IP Library Granted Patent US 11,276,555
Granted Patent B2
US 11,276,555 · App. 17/072,678 · Granted Mar 15, 2022

Charged particle beam apparatus, composite charged particle beam apparatus, and control method for charged particle beam apparatus

Inventors: Yasuhiko Sugiyama (Tokyo, JP); Koji Nagahara (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
H01J37/28H01J37/12H01J37/1474H01J2237/04924H01J2237/24564
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,276,555
App. No.
17/072,678
Granted
Mar 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The charged particle beam apparatus includes: a charged particle source configured to generate charged particles; a plurality of scanning electrodes configured to generate electric fields for deflecting charged particles that are emitted by applying an acceleration voltage to the charged particle source, and applying an extraction voltage to an extraction electrode configured to extract the charged particles; an electrostatic lens, which is provided between the plurality of scanning electrodes and a sample table, and is configured to focus a charged particle beam deflected by the plurality of scanning electrodes; and a processing unit configured to obtain a measurement condition, and set each of scanning voltages to be applied to the plurality of scanning electrodes based on the obtained measurement condition.

Claims (28)

1. A charged particle beam apparatus, comprising:

a charged particle source configured to generate charged particles;

an extraction power supply configured to apply an extraction voltage to an extraction electrode to extract the charged particles from the charged particle source;

an acceleration power supply configured to apply an acceleration voltage to the charged particles generated by the charged particle source in order to form a charged particle beam and accelerate the charged particle beam;

a plurality of scanning electrodes configured to generate electric fields for deflecting the charged particle beam so as to scan the charged particle beam on a sample;

an electrostatic lens, which is provided between the plurality of scanning electrodes and a sample table, and is configured to focus the charged particle beam deflected by the plurality of scanning electrodes; and

a processing unit configured to obtain a measurement condition influencing a position of a principal surface of the electrostatic lens, and set each of scanning voltages to be applied to the plurality of scanning electrodes based on the obtained measurement condition.

2. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from scanning voltage information in which a measurement condition and information that specifies a scanning voltage to be applied by each of the plurality of scanning electrodes are associated with each other, a plurality of pieces of information that each specify a scanning voltage corresponding to the obtained measurement condition, so as to set each of the plurality of scanning voltages based on the obtained plurality of pieces of information that each specify a scanning voltage, and

wherein the scanning voltage information is derived based on the measurement condition.

3. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of scanning electrodes include:

a first scanning electrode configured to apply a first scanning voltage to the charged particle beam; and

a second scanning electrode, which is provided between the first scanning electrode and the sample table, and is configured to apply a second scanning voltage to the charged particle beam.

4. The charged particle beam apparatus according to of claim 1 , wherein the measurement condition includes information that specifies the acceleration voltage and information that specifies an operation mode.

5. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a beam booster voltage application unit, which is provided between the charged particle source and the sample table, and is configured to apply a beam booster voltage to the charged particle beam,

wherein the measurement condition includes information that specifies the acceleration voltage and information that specifies the beam booster voltage.

6. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from beam booster voltage information in which a measurement condition and information that specifies a beam booster voltage to be applied by the beam booster voltage application unit are associated with each other, information that specifies a beam booster voltage corresponding to the obtained measurement condition, and set the beam booster voltage information based on the obtained information that specifies a beam booster voltage.

7. A composite charged particle beam apparatus, comprising:

the charged particle beam apparatus of claim 5 ; and

an electron beam column,

wherein the processing unit is configured to set the beam booster voltage based on the acceleration voltage, a focal length of the charged particle beam focused by the electrostatic lens, and an irradiation position of an electron beam applied by an electron beam irradiation unit configured to apply the electron beam.

8. The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a focus position of the charged particle beam focused by the electrostatic lens matches the irradiation position of the electron beam.

9. The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from beam booster voltage information in which a measurement condition and information that specifies a beam booster voltage to be applied by the beam booster voltage application unit are associated with each other, information that specifies a beam booster voltage corresponding to the obtained measurement condition, and set the beam booster voltage information based on the obtained information that specifies a beam booster voltage.

10. A control method for a charged particle beam apparatus, comprising:

causing a charged particle source to emit charged particles by applying an acceleration voltage to the charged particle source and applying an extraction voltage to an extraction electrode configured to extract the charged particles;

obtaining a measurement condition to set, based on the obtained measurement condition, each of a plurality of scanning voltages to be applied to a plurality of scanning electrodes configured to generate electric fields for deflecting the charged particles so as to scan a charged particle beam on a sample;

applying a scanning voltage to each of the plurality of scanning electrodes based on each of the set plurality of scanning voltages; and

causing an electrostatic lens, which is provided between the plurality of scanning electrodes and a sample table, to focus the charged particles deflected by the plurality of scanning voltages, wherein the measurement condition is a condition influencing a position of a principal surface of the electrostatic lens.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072903/0593 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH ANALYSIS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072913/0104 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2022
From: SUGIYAMA, YASUHIKO; NAGAHARA, KOJI
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058740/0167 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-191370 · Oct 18, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210118645A1 · Apr 22, 2021