Magnet Arrangement for Multi-Beam Microscope Aberration Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-beam particle microscopes suffer from beam splitter-induced aberrations, particularly field inclination, which affect imaging accuracy and resolution, especially in high-resolution applications with small structure sizes.
Innovation Solution
A particle-optical arrangement with a magnet arrangement featuring aligned optical axes, including multiple magnetic field regions, drift regions, and symmetrical design to correct aberrations, ensuring parallel entrance and exit directions of particle beams, and minimizing path differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a beam splitter is used to separate primary and secondary particle-optical beam paths, then the multi-beam particle microscope can detect secondary particles, but beam splitter-induced aberrations occur that affect imaging accuracy and resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The beam splitter is divided into multiple segments (first beam splitter segment, second beam splitter segment, third beam splitter segment) that can be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows each segment to be optimized for specific aberration correction while maintaining the overall beam splitting function, thereby reducing imaging aberrations and improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric adjustment of the beam splitter segments, where each segment can be positioned at different angles and locations to compensate for specific aberrations. The asymmetric configuration of segments allows for tailored correction of field inclination and other imaging errors without compromising the beam separation capability.
2Measurement precision
If beam splitter segments are adjusted to correct aberrations, then imaging accuracy improves, but the complexity of the particle-optical arrangement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beam splitter segments serve multiple functions: they separate the primary and secondary particle-optical beam paths while simultaneously correcting imaging aberrations through their adjustable positions and orientations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate correction components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while improving imaging accuracy.
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 effectively corrects beam splitter-induced aberrations, particularly field inclination, achieving high-precision imaging with minimal residual aberrations, enhancing the accuracy and resolution of multi-beam particle microscopes for inspecting small microstructures.
Implementation Method 1
a first magnetic field region through which the primary particle-optical beam path and the second particle-optical beam path pass, for the separation of the primary particle-optical beam path and the secondary particle-optical beam path from one another
Data Source
AI summary
A particle-optical arrangement includes a magnet arrangement for separating a primary and a secondary particle-optical beam path. The magnet arrangement includes: a first magnetic field region through which the primary particle-optical beam path and the second particle-optical beam path pass, for the separation of the primary particle-optical beam path and the secondary particle-optical beam path from one another; a second magnetic field region arranged in the primary particle-optical beam path and not arranged in the secondary particle-optical beam path; and a third magnetic field region arranged in the primary particle-optical beam path and not arranged in the secondary particle-optical beam path.