 1 nm, suggests that for all but the densest fluids, the fluid environment between the AFM tip tip and the scanned surface will behave in a range of fluid properties, from rarefied gas to near-vacuum. The findings in the above evaluation are essential to demonstrating that thermofluidic processes behave fundamentally differently when scaled from the macroscopic to the nanoscale. This affects the mechanisms and dynamics of various process aspects, such as chemical reactions, removal of products such as particles released into the environment, charging or charge neutralization, and heat or thermal energy transport.

[0015] Known differences in heat transport from the macroscale to the nanoscale and subnanoscale have been discovered through studies using scanning thermal probe microscopy. One early finding is that the rate of thermal energy transport can be an order of magnitude slower over nanoscale distances than at the macroscale. Thus, scanning thermal probe microscopy can operate in a non-contact mode with a heated nanoprobe, potentially reaching temperature differences of hundreds of degrees, scanning a surface with tip-to-surface separations as small as the nanoscale or angstrom scale. The reason for this low heat transport was alluded to in the previous section on mean free paths in fluids. However, one form of heat transport, blackbody radiation, is enhanced. Experiments have shown that at nanoscale distances, the Planck limit on the blackbody spectral radiance at a given temperature can be exceeded. Thus, not only does the magnitude of heat transport decrease, but the dominant transport type changes from conduction / convection to blackbody, consistent with rarefied vacuum fluid behavior.

[0016] Differences in the interaction of fields (electromagnetic fields are the primary example of interest here due to their long wavelengths compared to other possible examples) can be further classified in this discussion as wavelength-related and other quantum effects (particularly tunneling). At the nanoscale, the behavior of the electromagnetic field between a source (here assumed to be the tip of an AFM tip, whether as the primary source or as a modified version of a relatively far-field source) and a surface does not obey the wavelength-dependent diffraction limit on resolution that far-field sources experience. This behavior is commonly referred to as near-field optics and has been used with great success in scanning probe techniques such as near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). Beyond metrology applications, near-field behavior can affect the electromagnetic interactions of all nanoscale-sized objects spaced apart by nanometers. The next near-field behavior mentioned is quantum tunneling, in which particles, particularly electrons, can be transported across barriers that classically cannot be penetrated. This phenomenon allows for energy transport by means not found at the macroscale and is exploited in scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) and some solid-state electronic devices. Finally, there are more subtle quantum effects that are often found at the nanoscale with respect to electromagnetic fields, such as (but not limited to) proximity excitation and detection of plasmon resonance, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the present discussion provides a sufficient demonstration of the fundamental differences between macroscopic and nanoscopic physical processes.

[0017] In the following, the term "surface energy" can be used to refer to the thermodynamic properties of a surface that are available to perform work (here, the work of adhesion of debris to the surface of the substrate and chip, respectively). One way to classically calculate this is: G(p,T)=U+pV-TS is the Gibbs free energy given as where: U = internal energy p=pressure V = volume T = temperature, and S=entropy.

[0018] In the current practice, pressure, volume, and temperature are not varied (though this is not necessary, as these parameters can be similarly manipulated to achieve the desired effect), and therefore will not be discussed in detail. Therefore, the only terms manipulated in the above equations are internal energy and entropy as the driving mechanism in the methods discussed below. Since the probe tip surface is intended to be cleaner (i.e., free of debris and unintentional surface contamination) than the substrate being cleaned, entropy is, of course, the thermodynamic driving mechanism for preferentially contaminating the tip surface above the substrate (which then subsequently contaminates the cleaner pallet of soft material). Internal energy is manipulated between the pallet, tip, debris, and substrate surface by thermodynamic properties characterized by their respective surface energies. One way to relate differential surface energy to Gibbs free energy is to consider the theoretical development of the creep properties of an engineering material at high temperatures (i.e., a significant fraction of its melting point temperature) for a cylinder of radius r and length l under uniaxial tension P: dG=-P*dl+γ*dA where: γ = surface energy density [J / m2], and A=Surface area [m2]

[0019] The finding that an object's stress and extrinsic surface energy are factors in its Gibbs free energy leads us to believe that these factors (in addition to the surface energy density γ) can be manipulated to effect reversible preferential deposition of debris on the tip and subsequent soft pallets. Means for doing this include applied stress (whether external or internal) and temperature. Note that this driving process will always result in a series of surface interactions with a net ΔG<0 to provide a differential surface energy gradient that preferentially removes substrate contaminants and subsequently contaminates the soft pallets. This can be thought of as analogous to a ball preferentially rolling down a slope toward lower energy states (where the thermodynamic surface energy gradient also includes the overall disorder or entropy of the system). Figure 6 illustrates one possible set of surface interactions that can provide a downward gradient in thermodynamic Gibbs free energy that allows the methods described herein to selectively remove contaminants and selectively deposit them on the soft patches. This sequence is one of the theoretical mechanisms thought to be responsible for the current implementation of using low surface energy fluorocarbon-based materials in conjunction with low surface energy tip materials such as diamond. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0020] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 011,411 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 193,725 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 652,114 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 8,696,818 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11 / 898,836 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 8,287,653 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0021] In view of at least the above, there is a need for new apparatus and methods for removing debris, contaminants, particles, or any foreign matter from a substrate surface, and in particular for new apparatus and methods that can clean substrates having high aspect ratio structures, photomask optical proximity correction features, and the like, without destroying such nanoscale structures and / or features. [Means for solving the problem]

[0022] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a nanoscale metrology system for detecting contaminants is provided. The system includes a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, an illumination source, an illumination detector, an actuator, and a controller. The illumination source is configured and arranged to direct incident illumination onto the SPM tip. The illumination detector is configured and arranged to receive sample illumination from the SPM tip, the sample illumination being caused by the incident illumination. The actuator system is operably coupled to the nanoscale metrology system and configured to cause relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector. The controller is operably coupled to the actuator system and the illumination detector, and is configured to receive a first signal based on a first response of the illumination detector to the sample illumination. The controller is configured to cause relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination detector and the illumination source by the actuator system based on the first signal.

[0023] According to one aspect of the nanoscale metrology system of the present disclosure, an actuator system is operably coupled to the SPM tip, the actuator system including a rotational actuator configured to rotate the SPM tip about a first axis.

[0024] According to one aspect of the nanoscale metrology system of the present disclosure, the irradiation source is an X-ray source, a laser, a visible light source, an infrared light source, an ultraviolet light source, or an electron beam source.

[0025] According to an aspect of the nanoscale metrology system of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to generate a first frequency domain spectrum of the sample illumination based on the first signal, generate a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting the background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum, and cause relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination detector and the illumination source with the actuator system based on the second frequency domain spectrum. According to an aspect of the nanoscale metrology system of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to generate the background frequency domain spectrum based on a response of the illumination detector to the illumination of the SPM tip when the SPM tip is substantially free of contaminants.

[0026] According to an aspect of the nanoscale metrology system of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to receive a second signal based on a second response of the illumination detector to the sample illumination, and to cause relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination detector and the illumination source by the actuator system based on a difference between the first signal and the second signal. According to an aspect of the nanoscale metrology system of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to cause relative movement of a predetermined magnitude between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination detector and the illumination source based on the difference between the first signal and the second signal.

[0027] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a nanoscale metrology system is provided that includes a collector. The metrology system includes a collector, an illumination source, an illumination detector, a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, and an actuator system. The collector can have a first inner edge on a first surface of the collector, a second inner edge on a second surface of the collector opposite the first surface, and an inner surface extending from the first inner edge to the second inner edge and defining at least a portion of a collection pocket or collection through-hole. The illumination source is configured and arranged to receive sample illumination from the inner surface of the collector, the sample illumination being caused by the incident illumination. The actuator system is operably coupled to the SPM tip and configured to move the SPM tip relative to the collector to transfer at least one particle or debris from the SPM tip to the collector.

[0028] According to one aspect of the measurement system of the present disclosure, the width of the collection through-hole increases along a direction passing through the collection device from the first surface to the second surface.

[0029] According to one aspect of the measurement system of the present disclosure, the first inner edge defines a rectangular outline of the retrieval pocket or retrieval through-hole, and each line segment of the rectangular outline has a length of 10 mm or less.

[0030] According to one aspect of the measurement system of the present disclosure, the first inner edge defines a triangular outline of the retrieval pocket or retrieval through-hole, and according to one aspect of the present disclosure, each line segment of the triangular outline has a length of 10 mm or less.

[0031] According to one aspect of the metering system of the present disclosure, the first inner edge defines an arcuate cross-section of the retrieval pocket or retrieval through-hole, the arcuate cross-section having a circular, elliptical, or oval outline. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the first inner edge defines a circular outline, the diameter of the circular outline being 10 mm or less.

[0032] According to one aspect of the measurement system of the present disclosure, the measurement system further includes a controller operably coupled to the actuator system, the controller configured to transfer particles from the SPM tip to a collection pocket or collection through-hole by dragging the SPM tip against the first inner edge.

[0033] According to one aspect of the metering system of the present disclosure, the interior surface of the collector defines a through-hole passageway, which is a truncated tetrahedron passageway, a frustoconical passageway, a truncated tetrahedron passageway, or a frustopyramidal passageway.

[0034] According to one aspect of the metrology system of the present disclosure, the SPM tip comprises a tetrahedron shape, a cone shape, or a pyramid shape.

[0035] According to one aspect of the metrology system of the present disclosure, the retrieval pocket or retrieval through-hole is removably attached to the metrology system.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a particle collection and measurement system is provided. The particle collection and measurement system includes a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, a stage configured to support a substrate, an actuation system, an illumination source, an illumination detector, and a controller. The actuation system is operatively coupled to the stage and the SPM tip and configured to move the SPM tip relative to the stage. The illumination source is in optical communication with a measurement position, and the illumination detector is in optical communication with the measurement position. The controller is operatively coupled to the actuation system, the illumination source, and the illumination detector. The controller is further configured to move the SPM tip from a position proximate to the substrate to the measurement position and receive from the illumination detector a first signal indicative of a response of the illumination detector to a first sample illumination from the measurement position, the first sample illumination being caused by a first incident illumination from the illumination source.

[0037] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the measurement location is located on at least a portion of the SPM tip, and the controller is further configured to cause a first sample irradiation by irradiating the measurement location with a first incident irradiation.

[0038] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the particle collection and measurement system further includes a particle collector, the measurement location is located on at least a portion of the particle collector, and the controller is further configured to cause a first sample illumination by irradiating the measurement location with a first incident illumination.

[0039] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to transfer particles from the substrate via the SPM tip to a measurement location.

[0040] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the particle collection and measurement system further includes a patch of material, the material having a surface energy lower than the surface energy of the substrate, and the SPM tip includes a nanoscale coating of the material on its surface.

[0041] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to cause contact between the SPM tip and the patch, thereby coating the SPM tip with the material.

[0042] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the actuation system includes a tip actuation system operably coupled to the SPM tip and a stage actuation system operably coupled to the stage, the tip actuation system configured to move the SPM tip relative to the base, and the stage actuation system configured to move the stage relative to the base.

[0043] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the particle collector is a collection pocket or a collection through-hole. The particle collector includes at least a first inner edge. The at least first inner edge defines one of a triangular, rectangular, circular, elliptical, or oval outline. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the first inner edge defines a triangular or rectangular outline, and each line segment of the triangular or rectangular outline has a length of 10 mm or less. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the first inner edge defines a circular outline, and the diameter of the circular outline is 10 mm or less.

[0044] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the particle collector includes a first inner edge on a first surface of the collector, a second inner edge on a second surface of the collector opposite the first surface, and an interior surface extending from the first inner edge to the second inner edge. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the interior surface forms a through-hole passageway. The through-hole passageway is a truncated tetrahedron passageway, a frustoconical passageway, or a frustopyramidal passageway.

[0045] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the SPM tip comprises a tetrahedron, a cone, or a pyramid shape.

[0046] According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the patch is removably mounted to the measurement system. According to one aspect of the particle collection and measurement system of the present disclosure, the collection pocket or collection through-hole is removably mounted to the stage.

[0047] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for identifying a composition of a particle using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, the method including transferring a particle to the SPM tip, irradiating the SPM tip with first incident illumination from an illumination source, detecting a first sample illumination caused by the first incident illumination with an illumination detector, and inducing relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector based on a first signal from the illumination detector in response to the first sample illumination.

[0048] According to one aspect of the method for identifying a composition of particles on an SPM tip, the method further includes generating a first frequency domain spectrum of the sample illumination based on the first signal, generating a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting the background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum, and inducing relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector based on the second frequency domain spectrum.

[0049] According to one aspect of the method for identifying the composition of particles on an SPM tip, the method further includes generating a background frequency domain spectrum based on the response of the illumination detector to illumination of the SPM tip when the SPM tip is substantially free of contaminants.

[0050] According to one aspect of the method for identifying the composition of particles on an SPM tip, the method further includes the steps of irradiating the SPM tip with second incident irradiation from an irradiation source, detecting second sample irradiation caused by the second incident irradiation with an irradiation detector, and causing relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a second signal from the irradiation detector in response to the second sample irradiation.

[0051] According to one aspect of the method for identifying the composition of particles on an SPM tip, the method further includes a step of causing relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on a difference between the second signal and the first signal.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the method for identifying the composition of particles on an SPM tip, a first incident radiation from an illumination source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, an electron beam, and a laser. According to one embodiment of the method for identifying the composition of particles on an SPM tip, a second incident radiation from an illumination source is at least one of X-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, an electron beam, and a laser. The second incident radiation is a different type of radiation from the first incident radiation. In one embodiment, the first sample radiation is generated by the first incident radiation interacting with the SPM tip. In one embodiment, the interaction can include one or more of reflection, refraction, or absorption and re-emission of the first incident radiation by the SPM tip. In one embodiment, the first sample radiation is generated by the first incident radiation interacting with debris disposed on the SPM tip. In one embodiment, the interaction can include one or more of reflection, refraction, or absorption and re-emission of the first incident radiation by debris disposed on the SPM tip.

