KR101118693B1 - Method for controlling electron beam in multi-microcolumn and multi-microcolumn using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of controlling an electron beam in a multi-microcolumn including an electron emission source, lens units, and a unit microcolumn having corresponding deflectors, respectively, in an n × m matrix, each electron emission source or each X. Applying voltage equally or separately to the tractor to complement each other; Deflecting the electron beam by applying the same regulated voltage or a separate voltage to each control division of each deflector in the same coordinate region; And adjusting each layer integrally or individually so that each corresponding layer of the remaining lens except for the extract in the lens unit controls the electron beam of the unit microcolumn. These methods also provide for the use of multiple microcolumns.

Description

METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRON BEAM IN MULTI-MICROCOLUMN AND MULTI-MICROCOLUMN USING THE SAME}

1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional single microcolumn.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an electron beam control layer of a multi-microcolumn of the first type according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an electron beam control layer of a multi-microcolumn of the second type according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing an electron beam control layer of a multi-microcolumn of the third type according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing an electron beam control layer of a multi-microcolumn of the fourth type according to the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating that an electron beam is controlled in a multi-microcolumn according to the present invention.

7 is a schematic perspective view of a wafer type electron emission source layer of a multi-microcolumn according to the present invention.

8 is a schematic perspective view showing a portion of the composite multi-microcolumn according to the present invention.

9 is a plan view showing an example of another control layer of the second type according to the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing an example of another control layer of the third and / or fourth type according to the present invention.

11A and 11B are conceptual views illustrating an embodiment of a method of operating a microcolumn according to the present invention.

12A and 12B are conceptual diagrams showing another embodiment of a method of operating a microcolumn according to the present invention.

13A and 13B are exploded perspective views of an embodiment of a microcolumn according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an electron beam of multiple microcolumns and to multiple microcolumns, and more particularly, to controlling an electron beam that is emitted from an electron emission source of multiple microcolumns. The present invention also relates to a multi-microcolumn which can use the control method.

Conventional microcolumns can be thought of as very small microcolumns with high efficiency by miniaturizing electron columns using the principle of controlling electron beams in conventional CRTs, electron microscopes, electron beam lithography and various electron beam devices. As a conventional microcolumn, only a single microcolumn has been developed, but in the case of a multimicrocolumn, only a necessity of use and a possibility of producing a single complex type and a wafer type are shown.

In general, in a microcolumn, an electron beam is generated by an electron emission source, passes through various lenses, and is deflected by a deflector. Conventional single microcolumns control the electron beam by applying a separate voltage at each lens unit or deflector as needed. An example related to the structure of a single microcolumn is described in Korean Patent Application No. 2003-66003, and FIG. 1 shows the structure of a single microcolumn 10. The single microcolumn 10 shown in FIG. 1 basically includes an electron emission source (not shown), a source lens 13, a deflector 15, and a focus lens 16. Also, the electron source holder 11, the holder base 12 for accommodating the source lens 13, the column base 14 for accommodating the deflector 15, and the focus lens for supporting the electron emission source. The lens plate 17 for accommodating 16 is provided.

Although much research has been conducted on the control of a single electron beam in a single microcolumn, the problem of how to construct each single microcolumn and control the electron beam remains in the case of multi-microcolumns. The question of how to control multiple single microcolumns at the same time remains the same.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to emit electrons from the electron emission source of each unit microcolumn in a multimicrocolumn so as to easily and efficiently control the multimicrocolumns to form an electron beam and to efficiently control the electronbeam. To provide a way to.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wafer type multi-microcolumn to which the above method can be applied.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mixed multi-microcolumn of wafer type multi-microcolumns and existing microcolumns to which the above method can be applied.

In order to achieve the above object, the electron beam adjusting method according to the present invention,

In the method for adjusting the electron beam in a multi-microcolumn containing each unit microcolumns in an n x m matrix to emit and electron electrons to form and control the electron beam,

Individual electron emission sources and individual electronic lenses

A single voltage application method (first method) throughout the hole or electron emission source through which electrons of a single column part pass;

A voltage application method (second method) for each unit column (hole or electron emission source);

The same voltage application method (third system) for the same orientation (coordinate) electrode per unit column; And

A voltage application method (fourth method) for each unit column and electrode (orientation or coordinate);

Has control over

Applying a voltage so as to complement each of the individual electron emission sources and the individual extractors in the lens unit in a first manner or a second manner to induce the emission and progression of the electrons; And

Deflecting the electron beam by applying a voltage in a third or fourth manner;

It includes adjusting the electron beam.

Multi microcolumns according to the present invention

A multi-microcolumn comprising an electron emission source layer and a unit microcolumn having at least one lens unit in an n × m matrix,

Individual electron emission sources and individual electronic lenses

A type (first type) in which a single voltage is applied to the holes or electron emission sources of a single column part as a whole;

A type (second type) in which a voltage is applied for each hole or electron emission source of the unit column part;

A type (third type) in which the same voltage is applied to the same orientation (coordinate) electrode per unit column part; And

Type (fourth type) to which individual voltage is applied for each unit column part and electrode (orientation or coordinate)

Optional configuration

In order to induce the emission and the progress of the electrons, the individual electron emitters and the individual extractors of the lens unit are characterized in that each selected to be complementary to the first type or the second type.

