US 12,068,129 B2
Tilt-column multi-beam electron microscopy system and method
Xinrong Jiang, Palo Alto, CA (US); Youfei Jiang, Milpitas, CA (US); Ralph Nyffenegger, Milpitas, CA (US); and Michael Steigerwald, Milpitas, CA (US)
Assigned to KLA Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US)
Filed by KLA Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/981,141.
Prior Publication US 2024/0153737 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. H01J 37/28 (2006.01); H01J 37/26 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/28 (2013.01) [H01J 37/261 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tilt-column electron beam imaging system comprising:
an imaging sub-system comprising:
a plurality of electron beam sources configured to generate a plurality of beamlets to simultaneously probe a plurality of measurement regions on a sample;
a collection pathway comprising one or more detectors; and
an illumination pathway comprising:
a plurality of tilt-illumination columns, wherein a respective tilt-illumination column is configured to receive a respective beamlet from a respective electron beam source, wherein the respective tilt-illumination column comprises:
a set of one or more electron optics configured to adjust the respective beamlet,
wherein a first tilt axis of a first tilt-illumination column is orientated along a first angle and at least one additional tilt axis of at least one additional tilt-illumination column is orientated along at least one additional angle different from the first angle, wherein each of the plurality of beamlets pass through a first common crossover volume.