[0053] According to one aspect of the method for identifying a composition of particles on an SPM tip, the method further includes adjusting the intensity or frequency of a first incident illumination from the illumination source. In one aspect, the method further includes adjusting the intensity or frequency of a second incident illumination from the illumination source.

[0054] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for identifying a composition of particles removed from a substrate, the method including transferring the particles from the substrate to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, irradiating the particles with first incident illumination from an illumination source, and receiving a first sample illumination caused by the first incident illumination from the particles at an illumination detector.

[0055] According to an aspect of the present method for identifying the composition of particles removed from a substrate, a first sample illumination from the particle is received by an illumination detector while the particle is disposed on the SPM tip.

[0056] According to one aspect of the present method for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate, transferring the particles from the substrate to the SPM tip includes contacting the SPM tip with the substrate and moving the SPM tip relative to the substrate.

[0057] According to one aspect of the method for determining the composition of particles removed from a substrate, the method further includes transferring the particles to a measurement location using an SPM tip.

[0058] According to one aspect of the method for identifying a composition of particles removed from a substrate, the method further includes transferring the particles from the SPM tip to a particle collector having a measurement location defined on the particle collector. A first sample illumination from the particle is received by an illumination detector while the particle is positioned at the measurement location. Transferring the particles from the SPM tip to the particle collector includes contacting the SPM tip with the measurement location and moving the SPM tip relative to the measurement location.

[0059] According to one aspect of the method for identifying the composition of particles removed from a substrate, the particle collector is a collection pocket or collection through-hole including at least one contaminant collection edge, and transferring particles from the SPM tip to the particle collector includes manipulating the SPM tip to rub or drag against the at least one contaminant collection edge. According to one aspect, the manipulating includes moving the SPM tip toward and then away from the at least one contaminant collection edge. In one aspect, moving the SPM tip can include a scraping action and / or a wiping action. According to one aspect, the manipulating includes moving the SPM tip upward past the at least one contaminant collection edge, and the manipulating further includes moving the SPM tip downward past the at least one contaminant collection edge. According to one aspect, the manipulating includes moving the SPM tip upward away from a center of the particle collector. According to one aspect, the manipulating includes moving the SPM tip downward toward a center of the particle collector. According to one aspect, the manipulating step includes moving the SPM tip in a parabolic trajectory. According to one aspect, the manipulating step further includes rotating the SPM tip to enable debris deposited on different portions of the SPM tip to be transferred from the SPM tip to a particle collector.

[0060] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an article of manufacture is provided that includes a non-transitory machine-readable medium encoding instructions for causing a processor to identify a composition of particles on a scanning probe microscope (SPM). The encoded instructions of the article can be used to perform the steps of detecting a first sample illumination with an illumination detector in response to a first incident illumination from an illumination source, and causing relative movement between the SPM tip and at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector based on a first signal from the illumination detector in response to the first sample illumination.

[0061] The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, certain aspects of the invention in order that the detailed description herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

[0062] In this regard, before describing various aspects of the present disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments than those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0063] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosure, and the appended claims are therefore intended to cover such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0064] [Figure 1A] 1A-1C are cross-sectional views of a portion of a debris removal device during a series of surface interactions according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 1A-1C are cross-sectional views of a portion of a debris removal device during a series of surface interactions according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 1C] 1A-1C are cross-sectional views of a portion of a debris removal device during a series of surface interactions according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a debris removal device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of another portion of the debris removal device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4]3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the debris removal device shown in FIG. 2, in which the particles are embedded in a patch or reservoir of low energy material. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the debris removal device shown in FIG. 4, with the tip no longer in contact with the patch or reservoir of low-energy material. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tip with bristles or fibrils according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] FIG. 1 illustrates the general differences between rigid fibrils and wound fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] FIG. 1 illustrates the general differences between rigid fibrils and wound fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 8A] 1A-1C illustrate a process for retrieving and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 8B] 1A-1C illustrate a process for retrieving and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 8C] 1A-1C illustrate a process for retrieving and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 9A] 1A-1C illustrate a process for retrieving and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a plurality of rigid fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 9B] 1A-1C illustrate a process for retrieving and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a plurality of rigid fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 9C] 1A-1C illustrate a process for retrieving and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a plurality of rigid fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 10A] 1A-1C illustrate a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single wrapped fibril according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 10B]1A-1C illustrate a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single wrapped fibril according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 10C] 1A-1C illustrate a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single wrapped fibril according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 11A] 1A-1C illustrate a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 11B] 1A-1C illustrate a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 11C] 1A-1C illustrate a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 11D] 1A-1C illustrate a process for removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using multiple wrapped fibrils according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 1 is a perspective view of a debris collection device including at least one patch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a debris collection device including at least two patches according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a debris collection apparatus including a controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a debris collection device including a metrology system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a debris collection apparatus including a measurement system and a controller according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 17A] FIG. 1 is a top view of a debris collection apparatus including a metrology device according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 17B] FIG. 1 is a side view of a debris collection device including a metrology device according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 18A] FIG. 1 is a top view of a debris collection apparatus including a metrology device and a controller according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 18B]FIG. 1 is a side view of a debris collection apparatus including a metrology device and a controller according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 19A] 1 is a top view of a debris collection device including a metrology device and a plurality of patches and / or debris collectors according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 19B] 1 is a side view of a debris collection device including a metrology device and a plurality of patches and / or debris collectors according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 20A] 1 is a top view of a debris collection device including a measurement device with a controller and a plurality of patches and / or debris collectors according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 20B] FIG. 1 is a side view of a debris collection apparatus including a measurement device with a controller and a plurality of patches and / or debris collectors according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 21A] FIG. 1 is a top view of a debris collection apparatus including a robotic arm according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 21B] FIG. 1 is a side view of a debris collection apparatus including a robotic arm according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 22A] FIG. 21C is a top view of the debris collection apparatus of FIGS. 21A and 21B, with the robotic arm in a second position. [Figure 22B] FIG. 21C is a side view of the debris retrieval apparatus of FIGS. 21A and 21B, with the robotic arm in a second position. [Figure 23A] FIG. 1 is a top view of a tip support assembly according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 23B] FIG. 1 is a side view of a tip support assembly according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 24A] FIG. 12 is a bottom view of a metrology system usable with a tetrahedron tip according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 24B] FIG. 1 is a side view of a metrology system usable with a tetrahedron tip according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 25A] FIG. 24C is a bottom view of the measurement system of FIGS. 24A and 24B with debris attached to the tetrahedron tip. [Figure 25B] FIG. 24C is a side view of the measurement system of FIGS. 24A and 24B with debris attached to the tetrahedron tip. [Figure 26A]FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a metering system usable with a conical tip according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 26B] FIG. 1 is a side view of a measurement system usable with a conical tip according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 27A] FIG. 26C is a bottom view of the measurement system of FIGS. 26A and 26B with debris attached to the conical tip. [Figure 27B] FIG. 26C is a side view of the measurement system of FIGS. 26A and 26B with debris attached to the conical tip. [Figure 28A] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a measurement system usable with a pyramidal tip according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 28B] FIG. 1 is a side view of a metrology system usable with a pyramidal tip according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 29A] FIG. 28C is a bottom view of the measurement system of FIGS. 28A and 28B with debris attached to the pyramidal tip. [Figure 29B] FIG. 28C is a side view of the measurement system of FIGS. 28A and 28B with debris attached to the pyramidal tip. [Figure 30A] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a contamination collector with collection pockets having a triangular arrangement according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 30B] FIG. 1 is a top view of a contamination collector with collection pockets having a triangular arrangement according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 31A] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a contamination collector with collection pockets having a circular arrangement according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 31B] FIG. 1 is a top view of a contamination collector with collection pockets having a circular arrangement according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 32A] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a contamination collector with collection pockets having a square arrangement according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 32B] FIG. 1 is a top view of a contamination collector with collection pockets having a square arrangement according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 33A] 1 illustrates an exemplary debris collection process using a contaminant collector with collection pockets according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 33B]1 illustrates an exemplary debris collection process using a contaminant collector with collection pockets according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 33C] 1 illustrates an exemplary debris collection process using a contaminant collector with collection pockets according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 34A] FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary debris collection process using a contaminant collector with collection pockets according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 34B] FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary debris collection process using a contaminant collector with collection pockets according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 34C] FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary debris collection process using a contaminant collector with collection pockets according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 35A] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a contaminant collector with collection through-holes defining truncated tetrahedron passageways according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 35B] FIG. 10 is a top view of a contaminant collector with collection through-holes defining truncated tetrahedron passages according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 36A] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a contaminant collector with collection through-holes defining a frusto-conical passageway according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 36B] FIG. 10 is a top view of a contaminant collector with collection through-holes defining a frusto-conical passageway according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 37A] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a contaminant collector with collection through-holes defining a truncated pyramidal passageway according to an aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 37B] FIG. 10 is a top view of a contaminant collector with collection through-holes defining a truncated pyramidal passageway according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 38] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a contaminant collector with a collection through-hole and a measurement system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0065] Aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0066] An exemplary device for removing particles from a substrate and transferring them to a patch is described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, 3, 4, and 5. FIGS. 1A through 1C show cross-sectional views of a portion of a debris removal device 1 during a series of surface interactions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The diagrams show a series of possible surface interactions (moving from left to right) that can selectively attach particles 2 from a substrate 3 and transfer them to a soft patch 4. In FIG. 1A, particles 2 contaminate a (relatively) high surface energy substrate 3, thereby decreasing its surface energy and increasing entropy in the overall system. Next, in FIG. 1B, a tip 5 with a diffusively mobile, low surface energy coating is caused to coat and delaminate the (also relatively) high surface energy substrate 3 and particles 2. The loss of the low surface energy material subsequently increases the surface energy of the tip 5 slightly (approaching its normal, uncoated value), allowing an energy gradient to exist for the attachment of the delaminated particles 2 to the tip's surface 6 (and materials such as fluorocarbons generally have good bonding strength). These interactions should also increase the entropy of the system, especially if the tip surface 6 is cleaner than the substrate. Finally, in Figure 1C, the particle 2 is mechanically packed into the soft patch material 4, and this mechanical action also recoats the tip surface 6 with a low surface energy material, thereby decreasing the energy and increasing the entropy of the system.

[0067] 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a debris removal device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 10 includes a nanoscale tip 12 positioned adjacent to a patch or reservoir 13 of low surface energy material. The low surface energy material in the reservoir can be solid, liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid.

[0068] A coating 16 is formed on the tip 12. Prior to forming the coating 16, the tip 12 may be pre-coated or surface treated to alter the surface energy of the tip 12 (e.g., to modify capillary, wettability, and / or surface tension behavior). When properly selected, the coating 16 allows the tip 12 to remain sharp for a longer period of time than an uncoated tip. For example, a PTFE-coated diamond tip may have a longer operating life than an uncoated diamond tip.

[0069] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, coating 16 can include the same low surface energy material found in patch or reservoir 14 of low energy material. Also, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure, tip 12 can be in direct contact with patch or reservoir 14 of low energy material, and coating 16 can be formed (or replenished) on the surface of tip 12 by rubbing or contacting tip 12 against patch or reservoir 14 of low energy material. Furthermore, rubbing tip 12 and / or scratching pad 14 against patch or reservoir 14 of low energy material can enhance the surface spreading of the low surface energy material across the surface of tip 12.

[0070] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, both the coating 16 and the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material 14 can be made of, or at least include, chlorinated and fluorinated carbon-containing molecules such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or other similar materials such as fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an intermediate layer 15 of a metallic material, oxide, metal oxide, or any other high-surface-energy material can be disposed between the surface of the chip 12 and the low-surface-energy material coating 16. Representative examples of intermediate layers can include, but are not limited to, cesium (Cs), iridium (Ir), and their oxides (as well as chlorides, fluorides, etc.). These two exemplary elemental metals are relatively soft metals with low and high surface energies, respectively, and therefore exhibit optimal surface energy gradient optimization for a given contaminant, substrate, and ambient environment. Additionally or alternatively, the surface of the chip 12 can be roughened or doped. High surface energy material or tip treatments generally act to more strongly adhere the low surface energy material coating 16 to the tip 12. Because tip geometry also affects local surface energy density (i.e., nanoscale sharpness results in a large increase in surface energy density right at the tip), the geometry of the tip 12 can also be modified to increase the selective adhesion of particles to the tip. Roughening the tip surface 13 of the tip 12 can also result in greater adhesion due to an increased surface area (dA) of contact with particles and more potential binding sites. The tip surface 13 can also be treated (possibly by chemical or plasma processes) to contain highly unstable, chemically active dangling bonds that can react with particles or some intermediate coatings to increase adhesion. The tip surface 13 can also be coated with a high surface area material, such as high density carbon (HDC) or diamond-like carbon (DLC), to increase the surface area of ​​the tip 12 for particle interaction.

[0071] High surface energy pretreatment is utilized without the low surface energy coating 16 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In such embodiments, particles 20, discussed below, can be embedded in any other soft target (e.g., gold, aluminum) using methods similar to those discussed herein, or the tip 12 can be consumable. Additionally, other physical and / or environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, chemistry, humidity) can be modified to enhance tip processing and / or particle pickup / drop-off, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure.

[0072] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, all of the components shown in Figures 2 and 3 are included in the AFM. In some such configurations, the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material is substantially flat and is attached to a stage that supports the substrate 18. Also, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material may be removable from the stage, allowing it to be easily replaced or easily refilled. For example, the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material may be secured to the AFM using an easily removable clamp or magnetic mount (not shown).

