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US4827127A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus using charged particle beam

Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1986-10-24
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Granted: 1989-05-02
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Expires: 2006-10-24
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Abstract

Abstract An apparatus using a charged particle beam is disclosed which includes means for generating charged particles, means for accelerating the charged particles so that the charged particles have desired kinetic energy, lens means including at least one objective lens for focusing a charged particle beam formed of the accelerated, charged particles, on the surface of a specimen, scanning means for scanning the surface of the specimen two-dimensionally with the focused beam, detection means for detecting secondary electrons, reflected electrons, X-rays and light, all of which emerge from the surface of the specimen, objective lens moving means for moving an objective lens nearest to the specimen, and deflection means linked with the objective lens moving means for deflecting the charged particle beam so that the charged particle beam carries out parallel displacement at the objective lens by an amount corresponding to the moving distance of the objective lens.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hideo Todokoro

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 06:27
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/26; H01J37/266; H01J37/268; H01J37/02; H01J37/04; H01J37/147; H01J37/15; G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/302; G01R31/305; G01R31/307

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 200 words
An apparatus using a charged particle beam, comprising: means for generating charged particles; means for accelerating said charged particles so that said charged particles have desired kinetic energy; lens means including at least one objective lens for focusing a charged particle beam formed of the accelerated, charged particles, on a surface of a specimen; scanning means for scanning the surface of said specimen two-dimensionally with the focused charged particle beam; detection means for detecting at least one of secondary electrons, reflected electrons, X-rays and light, all of which emerge from the surface of said specimen; objective lens moving means for mechanically moving an objective lens nearest to said specimen in a horizontal plane parallel to the surface of said specimen; and deflection means responsive to said objective lens moving means for laterally moving an axis of said charged particle beam in parallel to an initial charged particle beam axis by an amount corresponding to the mechanical movement of said objective lens so that said charged particle beam is substantially perpendicular to said objective lens and always passes through the center of said objective lens to be incident on different portions of the surface of said specimen without moving said specimen.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 200 words
An apparatus using a charged particle beam, comprising: means for generating charged particles; means for accelerating said charged particles so that said charged particles have desired kinetic energy; lens means including at least one objective lens for focusing a charged particle beam formed of the accelerated, charged particles, on a surface of a specimen; scanning means for scanning the surface of said specimen two-dimensionally with the focused charged particle beam; detection means for detecting at least one of secondary electrons, reflected electrons, X-rays and light, all of which emerge from the surface of said specimen; objective lens moving means for mechanically moving an objective lens nearest to said specimen in a horizontal plane parallel to the surface of said specimen; and deflection means responsive to said objective lens moving means for laterally moving an axis of said charged particle beam in parallel to an initial charged particle beam axis by an amount corresponding to the mechanical movement of said objective lens so that said charged particle beam is substantially perpendicular to said objective lens and always passes through the center of said objective lens to be incident on different portions of the surface of said specimen without moving said specimen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said objective lens moving means further includes means for moving said objective lens in a direction perpendicular to said horizontal plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 56 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, said deflection means is disposed over said objective lens and is made up of upper deflection means and lower deflection means, and wherein each of said upper deflection means and said lower deflection means deflects said charged particle beam by an amount corresponding to the movement of said objective lens.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 135 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said scanning means is made up of upper scanning means and lower scanning means, each of which is formed of one of electrostatic scanning means and electromagnetic scanning means, and means for supplying a scanning voltage or current to each of said upper scanning means and said lower scanning means which is superposed on a deflection voltage or current which is supplied to said deflection means and corresponds to the movement of said objective lens, wherein the axis of said charged particle beam carries out parallel displacement at said objective lens by an amount corresponding to the movement of said objective lens, and then swings as if said particle beam were pivoted at the center of said objective lens, on the axis of said scanning voltage or current.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means is moved together with said objective lens, as one body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an energy filter for said secondary electrons is disposed between said detection means and said objective lens.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lower deflection means is moved together with said objective lens, as one body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 36 words
An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of said electrostatic scanning means and said electromagnetic scanning means each used for forming said lower scanning means is moved together with said objective lens, as one body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 18 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an auxiliary objective lens is disposed over said upper deflection means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 33 words
An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an auxiliary objective lens is disposed over one of said electrostatic scanning means and said electromagnetic scanning means each used for forming said upper scanning means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 87 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plate having the form of one of a circle and a rectangle and provided with a plurality of lead wires which are radially arranged on said plate and are hermetically bonded thereto by an insulating material, is disposed under said objective lens and is attached to a vacuum vessel, and wherein said plate is mounted with said specimen at a central portion thereof, and an electric signal is supplied from the outside of said vacuum vessel to said specimen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 14 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said plate has a completely airtight structure.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 13 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said plate serves as a prober-card.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 24 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein specimen moving means for moving said specimen in horizontal and vertical directions, is provided under said prober-card.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

CA571012A Cited
US3733484A Cited
US4168434A Cited
US4376249A Cited
US4431915A Cited
US4464571A Cited
US4588891A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-05-01 1992-10-31 1993-05-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-05-01 1996-10-31 1997-05-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-05-01 2000-10-31 2001-05-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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