US 12,087,541 B2
Apparatus of plural charged-particle beams
Weiming Ren, San Jose, CA (US); Shuai Li, Beijing (CN); Xuedong Liu, San Jose, CA (US); and Zhongwei Chen, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Filed by ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/460,381.
Application 16/167,429 is a division of application No. 15/633,639, filed on Jun. 26, 2017, granted, now 10,109,456, issued on Oct. 23, 2018.
Application 15/403,749 is a division of application No. 15/065,342, filed on Mar. 9, 2016, granted, now 9,691,588, issued on Jun. 27, 2017.
Application 17/460,381 is a continuation of application No. 16/866,482, filed on May 4, 2020, granted, now 11,107,657.
Application 16/866,482 is a continuation of application No. 16/398,178, filed on Apr. 29, 2019, granted, now 10,643,820, issued on May 5, 2020.
Application 16/398,178 is a continuation of application No. 16/167,429, filed on Oct. 22, 2018, granted, now 10,276,347, issued on Apr. 30, 2019.
Application 15/633,639 is a continuation of application No. 15/403,749, filed on Jan. 11, 2017, granted, now 9,691,586, issued on Jun. 27, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/130,819, filed on Mar. 10, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0148851 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. H01J 37/28 (2006.01); H01J 37/12 (2006.01); H01J 37/147 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/28 (2013.01) [H01J 37/12 (2013.01); H01J 37/1472 (2013.01); H01J 37/1477 (2013.01); H01J 2237/04924 (2013.01); H01J 2237/083 (2013.01); H01J 2237/1205 (2013.01); H01J 2237/1516 (2013.01); H01J 2237/2817 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A charged-particle beam apparatus, comprising:
a source conversion unit configured to convert electrons from a single electron source into a plurality of beamlets, the source conversion unit comprising a plurality of paired elements,
wherein each paired element comprises a first element and a second element above the first element, and
the first elements of the plurality of paired elements form a first layer of multi-pole elements and the second elements of the plurality of paired elements form a second layer of multi-pole elements;
a first projection system configured to form a plurality of probe spots on a sample from the plurality of beamlets;
a second projection system configured to focus a plurality of secondary beams generated by the plurality of probe spots on the sample; and
a detection device configured to receive the plurality of secondary beams.