IP Library Granted Patent US 8,431,915
Granted Patent B2
US 8,431,915 · App. 13/551,452 · Granted Apr 30, 2013

Charged particle beam apparatus permitting high resolution and high-contrast observation

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,431,915
App. No.
13/551,452
Granted
Apr 30, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lower pole piece of an electromagnetic superposition type objective lens is divided into an upper magnetic path and a lower magnetic path. A voltage nearly equal to a retarding voltage is applied to the lower magnetic path. An objective lens capable of acquiring an image with a higher resolution and a higher contrast than a conventional image is provided. An electromagnetic superposition type objective lens includes a magnetic path that encloses a coil, a cylindrical or conical booster magnetic path that surrounds an electron beam, a control magnetic path that is interposed between the coil and sample, an accelerating electric field control unit that accelerates the electron beam using a booster power supply, a decelerating electric field control unit that decelerates the electron beam using a stage power supply, and a suppression unit that suppresses electric discharge of the sample using a control magnetic path power supply.

Claims (31)

1. A charged particle beam apparatus, comprising:

a charged particle gun that emits a primary charged particle beam for irradiating a sample;

a stage for placing the sample thereon;

an objective lens having an opening for allowing the primary charged particle beam to pass therethrough, the objective lens including:

a first magnetic pole member that is disposed around the opening and to which a positive voltage is applied, the first magnetic pole member having a terminal portion at a sample side thereof that functions as an upper magnetic pole member of the objective lens;

a second magnetic pole member that supplies a magnetic flux to the first magnetic pole member and is formed with a hollowed interior;

a coil that is disposed within the second magnetic pole member and that supplies a magnetic flux to the second magnetic pole member; and

a third magnetic pole member in which the opening is formed, the third magnetic pole member being disposed between the stage and the second magnetic pole member, the third magnetic pole member functioning as a lower magnetic pole member of the objective lens;

a detector that is disposed above the first magnetic pole member and detects a secondary charged particle released from the sample or a tertiary charged particle that is emitted as a result of the secondary charged particle; and

an image output unit for outputting a top-view image based on a detection result of the detector.

2. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a power supply that enables a landing energy of the primary charged particle beam at the sample to be set in a range from 50 eV to 10 keV.

3. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising means for applying a retarding voltage to the sample, and wherein a voltage of the third magnetic pole member is controlled so as to be higher than the retarding voltage and lower than a voltage of the second magnetic pole member.

4. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the means for applying the retarding voltage changes the retarding voltage based on an amount of electrification of the sample.

5. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises an axial detector.

6. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic pole member is grounded.

7. A charged particle beam apparatus comprising:

a charged particle gun that emits a primary charged particle beam for irradiating a sample;

a stage for placing the sample thereon;

an objective lens having an opening for allowing the primary charged particle beam to pass therethrough, the objective lens including:

a first magnetic pole member that is disposed around the opening and to which a positive voltage is applied, the first magnetic pole member having a terminal portion at a sample side thereof that functions as an upper magnetic pole member of the objective lens;

a second magnetic pole member that supplies a magnetic flux to the first magnetic pole member and is formed with a hollowed interior;

a coil that is disposed within the second magnetic pole member and that supplies a magnetic flux to the second magnetic pole member; and

a third magnetic pole member in which the opening is formed, the third magnetic pole member being disposed between the stage and the second magnetic pole member, the third magnetic pole member functioning as a lower magnetic pole member of the objective lens;

a left detector and a right detector that are disposed above the first magnetic pole member and detect a secondary charged particle released from the sample or a tertiary charged particle that is emitted as a result of the secondary charged particle; and

an image output unit for outputting a shaded image based on detection results of the left and right detectors.

8. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising means for applying a retarding voltage to the sample, and wherein a voltage of the third magnetic pole member is controlled so as to be higher than the retarding voltage and lower than a voltage of the second magnetic pole member.

9. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the means for applying the retarding voltage changes the retarding voltage based on an amount of electrification of the sample.

10. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a power supply that enables a landing energy of the primary charged particle beam at the sample to be set in a range from 50 eV to 10 keV.

11. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein each of the left and right detectors comprises an axial detector.

12. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second magnetic pole member is grounded.

13. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the shaded image is obtained based on information of azimuth angles or elevation angles of the secondary charged particle or the tertiary charged particle with respect to the primary charged particle beam.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052259/0227 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2012
From: FUKUDA, MUNEYUKI; SUZUKI, NAOMASA; SHOJO, TOMOYASU; TAKAHASHI, NORITSUGU
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028570/0134 →