Method and system for adaptively scanning a sample during electron beam inspection

1. A system for adaptively scanning a sample during electron beam inspection comprising:

an inspection sub-system configured to scan an electron beam across the surface of the sample, the inspection sub-system including:

an electron beam source configured to generate an electron beam,

a sample stage configured to secure the sample;

a set of electron-optic elements configured to direct the electron beam onto the sample; and

a detector assembly including at least an electron collector, the detector configured to detect electrons from the surface of the sample; and

a controller communicatively coupled to one or more portions of the inspection sub-system, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

assess at least one of a pattern characteristic or a defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection; and

responsive to at least one of the assessed pattern characteristic or the defect characteristic, adjust one or more scan parameters of the inspection sub-system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inspection sub-system is configured to scan an electron beam across the surface of one or more wafers.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electron beam source includes one or more electron guns.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sample stage comprises:

at least one of a linear sample stage and a rotational sample stage.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more scanning parameters adjusted by the controller comprise:

at least one of one or more stage parameters, one or more electron optic parameters, one or more electron beam scanning parameters, one or more image forming parameters and one or more digitization parameters.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pattern characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection comprises:

a complexity metric of one or more patterns within the one or more portions of the area for inspection.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pattern characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection comprises:

a structural characteristic of one or more patterns within the one or more portions of the area for inspection.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection comprises:

a defect density within the one or more portions of the area for inspection.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection comprises:

a defect size within the one or more portions of the area for inspection.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection comprises:

a defect type within the one or more portions of the area for inspection.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to assess at least one of a pattern characteristic or a defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection during an inspection recipe setup.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to assess at least one of a pattern characteristic or a defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection during a setup inspection run prior to inspection.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to assess at least one of a pattern characteristic or a defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection during inspection runtime.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the electron source and is configured to control one or more electron source parameters.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the sample stage and is configured to control one or more stage parameters of the sample disposed on the sample stage.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to one or more electron-optic elements of the set of electron-optic elements and is configured to control one or more electron-optic parameters.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of electron-optic elements includes one or more electron optic lenses for focusing the electron beam onto the surface of the sample.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the one or more electron-optic lenses of the set of electron-optic elements and is configured to control one or more electron-optic focus parameters.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of electron-optic elements includes one or more electron beam scanning elements configured to scan the electron beam across the surface of the sample.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the one or more electron beam scanning elements and is configured to control one or more electron beam scanning parameters with the electron beam scanning coils.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to a portion of the detector assembly.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the electron collector of the detector assembly and is configured to control one or more image forming parameters.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the detector assembly and is configured to control at least one digitization parameter of the detector assembly.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector assembly further includes a scintillating element and a photomultiplier tube.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the detector assembly further includes a light detector.

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to elongate one or more pixels along a selected direction.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the controller is configured to elongate one or more pixels along an electron beam scan direction by increasing beam scan range by a selected factor and maintaining stage speed and pixel data rate.

28. The system of claim 26 , wherein the controller is configured to elongate one or more pixels along an electron beam scan direction by increasing scan voltage by a selected factor.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the controller is configured to elongate one or more pixels along a fast scan direction by increasing scan voltage by a selected factor.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the controller is configured to elongate one or more pixels along a fast scan direction by increasing scan voltage by a selected factor in order to detect one or more voltage contrast defects of a conductive line of the sample.

31. The system of claim 26 , wherein the controller is configured to elongate one or more pixels along a direction perpendicular to an electron beam scan direction by increasing stage speed by a selected factor and maintaining beam scan range and pixel data rate.

32. A method for adaptively scanning a sample during electron beam inspection comprising:

scanning an electron beam across a surface of the sample;

assessing at least one of a pattern characteristic or a defect characteristic of one or more portions of an area for inspection; and

performing an inline adjustment of one or more scan parameters associated with the scanning of the electron beam across the surface of the sample based on at least one of the assessed pattern characteristic or the defect characteristic of the of one or more portions of the area for inspection.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the scanning an electron beam across a surface of the sample comprises:

scanning an electron beam across a surface of the sample in a swathing inspection mode.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the scanning an electron beam across a surface of the sample comprises:

scanning an electron beam across a surface of the sample in a step-and-scan inspection mode.