In the construction of a multi-microcolumn, the electron emission source, the source lens portion, the deflector portion, and the focus lens portion are generally arranged in order, but it is also possible to arrange the focus lens before the deflector portion, and the deflector and the focus lens portion may be mixed. May be That is, if necessary, the arrangement of the lens unit and the deflector including, for example, the source lens and / or the focus lens may be variously changed.

In general, a microcolumn is formed by forming a electron beam with electrons generated by applying a voltage to an electron emission source to emit electrons, and controlling the quantity and direction of the beam as necessary. That is, electrons are emitted from the electron emission source by the potential difference between the electron emission source and the extractor of the source lens, and the emitted electrons are formed into an electron beam required by the source lens, so that the formed electron beam is deflected and / or focused. The microcolumns are driven in such a way as to control the amount, direction, and so on.

The method of controlling the formation of an electron beam in a microcolumn generally emits electrons from an electron emission source, selects only necessary portions of the emitted electrons to form an electron beam, deflects the formed electron beam as necessary, and samples the electron beam as necessary. Consists of focusing on. For this purpose, a microcolumn generally includes an electron emission source for emitting electrons, a source lens for emitting electrons from the electron emission source to form an electron beam, a deflector for deflecting the electron beam, and an electron beam to be deflected. It consists of a focus lens for focusing on. Of course, the microcolumns can be constructed in different ways with the above role, but in general, forming the electron beam in the microcolumns and focusing on the sample is almost similar. However, how to select each lens or deflector to form a microcolumn may only be different according to needs.

The method for controlling an electron beam of a multi-microcolumn according to the present invention is to apply voltages to the electron emission source and the lenses in various ways, respectively, in order to control both the formation, the progress, and the amount of the electron beam from the emission of electrons at the electron emission source. . That is, the control of the entire electron beam is efficiently performed by applying a voltage to the parts necessary for each control in a simple manner as possible according to its characteristics. The multi-microcolumns are composed of a combination of unit microcolumns corresponding to the existing single microcolumns, and each component of each unit microcolumn is the same as or similar to the existing single microcolumns. In other words, for each component of the multi-microcolumn according to the present invention, for example, the electron emission source, the electron lens and the deflector, the basic operation principle is a conventional method for the operation of a single microcolumn published in existing papers and related patent applications. The principle of operation can be used as it is. As a thesis on this, Crashmer and six others, J. Vac Sci. Technol. B 13 (6), 2498-2503 Pages, published in 1995, "An electron-beam microcolumn with improved resolution, beam current, and stability", and J. Vac Sci. Technol. B 14 (6), 3792-3796 Pages, published in 1996, "Experimental evaluation of a 20x20 mm footprint microcolumn", and related patents include US Pat. Nos. 6,297,584, 6,281,508, and 6,195,214.

Multi-microcolumns can be composed of a single column module (SCM) module that is configured by arranging a plurality of single microcolumns in series or in parallel, and monolithic column module (MCM) standardized in two or more. Multicolumn can be composed of 2x1 or 2x2 as a pair, and a multi-column structure consisting of a wafer-scale column module (WCM) in which one wafer is a lens component of a column have.

These basic concepts are described in Teaching Pitching et al., J. Vac. Sci, Tehcnol. B14, pages 3774-3781, published in 1996 in the article "Electron-beam microcolumns for lithography and related applications".

Another method is a mixed multi method, where one or more columns are arranged together with SCM and MCM or WCM, and some column lens parts may be SCM, MCM, or WCM. Kim Ho-seop and seven others, Journal of the Korea Physical Society, 45 (5), pp. 1214-1217, published in 2004, "Multi-beam microcolumns based on arrayed SCM and WCM papers and Kim Ho-seop and six others, Microelectronic Engineering, 78- Basic experimental results are presented in the paper published in pages 79, 55-61, 2005, entitled "Arrayed microcolumn operation with a wafer-scale Einzel lens".

The method for controlling a multi-microcolumn according to the present invention efficiently controls the entire electron beam in all the multi-microcolumns by controlling the electron beam simultaneously or separately in each component such as an electron emission source, an electron lens, and a deflector of a unit microcolumn, respectively. It's about how you can do it.

The method for controlling the electron beam according to the present invention is applicable to various multi-microcolumns, for example, a multi-column of wafer type and a wafer-type and conventional type as well as a case of using a single group of existing single microcolumns as a group. It is also applicable to mixed multi-micro columns of micro columns.

Therefore, the control method according to the present invention can be used in all multi-microcolumns, but for easy understanding, below, a source lens including an electron emission source and an extractor, which are basic components of a microcolumn, is a wafer type of the accompanying drawings. , A deflector, and a method of controlling the focus lens will be described. In the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 2 to 5 will be described as a multi-microcolumn composed of four unit microcolumns. However, the number of unit microcolumns is only for explanation, and if two or more are applicable, the number may be changed as necessary. Only the principle of each control method can be applied equally.

First, the principle of electron beam control in a multi-microcolumn according to the present invention will be described briefly.

The electron emission sources all cause the same voltage to be applied. In the case of the wafer type, as shown in FIG. 6, an electron emission source may be formed of one layer and the same voltage may be applied. That is, a predetermined voltage is set so that one voltage is applied to all the electron emission sources. In the case of a conventional microcolumn, the wiring may be controlled to apply the same voltage to all electron emission sources. In this case, although the same voltage is applied, the amount or direction of the electron beams emitted from the respective electron emission sources may not all be the same.