[0073] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of another portion of the debris removal device 10 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows a substrate 18, which may typically be positioned adjacent to the patch or reservoir of low-energy material 14 shown in FIG. 2. Also shown in FIG. 3 are a plurality of particles 20, which may reside in a trench 22 formed in the surface of the substrate 18. The particles 20 typically adhere to the surface of the trench 22 by van der Waals short-range forces. In FIG. 3, the tip 12 is moved and positioned adjacent to the substrate 18, allowing the particles 20 to physically adhere to the tip 12. To reach the bottom of the trench 22, the tip 12, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, may be a high aspect ratio tip. While the trench 22 is shown in FIG. 3, the particles 20 may be attached to or found on another structure to be cleaned.

[0074] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the debris removal device 10 shown in Figure 2, where particles 20 can be transferred from the tip 12 and embedded in the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material by extending the tip 12 into or against the surface of the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material. The tip 12 can then be retracted so that it is no longer in contact with the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 5. When the tip 12 is retracted or withdrawn from the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material, the particles 20 that were previously on the tip 12 remain with the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material.

[0075] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the device 10 shown in Figures 2-5 can be utilized to perform debris removal methods. It should be noted that certain embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in conjunction with other particle cleaning processes prior to or following the methods discussed herein. It should also be noted that the terms particle, debris, or contaminant can be used interchangeably to describe foreign matter on a substrate surface. It should also be noted that while only one tip 12 is discussed and illustrated, multiple tips may be used simultaneously to remove particles from multiple structures simultaneously. Furthermore, multiple tips may be used in parallel and simultaneously in the methods discussed herein.

[0076] The debris removal method described above may include positioning the tip 12 adjacent to one or more of the particles 20 (i.e., pieces of debris) shown residing on the substrate 18 in Figure 3. The method may further include physically attaching (rather than electrostatically attaching) the particles 20 to the tip 12, as also shown in Figure 3, along with any possible repeated movement of the tip 12 upon contact with the particle(s) 20 and the surrounding surface. After physical attachment of the particles 20 to the tip 12, the method may include removing the particles 20 from the substrate 18 by moving and / or withdrawing the tip 12 away from the substrate 18 and moving the tip 12, along with the particles 20, to a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material, as shown in Figure 4.

[0077] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the method can include forming a coating 16 on at least a portion of the chip 12. According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the coating 16 can include a coating material having a surface energy that is lower than the surface energy of the substrate 18. Additionally or alternatively, the coating 16 can include a coating material having a surface area that is greater than the surface area of ​​the particles 20 in contact with the substrate 18.

[0078] In addition to the above, some embodiments of the method may further include moving tip 12 to at least a second position on substrate 18 such that tip 12 is adjacent to a particle or another piece of debris (not shown) such that the particle or another piece of debris physically adheres to tip 12. The particle or another piece of debris may then be removed from substrate 18 by moving tip 12 away from substrate 18 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG.

[0079] Once debris (e.g., particles 20 described above) has been removed from the substrate 18, some methods according to the present disclosure may include depositing pieces of the debris onto a piece of material (e.g., a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material described above) positioned away from the substrate.

[0080] Because the tip 12 can be used repeatedly to remove large amounts of debris, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the method can include replenishing the coating 16 by forcing the tip 12 into the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material. The low surface energy material from the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material can coat any holes or gaps that may develop in the coating 16 of the tip 12 over time. This replenishing step can involve one or more of the following steps after forcing the tip 12 into the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material: moving the tip 12 laterally within the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material; rubbing the surface of the tip 12; or altering a physical parameter (e.g., temperature) of the tip 12 and / or the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material.

[0081] It should be noted that certain methods according to the present disclosure may include exposing a small area around the defect or particle to a low-surface energy material prior to repair to reduce the likelihood that the removed material will agglomerate and reattach strongly to the substrate after the repair is complete. For example, the defect / particle and an approximately 1-2 micron area around the defect can be pre-coated with PTFE or FEP in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. In such cases, a tip 12 coated or configured with a low-surface energy material (e.g., a PTFE or FEP tip) can be used to apply a significant amount of low-surface energy material to the repair area even when other repair tools (laser, electron beam) are in use. In addition to the coating 16 on the tip 12, some or all of the tip 12 may include a low-energy material, such as, but not limited to, chlorinated and fluorinated carbon-containing molecules. Examples of such materials include PTFE or FEP. Additionally or alternatively, other materials, such as metals and their compounds, may be used. Some representative examples include Cs, Ir, and their oxides (as well as chlorides, fluorides, etc.). These two exemplary elemental metals are relatively soft metals with low and high surface energies, respectively, and therefore offer optimal surface energy gradient optimization for a given contaminant, substrate, and ambient environment. Additionally or alternatively, other carbon-based compounds may be used. Some representative examples include HDC or DLC.

[0082] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the method includes using a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material to push particles 20 from the tip of the tip 12 toward an AFM cantilever arm (not shown) that supports the tip 12 above the tip. This pushing of particles 20 frees up space near the tip of the tip 12 to allow more particles 20 to physically attach.

[0083] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the tip 12 is used to remove nano-engineered debris from high aspect ratio structures, such as trenches 22 in a substrate 18, by alternately dipping, inserting, and / or indenting the tip 12 into a palette of soft material that can be found in a patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material. In selected embodiments, the soft material of the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material can have a soft or malleable consistency. This soft material can generally have better adhesion to the tip 12 and / or debris material (e.g., in particles 20) than to itself. The soft material can also be selected to have polar properties that electrostatically attract the nano-engineered debris particles 20 to the tip 12. For example, the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material can include a mobile surfactant.

[0084] In addition to the above, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the tip 12 can include one or more dielectric surfaces (i.e., electrically insulating surfaces). These surfaces can be rubbed against a similar dielectric surface under certain environmental conditions (e.g., low humidity) to enable particle pickup due to electrostatic surface charging. Also, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the coating 16 can adsorb particles by any other short-range mechanism, which can include, but is not limited to, hydrogen bonding, chemical reaction, and enhanced surface diffusion.

[0085] 6-11, exemplary embodiments of debris removal tips are described. Any tip that is strong and rigid enough to penetrate (i.e., dent) the soft pallet material of the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material can be used. Thus, very high aspect ratio tip geometries (greater than 1:1) are within the scope of this disclosure. Strong, flexible, high aspect ratio tips are generally selected over weaker and / or less flexible tips, provided the tip is rigid enough to penetrate soft (and potentially sticky) materials. Thus, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the tip can rub against the sides and corners of the repair trench 22 in the substrate 18 without damaging or altering the trench 22 or the substrate 18. A rough macroscale analog of this operation is a rigid bristles moving within a deep bore. It should be noted that, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, as described in more detail below, the chip 12 can comprise a plurality of stiff or rigid nanofibril bristles. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, each bristle of the plurality of stiff or rigid nanofibril bristles 30 can extend linearly from the chip 12. In one embodiment, the plurality of stiff or rigid nanofibril bristles 30 can be formed of carbon nanotubes, metal whiskers, or the like. Additionally or alternatively, as described in more detail below, the chip 12 can comprise a plurality of flexible or wrapped nanofibrils. The plurality of flexible or wrapped nanofibrils can be formed on the chip 12 using, for example, a polymeric material. Of course, other materials and structures are contemplated.

[0086] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, detecting whether one or more particles have been picked up can be performed by detecting the particles using a nanocontact AFM scan of a region of interest (ROI). The tip 12 can then be retracted from the substrate 18 without rescanning until post-processing at the target. However, the total mass of debris material picked up by the tip 12 can also be monitored by the relative shift in the tip's resonant frequency. Additionally, other dynamics may be used for the same function.

[0087] Instead of forming a depression in a soft material to remove particles 20 as described above and shown in Figure 5, the tip 12 can be guided into a patch or reservoir 14 of low energy material to remove particles 20. Thus, if the tip unintentionally picks up a particle 20, the particle 20 can be removed by performing another repair. In particular, if a different material is used to deposit particles 20 by guidance, a soft metal such as gold foil can be utilized.

[0088] In addition to the above, ultraviolet (UV) light curable materials, or other materials similarly susceptible to irreversible chemical reactions, can be used to coat the tip 12 and form the coating 16. Prior to UV curing, the material picks up particles 20 from the substrate 18. Once the tip 12 is removed from the substrate 18, it can be exposed to a UV light source, which changes the material properties to reduce the adhesion of the particles 20 to the tip 12 and increase their adhesion to the material in the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material, after which the particles 20 can be removed from the tip 12 and deposited with the patch or reservoir 14 of low-energy material. Of course, other irreversible processes that enhance or enable selectivity in particle pickup and removal are also contemplated.

[0089] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure offer various advantages. For example, certain embodiments of the present disclosure enable active debris removal from high-aspect trench structures using extremely high-aspect AFM tip geometries (greater than 1:1). Also, certain embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented relatively easily by attaching a low-surface-energy or soft-material palette to the AFM, in addition to using extremely high-aspect tips and making relatively minor adjustments to software repair sequences currently used by AFM operators. Furthermore, certain embodiments of the present disclosure enable the implementation of novel nanofabrication tools (such as nanotweezers) that can be used to selectively remove particles from the surface of a mask that cannot be cleaned by any other method. This can be combined with more traditional repair, where debris is first removed from the surface with an uncoated tip and then picked up with a coated tip.

[0090] It should be noted that while low surface energy materials are generally used in the topical cleaning methods described above, other possible variations are also within the scope of this disclosure. Typically, these variations create a surface energy gradient (i.e., a Gibbs free energy gradient) that attracts particles 20 to tip 12, which can then be reversed by some other process to release particles 20 from tip 12.

[0091] One aspect of the present disclosure involves the attachment of at least one nanofibril to the working end of an AFM tip to improve capabilities within high-aspect structures while simultaneously enabling processes that are less mechanically aggressive to the underlying substrate. These fibrils can be categorized under two different labels, "rigid" fibrils and "wrapped" fibrils, depending on their mechanical properties and application toward nanoparticle cleaning. To understand this difference, Figures 7A and 7B show these two types of fibrils: a rigid fibril 700 attached to tip 710 and a wrapped fibril 750 attached to tip 760. Furthermore, two key processes required in BitClean particle cleaning must first be understood: nanoparticle retrieval, and the deposition and extraction of nanoparticles from contaminated surfaces. With respect to these defined critical steps, the functional differences between the two different fibrils are illustrated as follows:

[0092] With reference to FIG. 7A , rigid fibrils 700 rely more on the mechanical action and strength of the fibrils themselves to extract nanoparticles. Therefore, they also rely on shear and bending strength and modulus to achieve successful extraction without fracture. This means that few materials can exceed or match the strength and stiffness (typically referred to as hardness) of single-crystal diamond. Among these are carbon nanotubes and graphene, both of which utilize the carbon-carbon sp3 hybrid interatomic bond (one of the strongest known bonds) also found in diamond. Other contemplated materials include certain phases of boron-containing chemicals, which have properties that can potentially exceed the mechanical strength and stiffness of diamond. In general, many materials (including diamond) can become inherently stronger and stiffer as their dimensionality is degenerated (stiffness decreases as structures approach the atomic scale and their shape is dictated by thermal diffusion behavior). This is a material phenomenon first observed in nanocrystalline metals, but has also been confirmed in molecular simulations and some experiments involving single-crystal nanopillars. One leading hypothesis for this behavior is that it leads to a defect diffusion mechanism of plastic deformation. At larger scales, these crystal defects (vacancies, dislocations, etc.) diffuse and interact in a bulk-dominated kinetics. At smaller scales (all things being equal, such as material and temperature), the motion of these defects is thought to become dominated by surface-diffusion kinetics, which is much higher than in the bulk of the crystal. Within the continuum approximation, this high surface diffusion rate ultimately leads to plastic deformation (also known as yielding) and failure of the material at low stress levels. For example, for single-crystal nanopillars of Ti, the yield stress has been shown to increase with decreasing cross-sectional width up to a range of approximately 8–14 nm; below this range, the behavior undergoes an inflection point where the yield stress actually decreases with decreasing cross-sectional width.

[0093] 8A through 8C illustrate an exemplary process for retrieving and removing nanoparticles from a target substrate using a single rigid fibril 800 attached at or near the end of an AFM tip 810. The tip 810 approaches the surface and scans using the same principles as AFM scanning without the rigid fibril. Those skilled in the art will understand that different operational parameters are applicable considering a single rigid fibril attached to the end of the tip 810. Once the particle is located, the tip 810 is moved toward the surface 830, and the rigid fibril 800 elastically deforms as shown schematically in FIG. 8B. In one embodiment, the deformation of the rigid fibril 800 can be compressive, shear, bending, tensile, or a combination thereof, and can be used to mechanically retrieving the nanoparticles 820 from the surface 830. Once the nanoparticles 820 are removed, the differences in surface energy and area between the surfaces of the rigid fibrils 800, the substrate 840, and the nanoparticles 820 determine whether the nanoparticles 820 will adhere to the rigid fibrils 820 when later extracted from the substrate surface.

