Rotatable Condenser Lens Layout for Aberration-Controlled Multi-Beams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charged particle tools with multi-beams suffer from aberrations and de-focus effects due to the manipulation of sub-beams away from the central axis, leading to blurry and out-of-focus images during inspection, which degrade the quality of pattern inspection and lithography processes.
Innovation Solution
A charged particle system with an aperture array and a condenser lens system configured to operate at multiple rotation settings, allowing each beam-limit aperture to lie on a charged particle beam path, and a pattern of apertures with different magnifications to generate and manipulate charged particle multi-beams effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sub-beams are manipulated away from the central axis to increase beam density and reduce pitch, then productivity and beam density are improved, but image quality deteriorates due to aberrations and de-focus effects
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser lens system is made rotatable about the charged particle beam path, allowing dynamic adjustment of the beam paths between the aperture array and beam-limit array. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to optimize beam trajectories for different operational modes, reducing aberrations while maintaining high beam density and throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of beam paths by rotating the condenser lens system to different angular positions. This parameter adjustment modifies the range of beam paths between components, allowing optimization of beam trajectories to reduce aberrations and de-focus effects while maintaining high beam density for improved productivity.
2Productivity
If the number of sub-beams is increased to improve inspection speed, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable condenser lens system serves multiple functions: it controls beam paths for different rotation settings, adjusts the range of beam paths between the aperture array and beam-limit array, and optimizes trajectories for multiple sub-beams simultaneously. This multi-functional component reduces the need for separate control mechanisms for each sub-beam, thereby managing device complexity while enabling high inspection speed through increased sub-beam density.
3Manufacturing precision
If beam pitch is reduced to increase beam density, then manufacturing precision is improved, but aberrations increase leading to worse measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable condenser lens system dynamically adjusts beam trajectories by changing rotation settings, allowing the system to optimize beam paths for reduced aberrations even when beams are manipulated away from the central axis. This dynamic control enables high beam density with maintained image sharpness.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the angular parameter (rotation setting) of the condenser lens system, the system modifies the geometric configuration of beam paths between components. This parameter change optimizes beam trajectories to reduce aberrations while maintaining reduced pitch and high beam density, thereby achieving both manufacturing precision and measurement precision.
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 system improves image quality and throughput by reducing aberrations and enhancing the resolution of multi-beam inspection tools, enabling higher precision and faster defect detection in semiconductor manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a condenser lens system arranged between the aperture array and the beam-limit array, wherein the condenser lens system is configured to selectively operate at one of a number of rotation settings
Implementation Method 2
an aperture array in which is defined an array of apertures configured to generate from an upbeam charged particle source charged particle paths downbeam of the aperture array
Data Source
AI summary
A charged particle system generates a charged particle multi beam along a multi beam path. The charged particle system comprises an aperture array, a beam limit array and a condenser lens. In the aperture array are an array of apertures to generate from an up-beam charged particle source charged particle paths down-beam of the aperture array. The beam-limit array is down-beam of the aperture array. Defined in the beam-limit array is an array of beam-limit apertures for shaping the charged particle multi beam path. The condenser lens system is between the aperture array and the beam-limit array. The condenser lens system selectively operates different of rotation settings that define different ranges of beam paths between the aperture array and the beam-limit array. At each rotation setting of the condenser lens system, each beam-limit aperture of the beam-limit array lies on a beam path down-beam of the aperture array.