Therefore, the electrons emitted from each electron emission source are controlled by the respective extractors so that the amount and direction of the required electron beams are controlled, so that each extractor is independently controlled. Thus, a separate voltage is applied to each unit extractor. The amount of voltage applied can be determined by checking the amount of electron beam finally emitted from each unit microcolumn (the amount of final passing through each lens and deflector). This can be done in the same way as the control of a conventional single microcolumn. For example, if the amount of electron beam used in a predetermined unit microcolumn is less than a predetermined reference value, electron emission is additionally applied by applying a negative voltage from the electron emission source. It is common to let. Therefore, in the extractor, an additional positive voltage may be applied. If the amount of the electron beam is larger than the other voltage, a smaller positive voltage may be applied. That is, in the multi-microcolumn, the total amount of electron beams is measured, and the smallest positive voltage is applied to the extractor of the unit microcolumn in which the most electron beam is used, and the relatively large positive voltage is applied to the remaining extractors.

This approach has the advantage of controlling each electron beam energy of the unit microcolumns to reach the sample equally. This method can be reversed to control the electron beam. That is, since the electron is emitted from the electron emission source due to the potential difference between the electron emission source and the extractor, the electron emission source is individually controlled and the extractor is made the same. In addition, by adding one or more electron control electrode layers in addition to the extractor, the electrons may be accelerated and limited to increase the efficiency of electron beam resolution, probe beam current, and the like.

The electron beam controlled by the source lens including the extractor is deflected by the deflector, and the deflecting can be controlled differently according to the purpose of the multi-microcolumn. Basically, each unit deflector has a plurality of electrodes and deflects the electron beam in a desired direction by applying a separate voltage to each electrode. Therefore, in the case of the deflector, if four unit deflectors each have four electrodes, all 16 different voltages are applied. However, applying different voltages is difficult to control, or electron beam control of multiple microcolumns is not precise, scans the same by preset coordinates, or when these are combined, the same voltage is applied to each unit coordinate. Thus, the number of objects to be controlled can be reduced simply so that the entire electron beam is controlled in the same direction. In this case, it is enough to control the voltage by unit coordinates.

In addition, each of the other unit lenses not related to deflecting may control the electron beam by applying the same voltage to each other without a separate electrode.

Hereinafter, more specifically, precise electron beam control in the multi-microcolumns according to the present invention will be described as a preferred embodiment.

2 to 5 are divided according to the voltage application method for each electron lens or deflector of the wafer type as a preferred embodiment to which the method for controlling the electron beam of the multi-microcolumn according to the present invention can be applied.

A single voltage is applied to the entire aperture or electron emission source through which electrons of a single column part pass. In the first method, one voltage is applied to the entire layer as shown in FIG. When a voltage is applied from the outside, the same voltage is applied to a component of each unit microcolumn, for example, an aperture of a lens.

As a method of applying a voltage for each hole or electron emission source of a unit column part, the second method is to apply a different voltage to each component (hole or electron emission source) of each unit microcolumn of a layer as shown in FIG. Different voltages are applied to the electrodes 32 from the outside.

The same voltage is applied to each of the holes of the unit column parts or the same orientation (coordinate) electrode of the electron emission source. The third method is the same for each component (hole) of each unit microcolumn in the layer as shown in FIG. In this case, the electrode is provided with the corresponding coordinates to apply voltage equally to each coordinate. Therefore, independent control voltages of coordinate numbers controlled are applied irrespective of the number of each unit microcolumn.

As a method of applying a voltage for each hole (or electron emission source) and electrode (orientation or coordinate) of each unit column part, the fourth method is shown in Fig. 5, where each component part (hole) of each unit microcolumn of the layer is formed. ) By controlling the electron beam in each unit microcolumn by applying a voltage to each electrode of each hole by providing electrodes at individual coordinates. Therefore, the control voltage of the number corresponding to the product of the number of the unit microcolumns and the number of coordinates to be controlled must be applied separately.

The holes of a predetermined layer among the lenses of the unit microcolumns may have a specific shape to determine the shape of the emitted beam. In general, holes in the form of polygons such as squares and triangles may be used. In addition, it can be made in all forms of letters, such as "a", "c", or special symbols. This type of hole may be placed in a layer before and / or after deflecting to shape the electron beam.

The same voltage is applied to each unit electron emission source in the first manner and the voltage is applied to the extractor in the second manner, or vice versa, so that the electron beam is emitted from the electron emission source.

When a voltage is applied to the electron emission source in the first manner, the emitted electron beam is applied with a respective voltage for each of the unit extractors described above in the source lens to make the amount of the electron beam of each unit microcolumn constant. To this end, by checking the amount of the electron beam in the extractor of each unit microcolumn and feeding it back, it is possible to determine the amount of voltage to be applied to each unit extractor. The amount of electron beam for this adjustment is possible not only in the extractor but also in the additional electrode layer. The amount of electron beam to be adjusted can be checked and corrected using the same method as that of the conventional single microcolumn. When the energy or quantity of different electron beams is required for each unit microcolumn, a relative amount of voltage may be applied to each unit extractor individually, or the voltage may be applied to each of the preset data. If the electron emission source is applied with a voltage in a second manner, the voltage applied to each unit electron emission source of the electron emission source may be adjusted instead of the extractor. Both may also be used by applying a voltage in a second manner.

