IP Library Granted Patent US 8,939,108
Granted Patent B2
US 8,939,108 · App. 13/708,936 · Granted Jan 27, 2015

Processing system

Inventors: Emmerich Bertagnolli (Vienna, AT); Heinz Wanzenboeck (Vienna, AT); Wolfram Buehler (Hermaringen, DE); Camille Stebler (Fehren, CH); Ulrike Zeile (Heidenheim, DE); Alexander Rosenthal (Kempen, DE)
Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
C23C16/486H01J37/16H01J37/20H01J37/30H01J37/3056C23C16/487H01J2237/188H01J2237/2002H01J2237/31744
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,939,108
App. No.
13/708,936
Granted
Jan 27, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A processing system for processing an object ( 3 ) is provided, wherein the processing system is adapted, to focus a first energy beam, in particular an electron beam ( 11 ), and a second energy beam, in particular an ion beam ( 21 ), on a focusing region ( 29 ) in which a object ( 3 ) to be processed is arrangeable. A processing chamber wall ( 35 ) having two openings ( 38, 39 ) for traversal of both energy beams and a connector ( 37 ) for supplying process gas delimits a processing chamber ( 45 ) from a vacuum chamber ( 2 ) of the processing system. Processing the object by activating the process gas through one of the energy beams and inspecting the object via one of the energy beams is enabled for different orientations of the object relative to a propagation direction of one of the energy beams.

Claims (75)

1. A processing system for processing an object, the processing system comprising:

a first energy beam guiding system having first optics configured for generating a first energy beam and focusing the first energy beam in a focusing region located in a vacuum chamber;

a second energy beam guiding system having second optics configured for generating a second energy beam and focusing the second energy beam in the focusing region;

at least one processing chamber wall which is arrangeable within the vacuum chamber such that the processing chamber wall at least partially encompasses the focusing region;

wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a front face substantially disposed in a plane, wherein the front face surrounds a beam path of the first energy beam and a beam path of the second energy beam;

wherein the processing chamber wall has at least one connector for supplying a process gas to the focusing region;

wherein a first opening traversed by the beam path of the first energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall;

wherein a second opening traversed by the beam path of the second energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein the second opening is spaced apart from the first opening;

wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion, which are configured to be displaceable relative to each other; and

wherein the processing system is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other changes an inclination of the front face relative to at least one of the beam path of the first energy beam and the beam path of the second energy beam.

2. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first energy beam is an electron beam and the second energy beam is an ion beam.

3. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first energy beam guiding system comprises an electron beam column, and wherein the second energy beam guiding system comprises an ion beam column.

4. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber wall has a portion extending in a direction transverse to the plane.

5. The processing system according of claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber wall further comprises a connector for discharging the process gas from the focusing region.

6. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein in the first and in the second orientation, at least one of the front face and a fitting plane of the front face substantially extends parallel to a surface of the object.

7. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second wall portion comprises at least a portion of the front face;

wherein the processing system is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other causes the second wall portion to move relative to the vacuum chamber.

8. The processing system according to claim 7 , wherein the processing chamber wall is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other leaves a position of the first opening and a position of the second opening substantially unchanged.

9. The processing system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processing system further comprises an object holder for holding the object, wherein the object holder is adapted to change an orientation of the object relative to the beam path of the first energy beam from a first orientation to a second orientation;

wherein an angle between the first orientation and the second orientation is between 10° and 60°; and

wherein a gap is formed between the front face of the processing chamber wall and at least one of the object and the object holder in both the first orientation and the second orientation, wherein for each portion of the front face, the gap has a width of less than 0.5 mm.

10. The processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the gap has a width of less than 200 μm.

11. The processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the front face of the processing chamber wall lies flush against the at least one of the object and the object holder in both the first orientation and the second orientation.

12. A processing system for processing an object, the processing system comprising:

a first energy beam guiding system having first optics configured for generating a first energy beam and focusing the first energy beam in a focusing region located in a vacuum chamber;

a second energy beam guiding system having second optics configured for generating a second energy beam and focusing the second energy beam in the focusing region;

at least one processing chamber wall which has a recessed shape which opens toward a plane; wherein the processing chamber wall is arrangeable within the vacuum chamber such that the processing chamber wall at least partially encompasses the focusing region;

wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a front face substantially disposed in the plane, wherein the front face surrounds a beam path of the first energy beam and a beam path of the second energy beam;

wherein the processing chamber wall has at least one connector for supplying a process gas to the focusing region;

wherein a first opening traversed by the beam path of the first energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein a second opening traversed by the beam path of the second energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein the second opening is spaced apart from the first opening;

wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion being displaceable relative to each other; and

wherein the first wall portion provides the first opening and the second opening, and wherein the second wall portion comprises at least a portion of the front face.

13. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are pivotable relative to each other about an axis.

14. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are arranged side by side such that portions of surfaces of the first and second wall portions overlap.

15. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are elastically connected to each other by a third wall portion.