[0094] An exception to this, specific to rigid fibril nanoparticle cleaning processes, occurs when two or more rigid fibrils are firmly attached to the chip surface at a distance less than the nanoparticle diameter (but not less than the elastic deformation limit for the rigid fibrils, as determined by their shear and flexural moduli and length-to-width ratios), as shown in Figures 9A-9C. In embodiments where two or more rigid fibrils 900a, 900b are attached to the chip 910 at a distance less than the nanoparticle diameter, the sequence is very similar to that of a single rigid fibril, as described above with reference to Figures 8A-8C. The difference begins with the observation that there are more distorted or deformed rigid fibrils 900a, 900b around the nanoparticle 920, as shown schematically in Figure 9B, which increases the probability that one or more rigid fibrils 900a, 900b will impinge on the nanoparticle in the manner (force and angle of applied force) required to remove the nanoparticle 920 for a given cleaning scenario. After the removal step, the multifibril tip 910 can have more potential surface area for particles 920 to adhere to (i.e., wet). As the tip 910 retracts from the substrate, another difference emerges if the fibril lengths and spacings are within the correct range, as shown schematically in FIG. 9C. Nanoparticles 920 for this setup can become mechanically trapped within the spaces between the rigid nanofibrils 900 a, 900 b, which can result in increased adhesion to the multifibrils 900 a, 900 b and an increased probability of removing the nanoparticles 920 from the substrate surface 930. Similarly, if it is desired to deposit nanoparticles 920 on another surface, the tip 910 can be re-approached to the surface, again stressing the rigid fibrils 900 a, 900 b to loosen their mechanical grip on the nanoparticles 920, thereby increasing the probability that the nanoparticles 920 will be deposited at the desired surface location.As noted above, this assumes that the length and spacing of fibrils 900a, 900b are within reasonable ranges, and in a first-order model, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure, these ranges include fibril spacings that are smaller than the minimum width of nanoparticle 920 (assuming a rigid nanoparticle that will not crumble), but large enough so that fibrils 900a, 900b do not bend beyond their shear and bending strength limits (which are also determined by the relative lengths of the fibrils, and assume the adhesive strength of the fibril attachments is less than this limit). In selected embodiments, the two or more rigid fibrils can have various unequal lengths.

[0095] To define what a stiff fibril is (as opposed to a wrapped fibril), one must be able to determine an anisotropic spring constant (related to the effective shear and flexural moduli) for a particular material and nanostructure. Because this is extremely difficult to do in practice, we assume herein that these properties are roughly proportional to the tensile (also known as Young's) modulus and strength. The tensile modulus is a viable measure of a material's stiffness within the stress range over which it exhibits elastic (i.e., spring-like) mechanical properties. It is given by stress divided by strain and therefore has the same units as stress (since strain is defined as the ratio of deformation of the final dimension to the initial dimension). While the tensile modulus does not specifically define stiffness, tensile strength is also important, since the fibril must be able to apply enough force to remove the nanoparticles without breaking and creating additional contamination on the substrate surface. Strength is also given in units of stress (Pascals). With respect to diamond, its intrinsic tensile modulus is approximately 1.22 terapascals (TPa), with a tensile strength ranging from 8.7 to 16.5 gigapascals (GPa), providing a general reference measure for stiffness and strength herein (within or exceeding the value for tungsten, which has a tensile modulus of 0.5 TPa). Because carbon nanotubes, by their nature, are not intrinsic entities, these tensile moduli are specific to the individual molecule and its properties (e.g., single-walled or multi-walled, SWNT or MWNT, respectively, chirality, etc.). With respect to SWNTs, their tensile modulus can range from 1 to 5 TPa, and their tensile strength can range from 13 to 53 GPa. For comparison with other classes of materials in this range, B x N y Boron nitride compounds (of various stoichiometric compositions) have tensile moduli ranging from 0.4 to 0.9 TPa. To distinguish and demarcate wound fibrils from rigid fibrils, the most relevant and applicable standard mechanical material property is the yield stress. Rigid fibrils have a yield stress of 0.5 GPa (1 GPa = 1 x 10 9 N / m 2) or greater. Thus, by process of elimination, any material with a yield stress less than 0.5 GPa would be considered a wound fibril. It is important to note that many materials, especially at the nanoscale, can exhibit anisotropic mechanical properties, and thus yield stress is defined as the shear stress (or equivalent bending stress) across the major (i.e., longest) dimension of the fibril.

[0096] In contrast to rigid fibrils, wrapped fibrils have a significantly smaller spring constant along with a sufficiently high (equivalent) tensile strength. In the case of wrapped fibrils, tensile strength is directly related to their performance, since tensile force is applied to remove and extract nanoparticles from the substrate surface due to differences in application methods. However, it should be noted that most mechanical properties cited in the literature are, in principle, for bulk materials, which are almost completely unrelated to the tensile properties of single-molecule fibrils (or nanoscale fibrils approaching the single-molecule scale). For example, PTFE is typically cited as having extremely low tensile modulus and strength in bulk (0.5 GPa and sometimes << 20 MPa, respectively), but because the molecular backbone is composed of carbon-carbon sp hybrid orbital chemical bonds, its single-molecule tensile strength should be comparable to that of diamond, rather than many other materials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene (all of which contain this type of chemical bond). The mechanical properties of bulk materials are more related to the action of a single molecular chain interacting with its neighbors, and therefore should be comparable to both the bending and shear moduli of a cohesive single molecule. Because these types of materials (polymers) exemplify mechanical properties associated with plastic deformation, these molecules are expected to deform according to a more diffusive thermal behavior that exhibits high flexibility. If a macroscopic example for a rigid fibril is a strip of glass, the equivalent example for a wound fibril would be a thin carbon fiber (the latter appears to have high flexibility on the macroscale along with high tensile strength).

[0097] 10A-10C illustrate a nanoparticle cleaning sequence using a wrapped (flexible) nanofibril 1000 attached near or at its tip to an AFM tip 1010, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Because there is no compressive stress required to deform the wrapped fibril 1000, the tip 1010 is brought into close proximity to the surface 1030 to bring the fibril 1000 close enough to the nanoparticle surface that short-range surface energy forces allow the fibril 1000 to adhere to the nanoparticle surface. Because the relative surface energies of the fibril 1000, nanoparticle 1020, and substrate surface 1030 are targeted so that the fibril preferentially adheres to the nanoparticle surface, once the fibril 1000 is in contact with sufficient slack to account for the fibril length, only time and applied agitation energy (possibly mechanical and / or thermal energy) are required to allow the fibril 1000 to wrap around the particle 1020. Mechanical energy from a more rigid tip (whether by the tip 1010 to which the fibril 1000 is attached or by another tip from a previous processing pass) can be applied to first remove the particle 1120. Once the fibril 1000 has sufficiently wrapped around the nanoparticle 1020, the tip 1010 then retracts from the substrate surface 1030, as shown schematically in FIG. 10. During this stage, if the adhesion of the fibril 1000 to the nanoparticle 1020 (which becomes stronger as it wraps around and entangles the nanoparticle), the tensile strength of the fibril 1000, and its adhesion to the AFM tip 1010 are all greater than the adhesion of the nanoparticle 1020 to the substrate 1040, the nanoparticle 1020 will retract from the substrate 1040, as shown schematically in FIG. 10C.

[0098] Some examples of possible materials that can be used to create nano- (or molecular-) scale wrapped fibrils include RNA / DNA, actin, amyloid nanostructures, and ionomers. RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) are discussed together because they exhibit similar chemical properties, preparation, and processing. Significant advances have been made in recent years in a technique colloquially known as "DNA origami," which allows for precise chemical engineering of how DNA molecules are attached. Similar processes applied to these or similar chemistries are believed to allow long polymer chains to be detached and attached in arrays. Considering the most common process, a specific DNA sequence would be chemically generated or commercially obtained from a known single-stranded viral DNA sequence, and an appropriately chemically functionalized AFM tip 1110 (as in the practice of chemical force microscopy) would be immersed in an aqueous solution containing the DNA sequence or brought into AFM contact with a surface, allowing the DNA sequence to bind as designed. The tip 1110 can then be functionalized for particle removal from the substrate surface 1130, as shown in Figures 11A-11D. Moving from left to right in the figure, the functionalized tip 1110 can be moved or actuated into close proximity (closer than the length of the DNA strand 1100) with the particle 1120 and the substrate surface 1130, as shown in Figure 11A. While the tip 1110 is in close proximity to the removed particle 1120, as shown in Figure 11B, a higher temperature (perhaps ∼90°C) can be applied with activation chemistry (either commercially available helper DNA strands or some other ionic activator such as magnesium salts). The environment can then be cooled (perhaps to ∼20°C), and the target sequence in the strand 1100 can be bound (the bound strand 1100 is at the free end of the molecule), as shown in Figure 11C. Once the DNA coating 1100 solidifies to the point where the nanoparticles 1120 are securely attached, the tip 1110 can be extracted from the substrate surface 1130, as shown in Figure 1 ID. At these small scales, this bond between the nanoparticles and the tip can be described as mechanical, but when the particles are on the molecular scale, it can also be described as a steric bond. Steric effects can be generated by the repulsive forces of atoms in sufficiently close proximity.If an atom or molecule is surrounded by atoms in all possible directions of diffusion, it will be effectively trapped and unable to chemically or physically interact with any other atoms or molecules in its surroundings. As will be understood by those of skill in the art in light of the present disclosure, RNA can be similarly engineered.

[0099] The next viable candidate for wound nanofibrils is a family of similar globular multifunctional proteins that form filaments in eukaryotic cells, one of which is known as actin. Actin is used inside cells for framework formation, anchoring, mechanical support, and binding, making it a highly adaptable and sufficiently robust protein filament. Actin will be applied and used in a manner very similar to the DNA origami-related process described above. Experiments have shown that this protein can be crystallized into molecules measuring 6.7 x 4.0 x 3.7 nm.

[0100] Studies of the mechanisms by which certain marine organisms (e.g., barnacles, algae, and marine flatworms) can bind tightly to a wide range of substrate materials, either biomimetic or directly, provide additional potential candidates for wrapped fibrils. These marine organisms secrete a substance commonly referred to by the acronym DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), which binds to these substrate surfaces in functional amyloid nanostructures. The adhesive properties of amyloid molecules result from β-strands oriented perpendicular to the fibril axis and connected through a dense network of hydrogen bonds. This network results in supramolecular β-sheets that often extend continuously across thousands of molecular units. Such fibrillar nanostructures have several advantages, including underwater adhesion, resistance to environmental degradation, self-repair through self-polymerization, and a large fibril surface area. As previously discussed, the large fibril surface area enhances adhesion by increasing the contact area of ​​the barnacle's adhesive plaque. Amyloid nanostructures also possess potential mechanical advantages, such as the cohesive strength associated with the universal amyloid intermolecular β-sheet structure and the adhesive strength associated with adhesive residues external to the amyloid core. These properties make amyloid structures the basis for a promising new generation of bioinspired adhesives for a wide range of applications. Advances in the use of molecular self-assembly have enabled the generation of synthetic amyloid and amyloid-like adhesives for nanotechnology applications, but fully rational designs have yet to be demonstrated experimentally, due in part to limitations in understanding the underlying biological design principles.

[0101] A final example of a wound fibril material is a class of polymers known as ionomers. Briefly, these are long thermoplastic polymers that tightly bind to targeted ionic charge sites along their molecular chains. A common example of an ionomer chemical structure is poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid). According to one aspect of the present disclosure, ionomers can be functionalized onto the surface of scanning thermal probes. In this case, the process for washing nanoparticles is very similar to that shown for the DNA origami process described above, except that an aqueous environment is not necessarily required, especially when used with scanning thermal probes. Ionomer-functionalized coatings can also be paired with ionic surfactants for preferential covalent bonding in aqueous (or similar solvent) environments. It should be noted that these examples (especially DNA / RNA and actin) are highly biocompatible for the removal and manipulation of nanoparticulate entities within biological structures such as cells.

[0102] For example, one variation that can be used involves using a high surface energy tip coating. Another variation involves pretreating the particles with a low surface energy material to release the particles, and then contacting the particles with a high surface energy tip coating (possibly on a different tip). Yet another variation involves utilizing a chemical energy gradient that corresponds to a chemical reaction occurring between the tip surface coating and the particle surface to bond the two. This can be carried out until the tip is exhausted, or reversed in any other process.

[0103] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, adhesive or tacky coatings are used in combination with one or more of the above factors, and surface roughness or small-scale (e.g., nanoscale) texture can be designed to maximize particle cleaning process efficiency.

[0104] In addition to the above, mechanical bonding can be used when the tip 12 includes fibrils that are typically similar to a mop and can mechanically entangle particles 20. Mechanical entanglement according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure is driven and / or reinforced by surface energy or chemical changes in response to contact or the environment.

[0105] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the tip 12 can be coated with molecular tweezers (i.e., molecular clips). These tweezers can include acyclic compounds with open cavities to which guests (e.g., the particles 20 described above) can bind. The open cavities of the tweezers typically bind guests using non-covalent bonds, including hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, π-π interactions, and / or electrostatic effects. These tweezers can be similar to macrocycle receptors, except that the two arms that bind the guest molecules are typically connected at only one end.

[0106] In addition to the above, particles 20 can be removed by the tip using diffusion bonding or the Casimir effect. Also, as in the embodiment of the present disclosure shown in Figure 6, bristles or fibrils 30 can be attached to the end of the tip 12. Whether strategically or randomly placed, these bristles or fibrils 30 can enhance local cleanliness in several ways. For example, the associated increased surface area can be utilized for surface (near-field) bonding to particles.

[0107] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, fibrils 30 are designed to be molecules that selectively (e.g., by either the surface or the environment) wrap around and entangle particles 20, maximizing surface contact. Also, typically, particle 20 removal occurs according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure when rigid bristles 30 are attached to the tip 12. However, fibrils 30 can also entangle particles 20, mechanically removing particles 20 by pulling on them. In contrast, relatively stiff bristles 30 can typically extend into crevices that are difficult for the tip 12 to reach. In this case, particle 20 removal occurs through impact deformation stress of the bristles 30, surface modification of the tip 12 to repel particles 20, or some combination. Furthermore, certain embodiments of the present disclosure mechanically bond particles 20 to the tip 12. When fibrils are on the tip 12, entanglement of the entire fibril or one or more worn fibrils may occur. When the bristles are on the tip 12, the particles 20 can be wedged between the (elastically) stressed bristles.