Since the electron beam passing through each unit extractor has a set amount of electron beams, the first method for each lens layer so that the shape, amount, and / or speed of the electron beam required by the other lens layers of the source lens can be precisely controlled. The same voltage can be applied as shown. Of course, different voltages may be applied to each lens layer, and each layer may be controlled in a second manner. However, simply doing everything in the first manner will make the control easier. Therefore, when each unit lens layer of the source lens is controlled in the first manner, the electron beams of each unit microcolumn have the same shape due to the application of the same voltage.

The electron beam passing through the source lens is deflected by the deflector. As shown above, the deflector has electrodes for each unit deflector to be controlled in a third or fourth manner, and is different for each electrode as in the third or fourth manner. A voltage can be applied to make deflecting accurate. This controls each deflecting in the same way as a single deflector. Of course, as described above, deflecting may be performed by applying the same voltage for each unit coordinate as in the third method. Two unit deflectors may be used for precise deflection throughout the same direction. In this case, firstly, the first deflector applies a separate voltage to the unit coordinates of each unit deflector in a fourth manner to precisely control the direction of each unit electron beam, and the electron deflector passes through the first deflector to the third deflector in a third manner. Like this method, the same voltage is applied to each unit coordinate to deflect the electron beam in the same direction as a whole. It is also possible to reverse.

The electron beam passing through the deflector is focused by the focus lens so that the electron beam is finally controlled. At this time, each component lens of each focus lens of the unit microcolumn is applied with the same voltage in a first manner and different voltages are applied for each lens layer. Can be. In the case of a focus lens, two or three layers are generally used as necessary. Each lens layer is configured to apply the same voltage to each layer. Thus, an electron beam of the same shape is focused on the object.

In the embodiment in which the fourth method of FIG. 5 can be used, the voltage can be applied in the first to third methods of FIGS. 2 to 4 even though the wiring is complicated. The voltage may be applied in the first or second manner, and the second manner may be in the same manner as the first manner. Therefore, if it is necessary to change the control method of each component, it is possible to have a configuration of the fourth method or a method capable of more various modifications, and to wire and select one of the above methods as necessary.

Although the above-described electron beam control method has been described in terms of wafer type, the control method is the same even when a single microcolumn (FIG. 1) is combined to form a multi-microcolumn. In other words, the method of the present invention can be sufficiently used as long as the method of applying the voltage of each lens or deflector is wired and controlled as shown in the accompanying drawings. That is, the same voltage is applied to each electron emission source, a separate voltage is applied to each of the extractors, and the deflector is wired as in the third or fourth method of the accompanying drawings to apply a voltage, and the focus lens is The voltage may be applied by wiring in the same manner as in the first or second method.

A method of scanning an specimen by emitting an electron beam in multiple microcolumns according to the present invention is described below.

The control of the electron beam by the control method of the multi-micro column according to the present invention is controlled by the electron emission source 61 so as to generate a potential difference between the electron emission source 61 and the extractor 62, as shown in FIG. When a voltage is applied as in the first method and a voltage is applied to the extractor 62 as in the second method, electrons are emitted from the electron emission source 61, respectively. However, depending on the shape and individual characteristics of the electron emission source, correction voltages are applied to the extractors 62 of the source lens to equalize the amount of electron beams in each unit microcolumn. May vary by microcolumn component)

One or more other layers 63 of the source lens are applied with the same voltage throughout the layer as in the first manner to control the amount of acceleration, shape, and / or passage of the emitted electron beam. One or more layers can be added for more precise control and voltages can be applied as needed in the first or second manner.

In the deflectors 64 and 65, two are used to precisely control the scanning path of the electron beam for each hole, but one or more required numbers may be used. The first deflector 64 is precisely controlled like the fourth method, and the second deflector 65 is controlled in the third manner so that the electron beams of the respective unit microcolumns can be scanned in the same direction. Also, the second deflector 65 may be used to widen the scan angle. In this case, the second deflector 65 may be controlled like the third method or the fourth method.

A focus lens (for example, an Einzel lens) uses one or more lens layers to apply the required voltage to each layer in the same manner as in the first method. In this embodiment, the first lens 66 and the second lens are focused. (67), and the third lens 68 were used for more precise focusing. It is preferable for the adjacent lens layers not to apply the same voltage to focus the electron beam.

One of the electron emission source 61 and the extractor 62, the layer 63 of the source lens, and the first lens 66 and the third lens 68 can be grounded so that they can be used without applying a separate voltage. Do.

The structure of the deflector and the focus lens unit is composed of three lens layers, and the first layer and the three-layer lens are controlled in one or two manners, and the second layer is controlled in three or four manners. The second layer lens may be composed of one or more.

The multi-microcolumns for carrying out the method according to the invention can be made by aligning the wafer-type column and the existing microcolumns in n × m.

Hereinafter, examples of the multi-microcolumns that can use the electron beam control method in the multi-microcolumns according to the present invention will be described. First, a multi-microcolumn of the wafer type will be described as the most preferable example.

