Interface, a method for observing an object within a non-vacuum environment and a scanning electron microscope

1. A method for observing an object that is positioned in a non-vacuum environment, the method comprising:

directing at least one electron beam that is generated in a vacuum environment through at least one aperture sealed by at least one ultra thin membrane towards said object which is positioned in said non-vacuum environment, said at least one membrane separating said vacuum environment from said non-vacuum environment;

at least partially filling said non-vacuum environment with Helium whereby the mean free path of electrons therethrough is enhanced; and

detecting the results of an interaction between the at least one electron beam and the object, wherein the enhanced mean free path of electrons due to the presence of Helium provides enhanced signal to noise ratio for a given separation between said at least one membrane and said object.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

said directing comprises directing said at least one electron beam through multiple apertures of said aperture array.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

said method further comprises, prior to said directing, selecting an aperture of said aperture array; and

said directing comprises directing said electron beam through the selected aperture.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

apertures of said aperture array are positioned at a single horizontal plane; and

said directing comprises directing said at least one electron beam through at least one aperture of said aperture array.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

at least one aperture of the aperture array is positioned at a different height than at least one other aperture of said aperture array; and

said directing comprises directing said at least one electron beam through at least one aperture of said aperture array.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

at least one aperture of the aperture array enables an acquisition of a higher resolution image than at least one other aperture of said aperture array; and

said directing comprises directing said at least one electron beam through at least one aperture of said aperture array.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

said directing comprises directing said at least one electron beam through at least a first aperture of said aperture array to provide a first resolution image of at least a portion of said object; and

the method also comprises directing said at least one electron beam through at least a second aperture of said aperture array, said second aperture being different from said first aperture, to provide a second resolution image of at least a portion of said object.

8. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising, prior to said directing, locating a region of interest of said object using a low resolution imaging process; and wherein said directing comprises directing said at least one electron beam towards the region of interest.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said directing and said detecting are characterized by a first resolution range; and

the method further comprises utilizing another observation process according to a different resolution range.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said another observation process comprises atomic force microscopy.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein said another observation process comprises an optical inspection process.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising scanning at least one area of the object by deflecting the at least one electron beam and introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of the at least one aperture through which the at least one electron beam is directed.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

the method also comprises:

scanning at least one area of said object by deflecting the at least one electron beam; and

introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of said aperture array.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

a component that comprises said aperture array is flexibly coupled to another component of an interface that separates the vacuum environment from the non-vacuum environment; and

the method also comprises scanning at least one area of the object by deflecting the at least one electron beam and introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of said aperture array.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

the method also comprises scanning multiple areas of the object by deflecting the at least one electron beam that is directed through multiple apertures of said aperture array.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

the method also comprises:

scanning multiple areas of the object by deflecting the at least one electron beam that is directed through multiple apertures of said aperture array and introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of said aperture array.

17. The method according to claim 1 further comprising scanning an area of the object by deflecting the at least one electron beam by a deflector positioned within the vacuum environment.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises detecting electrons generated by said interaction.

19. The method according to claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises detecting photons generated by said interaction.

20. The method according to claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises detecting X-ray emissions generated by said interaction.

21. The method according to claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises using a detector positioned within the vacuum environment.

22. The method according to claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises using a detector positioned within the non-vacuum environment.

23. The method according to claim 1 wherein an optical axis of the at least one electron beam is non-perpendicular to the object.

24. The method according to claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises detecting electron current generated by said interaction.

25. The method according to claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises detecting at least one of Cathodoluminescence of the object, fluorescence markers and light emitted due to electron excitation of gas molecules.

26. The method according to claim 1 further comprising aligning the at least one electron beam with the at least one aperture.

27. The method according to claim 1 further comprising aligning the at least one electron beam with the at least one aperture by mechanically moving the at least one aperture.

28. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

repetitively altering a distance between said at least one aperture and the object and measuring electrons emitted from said object to provide measurements results; and

comparing the measurement results to a calibration curve that is responsive to a mean free path of electrons in the non-vacuum environment.

29. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising determining a distance between said at least one aperture and the object based upon an expected mean free path of electrons in the non-vacuum environment.

30. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising determining a distance between said at least one aperture and said object based upon counts of emitted X-ray photons of gas within the non-vacuum environment.

31. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) interface between a vacuum SEM environment and a non-vacuum sample environment, the interface comprising:

a SEM mountable aperture assembly including at least one aperture sealed by at least one ultra thin membrane that is substantially transparent to electrons and withstands a pressure difference between said SEM vacuum environment and said non-vacuum sample environment; and

a non-vacuum environment Helium filler, associated with said aperture assembly for at least partially filling said non-vacuum environment with Helium whereby the mean free path of electrons therethrough is enhanced.

32. The SEM interface according to claim 31 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

apertures of said aperture array are positioned at a single horizontal plane.

33. The SEM interface according to claim 31 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

at least one aperture of the aperture array is positioned at a different height than at least one other aperture of said aperture array.

34. The SEM interface according to claim 31 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

at least one aperture of said aperture array enables an acquisition of a higher resolution image than at least one other aperture of said aperture array.

