Granted Patent B2

US 12,451,319 · App. 17/135,279 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Inventors: Nikolai Chubun (Palo Alto, CA); Xinrong Jiang (Palo Alto, CA); Youfei Jiang (Milpitas, CA); Christopher Sears (Fremont, CA)

Assignee: KLA Corporation

H01J37/063H01J37/09H01J37/14H01J37/3255

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. An electron source, comprising:

an electron emitter configured to generate one or more electron beams;

a stand-alone magnetic suppressor electrode surrounding at least a portion of the electron emitter, wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is formed from one or more magnetic materials, wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode includes a conical section that surrounds the electron emitter, wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is configured to shield the shaft of the tip of electron emitter from the axial magnetic field from a magnetic lens thereby mitigating drift of the electron emitter; and

an extractor electrode positioned adjacent to a tip of the electron emitter.

2. The electron source of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is formed from one or more ferromagnetic materials.

3. The electron source of claim 2 , wherein the one or more ferromagnetic materials include a magnetic material including at least one of:

nickel, iron, or cobalt.

4. An electron beam inspection system, comprising:

an electron source comprising:

an electron emitter configured to generate one or more electron beams;

a stand-alone magnetic suppressor electrode surrounding at least a portion of the electron emitter, wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is formed from one or more magnetic materials, wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode includes a conical section that surrounds the electron emitter, wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is configured to shield the shaft of the tip of electron emitter from the axial magnetic field from a magnetic lens thereby mitigating drift of the electron emitter; and

an extractor electrode positioned adjacent to a tip of the electron emitter;

an electron-optical column including a set of electron-optical elements configured to direct the electron beam onto a sample, the set of electron-optical elements including at least the magnetic lens.

5. The electron beam inspection system of claim 4 , wherein a working distance of the magnetic lens is between 2-8 mm.

6. The electron beam inspection system of claim 5 , wherein the a working distance of the magnetic lens is 5 mm.

7. The electron beam inspection system of claim 4 , wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is configured to narrow a working distance of the magnetic lens.

8. The electron beam inspection system of claim 4 , wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is formed from one or more ferromagnetic materials.

9. The electron beam inspection system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more ferromagnetic materials includes one or more magnetic materials including at least one of:

nickel, iron, or cobalt.

10. A method, comprising:

emitting a particle beam from a tip of an electron emitter, wherein the electron emitter is at least partially surrounded by a stand-alone magnetic suppressor electrode, wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode includes a conical section that surrounds the electron emitter; and

shielding a shaft of a tip of the electron emitter from an axial magnetic field from a magnetic lens thereby mitigating drift of the electron emitter; and

compressing a magnetic field of the magnetic lens toward the electron emitter to reduce the working distance of the magnetic lens below 10 mm to correct spherical and chromatic aberrations and limit EMI-induced vibration of the emitter.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the magnetic suppressor electrode is formed from one or more ferromagnetic materials.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more ferromagnetic materials includes a magnetic material including at least one of:

nickel, iron, or cobalt.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (27)