In single microlenses, electronic lenses typically consist of a membrane around the aperture and the deflector is often used as a common electrode or wire thicker than the membrane. Electron lens membrane thicknesses can range from a few micros to hundreds of microns. In the wafer type, the electronic lens layers are used in the same way as the membrane, and are each composed of layers constituting the wafer, and the source lens or the focus lens may be performed by a combination of these layers. In the case of the deflector, the thickness can be made thicker and it is not necessary to make the membrane type around the hole. Therefore, both the electronic lens and the deflector are controlled by combining the four types of control methods described below. Hereinafter, a wafer type will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing, four unit microcolumns are included in one wafer layer, and each hole constitutes one unit microcolumn. Four electrodes (90-degree intervals) are provided to control the electron beam in each hole, but how many microcolumns are included in one wafer layer and the number of electrodes for control may vary according to need. This embodiment is merely set in order to explain the present invention more easily. Each of the four types of lens layers divided below may be thought of as a module concept.

The first type (see Fig. 2) for applying a single voltage to the entire hole or electron emission source of a single column part has the same voltage across the entire layer 20, regardless of the unit components (holes 21). In order to be applied to the, it is made of one material and is provided with one connecting portion 22 in the entire layer to receive a voltage from the outside. That is, when the voltage is applied to the connection portion may be formed of the same material so that the same voltage is applied to the entire layer. The material consists of a conductor or a semiconductor that can form an equipotential when a voltage is applied.

The second type (FIG. 3) for applying individual voltages for each unit column part hole or electron emission source (FIG. 3) has only one electrode 32 for each unit hole 31 of the layer 30, and individually for each unit hole. Is to apply voltage. In order for each electrode to be connected to the outside, a pattern is preferably present as the number of holes, that is, the number of unit microcolumns. That is, it is configured to include one electrode on the basis of each aperture in one wafer layer so that the control voltage of each unit microcolumn, like the extractor, can be applied separately. The main material is the same as the first type and insulation is required between each hole. Although it is circular in the figure, it is not necessary to necessarily be circular, and it is preferable to surround the entire hole 31 such as a polygon.

The third type (Fig. 4) for applying the same voltage for each of the holes of the unit column parts or the same orientation (coordinate) electrode of the electron emission source (Fig. 4) is the electrode with coordinates corresponding to the unit holes 41 of the layer 40 in the same manner. A voltage is applied to the electrode 42 by the same coordinates as 42. Therefore, each corresponding electrode is connected by one connection part 43 for each coordinate, preferably a pattern and an outside, so that individual control voltages can be applied as many as coordinate numbers irrespective of the number of unit microcolumns. . In the third type of Fig. 4, each hole in each layer includes four electrodes each at 90 degree intervals. That is, electrodes are provided at 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock for each coordinate. However, the fourth type can apply four different voltages equally to each hole coordinate.

The fourth type (FIG. 5) for applying individual voltages for each hole (or electron emission source) and electrode (orientation or coordinate) of each unit column part has electrodes at individual coordinates in each unit hole 51 of the layer 50. 52, a voltage is applied to each electrode of each hole to control the electron beam individually in each unit microcolumn component. Therefore, the control voltage corresponding to the product of the number of the unit microcolumns and the number of coordinates controlled can be applied separately, and the number of the connection units 53 is the number of the unit microcolumns and the number of coordinates controlled. The number corresponding to the product should be provided. The fourth type is to apply different voltages to all four electrodes of the holes. Therefore, in this embodiment, all 16 different voltages may be applied. Like the third type, the same voltage may be applied for each coordinate or different voltages may be applied for each hole regardless of the coordinates.

In the case of the first type, it is used for collecting (focusing) or spreading (radiating) the electron beam or for adjusting the potential difference between the electron emission source and the extractor. The second type is used for correcting the amount of the total electron beam by correcting the potential difference between the electron emission source and the extractor. That is, the electron emission source and the extractor are used by the combination of the first type and the second type, and of course, the electron emission source and the extractor may be configured only with the second type. The third type is used to simultaneously move the electron beam in a specific direction in a multi-column as a whole. The fourth type is mainly used when it is necessary to control the electron beam separately in each column. In the fourth type, many deformations are possible. In one variation, when the voltage is equally applied between the coordinates of each hole and the voltage is to be changed only between the holes, the entire periphery is used as the electrode between each hole, and the insulating material is used between each hole. It can be replaced if it is to be used for specific purposes such as insulation method. In this case, if the electrodes are the same for each branched hole, only a change in voltage as much as the number of holes is required, so the number of cases of control can be reduced. Therefore, the fourth type is advantageous in that it can be deformed with a large number of cases in the control, although there are disadvantages in manufacturing. The fourth type may function as the first type to the third type, the third type may be the first type or the second type, and the second type may also function as the first type. Therefore, when various modifications of each configuration are required or the control method of each component needs to be changed, it is possible to have the configuration as the fourth type or a type that can be more variously modified and wired to change the control method as necessary.

Although the present embodiment has been described with four electrodes to control electron beams passing through holes of the third and fourth types, based on the multi-microcolumns composed of four unit microcolumns, the number or arrangement of the unit microcolumns The method can vary depending on the needs and each hole can be used if more than one directional electrode is used, but typically 4-8 electrodes are used. Even if more than one electrode is used, the method of controlling the beam by applying a voltage to the electrodes may be performed in the same or similar manner.

The configuration of the multi-micro column of the wafer type according to the present invention can be controlled by combining the layers of each type described above.

First, referring to FIG. 7, the electron emission source layer 70 may be a first type or a second type, but in the drawing, the electron emission source layer 70 may be formed of one wafer layer so that the same voltage is applied to the first type. Although the same voltage is applied, the electron beam actually emitted may be different for each electron source tip 71. This is because the same amount of electrons are not emitted due to various reasons such as the shape of the tip. Electron emitters are conventional electron emitters such as tungsten (W) emitters, schottky emitters, silicon (Si) emitters, molybdenum emitters, and CNT (nano-carbon tube) emitters. It can be used if it is used as, and each emission source is connected to have the same voltage.

