US 11,875,966 B2
Method and apparatus for inspection
Bernardo Kastrup, Veldhoven (NL); Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens, Valkenswaard (NL); Marinus Aart Van Den Brink, Moergestel (NL); Jozef Petrus Henricus Benschop, Veldhoven (NL); Erwin Paul Smakman, Eindhoven (NL); Tamara Druzhinina, Eindhoven (NL); and Coen Adrianus Verschuren, Eindhoven (NL)
Assigned to ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Filed by ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/403,006.
Application 17/403,006 is a continuation of application No. 16/064,193, granted, now 11,094,502, previously published as PCT/EP2016/080374, filed on Dec. 9, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 15202676 (EP), filed on Dec. 24, 2015; and application No. 16166550 (EP), filed on Apr. 22, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0375581 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. H01J 37/26 (2006.01); H01J 37/15 (2006.01); H01J 37/02 (2006.01); H01J 37/22 (2006.01); H01J 37/244 (2006.01); H01J 37/28 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/263 (2013.01) [H01J 37/023 (2013.01); H01J 37/15 (2013.01); H01J 37/22 (2013.01); H01J 37/244 (2013.01); H01J 37/28 (2013.01); H01J 2237/0245 (2013.01); H01J 2237/2817 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electron beam inspection apparatus comprising:
a plurality of electron beam columns arranged in an array of one or more rows and one or more columns, each electron beam column configured to provide a multi-beam of electron beams to an object, wherein the multi-beam comprises a plurality of beams arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement, wherein the object has a plurality of separate fields or dies, each field or die having a boundary to enable separation of the object into pieces, and wherein each electron beam column in a row in the array and in a column of the array is arranged to inspect a respective portion of the object;
an actuator system configured to move one or more of the electron beam columns relative to another one or more of the electron beam columns so that each electron beam column is aligned with its portion; and
a non-transitory computer program product comprising machine-readable instructions configured to cause relative movement between the object and the electron beam columns for inspection such that, during the inspection, a span in all directions of the combined field of view of the multi-beams of a respective electron beam column is less than the span in all directions of the field or die being inspected by those multi-beams of the respective electron beam column.
 
13. An electron beam inspection apparatus comprising:
a plurality of electron beam columns arranged in an array of one or more rows and one or more columns, each electron beam column configured to provide a multi-beam of electron beams to an object, wherein the multi-beam comprises a plurality of beams arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement and wherein the object has a plurality of separate fields or dies, each field or die having a boundary to enable separation of the object into pieces;
an actuator system configured to move one or more of the electron beam columns relative to another one or more of the electron beam columns; and
a non-transitory computer program product comprising machine-readable instructions configured to cause relative movement between the object and the electron beam columns for inspection such that, during the inspection, a span in all directions of the combined field of view of the multi-beams of a respective electron beam column is less than the span in all directions of the field or die being inspected by those multi-beams of the respective electron beam column and such that each electron beam column is arranged to scan a same portion of a respective field or die at a same time when the electron beams are scanned relative to the object.