Asymmetric Beam Bender for Charged Particle Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing signal charged particle beam devices suffer from aberrations and distortion due to hexapole components in beam benders, leading to reduced focusing, angular resolution, and detection efficiency, especially when dealing with multiple beamlets and varying landing energies.
Innovation Solution
A signal charged particle deflection device with differently shaped electrodes and triangularly shaped apertures is introduced, which compensates for hexapole components, minimizing distortion and improving focusing and detection efficiency by providing a unique optical path for the signal charged particle beam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a conventional beam bender with symmetric electrodes is used to deflect the signal charged particle beam, then the beam can be redirected, but the beam becomes deformed and distorted due to hexapole components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by configuring the first and second electrodes with different cross-sectional shapes. Specifically, when the beam is deflected horizontally, the electrodes have different vertical extensions; when deflected vertically, they have different horizontal extensions. This asymmetric configuration compensates for hexapole components and prevents beam deformation while maintaining deflection capability.
2Productivity
If the width of the signal charged particle beam inside the beam bender is increased to improve throughput, then more beamlets can be processed, but the lateral position distortion of beamlets in the focus plane increases considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric electrode configuration compensates for hexapole components that cause position distortion, enabling wider beams to be handled without significant loss of position accuracy. This allows multiple beamlets to be processed simultaneously with maintained precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the electrodes (different cross-sectional shapes and extensions) to optimize the electric field distribution. This parameter optimization reduces aberrations and maintains beamlet position accuracy even when beam width is increased for higher throughput.
3Measurement precision
If energy filtering or angular filtering is applied to enhance contrast information, then topography and surface potential information can be improved, but the optical system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric beam bender serves multiple functions: it deflects the beam, compensates for hexapole components, and works with energy/angular filtering systems. This multi-functional design enhances contrast information quality without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces hexapole component effects, enhancing focusing, angular resolution, and detection efficiency while minimizing beam distortion, thus improving the overall performance of charged particle beam devices, particularly in electron beam inspection systems.
Implementation Method 1
the beam bender includes a first electrode and a second electrode providing an optical path for the signal charged particle beam therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
A signal charged particle deflection device for a charged particle beam device is provided. The signal charged particle deflection device includes a beam bender configured for deflecting the signal charged particle beam, wherein the beam bender includes a first electrode and a second electrode providing an optical path for the signal charged particle beam therebetween, wherein the first electrode has a first cross section in a plane perpendicular to the optical path, and the second electrode has a second cross section in the plane perpendicular to the optical path, and wherein a first part of the first cross section and a second part of the second cross section provide the optical path therebetween, and wherein the first part and the second part are different in shape.