Therefore, in order to equalize the amount of electron beam emitted from the electron emission sources, the voltage of the extractor of the first electron lens (source lens) should be applied differently according to each emission source. Therefore, the second type should be used for the extractor voltage. In the case of the extractor, the voltage required for each hole may be different and directionality may not be necessary. Therefore, a single electrode having a circular electrode surrounding the holes constituting the unit microcolum may be provided for each unit hole. In this case, the amount of electron beam emitted and used from each electron emission source can be confirmed through the amount passed through the column, and thus the amount of required voltage can be differently applied to each electron emission source. Thus, it is possible to equalize the amount of the electron beam coming from the electron emission source. In one example, the source lens may first use the second type layer as an extractor, and the other layers may use the first type in the same manner as the electron emission source. In other words, the other layer is for controlling the shape of the electron beam. If there is a special need, another third type may be used. Otherwise, the use of the first type is preferable. Since the number of layers of the source lens excluding the extractor is for controlling the shape of the electron beam, the number of layers used may be one or more, and the number of layers may be added depending on the precision of the control. Of course, it is also possible to reverse the type of the electron emission source layer 70 and the extractor. In other words, the same result can be obtained by using the electron emission source layer 70 as the second type and the extractor as the first type.

The deflector requires one or more electrodes, and in the case of multi-microcolumns, a third type or a fourth type may be used, and a third type may be used if all electron beams are scanned at the same coordinates at the same time. In order to scan the electron beam with the same coordinates in the multi-column, first control the electron beam precisely with the fourth type with the first deflector, and then apply the same voltage for each coordinate with the third type. Can be. The opposite is possible and may be better depending on the situation. If necessary, if each electron beam must be controlled individually, only one fourth type can be used. It is also possible to control more precisely by using the third type and the fourth type in the electron emission source and the extractor. Therefore, in the multi-microcolumn according to the present invention, selection of the above type according to each component may be made in various ways, and all the components may be made of the first type as the simplest example without the most deflecting.

Another deflector can be used to widen the angle and scan range of the electron beam. That is, by using two or more electrodes symmetrically, the scan range can be widened, so that a deflector can be added if necessary. The number of deflectors added can be determined by the range of scans and needs.

The focus lens is used to control the shape of the electron beam to be scanned onto the sample. Three layers are most commonly used, but the number is determined to be one or more as necessary. Each first type is used, and different voltages are applied to each layer, and the same voltage is applied to each hole of each layer. Therefore, in the focus lens, the electron beam scanned on the sample is focused. The voltage applied for focusing on the second lens 67 is related to the energy of electrons, so that the energy of each unit microcolumn of the electron emission source 70 is the same as the first type layer and when the energy is different. Preference is given to using the layer as the second type. In addition, all layers can be used for beam energy correction by using the second type, that is, when the electron emission source is the second type, a beam energy change that reaches the sample due to a difference in column structure (single microcolumn) is required. In this case, voltage may be applied to all of the focus lenses.

The same type used in each lens unit or deflector does not have to be applied with the same voltage, and different voltages may be applied as necessary. Of course, if the same voltage can be applied, it is possible to apply the same voltage from one voltage source. Each layer of the wafer type is insulated by an insulating layer (not shown), and a method of manufacturing the same may be manufactured using a general semiconductor wafer manufacturing method and a MEMS process.

In more detail, as shown in FIG. 7, the electron emission source layer 70 includes n as the number of unit microcolumns in the electron emission source layer made of the same material or the entire silicon material as the entire material and the entire layer of the existing tip. X m emitter tips may be formed (or attached) to allow electrons to be emitted from the tip when a voltage is applied. It is also sufficient for the electron emission layer to form only a tip at each center, insulate the rest and apply the same voltage to each tip.

The wafer type multi-microcolumn may be formed as each layer, not in the manner in which each lens or deflector of the single microcolumn is distinguished. Only the size of the hole or electrode of each layer is determined according to the type of the accompanying drawings, and the number of holes is required by the number of unit micro columns. Therefore, the fabrication of the layers is done by type and it is necessary to decide what type to apply to each layer. For each type of fabrication, at least one connection part to which a voltage can be applied from outside may be formed, and an electrode may be formed for each hole or the material may be applied to the whole. When the electrode is formed, all the insulating material may be used except for the electrode part around the hole. It is sufficient that the wiring of each electrode is constituted using the accompanying drawings as an example. Each layer should be spaced like a single microcolumn, and each gap should be formed of an insulating layer. In the insulating layer, an aperture or a hole having a size that does not interfere with the path of the electron beam may be formed. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another control layer of the second type according to the present invention, in which an electrode serving as a lens for each unit of microcolumn is formed by etching the same layer as the first type. The unit lens portion 92 including the lens hole 91 is etched and insulated from other surrounding lens portions so that voltage is applied separately according to the area of each unit microcolumn. In order to apply a voltage to each unit lens, wiring may be performed through a separate separated etching part (when there are many unit microcolumns). In this case, each unit lens portion 92 may be formed separately by etching, but is most preferably formed by etching. This is because, in the process, the etching after attaching the general lens layer to the upper or lower insulating layer is faster and more precise than attaching the pieces separately by bonding or the like.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of another control layer of the third and / or fourth type which mainly forms the deflector layer according to the present invention, which is further subdivided in the layer of FIG. 9 instead of separately forming the coordinates of the electrodes. Each electrode is formed by etching. That is, the manufacturing method may be performed in the same manner as the layer of FIG. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, each unit lens or deflector is formed by subdividing and etching the unit electrodes 92a, 92b, 92c, and 92d based on the unit hole 91a to insulate the unit electrodes. In the example of FIG. 10, the third type and the fourth type are distinguished only by the difference in wiring. The wiring is similar to that of FIG. 9, and wiring can be performed using each etching portion, and the wiring method can be formed using a pattern or the like in the external or etching portion in the same manner as in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5.