[0108] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of debris removal includes modifying the environment to facilitate localized cleaning. For example, a gaseous or liquid medium can be introduced, or chemical and / or physical properties (e.g., pressure, temperature, and humidity) can be changed.

[0109] In addition to the components described above, certain aspects of the present disclosure include an image recognition system that identifies debris to be removed. As such, an automated debris removal device is also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0110] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, a relatively soft cleaning tip is used to avoid undesired damage to the interior contours, walls, and / or bottom of complex shapes, and where appropriate, scanning speed is increased while using a stronger force to bring the relatively soft tip into much stronger contact with the surface.

[0111] It should also be noted that tips exposed to and / or coated with low surface energy materials can be used for purposes other than debris removal (cleaning) of nanostructures. For example, such tips can also be used, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure, to periodically lubricate micron-level or submicron devices (such as MEMS / NEMS) to inhibit chemical reactions.

[0112] The method can be performed in a variety of environments depending on the requirements of the application and to further enhance the differential adhesion of particles from the substrate surface to the patch or reservoir of low energy material. These environments can include, but are not limited to, vacuum, shielding gases of various compositions and pressures, and fluids of variable composition (including fluids of varying ionic strength and / or pH).

[0113] Because there are many other factors that affect the Gibbs free energy gradient between the substrate, tip, debris, and soft patch, these other factors can also be manipulated to create a downhill gradient for particle migration from the substrate to the soft patch. One factor is temperature. A scanning heat probe can be used in conjunction with the temperature of the substrate and soft patch material to create the desired gradient. The basic equation for Gibbs free energy indicates that if the debris continuously contacts surfaces with higher relative temperatures (because the T*S term in the equation is negative), it can provide a possible driving force of ΔG<0. Furthermore, the equation for ΔG for a deformed rod at high temperature suggests that another factor is the stress applied to the tip, which potentially increases the adhesion of the debris. This can be achieved by external hardware (i.e., biomaterial strips with different thermal expansion coefficients) or by compression or shear relative to the substrate below the threshold for nanofabrication or tip breakage. Deformation of the tip material can also provide a mechanism for mechanical debris capture, especially if it is roughened (or covered with nanobristles) and / or has a high density of microstructural defects (i.e., voids) on the surface. The final factor to consider is chemical potential energy. It is possible to alter the chemical state of the tip and / or soft patch surface to generate preferential chemical reactions for binding the debris material to the tip. These chemical bonds can be covalent or ionic in nature (with sp3 hybrid orbital covalent bonds being the strongest). The debris can be coated with one component of a targeted lock-and-key chemical bond pair. The tip (or another tip) can be coated with another chemical and brought into contact with the debris surface to bind the debris to the tip. One non-limiting example of a lock-and-key chemical pair is streptavidin and biotin, which are often used in chemical force microscopy (CFM) experiments. Another example using ionic bonding would be the polar molecular chemistry of two surfactants, where the exposed polar ends of the molecules on the debris and chip surface are oppositely charged.Additional related aspects exist in surface chemical interaction attachment mechanisms, including deficient solvation and steric interaction coatings or surfaces. Chemical changes to the chip surface will also enable targeted changes to surface energy and phase changes (particularly fluid to solid) that can surround and mechanically trap debris at the chip surface (to maximize surface area dA) for binding. These chemical changes (whether to the chip surface or intermediate coatings) can be catalyzed by external energy sources such as heat (temperature), ultraviolet light, and charged particle beams.

[0114] 12-38, exemplary embodiments of a debris detection and collection system will be described. FIG. 12 illustrates a perspective view of a debris collection apparatus 100 for extracting debris 20 from a substrate 18 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 100 includes a substrate support assembly 102 and a tip support assembly 104, each supported by or coupled to a base 106. The base 106 can be a monolithic slab, such as a monolithic metal slab, a monolithic stone slab, a monolithic concrete slab, or other monolithic slab structure known in the art. Alternatively, the base 106 can include multiple slabs secured together. The multiple slabs can include metal slabs, stone slabs, concrete slabs, combinations thereof, or any other slab assembly known in the art. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the base 106 can be a monolithic stone slab, such as a monolithic granite slab or a monolithic marble slab.

[0115] The substrate support assembly 102 may include a fixture 108 configured to support the substrate 18, secure the substrate 18 to the substrate support assembly 102, or both. The substrate support assembly 102 may further include a substrate stage assembly 110 configured to move the fixture 108 relative to the base 106. The substrate stage assembly 110 may include one or more motion stages, such as a linear translation stage, a rotational translation stage, a combination thereof, or any other motion stage known in the art. For example, the substrate stage assembly 110 may be configured to move the fixture 108 relative to the base 106 in a translation along an x-direction 112, a translation along a y-direction 114, a translation along a z-direction 116, a rotation about the x-direction 112, a rotation about the y-direction 114, a rotation about the z-direction 116, or any combination thereof. It will be understood that the x-direction 112, the y-direction 114, and the z-direction 116 can be orthogonal to one another, but it is not necessary that the x-direction 112, the y-direction 114, and the z-direction 116 be orthogonal to one another.

[0116] The one or more motion stages of the substrate stage assembly 110 may include one or more actuators 118 configured to provide the desired relative movement between the fixture 108 and the base 106. For example, the one or more actuators 118 may include a rotary motor coupled to the substrate stage assembly 110 via a threaded rod or worm gear, a servo motor, a magnetic actuator configured to exert a force on the substrate stage assembly 110 via a magnetic field, a pneumatic or hydraulic piston coupled to the substrate stage assembly 110 via a piston rod, a piezoelectric actuator, or any other motion actuator known in the art. The one or more actuators 118 may be fixed to the base 106.

[0117] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the substrate stage assembly 110 may include a first stage 120 and a second stage 122, where the first stage 120 is configured to move the fixture 108 relative to the second stage 122 via a first actuator 124, and the second stage is configured to move the first stage 120 relative to the base via a second actuator 126. The first actuator 124 may be configured to translate the first stage 120 along the x-direction 112, and the second actuator 126 may be configured to translate the second stage 122 along the y-direction 114. However, it will be understood that the first stage 120 and the second stage 122 may be configured to translate along other axes or rotate about other axes relative to the base 106 to suit other applications.

[0118] The tip support assembly 104 may include a tip 12 coupled to a tip stage assembly 130 via a tip cantilever 132. The tip 12 may be a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, such as an AFM or scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip. It will be understood that the tip 12 shown in FIG. 12 may embody any of the tip structures or attributes described hereinabove. Thus, the tip stage assembly 130 may be an SPM scanner assembly. The tip stage assembly 130 may be fixed to the base 106 and configured to move the tip 12 relative to the base 106 in translation along the x-direction 112, translation along the y-direction 114, translation along the z-direction 116, rotation about the x-direction 112, rotation about the y-direction 114, rotation about the z-direction 116, or combinations thereof.

[0119] Similar to the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130 may include one or more actuators 134 that effect desired movement of the chip 12 relative to the base 106. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more actuators may include a rotational actuator system operably coupled to the chip 12 for rotating the chip 12 about a first axis. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more actuators 134 may include one or more piezoelectric actuators, although it will be understood that other actuator configurations may be utilized for the one or more actuators 134 to meet the needs of a particular application without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0120] The substrate stage assembly 110 can be configured to provide larger, less precise movements than those provided by the chip stage assembly 130. Thus, the substrate stage assembly 110 can be adjusted to provide coarse relative movements between the fixture 108 and the chip 12, and the chip stage assembly 130 can be adjusted to provide finer relative movements between the fixture 108 and the chip 12.

[0121] According to one embodiment, the apparatus 100 of FIG. 12 can include a first patch 142 disposed on the substrate support assembly 102, the base 106, or both. According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , the apparatus 100 can include a first patch 142 and a second patch 144 disposed on the substrate support assembly 102, the base 106, or both. The first patch 142, the second patch 144, or both, can embody any of the structure, materials, or attributes of the patch 14 described above. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second patch 144 can embody similar or identical structure and materials to those of the first patch 142, where the second patch 144 is primarily used to receive and hold debris 20 collected from the substrate 18 via the chip 12, and the first patch is primarily used to process or prepare the chip 12 for subsequent collection of debris 20 from the substrate 18. Alternatively, the second patch 144 may embody a different structure or material than the first patch 142, where the first patch 142 may be better adapted for processing the chip 12 prior to collection of the debris 20 from the substrate 18, and the second patch 144 may be better adapted to receive and hold the debris 20 collected from the substrate 18 via the chip 12 and disposed on the second patch 144.

[0122] In one embodiment, as will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 30-37, the second patch 144 may be configured as a collection pocket or collection through-hole for collecting debris or contaminants from the chip 12. However, either the first patch 142 or the second patch 144 may be used alone to process the chip 12 prior to collecting debris 20 from the substrate 18, and to use the chip 12 to hold the debris 20 collected from the substrate 18. As shown in Figure 13, the second patch 144 may be positioned or attached to the first stage opposite the first patch 142. However, the second patch 144 may be located adjacent to the first patch 142, or, when configured as a collection pocket or collection through-hole, may be located on any other location on the first stage 120 or on the debris collection apparatus 100 to facilitate debris capture.

[0123] According to aspects of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 14, any or all of the actuators 118 for the substrate stage assembly and the actuators 134 for the chip stage assembly from the debris collection apparatus 100 of Figures 12 or 13 can be operatively coupled to a controller 136 for control thereof. Thus, the controller 136 can effect relative movement between the fixture 108 and the base 106 and between the chip 12 and the base 106 by controlling the actuators 118, 134, respectively. Similarly, the controller 136 can effect relative movement between the chip 12 and the fixture 108 by controlling the actuators 118, 134.

[0124] Additionally, the controller 136 may effect relative movement between the fixture 108 and the base 106 in response to manual user input 138, pre-programmed procedures or algorithms in the memory 140 of the controller 136, a combination thereof, or any other control input known in the art. It will be appreciated that the pre-programmed control algorithms for the controller 136 may include closed-loop algorithms, open-loop algorithms, or both.

[0125] Figure 15 shows a perspective view of a debris collection and metrology apparatus 200 for extracting debris 10 from a substrate 18 and analyzing the properties of the debris 20, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris collection apparatus 100 of Figure 12, the debris collection and metrology apparatus 200 includes a substrate support assembly 102, a tip support assembly 104, and a base 106. However, the debris collection and metrology apparatus 200 further includes a metrology system 202. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metrology system 202 may be a nanoscale metrology system.

[0126] The measurement system 202 may include an energy source 204 and an energy detector 206. The energy source 204 may be an x-ray source, a visible light source, an infrared light source, an ultraviolet light source, an electron beam source, a laser source, combinations thereof, or any other electromagnetic energy source known in the art. It will be understood that the visible light source may include a visible laser, the infrared light source may include an infrared laser, and the ultraviolet light source may include an ultraviolet laser.

[0127] The energy source 204 can be oriented and aimed towards the tip 12 such that an incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204 is incident on the tip 12. At least a portion of the incident energy beam 208 may be reflected, refracted, or absorbed and re-emitted by the tip 12 or debris 20 disposed on the tip 12. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the energy source 204 can be an illumination source configured and arranged to direct incident illumination onto the tip 12, such as an SPM tip, and the energy detector 206 can be an illumination detector configured and arranged to receive sample illumination from the tip 12, where the sample illumination is generated as a result of the incident illumination being applied and reflected, refracted, or absorbed and re-emitted by the tip 12 or debris 20 disposed on the tip 12.

[0128] The energy detector 206 can also be oriented and aimed towards the tip 12 so that the sample energy beam 210 is incident on the energy detector 206. The sample energy beam 210 can include contributions from the incident energy beam 208 that is reflected, refracted, absorbed and re-emitted by the tip 12 or debris 20 disposed on the tip 12, and combinations thereof, or any other energy beam that may result from an interaction between the incident energy beam 208 and either the tip 12 or debris 20 disposed on the tip 12. Thus, the energy detector 206 can be a photodetector, such as, for example, a photomultiplier tube or photodiode, such as an x-ray detector, an electron beam detector, a combination thereof, or any other electromagnetic radiation detector known in the art.

[0129] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the energy source 204 includes an electron beam source and the energy detector 206 includes an X-ray detector. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the energy source 204 includes an X-ray source and the energy detector 206 includes an electron beam detector. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the energy source 204 includes a light source, including, but not limited to, visible light and infrared light.

[0130] The energy detector 206 can be configured to generate an output signal based on the intensity of the specimen energy beam 210, the frequency of the specimen energy beam 210, a combination thereof, or any other electromagnetic radiation characteristic of the specimen energy beam 210 known in the art. Further, according to aspects of the present disclosure, the energy detector 206 can be connected to a controller 136, as shown in FIG. 16 , such that the controller 136 receives the output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the specimen energy beam. Accordingly, as described later herein, the controller 136 can be configured to analyze the output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the specimen energy beam 210 to identify one or more material attributes of the chip 12 or the debris 20 disposed on the chip 12. Optionally, the energy source 204 can be operably coupled to the controller 136 of FIG. 16 , such that the controller 136 can control attributes of the incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204, such as, but not limited to, the intensity of the incident energy beam 208, the frequency of the incident energy beam 208, or both. In one embodiment, the direction of the energy source 204 , the sample energy beam 210 , and / or the energy detector 206 can be adjusted in response to the output signal from the energy detector 206 .

