IP Library Granted Patent US 10,916,405
Granted Patent B2
US 10,916,405 · App. 16/562,931 · Granted Feb 9, 2021

Atom probe inspection device, field ion microscope, and distortion correction method

Inventors: Takahiro Ikeda (Yokohama, JP); Akira Kuramoto (Kuwana, JP); Haruko Akutsu (Yokosuka, JP)
Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
H01J37/285H01J37/12H01J37/141H01J37/153H01J37/244H01J2237/153H01J2237/226H01J2237/2446H01J2237/24495H01J2237/24585H01J2237/2611H01J2237/2852H01J2237/2855
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,916,405
App. No.
16/562,931
Granted
Feb 9, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, an atom probe inspection device includes one or more processors configured to change a two-dimensional position of a detected ion, detect two-dimensional position information of the ion and a flying time of the ion, identify a type of an element of the ion, generate first information under a first condition and second information under a second condition, and generate a reconstruction image of the sample from the first information and the second information.

Claims (77)

1. An atom probe inspection device, comprising one or more processors configured to:

change, between a first condition and a second condition, a two-dimensional position at which an ion that has been separated from a surface of a sample is detected on a detection surface of a position sensitive detector;

detect two-dimensional position information of the ion detected on the detection surface and a flying time of the ion from the sample to the detection surface;

identify a type of an element of the ion detected on the detection surface from the detected flying time;

generate first information on the basis of a first two-dimensional position detected under the first condition and the type of the element and generate second information on the basis of a second two-dimensional position detected under the second condition and the type of the element; and

generate a reconstruction image of the sample by estimating a center of a curvature circle contacting a point on the sample from which the ion has been separated, on the basis of an amount of distortion of corresponding locations on the first information and the second information.

2. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors:

perform feature matching between the first information generated and the second information generated, and

estimate information on an actual position of the ion separated from the surface of the sample from a result of the feature matching.

3. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more processors generate the reconstruction image to reflect an atomic arrangement of an actual element on the surface of the sample, on the basis of the type of the element, the first information, and the second information.

4. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors:

generate a plurality of reconstruction images of the sample on the basis of the first information generated and the second information generated, and

arrange the generated reconstruction images chronologically to generate a three-dimensional map representing a three-dimensional distribution of atoms.

5. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more processors label the identified type of each of the first information generated and the second information generated.

6. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more processors calculate a ratio between a mass number and a charge number of the ion from the flying time, and identify the type in accordance with the ratio.

7. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a power supply which applies a voltage to the sample; and

a laser device which emits a laser to the sample.

8. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 7 , wherein

the laser device emits a pulse laser to the sample.

9. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 8 , wherein

the power supply applies the voltage to generate an electric field smaller than an evaporation electric field of the sample between the sample and the position sensitive detector.

10. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors:

control movement of the position sensitive detector to change a distance between the sample and the position sensitive detector, and

generate the first information at a first position under the first condition that the position sensitive detector is moved, and

generate the second information at a second position different from the first position under the second condition that the position sensitive detector is moved to the second position.

11. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 10 , wherein

the one or more processors move the position sensitive detector in a linear direction from an end of the sample to a center of the detection surface, to change a distance from the end to the detection surface of the position sensitive detector.

12. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , further comprising

an electromagnetic lens which generates a magnetic field to change a trajectory of an ion separated from the sample, wherein the one or more processors:

control generation of a magnetic field by the electromagnetic lens,

generate the first information under the first condition that the electromagnetic lens is controlled to generate a certain magnetic field, and

generate the second information under the second condition that the electromagnetic lens is controlled to generate a different magnetic field from the certain magnetic field.

13. The atom probe inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors:

control generation of an electric field by a drive circuit to change a trajectory of the ion separated from the sample by the electric field,

generate the first information under the first condition that the drive circuit is controlled to generate a certain electric field, and

generate the second information under the second condition that the drive circuit is controlled to generate a different electric field from the certain electric field.

14. An atom probe inspection device, comprising:

one or more processors configured to:

change, between a first condition and a second condition, a two-dimensional position at which an ion that has been separated from a surface of a sample is detected on a detection surface of a position sensitive detector;

detect two-dimensional position information of the ion detected on the detection surface and a flying time of the ion from the sample to the detection surface;

identify a type of an element of the ion detected on the detection surface from the detected flying time;

generate first information on the basis of a first two-dimensional position detected under the first condition and the type of the element and generate second information on the basis of a second two-dimensional position detected under the second condition and the type of the element; and

generate a reconstruction image of the sample on the basis of the first information generated and the second information generated; and

a reflection lens which generates an electric field to reflect a trajectory of the ion separated from the sample and causes the ion to fly toward the position sensitive detector, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

control a position of the reflection lens, and

generate the first information at a first position under the first condition that the reflection lens is moved to the first position, and

generate the second information at a second position different from the first position under the second condition that the reflection lens is moved to the second position.

15. An atom probe inspection device, comprising

one or more processors configured to:

change, between a first condition and a second condition, a two-dimensional position at which an ion that has been separated from a surface of a sample is detected on a detection surface of a position sensitive detector;

detect two-dimensional position information of the ion detected on the detection surface and a flying time of the ion from the sample to the detection surface;

identify a type of an element of the ion detected on the detection surface from the detected flying time;

generate first information on the basis of a first two-dimensional position detected under the first condition and the type of the element and generate second information on the basis of a second two-dimensional position detected under the second condition and the type of the element; and

generate a reconstruction image of the sample on the basis of the first information generated and the second information generated; and

a reflection lens which generates an electric field to reflect a trajectory of the ion separated from the sample to cause the ion to fly toward the position sensitive detector, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

control generation of the electric field by the reflection lens,

generate the first information under the first condition that the reflection lens is controlled to generate a certain electric field, and

generate the second information under the second condition that the reflection lens is controlled to generate a different electric field from the certain electric field.

16. A field ion microscope, comprising

one or more processors configured to:

change, between a first condition and a second condition, a two-dimensional position at which an ion that has been separated from a surface of a sample is detected on a detection surface of a position sensitive detector;

detect two-dimensional position information of the ion detected on the detection surface;

generate first information on the basis of a first two-dimensional position detected under the first condition and generate second information on the basis of a second two-dimensional position detected wider the second condition; and

generate a reconstruction image of the sample by estimating a center of a curvature circle contacting a point on the sample from which the ion has been separated, on the basis of an amount of distortion of corresponding locations on the first information and the second information.

17. The field ion microscope according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors:

generate a plurality of reconstruction images of the sample on the basis of the first information generated and the second information generated, and

arrange the generated reconstruction images chronologically to generate a three-dimensional map representing a three-dimensional distribution of atoms.

18. A distortion correction method, comprising:

changing, between a first condition and a second condition, a two-dimensional position at which an ion that has been separated from a surface of a sample is detected on a detection surface of a position sensitive detector;

detecting two-dimensional position information of the ion detected on e detection surface and a flying time of the ion from the sample to the detection surface;

identifying a type of an element of the ion detected on the detection surface from the detected flying time;

generating first information on the basis of a first two-dimensional position detected under the first condition and the type of the element and generating second information on the basis of a second two-dimensional position detected under the second condition and the type of the element; and

generating a reconstruction image of the sample by estimating a center of a curvature circle contacting a point on the sample from which the ion has been separated, on the basis of an amount of distortion of corresponding locations on the first information and the second information.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 31, 2022
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058905/0582 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2019
From: IKEDA, TAKAHIRO; KURAMOTO, AKIRA; AKUTSU, HARUKO
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050293/0448 →