The electron beam control method of the multi-microcolumns according to the present invention can be made the same by arranging a single microcolumn of general type as n × m in addition to the multi-microcolumn of the wafer type. In addition, the intermediate type of the general type and the wafer type may also form a multi-microcolumn according to the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the mixed multi-microcolumn 80 may have an electron source tip 82 and the tip 82. Electron emission source layer including a fixture (81) fixing the corresponding unit microcolumns; A source lens including an extractor layer 83, an insulating layer 84, and another lens layer 85; Deflector 86; And a focus lens including a first lens layer 87, a second lens layer 88, and a third lens layer 89, for each layer of the wafer type, and each of them is provided with a housing like a conventional single microcolumn. 90). In this case, the electron emission source layer 70 of FIG. 7 may be used. In the case of such a mixed type, the components of each part, not the wafer-type layer, in the housing 90 of the entire multimicrocolumn are fixed as a composite of a single microcolumn, for example, the electron emission tip 82 is fixed to the fixture 81. As described above, the insert may be fixed by means of fixing means such as fixtures to correspond to the unit microcolumns. In addition, since the source lens or the focus lens can be manufactured in a wafer form by multiplying a membrane of a single microcolumn, which is currently used, the housing 90 is formed in the same manner as in FIG. The entire multi-microcolumn may be fabricated by presetting the source lens, the deflector, and the focus lens to be positioned, and making the source lens and the focus lens into a wafer type in advance. In addition, only the electron emission source and the source lens may be manufactured as a wafer type, and the remainder may be manufactured in a general single microcolumn type to produce a mixed multi-microcolumn using a fixture such as the above-mentioned electron emission source in the housing 90. That is, in the case of a mixed type, it is possible to manufacture multi-microcolumns in a variety of ways.

A beam blanker layer may be added to the multi-microcolumn, which may be added between any of the layers as described in the above control method, but is preferably placed in front of the deflector. This can be used but a third type with two electrodes can be used and sometimes four types can be highly efficient. Further lens layers may be added before and / or deflecting in a first manner to make the shape of the electron beam into a desired shape. In this case, the shape of the beam may be controlled only by grounding in the first manner. The beam blanker layer and the additional lens layer for forming a predetermined shape may be used by setting positions and numbers as necessary. In conclusion, the structure of each layer in the multi-column structure can be made of only the first type, the second type, the third type, or the fourth type to create a multi-column or a combination of each type.

As various embodiments of the present invention, the following description will be made with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13.

11 to 12 are various embodiments of the operation method of the microcolumn. FIG. 11 has the focus lens described above and FIG. 12 does not have a separate focus lens.

In Fig. 11-A, the electron beam B emitted from the electron emission source 100 is deflected by the deflector 140 through the holes of the source lens 130 and focused on the specimen by the focus lens 160. . Unlike the above example, this embodiment has only one deflector, which is very similar to the above-described operation or multi-microcolumn.

11-B illustrates an embodiment in which a separate deflector is eliminated by performing focusing and deflecting together using a deflector lens layer. This technology is described in "Lens and deflector design for microcolumn" on pages 2445-2449 of Journal of Vacuum & Science Technology B13 (6), 1995, and in "The electrostatic moving objective lens and optimized deflection systems for pages 3802-3807." Microcolumn "is introduced. The microcolumn of Fig. 11-B uses a third type or fourth type of deflector-type lens layer 161b to operate in a third or fourth manner instead of without the deflector 140 of Fig. 11-A. 161 is included in the middle layer to serve as a focusing and deflector.

In Fig. 12-A, the electron beam B 'emitted from the electron emission source 100 passes through the holes of the source lens 130. The source lens 130 includes an upper lens layer 130a, an intermediate lens layer 130b, and a lower lens layer 130c. The upper lens layer 130a serves as an extractor to induce electron emission from the electron emission source 100, and the intermediate lens layer 130b serves as an accelerator to accelerate electrons emitted from the electron emission source 11. And focusing together. The lower lens layer 130c allows the electron beam B 'to focus well on the sample and limits the effective electron beam. The electron beam focused as described above is deflected onto the sample by the deflector 140.