[0131] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the controller 136 can be operably coupled to an actuator system including one or more actuators 134 and an energy detector 206, where the controller 136 is configured to receive a first signal based on a first response of the energy detector to sample illumination, such as the sample energy beam 210, and to cause relative movement between the tip 12 and the at least one energy detector 206 via the one or more actuators 134 based on the first signal. In one aspect, the controller 136 can be configured to generate a first frequency-domain spectrum of the sample illumination based on the first response of the illumination detector to the sample illumination and to generate a second frequency-domain spectrum by subtracting a background frequency-domain spectrum from the first frequency-domain spectrum. In response to the second frequency-domain spectrum, the controller 136 can cause relative movement between the tip 12 and at least one of the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 via the one or more actuators 134. In one embodiment, the controller 136 can be further configured to generate a background frequency range based on a response of the energy detector 206 to the tip 12 when the tip 12 is free or substantially free of contaminants. In one embodiment, the controller 136 can be configured to receive a second signal based on a second response of the energy detector 206 to the sample illumination, and the controller 136 can be configured to cause relative movement between the tip 12 and at least one of the energy detector 206 and the energy source 204 via one or more actuators 134 based on a difference between the first signal and the second signal. In one embodiment, the controller 136 is configured to cause a predetermined amount of relative movement between the tip 12 and at least one of the energy detector 206 and the energy source 204 based on a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

[0132] 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B, it will be understood that Figures 17A and 18A show top views of a debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figures 17B and 18B show side views of a debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris collection and metrology apparatus 200 shown in Figures 15 and 16, respectively, the debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 may include a substrate support assembly 102, a tip support assembly 104, a base 106, and a metrology system 202. However, in the debris collection and metrology apparatus 250, the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 may each be oriented and aimed towards the patch 252 rather than the tip 12.

[0133] The patch 252 may embody any of the structures or attributes of the first patch 142 or the second patch 144 described above, or, as will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 30-37, the patch 252 may include or be configured as a collection pocket or collection through-hole for collecting debris or contaminants from the chip 12. Accordingly, the debris collection and metrology device 250 may be configured to use the metrology system 202 to analyze material properties of the patch 252, the debris 20 disposed on the patch 252, or a combination thereof.

[0134] Movement and / or adjustment of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both can be used to perform at least three processing steps using the debris collection and metrology system 250. During a first processing step, movement and / or adjustment of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both creates contact between the chip 12 and a substrate 18 disposed on the fixture 108, causing debris 20 to be transferred from the substrate 18 to the chip 12. During a second processing step, movement and / or adjustment of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both creates contact between the chip 12 and a patch 252, causing debris 20 to be transferred from the chip 12 to the patch 252. During the third processing procedure, operation and / or movement of the substrate stage assembly 110 orients and aims each of the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 onto the patch 252, such that the incident energy beam 208 from the energy source 204 is incident on the patch 252 and the sample energy beam 210 emitted from the patch 252 is incident on the energy detector 206.

[0135] 18A and 18B , the energy detector 206 can be connected to the controller 136, such that the controller 136 receives an output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam 210. Accordingly, as described later herein, the controller 136 can be configured to analyze the output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam 210 to identify one or more material attributes of the patch 252 or the debris 20 disposed on the patch 252. Optionally, the energy source 204 can be operably connected to the controller 136 of FIGS. 18A and 18B , such that the controller 136 can control attributes of the incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204, such as, but not limited to, the intensity of the incident energy beam 208, the frequency of the incident energy beam 208, or both. In one embodiment, the direction of the energy source 204, the sample energy beam 210, and / or the energy detector 206 can be adjusted in response to the output signal from the energy detector 206.

[0136] 19A, 19B, 20A, and 20B, Figures 19A and 20A show top views of a debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figures 19B and 20B show side views of the debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 of Figures 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B, the debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 can include a substrate support assembly 102, a tip support assembly 104, a base 106, a metrology system 202, an energy source, and an energy detector 206. The debris collection and metrology apparatus 250 of Figures 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B can further include a first patch 252 and a second patch 254. In one embodiment, the first patch 252 and the second patch 254 can be positioned on opposite sides of the substrate 18 and attached to a fixture 108. The energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 can each be directed and aimed toward at least one of the first patch 252 and the second patch 254. The first patch 252 and the second patch 254 can embody any of the structures or attributes described above. Additionally or alternatively, as described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 30-37 , the first patch 252 and the second patch 254 can include or be configured as a collection pocket or collection through-hole for collecting debris or contaminants from the chip 12. For example, the debris collection and metrology device 250, the energy source 204, and the energy detector 206 can each be directed toward the collection pocket or collection through-hole to analyze material properties of the debris or contaminants 20 collected in the collection pocket or collection through-hole using the metrology system 202.

[0137] Movement and / or adjustment of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, can be performed using at least three processing steps using the debris collection and metrology system 250. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, as described in further detail below, debris can be removed from the substrate 18 and collected using collection pockets or collection through-holes. The collection pockets or collection through-holes can be part of the first patch 252 and the second patch 254, or can be attached to or positioned at the location of the first patch 252 and the second patch 254.

[0138] During a first processing step, the movement and / or motion of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, creates contact between the chip 12 and a substrate 18 disposed on the fixture 108, causing debris 20 to be transferred from the substrate 18 to the chip 12. During a second processing step, the movement and / or motion of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, creates contact between the chip 12 and a collection pocket or collection through-hole in the first patch 252, thereby transferring debris 20 from the chip 12 to the collection pocket or collection through-hole in the first patch 252. In one aspect, the movement and / or motion of the chip 12 relative to the collection pocket or collection through-hole in the first patch 252 can follow a predetermined trajectory, as described in further detail below in connection with Figures 33 and 34. During the third processing procedure, operation and / or movement of the substrate stage assembly 110 orients and aims each of the energy source 204 and the energy detector 206 over the recovery through-hole of the first patch 252, such that the incident energy beam 208 from the energy source 204 is incident on the patch 252 and the sample energy beam 210 emitted from the patch 252 is incident on the energy detector 206.

[0139] 20A and 20B , the energy detector 206 can be coupled to the controller 136, such that the controller 136 receives an output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam 210. The controller 136 can be configured to analyze the output signal from the energy detector 206 in response to the sample energy beam 210 and identify one or more material attributes of the collection pocket or collection through-hole of the first patch 252 or the debris disposed on the collection pocket or collection through-hole of the first patch 252. Optionally, the energy source 204 can be operably connected to the controller 136 of FIGS. 20A and 20B , such that the controller 136 can control attributes of the incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204, such as, but not limited to, the intensity of the incident energy beam 208, the frequency of the incident energy beam 208, or both. In one embodiment, the direction of the energy source 204, the sample energy beam 210, and / or the energy detector 206 can be adjusted in response to the output signal from the energy detector 206.

[0140] 21A and 21B, it will be understood that FIG. 21A illustrates a top view of a debris collection and metrology apparatus 260 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 21B illustrates a side view of the debris collection and metrology apparatus 260 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to the debris collection and metrology apparatuses 200 and 250 shown in FIGS. 15-20, the debris collection and metrology apparatus 260 may include a substrate support assembly 102, a tip support assembly 104, and a base 106, and a metrology system 202. However, in the debris collection and metrology apparatus 260, the tip support assembly 104 further includes a robot 262.

[0141] The robot 262 can include a motor 264 and a robot arm 266. A proximal end of the robot arm 266 can be operably coupled to the base 106 via the motor 264, and the tip stage assembly 130 can be operably coupled to a distal end of the robot arm 266, such that operation of the motor 264 results in relative movement between the tip 12 and the base 106. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, operation of the motor 264 results in rotational movement of the tip 12 about a rotation axis 268 of the robot 262 relative to the base 106.

[0142] The metrology system 202 includes the patch 252 and may include a metrology stage assembly 270 for supporting the patch 252. Alternatively, in the absence of the metrology stage assembly 270, the patch 252 may be supported directly on or by the base 106. The metrology stage assembly 270 may be configured to effect relative movement between the patch 252 and the base 106 in translation along the x direction 112, in translation along the y direction 114, in translation along the z direction 116, in rotation about the x direction 112, in rotation about the y direction 114, in rotation about the z direction 116, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the metrology stage assembly 270 may embody any of the structures or attributes described above for the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both.

[0143] 21A and 21B, the robot arm 266 is shown in a first position such that the chip 12 is located proximate the fixture 108. When the robot arm 266 is in the first position, movement of the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, or both, is sufficient to cause contact between the chip 12 and the substrate 18 mounted in the fixture 108. Thus, when the robot arm 266 is in its first position, the debris collection and metrology system 260 can cause the transfer of debris 20 from the substrate 18 to the chip 12.

[0144] 22A and 22B, the robot arm 266 is shown in a second position, such that the tip 12 is located proximal to the metrology system 202. When the robot arm 266 is in the second position, movement of the tip stage assembly 130, or combined movement of the tip stage assembly 130 and the metrology stage assembly 270, is sufficient to cause contact between the tip 12 and the patch 252. Thus, when the robot arm 266 is in the second position, the debris collection and metrology device 270 can cause the transfer of debris 20 from the tip 12 to the patch 252. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the patch 252 can be configured as a collection pocket or collection through-hole for collecting debris or contaminants from the tip 12, as will be described in further detail with reference to FIGS. Although not shown in Figures 21A and 21B, the debris collection and metrology device 270 may include an energy source 204 and an energy detector 206 oriented and aimed toward the patch 252 similar to or similar to those shown in Figures 17A and 17B to perform metrology analysis on the patch 252, the debris 20 disposed on the patch 252, or both.

[0145] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, any one or more of the robot 262, the substrate stage assembly 110, the chip stage assembly 130, and the metrology stage assembly 270 in the debris collection and metrology apparatus 260 may be operatively coupled to a controller 136 for control thereof. Accordingly, the controller 136 may be configured to operate the robot 262 to switch configurations between the above-mentioned first position shown in Figures 21A and 21B and the second position shown in Figures 22A and 22B.

[0146] 23A and 23B, it will be appreciated that FIG. 23A illustrates a bottom view of a tip support assembly 104 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 23B illustrates a partial cross-sectional side view of the tip support assembly along section line 23B-23B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The tip support assembly 104 shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B may be particularly suitable for integration into a robotic arm 266, as shown in FIGS. 21A, 21B, 22A, and 22B. However, it will be appreciated that the tip support assembly 104 may be advantageously incorporated into other debris collection and / or metrology systems to meet particular needs, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure.

[0147] While the tip support assembly 104 shown in Figures 23A and 23B includes a z-actuator 280, a camera 282, or both, it will be understood that the tip support assembly 104 may embody any other structure or attribute discussed above with respect to the tip support assembly, including, but not limited to, means for translational movement along the x-direction 112 or the y-direction 114, and rotational movement about any of the x-direction 112, y-direction 114, and z-direction 116.

[0148] The proximal end of the z-actuator 280 can be operably coupled to the robotic arm 266, and the distal end of the z-actuator 280 can be operably coupled to the tip 12 via the tip cantilever 132, the camera 282, or both. Thus, movement of the z-actuator 280 results in relative movement between the tip 12, the camera 282, or both along the z direction 116. The z-actuator 280 can include a rotary motor and screw structure, a linear servo motor structure, a pneumatic or hydraulic piston structure, a piezoelectric structure, or any other linear actuator structure known in the art.

[0149] It will be appreciated that the z-actuator 280 may be operatively coupled to the controller 136 to control relative movement between the robotic arm 266 and the chip 12, the camera 282, or both. Additionally, the camera 282 may also be coupled to the controller 136 to provide an image of the substrate proximate the chip 12 to a user display, to a machine vision algorithm for control of the chip 12, or both.

[0150] 24A and 24B, FIG. 24A illustrates a bottom view of a metrology system 202, which may be the same or similar to the metrology system 202 described above in connection with FIGS. 15-20, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that the metrology system 202 of FIGS. 24A and 24B may represent other systems including at least the tip 12, the tip stage assembly 13, the energy source 204, and the energy detector 206. FIG. 24B illustrates a side view of the metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The structure of the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 24A and 24B may be applicable to the debris collection and metrology apparatus 200 illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, where metrology procedures are performed directly on the tip 12, the debris 20 disposed on the tip 12, or both. However, it will be appreciated that the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 24A and 24B may be advantageously applicable to other metrology systems and apparatuses. In one embodiment, the particular chip 12 shown in Figures 24A and 24B can include a tetrahedron shape. As shown in Figures 24A and 24B, the chip 12 having a tetrahedron shape does not include any debris 20. Therefore, the metrology system 202 can be used to analyze the attributes of the chip 12 without any debris 20 attached to the chip 12.

[0151] The energy source 204 can be oriented and aimed toward the chip 12 such that an incident energy beam 208 generated by the energy source 204 is incident on the chip 12, and the energy detector 206 can be oriented and aimed toward the chip 12 such that a sample energy beam 210 generated in response to the incident energy beam 208 on the chip 12 is received by the energy detector 206. The chip stage assembly 130 can be operatively coupled to the chip 12 such that the chip stage assembly 130 can move the chip 12 in translation along or rotation about any of the x-direction 112, y-direction 114, and z-direction 115 relative to the energy source 204, the energy detector 206, or both. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the chip stage assembly 130 is configured to at least rotate the chip 12 about a chip longitudinal axis 284 extending through the chip 12. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the tip 12, specifically shown in FIGS. 24A and 24B, includes a tetrahedron shape.

[0152] The tip stage assembly 130, the energy source 204, the energy detector 206, or a combination thereof, can be operably coupled to a controller 136 for control thereof. Thus, the controller 136 can selectively direct the incident energy beam 208 onto different surfaces of the tip 12 by operating the tip stage assembly 130, and the controller 136 can receive one or more signals from the energy detector 206 that represent attributes of the resulting sample energy beam 210. As shown in Figures 24A and 24B, the tip 12 can be free of any debris 20. Thus, the metrology system 202 can be used to analyze attributes of the tip 12 without any debris 20 attached to it.