35. A scanning electron microscope assembly for observing an object that is positioned in a non-vacuum environment comprising:

a scanning electron beam source assembly, located in a vacuum environment, the electron beam source being adapted to generate at least one electron beam;

an interface between said vacuum environment and said non-vacuum environment in which said object is positioned, said interface comprising:

an aperture assembly mounted onto said scanning electron beam source assembly and including at least one aperture sealed by at least one ultra thin membrane that is substantially transparent to electrons; and

a non-vacuum environment Helium filler for at least partially filling said non-vacuum environment with Helium whereby the mean free path of electrons therethrough is enhanced;

electron optics adapted to direct the at least one electron beam through said at least one aperture and towards said object located in said non-vacuum environment which is at least partially filled with Helium; and

a detector that detects the results of an interaction between the at least one electron beam and the object in said non-vacuum environment which is at least partially filled with Helium.

36. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

the electron optics directs said at least one electron beam towards multiple apertures of the aperture array.

37. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

said scanning electron microscope assembly is adapted to select an aperture of the aperture array; and

said scanning electron microscope assembly is adapted to direct an electron beam through the selected aperture.

38. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

apertures of the aperture array are positioned at a single horizontal plain.

39. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

at least one aperture of the aperture array is positioned at a different height than at least one other aperture of the aperture array.

40. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

at least one aperture of the aperture array enables an acquisition of a higher resolution image than at least one other aperture of the aperture array.

41. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

said electron optics are adapted to direct said at least one electron beam through at least a first aperture of said aperture array to provide a first resolution image of at least a portion of the object, and to direct said at least one electron beam through at least a second aperture of said aperture array, different from said first aperture, to provide a second resolution image of at least a portion of the object.

42. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 and wherein said scanning electron microscope assembly is adapted to locate a region of interest of the object using a low resolution imaging process and to direct said at least one electron beam towards the region of interest.

43. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 further comprising another observation tool that is characterized by a different resolution than the resolution provided by the at least one electron beam.

44. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 43 wherein said another observation tool is an atomic force microscope.

45. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 43 wherein said another observation tool is an optical inspection tool.

46. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein said SEM assembly is adapted to scan at least one area of said object by deflecting the at least one electron beam and introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of the at least one aperture through which the at least one electron beam is directed.

47. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

said SEM assembly is adapted to scan at least one area of said object by deflecting the at least one electron beam and introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of the aperture array.

48. The scanning electron microscope according assembly to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array;

said SEM assembly is adapted to scan at least one area of said object by deflecting the at least one electron beam and introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of the aperture array; and

a component that comprises the aperture array is flexibly coupled to another component of said interface.

49. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

said SEM assembly is adapted to scan multiple areas of the object by deflecting the at least one electron beam such that it is directed through multiple apertures of the aperture array.

50. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

said SEM assembly is adapted to scan multiple areas of said object by deflecting the at least one electron beam such that it is directed through multiple apertures of the aperture array and introducing a corresponding mechanical movement of the aperture array.

51. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 and further comprising a deflector positioned within the vacuum environment that deflects the at least one electron beam to scan an area of the object.

52. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein the detector detects electrons generated as a result of said interaction.

53. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein the detector detects photons generated as a result of said interaction.

54. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein the detector detects X-ray emissions generated as a result of said interaction.

55. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein the detector is positioned within the vacuum environment.

56. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein the detector is positioned within the non-vacuum environment.

57. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein an optical axis of the at least one electron beam is non-perpendicular to the object.

58. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein the detector detects an electron current generated as a result of the interaction.

59. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein the detector detects at least one of Cathodoluminescence of the object, fluorescence markers and light emitted due to electron excitation of gas molecules.

60. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said SEM assembly is adapted to align the at least one electron beam with the at least one aperture.

61. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said SEM assembly is adapted to align the at least one electron beam with the at least one aperture by introducing a mechanical movement to the at least one aperture.

62. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said SEM assembly is adapted to:

repetitively alter a distance between said at least one aperture and the object,

measure electrons emitted from said object to provide measurements results, and

compare the measurement results to a calibration curve that is responsive to the mean free path of electrons in the non-vacuum environment.

63. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said SEM assembly is adapted to determine a distance between said at least one aperture and the object based upon an expected mean free path of electrons in the non-vacuum environment.

64. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein:

said SEM assembly is adapted to determine a distance between said at least one aperture and said object based upon counts of emitted X-ray photons of gas within the non-vacuum environment situated between the object and the at least one aperture.

65. The SEM interface according to claim 32 wherein a component that comprises the at least one aperture is flexibly coupled to another component of the interface.

66. The SEM interface according to claim 65 wherein:

the at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

apertures of the aperture array are positioned at a single horizontal plain.

67. The SEM interface according to claim 65 wherein:

the at least one aperture comprises an aperture array and

at least one aperture of the aperture array is positioned at a different height than at least one other aperture of the aperture array.

68. The SEM interface according to claim 65 wherein:

the at least one aperture comprises an aperture array; and

at least one aperture of the aperture array enables an acquisition of a higher resolution image than at least one other aperture of the aperture array.

69. The scanning electron microscope assembly according to claim 35 wherein a component that comprises the at least one aperture is flexibly coupled to another component of the interface.