Granted Patent B1

US 7,291,849 · App. 11/237,410 · Granted Nov 6, 2007

Abstract

Claims (17)

1. A method for calibrating a transmission electron microscope comprising:

providing a calibration standard having a plurality of calibration entities said entities comprising 1) a silicon epilayer, and 2) a plurality of calibration marks positioned overlying said silicon epilayer on respective defined regions of the standard, each mark comprising a different calibration dimension indicator and a corresponding dimension identifier wherein said dimension indicator comprises a metal or silicide patterned structure having a lateral dimension employable for said calibrating;

positioning the calibration standard in a viewing area of the transmission electron microscope; and

sequentially viewing a plurality of the entities and adjusting the calibration of the microscope for each entity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sequentially viewing includes the step of focusing the transmission electron microscope.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sequentially viewing includes the step of translating the standard to position selected marks within a viewing range of the microscope.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sequentially viewing includes the step of electronically directing an electron beam of the microscope onto selected calibration marks.

5. A calibration standard comprising:

a silicon substrate including a silicon epilayer adapted to be viewed in a transmission electron microscope, said substrate having a plurality of defined regions; and

a plurality of calibration marks being placed on respective defined regions of the silicon substrate, each mark comprising a different calibration dimension indicator comprising 1) a metal or silicide patterned structure having a lateral dimension employable for calibration and 2) a corresponding dimension identifier.

6. The calibration standard of claim 5 , further comprising a support structure attached to the substrate.

7. The calibration standard of claim 5 , wherein the silicon comprises a single crystal silicon oriented to a predetermined pole to allow viewing one or more silicon planes.

8. The calibration standard of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined pole is a [1 1 0] pole.

9. The calibration standard of claim 5 , wherein the silicon comprises a single crystal silicon layer sufficiently thin to allow transmission of a transmission electron microscope beam.

10. The calibration standard of claim 9 wherein the silicon layer is less than about 1500 angstroms thick.

11. The calibration standard of claim 9 wherein the silicon layer is less than about 1000 angstroms thick.

12. The calibration standard of claim 5 , wherein the marks comprise tungsten silicide.

Assignments (9)