16. The processing system according to claim 12 , further comprising an object holder for holding the object, wherein the object holder is adapted to change an orientation of the object relative to the beam path of the first energy beam from a first orientation to a second orientation;

wherein an angle between the first orientation and the second orientation is between 10° and 60°.

17. The processing system according to claim 16 , wherein the first and the second wall portions are configured such that a gap is formed between the front face of the processing chamber wall and at least one of the object or the object holder in both the first and the second orientation, wherein for each portion of the front face, the gap has a width of less than 0.5 mm.

18. The processing system according to claim 16 , wherein the processing chamber wall is configured such that in the second orientation, a position of the first opening and a position of the second opening remain substantially unchanged compared to the first orientation.

19. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first energy beam is an electron beam and the second energy beam is an ion beam.

20. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion comprises a connector for discharging the process gas from the focusing region.

21. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first wall portion is fixedly connected to at least one of the first energy guiding system and the second energy guiding system.

22. The processing system according to claim 12 ,

wherein the processing system is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other changes an inclination of the front face relative to at least one of the beam path of the first energy beam and the beam path of the second energy beam.

23. The processing system according to claim 12 ,

wherein the first and the second wall portions are configured such that a gap is formed between the front face and at least one of the object and the object holder to form a processing chamber within the vacuum chamber;

wherein the processing chamber has an interior space and a surrounding space, which surrounds the processing chamber; and

wherein the gap is located between the interior space of the processing chamber and the surrounding space.

24. The processing system according to claim 23 , wherein at least one of the following holds:

(a) for each portion of the front face, the gap has a width of less than 0.5 mm; and

(b) the front face lies flush against the at least one of the object and the object holder.

25. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the processing chamber wall is configured such that the displacing of the first and the second wall portions relative to each other leaves a position of the first opening and a position of the second opening substantially unchanged.

26. The processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the relative displacement causes the second wall portion to move relative to the vacuum chamber.

27. The processing system according to claim 26 , wherein the second wall portion comprises the front face.

28. The processing system according to claim 9 , wherein the second wall portion comprises the front face.

29. The processing system according to claim 23 , wherein the relative displacement causes the second wall portion to move relative to the vacuum chamber.

30. The processing system according to claim 23 , wherein the second wall portion comprises the front face.

31. A processing system for processing an object, the processing system comprising:

a first energy beam guiding system having first optics configured for generating a first energy beam and focusing the first energy beam in a focusing region located in a vacuum chamber;

a second energy beam guiding system having second optics configured for generating a second energy beam and focusing the second energy beam in the focusing region;

at least one processing chamber wall which is arrangeable within the vacuum chamber such that the processing chamber wall at least partially encompasses the focusing region;

wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a front face substantially disposed in a plane, wherein the front face surrounds a beam path of the first energy beam and a beam path of the second energy beam;

wherein the processing chamber wall has at least one connector for supplying a process gas to the focusing region;

wherein a first opening traversed by the beam path of the first energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein a second opening traversed by the beam path of the second energy beam is formed in the processing chamber wall, and wherein the second opening is spaced apart from the first opening;

wherein the processing chamber wall comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion being displaceable relative to each other, wherein the first wall portion provides the first opening and the second opening, and wherein the second wall portion comprises at least a portion of the front face; and

an object holder for holding the object, wherein the object holder is adapted to change an orientation of the object relative to the beam path of the first energy beam from a first orientation to a second orientation;

wherein an angle between the first orientation and the second orientation is between 10° and 60°;

wherein in the first and in the second orientation, at least one of the front face and a fitting plane of the front face substantially extends parallel to a surface of the object.

32. The processing system according to claim 31 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are pivotable relative to each other about an axis.

33. The processing system according to claim 31 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are arranged side by side such that portions of surfaces of the first and second wall portions overlap.

34. The processing system according to claim 31 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are elastically connected to each other by a third wall portion.

35. The processing system according to claim 31 , wherein a gap is formed between the front face of the processing chamber wall and at least one of the object or the object holder in both the first and the second orientation, wherein for each portion of the front face, the gap has a width of less than 0.5 mm.

36. The processing system according to claim 31 , wherein the front face of the processing chamber wall lies flush against the at least one of the object and the object holder in both the first orientation and the second orientation.

37. The processing system according to claim 31 , wherein the processing chamber wall is configured such that in the second orientation, a position of the first opening and a position of the second opening remain substantially unchanged compared to the first orientation.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jun 2, 2013
From: CARL ZEISS NTS GMBH
To: CARL ZEISS MICROSCOPY GMBH
Reel/Frame 030529/0564 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2012
From: BERTAGNOLLI, EMMERICH; BUEHLER, WOLFRAM; ZEILE, ULRIKE; WANZENBOECK, HEINZ; STEBLER, CAMILLE; ROSENTHAL, ALEXANDER
To: CARL ZEISS NTS GMBH
Reel/Frame 029476/0538 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2008 009 640 · Feb 18, 2008 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12378634 · Feb 18, 2009
Related Publication 20130098292A1 · Apr 25, 2013