[0153] 25A and 25B, FIG. 25A illustrates a bottom view of a metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 25B illustrates a side view of the metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 25A and 25B may embody any of the structures or attributes described with respect to the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 15-20, 24A, and 24B. However, the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrates debris 20 attached to a tip 12 having a tetrahedral shape. Therefore, the metrology system 202 may be used to analyze attributes of the tip 12, the debris 20 attached to the tip 12, or both.

[0154] 26A and 26B, FIG. 26A illustrates a bottom view of a metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 26B illustrates a side view of the metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 26A and 26B may embody any of the structures or attributes of the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 24A and 24B. However, unlike FIGS. 24A and 24B, the particular tip 12 illustrated in FIGS. 26A and 26B includes a conical shape. As illustrated in FIGS. 26A and 26B, the tip 12 having a conical shape does not include any debris 20. Therefore, the metrology system 202 can be used to analyze the attributes of the tip 12 without any debris 20 attached to the tip 12.

[0155] 27A and 27B, FIG. 27A illustrates a bottom view of a metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 27B illustrates a side view of the metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGs. 27A and 27B may embody any of the structures or attributes described with respect to the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGs. 26A and 26B. However, the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGs. 27A and 27B illustrates debris 20 attached to a tip 12 having a conical shape. Thus, the metrology system 202 may be used to analyze attributes of the tip 12, the debris 20 attached to the tip 12, or both.

[0156] 28A and 28B, it will be understood that FIG. 28A illustrates a bottom view of a metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 27B illustrates a side view of the metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 28A and 28B can embody any of the structures or attributes of the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 24A and 24B. However, unlike FIGS. 24A and 24B, the particular tip 12 illustrated in FIGS. 28A and 28B includes a pyramidal shape. As illustrated in FIGS. 28A and 28B, the tip 12 having a pyramidal shape does not include any debris 20. Therefore, the metrology system 202 can be used to analyze the attributes of the tip 12 without any debris 20 attached to the tip 12.

[0157] 29A and 29B, it will be understood that FIG. 29A illustrates a bottom view of a metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 29B illustrates a side view of the metrology system 202 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 29A and 29B may embody any of the structures or attributes described with respect to the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 28A and 28B. However, the metrology system 202 illustrated in FIGS. 29A and 29B illustrates debris 20 attached to a tip 12 having a pyramidal shape. Thus, the metrology system 202 may be used to analyze attributes of the tip 12, the debris 20 attached to the tip 12, or both.

[0158] 30-37, an exemplary contaminant collector with a collection pocket or collection through-hole will be described. Referring now to FIGS. 30A and 30B, FIG. 30A shows a side cross-sectional view (as viewed at 30A-30A in FIG. 30B) of a contaminant collector 30 for collecting a contaminant sample 33 from a chip 12, which can be the same or similar to that described above with respect to the exemplary debris detection and collection system. The contaminant sample 33 can include one or more pieces of debris or particles 20 described above. The contaminant collector 30 can define a collection pocket 32 ​​including at least three sidewalls 34 extending from a first upper surface 36 to a second upper surface 38. The height (h) of the sidewalls 34 can be selected to allow at least a portion of the chip 12 to be inserted into the depth of the collection pocket 32. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the sidewalls 34 defining the depth of the collection pocket 32 ​​can be between 25% and 200% of the length (L) of the chip 12. In one aspect, the height (h) of the sidewalls can be selected to facilitate refraction of spectroscopy for analyzing the contaminant sample 33 that can be deposited in or on the contaminant collector 30.

[0159] In one embodiment, the intersection between the first top surface 36 and the sidewall 34 forms a first set of interior edges, and the intersection between the second top surface 38 and the sidewall 34 forms a second set of interior edges. The sidewall 34 can define at least one interior surface extending from the first top surface 36 to the second top surface 38. In one embodiment, an irradiation source, such as the energy source 204 described above, can be configured and arranged to direct incident irradiation toward an interior surface or surfaces of the contaminant collector 30. In one embodiment, an irradiation detector, such as the energy detector 206 described above, can be configured and arranged to receive sample irradiation from one or more interior surfaces of the contaminant collector 30, the sample irradiation being generated by incident irradiation being directed toward and reflected from the one or more interior surfaces or surfaces of the contaminant collector 30.

[0160] As shown in Figure 30B, the three side walls 34 and corresponding first inner edges can form the outline of an equilateral triangle when viewed from above. Each set of adjacent side walls 34 can form a set of contaminant collection edges 35. In one embodiment, a tip 12 having a tetrahedral shape can be used with the contaminant collector 30 of Figures 30A and 30B. One or more edges 13 of the tip 12 can be manipulated, rubbed, or dragged near or adjacent one or more contaminant collection edges 35 of the collection pocket 32, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the collection pocket 32. In selected embodiments, the contaminant collector 30 can include three side walls 34 that form a non-equilateral triangular outline when viewed from above (e.g., an isosceles, scalene, acute, right, or obtuse triangle). The non-equilateral triangular cross-section defines unequal contaminant collection edges 35, and therefore can be adapted to extract contaminant samples 33 from tips of various sizes and / or shapes, as will be understood by those of skill in the art in light of this disclosure. In one embodiment, each edge of contaminant collection edge 35 can have a length of 10 mm or less to reduce the amount of movement required for tip 12 to transfer contaminant sample 33 to collection pocket 32, particularly when contaminant sample 33 is nanostructured.

[0161] 31A and 31B, FIG. 31A illustrates a cross-sectional side view (as viewed at 31A-31A in FIG. 31B) of a contaminant collector 30 for collecting a contaminant sample 33 from a tip 12, which may be the same as or similar to that described above with respect to the exemplary debris detection and collection system. The contaminant collector 30 may define a collection pocket 32 ​​including a sidewall 34 extending from a first upper surface 36 to a second upper surface 38. The height (h) of the sidewall 34 may be selected to allow at least a portion of the tip 12 to be inserted into the depth of the collection pocket 32. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the sidewall 34, which defines the depth of the collection pocket, may be between 25% and 200% of the length (L) of the tip 12. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the sidewall may be selected to facilitate refraction of spectroscopy for analyzing a contaminant sample 33, which may be deposited in or on the contaminant collector 30.

[0162] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 31B , the contaminant collector 30 can include a cylindrical sidewall 34 that defines a circular profile when viewed from above. A contaminant collection inner edge 35 can be formed at the intersection between the first top surface 36 and the sidewall 34. In one embodiment, a tip 12 having a conical shape can be used with the contaminant collector 30 of FIGS. 31A and 31B . The surface of the cone-shaped tip 12 can be manipulated, rubbed, or dragged near and adjacent the contaminant collection edge 35 of the collection pocket 32, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the collection pocket 32. In selected embodiments, the contaminant collector 30 can include a sidewall 34 that defines an oval or elliptical profile when viewed from above, and thus can be adapted to extract contaminant samples 33 from tips of various sizes and / or shapes, as will be understood by those of skill in the art in light of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the diameter of the contaminant collection edge 35 can be less than 10 mm in width. In selected embodiments, the diameter of the contaminant collection edge 35 may be 500 microns or less to reduce the amount of movement required for the tip 12 to transfer the contaminant sample 33 to the collection pocket 32, particularly when the contaminant sample 33 has a nano-level structure.

[0163] 32A and 32B, FIG. 32A illustrates a cross-sectional side view (as viewed at 32A-32A in FIG. 32B) of a contaminant collector 30 for collecting a contaminant sample 33 from a tip 12, which may be the same as or similar to that described above with respect to the exemplary debris detection and collection system. The contaminant collector 30 may define a collection pocket 32 ​​including a sidewall 34 extending from a first upper surface 36 to a second upper surface 38. The height (h) of the sidewall 34 may be selected to allow at least a portion of the tip 12 to be inserted into the depth of the collection pocket 32. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the sidewall 34 defining the depth of the collection pocket may be between 25% and 200% of the length (L) of the tip 12. In one embodiment, the height (h) of the sidewall may be selected to facilitate refraction of spectroscopy for analyzing a contaminant sample 33 that may be deposited in or on the contaminant collector 30.

[0164] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 32B , the contaminant collector 30 can include four sidewalls 34 that form a rectangular or square outline when viewed from above. Each set of adjacent sidewalls 34 can form a contaminant collection inner edge 35. In one embodiment, a tip 12 having a pyramidal shape can be used with the contaminant collector 30 of FIGS. 32A and 32B . One or more edges 13 of the tip 12 can be manipulated, rubbed, or dragged near or adjacent one or more contaminant collection inner edges 35 of the collection pocket 32, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the collection pocket 32. In one embodiment, each edge of the contaminant collection edge 35 can have a length of 10 mm or less to reduce the amount of movement required for the tip 12 to transfer the contaminant sample 33 to the collection pocket 32, especially when the contaminant sample 33 has a nano-level structure.

[0165] While particular combinations of tip and collection pocket shapes are described above in connection with Figures 30A, 30B, 31A, 31B, 32A, and 32B, it will be understood that any combination of tip 12 and collection pocket 32 ​​shapes can be used together or interchangeably. For example, the conical tip of Figures 31A and 31B can be used with the triangular collection pocket 32 ​​of Figures 30A and 30B. Furthermore, while exemplary triangular, rectangular, and circular contaminant collectors are shown in Figures 30-32, contaminant collectors having five or more side walls can also be used.

[0166] 33A through 33C, an exemplary process for manipulating the tip 12 to transfer the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the contaminant collector 30, as described above in connection with FIGS. 30-32, will be described. It will be understood that similar steps are applicable to transferring a contaminant sample to the contaminant collector 40, as generally described in connection with FIGS. 35-37. As shown in FIG. 33A, the tip 12 can first be centered above the opening of the collection pocket 32 ​​in the x and y directions. The tip 12 can then be lowered into the collection pocket 32, at least partially in the z direction, without contacting the sidewalls 34 of the collection pocket 32. Next, as shown in FIG. 33B, the tip 12 can be manipulated in the x and / or y directions toward one of the sidewalls 34. At the same time, the tip 12 can be manipulated upward in the z-direction so that the contaminant sample 33 can rub or come into close contact with the contaminant collection edge 35 of the collection pocket 32, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to at least one side of the contaminant collection edge 35.

[0167] In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 from the position shown in FIG. 33A to the position shown in FIG. 33B can be defined as a quadratic function, such that the tip 12 moves toward and past the contaminant collection edge 35 via a parabolic trajectory, a scraping and / or wiping action. The tip 12 can continue to move from the position shown in FIG. 33B above and to the right of the contaminant collection edge 35 before maneuvering back to the starting position as shown in FIG. 33A. In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 can be defined as a linear function dependent on the size and shape of the tip 12 and the collection pocket 32. Other trajectories and movement paths for the tip 12 will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.

[0168] 34A-34C, the tip 12 can initially be positioned offset in the x and y directions above the center of the collection pocket 32. The tip 12 can then be moved downward in the z direction while simultaneously being moved in the x and / or y directions toward the center of the collection pocket 32 ​​until at least a portion of the tip 12 is at least partially located within the collection pocket 32. As the tip 12 is moved into the collection pocket 32, the contaminant sample 33 can rub against or come into close contact with the contaminant collection edges 35 of the collection pocket 32, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the top of at least one of the contaminant collection edges 35.

[0169] In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 from the position shown in Figure 34A to the position shown in Figure 34C can be defined as a quadratic function, such that the tip 12 travels through a parabolic trajectory, a scraping and / or wiping action, toward and past the contaminant collection edge 35. In one embodiment, the movement of the tip 12 can be defined as a linear function depending on the size and shape of the tip 12 and the collection pocket 32. Other trajectories and movement paths for the tip 12 will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.

[0170] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-described tip manipulations of Figures 33A-33C and / or 34A-34C can be repeated so that the tip 12 contacts different portions of the contaminant collection edge 35. For example, as described above in connection with Figures 31A and 31B, if the contaminant collection edge 35 has a circular outer shape, the tip 12 can be manipulated to contact the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions of the contaminant collection edge 35 (based on the orientation of the top view shown in Figure 31B) to transfer the contaminant sample 33 from different corresponding portions of the tip 12. In light of the present disclosure, one skilled in the art will understand that the manipulation of the tip can be repeated to contact additional or all portions of the contaminant collection edge 35. In one embodiment, the contaminant sample 33 can be transferred from the tip 12 to the contaminant collection edge 35 by manipulating the tip 12 to rub or closely contact the contaminant collection edge 35 at the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock positions. By collecting contaminant samples 33 at different locations on the contaminant collection edge 35, the composition of the collected contaminant samples obtained from different parts of the tip 12 can be determined by positioning the measurement at different corresponding parts of the contaminant collection edge.

[0171] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the above-described tip manipulations of Figures 33A-33C and / or 34A-34C can be repeated to allow different portions of the tip 12 to contact or come into close proximity with the same location on the contaminant collection edge 35, thereby depositing all or most of the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 at the same location on the contaminant collection edge 35. For example, as shown in Figures 33B or 34B, after transferring the contaminant sample 33 to the contaminant collection edge 35, the tip 12 can be rotated about the z-axis and manipulated successively to pass the same common location on the contaminant collection edge 35. Additionally or alternatively, as shown in Figures 33B or 34B, after transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the contaminant collection edge 35, the contaminant collection edge 35 can be rotated about the z-axis. Furthermore, in addition to the collection pockets 32 and collection through-holes 46 described herein (which have a collection edge that completely surrounds the tip 12), a collection edge or set of collection edges that does not completely surround the tip 12 may also be used. For example, the collection edge can consist of a single straight edge or a single C-shaped edge. In one embodiment where a set of collection edges is used, the collection edges together enclose less than 75% of the tip 12, and in selected embodiments, the collection edges together can enclose less than 50% of the tip 12. By collecting the contaminant samples 33 at the same common location on the contaminant collection edge 35, the overall composition of the contaminant samples 33 collected from the tip 12 can be determined by defining the common location on the contaminant collection edge as a measurement location.

[0172] 33A-33C and / or 34A-34C can be used in combination and sequentially, such as an upward and lateral outward motion followed by a downward and lateral inward motion, or vice versa, to transfer the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the contaminant collection edge 35. Sequential motion can facilitate increased speed in collecting the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12.

[0173] 35-37, an exemplary contaminant collector having a collection through-hole will be described. Referring now to FIGS. 35A and 35B, FIG. 35A illustrates a cross-sectional view (as viewed at 35A-35A in FIG. 35B) of a contaminant collector 40 for collecting a contaminant sample 33 from a chip 12, which may be the same as or similar to those described above with respect to the exemplary debris detection and collection system of the present disclosure. The contaminant collector 40 may include at least a stand 42 and a platform 44, where the platform 44 may include an internal notch having sidewalls 45 to define a collection through-hole 46. In one embodiment, the platform 44 includes an upper surface 47 and a lower surface 48, where the sidewalls 45 may extend from the upper surface 47 to the lower surface 48. A collection lip edge 49 may be defined at the intersection between the sidewalls 45 and the upper surface 47. The stand 42 and platform 44 may be fixed to one another or may be provided as separate components.

[0174] In one embodiment, the contaminant collector 40 may be transported from one location to another, particularly if the collection and measurement systems are separate units and not integrated and / or co-located. The contaminant collector 40 or platform 44 may be individually moved from the collection system to the measurement system for analyzing the collected contaminant sample 33.

[0175] As shown in Figures 35A and 35B, the sidewalls 45 of the contaminant collector can be sloped so that the collection through-holes 46 narrow in a direction toward the tip entry position. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 35B, the sidewalls 45 can be sloped so that the through-holes 46 define a truncated tetrahedron passageway having a generally triangular outline when viewed from above. In operation, as shown in Figures 35A and 35B, the tetrahedron-shaped tip 12 can be positioned to enter the collection through-holes 46 of the contaminant collector 40 from above in the z-direction. The tip 12 can be manipulated at least downward in the z-direction to enter the collection through-holes 46. Once at least a portion of the tip 12 has entered the through-holes 46, the tip 12 can then be manipulated laterally in the x- and / or y-directions toward the sidewalls 45 and contaminant lip edge 49 of the contaminant collector 40. While moving laterally, the tip 12 can simultaneously be manipulated upward in the z-direction to allow the contaminant sample 33 to rub against and contact the collection lip edge 49 and / or sidewall 45, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to the collection lip edge 49 and / or sidewall 45. The trajectory and movement of the tip 12 can be the same as or similar to that described above in connection with Figures 33A-33C.

[0176] Additionally or alternatively, the contaminant sample 33 can be removed from the tip 12 by first positioning the tip 12 above the collection through-hole 46 of the contaminant collector 40 in the z-direction and offset from the center of the collection through-hole 46 in the x- and / or y-directions. The tip 12 can then be moved downward in the z-direction while simultaneously moving toward the center of the through-hole 46 in the x- and / or y-directions until at least a portion of the tip 12 is at least partially located within the through-hole 46. As the tip 12 is moved into the through-hole 46, the contaminant sample 33 can rub against or come into close contact with the collection lip edge 49 of the through-hole 46, thereby transferring the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 to at least the top of the collection lip edge 49. The trajectory and movement of the tip 12 can be the same as or similar to those described above in connection with FIGS. 34A-34C .

[0177] Similar to Figures 35A and 35B, the contaminant collector 40 of Figures 36A and 36B can include at least a stand 42 and a platform 44. However, unlike Figures 35A and 35B, in which sidewalls 45 define through-holes 46 with truncated tetrahedral passageways, the platform 44 of Figures 36A and 36B includes an internal notch with sidewalls 45 defining frusto-conical passageways, including conical, oval-conical, and elliptical-conical passageways. In operation, removal of the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 would follow the same process as described above in connection with Figures 35A and 35B, replacing the through-holes 46 with frusto-conical passageways.

[0178] Similar to Figures 36A and 36B, the contaminant collector 40 of Figures 37A and 37B can include at least a stand 42 and a platform 44. However, unlike Figures 36A and 36B, in which sidewalls 45 define a through-hole 46 having a frustoconical passageway, the platform 44 of Figures 37A and 37B includes an internal notch having multiple sidewalls 45 to define the collection through-hole 46. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the platform 44 can include four sidewalls to define the through-hole 46 having a frustoconical passageway. In operation, removal of the contaminant sample 33 from the tip 12 would follow the same process as described above in connection with Figures 35A and 35B, with the through-hole 46 replaced with a frustoconical passageway.

[0179] Although truncated tetrahedron, frustoconical, and frustopyramidal passages are described above in connection with Figures 35-37, other passage shapes for the through-holes 46 are contemplated, and the passage shape can be selected based on the corresponding shape of the tip 12, including non-uniform shapes and through-holes having three or more sidewalls. Of course, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other tip shapes and sizes can be used with the contaminant collector 40 of Figures 35-37.

[0180] The collection pocket 32 ​​of Figures 30-32 and / or the contaminant collector 40 of Figures 35-37 may be used with the debris collection apparatus 100 of Figures 12-23 as described above, or may be interrogated using the contaminant analysis system 500 of Figure 38 separately from the chip 12 and associated actuation and control mechanisms. As will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure, the collection pocket 32 ​​of Figures 30-32 and / or the contaminant collector 40 of Figures 35-37 may be used to collect debris while being loaded into a first location, removed, transported to a second location, analyzed in a debris detection process, cleaned and reused.

[0181] As shown in FIG. 38 , the contaminant analysis system 500 can include an energy source 50 and an energy detector 52. When the contaminant collector 40 is ready to be inspected or analyzed, it can be placed or mounted on a stand 42. The energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 can be co-located in a single unit or can be provided in separate units. The energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 can each be coupled to one or more actuators to move the energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 in one or more of the x-, y-, and z-directions and / or rotate the energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 about the x-, y-, and z-directions. The energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 can be positioned above, below, or alongside the contaminant collector 40 such that the energy source 50 and the energy detector 52 are operable to aim at the collection lip edge 49 or sidewall 45 of the contaminant collector 40.

[0182] During or after the contaminant collection process in which the contaminant sample 33 is collected on the collection lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 of the contaminant collector 40, the energy source 50 can be oriented and aimed toward the lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 so that an incident energy beam 51 generated by the energy source 50 is incident on the collection lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45, and the energy detector 52 can be oriented and aimed toward the lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 so that a sample energy beam 53 generated in response to the energy beam 51 incident on the lip edge 49 and / or side wall 45 is received by the energy detector 52.

[0183] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the energy source 50, the energy detector 52, or a combination thereof can be operatively coupled to a controller 56 for control thereof. Thus, the controller 56 can selectively aim and direct the incident energy beam 51 from the energy source 50 onto various surfaces of the lip edge 49 and / or the sidewall 45 via one or more actuators associated with the energy source 50. The controller 56 can further aim and direct the energy detector 52 at various surfaces exposed to the incident energy beam 51 to receive the specimen energy beam 53 generated in response to the incident energy beam 51. The controller 56 can receive one or more signals from the energy detector 52 indicative of attributes of the resulting specimen energy beam 53.

[0184] The many features and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the detailed specification, and it is, therefore, intended by the appended claims to protect all such features and advantages of the present invention that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. It will be understood that various aspects of the present disclosure can be combined and used together. Moreover, because numerous modifications and variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the present disclosure, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and therefore, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be accorded that fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0185] 12 Nanoscale Chips 18 PCB 102 Board support assembly 104 Chip support assembly 106 Base 108 Fixtures 110 Substrate stage assembly 112 x direction 114 y-direction 116 z direction 118 Actuator 120 Stage 1 122 Stage 2 124 First Actuator 126 Second Actuator 130 Chip stage assembly 132 Tip Cantilever 134 Actuator 136 Controller 138 Manual User Input 140 memory 142 1st patch 144 2nd patch 200 Debris Collection and Measurement Equipment 202 Measurement System 204 Energy Sources 206 Energy Detector 208 incident energy beam 210 sample energy beam

Claims

1. 1. A method for characterizing the composition of particles using a high aspect ratio scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, comprising: picking up the particles from a high aspect ratio substrate and transferring them to the SPM tip, the SPM tip configured to pick up the particles; irradiating the particle on the SPM tip with a first incident illumination from an illumination source; detecting, with an illumination detector, a first sample illumination from the particle caused by the first incident illumination; identifying one or more material attributes from the detecting step to identify a composition of the particles; generating a first signal from the irradiation detector in response to the first sample irradiation, and rotating the SPM tip about a tip longitudinal axis extending through the SPM tip relative to at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the first signal so as to detect all particles picked up by the SPM tip and attached around the SPM tip.

2. generating a first frequency domain spectrum of the first sample illumination based on the first signal; generating a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting a background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum; moving the SPM tip relative to at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector so as to detect all particles based on the second frequency domain spectrum; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising generating the background frequency domain spectrum based on a response of the illumination detector to illumination of the SPM tip when the SPM tip is substantially free of contaminants.

4. irradiating the SPM tip with a second incident illumination from the illumination source; detecting a second sample illumination caused by the second incident illumination with the illumination detector; moving the SPM tip relative to at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector so as to detect all particles based on a second signal from the illumination detector in response to the second sample illumination; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

5. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of moving the SPM tip relative to at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector so that all particles can be detected based on a difference between the second signal and the first signal.

6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first incident radiation from the radiation source is at least one of x-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, an electron beam, and a laser.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second incident radiation from the radiation source is at least one of x-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, an electron beam, and a laser.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second incident illumination is different from the first incident illumination.

9. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sample illumination is generated by the first incident illumination interacting with the SPM tip.

10. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sample illumination is generated by the first incident illumination interacting with debris disposed on the SPM tip.

11. 9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, 7 and 8, further comprising adjusting the intensity or frequency of the first incident radiation from the radiation source.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising adjusting the intensity or frequency of the second incident radiation from the radiation source.

13. 1. A method for identifying the composition of particles using a high aspect ratio scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip, comprising: transferring particles from a high aspect ratio substrate to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip; irradiating the particle with a first incident radiation from an illumination source; receiving a first sample illumination caused by the first incident illumination from the particle at an illumination detector; rotating the SPM tip about a tip longitudinal axis extending through the SPM tip relative to at least one of the illumination source and the illumination detector so as to detect any particles deposited around the SPM tip based on a first signal from the illumination detector in response to the first sample illumination; A method comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first sample illumination from the particle is received by the illumination detector while the particle is disposed on the SPM tip.

15. further comprising the step of transferring the particles from the SPM tip to a particle collector having a measurement location, the measurement location being configured on the particle collector; 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first sample illumination from the particle is received by the illumination detector while the particle is positioned on the measurement location.

16. 1. A method of identifying particle composition using a debris collector and metrology device (200), the metrology device (200) comprising: a substrate support assembly (102) and a tip support assembly (104), each supported by a base (106), the substrate support assembly comprising a fixture (108) configured to support a substrate (18), the substrate being a high aspect ratio extreme ultraviolet lithography photomask, the tip support assembly (104) comprising a high aspect ratio scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip (12) coupled to a tip stage assembly (130) via a tip cantilever (132); The method comprises: transferring the particles from the substrate (18) supported by the fixture (108) to the SPM tip (12); irradiating the particle on the SPM tip with first incident radiation from an illumination source (204) while the SPM tip (12) is coupled to the tip stage assembly (130), the first incident radiation from the illumination source (204) being at least one of x-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, an electron beam, and a laser; detecting a first sample irradiation from the particle caused by the first incident irradiation by an irradiation detector (206), the irradiation detector (206) comprising a photodetector, in particular an X-ray detector and / or an electron beam detector; receiving a first signal from the illumination detector (206) by a controller (136) in response to the first illumination of the sample, analyzing the first signal by the controller (136), and identifying one or more material attributes of the particles on the SPM tip (12) by the controller (136); In response to the first sample irradiation, the SPM tip (12) is rotated about a tip longitudinal axis extending through the SPM tip relative to at least one of the irradiation source (204) and the irradiation detector (206) so that all particles can be detected based on the first signal from the irradiation detector (206).

17. generating a first frequency domain spectrum of the first sample illumination based on the first signal; generating a second frequency domain spectrum by subtracting a background frequency domain spectrum from the first frequency domain spectrum; causing relative movement between the SPM tip (12) and at least one of the illumination source (204) and the illumination detector (206) so as to detect all particles based on the second frequency domain spectrum; 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

18. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating the background frequency domain spectrum based on a response of the illumination detector to illumination of the SPM tip (12) when the SPM tip (12) is substantially free of contaminants.

19. illuminating the SPM tip (12) with a second incident illumination from the illumination source (204); detecting a second sample illumination caused by the second incident illumination with the illumination detector (206); generating relative movement between the SPM tip (12) and at least one of the illumination source (204) and the illumination detector (206) so as to detect all particles based on a second signal from the illumination detector (206) in response to the second sample illumination; 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

20. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: causing the relative movement between the SPM tip (12) and at least one of the irradiation source (204) and the irradiation detector (206) so as to detect all particles based on a difference between the second signal and the first signal.

21. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second incident radiation from the radiation source (204) is at least one of x-rays, visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, an electron beam, and a laser.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second incident illumination is different illumination from the first incident illumination.

23. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting the intensity or frequency of the first incident radiation from the radiation source.

24. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising adjusting the intensity or frequency of the second incident radiation from the radiation source.

25. 25. The method of any one of claims 16 to 24, wherein the radiation source (204) comprises an electron beam source and the radiation detector (206) comprises an X-ray detector.

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