In Fig. 12-B, the electron beam B 'emitted from the electron emission source 100 passes through the holes of the source lens 130. The electron beam B ′ penetrating the source lens 130 is focused on the sample and deflected. The source lens 130 of Fig. 12-B is composed of an upper lens layer 130a, an intermediate lens layer 130b ', and a lower lens layer 130c. The microcolumn of Fig. 12-B has a configuration similar to that of the conventional source lens, and in particular, the intermediate lens layer 13b0 'performs the deflecting function at the same time. to be. That is, by using a lens layer that acts as a deflector, it is possible to construct a microcolumn having a lens portion of a simple structure. In addition, in the configuration of FIG. 12-B, all three lens layers may be configured as a lens layer which performs a role of deflector, but a lens layer for deflecting is more complicated in lens wiring and control than a general lens. It is preferable to use only as much. In the microcolumn having the configuration of Fig. 12-B, the upper lens layer 130a acts as an extractor to induce electron emission from the electron emission source 100, and the intermediate lens layer 130b 'is an electron emission source 100. It acts as an accelerator to accelerate the electrons emitted from the cavities, as well as the focusing and deflecting. The lower lens layer 130c serves to focus and to ensure that the electron beam B 'is well focused on the specimen and to limit the effective electron beam.

In the method of operating the microcolumn according to the present invention of FIG. 12, there is a voltage difference between the lens layers of the source lens so that the electron beam passing through the source lens can be focused as well.

The deflection function described above may be operated by the third or fourth method described above, and the lens may be a third type or fourth type lens. Although the drawings are shown as one unit column for the convenience of description, in the case of the multi-column, the unit columns are multiplied in an n × m manner as described above to operate and / or be configured in the same manner.

11 and 12 are similar to the operation and the configuration of the column described above. That is, the electron emission source 100 and the extractor of the source lens may be controlled in the same manner as the first and the second method in a mutually complementary manner, and the multi-column may be configured by the first type and the second type. In addition, the deflector 140 and the lens or the control method serving as the deflector may be controlled by the third method or the fourth method by the lens layer of the third or fourth type. The other general lens layer may be controlled by the first method with the lens layer of the first type or by the second method with the lens layer of the second type if necessary. The deflecting role and the role of a particular lens (extractor, accelerator, etc.) of focusing or another source lens can be used as described above.

In the case of Figs. 11-B and 12-B, each lens layer may perform the deflecting role together, but it is preferable that the number of deflectors as many as the required number of layers is used. The deflecting role is performed by maintaining the potential difference between the electrodes of each azimuth of the corresponding lens layer. As described above, focusing generally requires the same voltage for each layer so that each electrode of the deflector is required for each electrode. The potential may be added (cumulatively) applied. In other words, the potential difference required for the electrodes of each layer for deflecting is applied differently, but the voltage for focusing or other roles is equally added. Then, the potential difference for each electrode is maintained as much as necessary for deflecting, and voltages necessary for focusing or other roles are applied to all electrodes. Of course, as shown above, if only ground is applied and no separate voltage is applied, only the voltage necessary for deflecting is applied. In this case, the control method is further simplified by mixing the deflecting and other roles (for example, focusing). Can be.

FIG. 13 schematically shows a configuration of a multi-micro column using the operating method of FIGS. 11 to 12.

13-A is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a multi-microcolumn according to the present invention, illustrating the formation of a multi-microcolumn 170 with an electron lens according to the present invention. The multi-microcolumn according to the present invention of Fig. 13-A is a deflector 176 composed of a multi-type electron emission source 171, a source lens 173, and two deflector-type lenses 176b of the third type or the fourth type. It is configured to include. That is, the embodiment shown in Fig. 12-A is composed of multiple microcolumns. The layers between the deflector-type lens layers 176b are used to insulate and distance the deflectors, and are composed of insulating layers.

13-B is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the multi-electron column according to the present invention. FIG. 12-B is a configuration of a multi-electron column having a simple structure as described above with reference to FIG. 12-B. The intermediate layer 173b is composed of a lens layer which performs the deflecting role of the third type or the fourth type in parallel.

In this figure, the source lens or the deflector is formed by the combination of the lens layers. Although the lens layers are not described in detail, an insulating layer may be included and the coupling between the lenses may be combined by a conventional method.

12 and 13 described above are used as the existing source lens in the present invention and focusing at the same time, the source lens of the present invention is used as the term source lens using the existing name It will be distinguished from the conventional source lens. 12 and 13 can be applied to microcolumns in all fields of the electron beam apparatus that are emitted and scanned from the electron emission source. That is, not only an electron microscope, an electron beam analyzer, and an electron beam lithography but also a method or configuration of a scanning field emission display (SFED) as a thin large-area display can be implemented.

In addition, a beam blanker lens layer may be further added between the lens layers of the multi microcolumns to temporarily block or deflect electron beams emitted from the multi microcolumns. It is preferred to add before deflecting. In this case, the third or fourth scheme may be used. In other words, all the electrons in the lens layer are absorbed or deflected so as to deviate from the coordinate axis from which the beam is emitted. In this case, many electrodes are not needed as a deflector. Preferably, two electrodes are required, and when a voltage is applied to opposite poles or one pole, the electron beam will break its path and the electron beam will be blocked. Therefore, it is preferable to have two electrodes and to use the third method (generally, one side is grounded).

Since such multi-microcolumns are small in size and weight, the multi-microcolumns can be used by fixing them to conventional X-Y-Z robots or arm robots as an application example. In other words, if it is easily used in industrial equipment or measuring equipment, it can be used in the articulated robots, etc., and it can be used in various areas such as lithography or measurement, which is the purpose of the original microcolumns. Could be. In this case, the mounting method can be used by adopting a conventional mounting method, that is, a method used for an industrial robot. In general, an electron beam apparatus is used to fix a microcolumn perpendicularly or at an angle to a sample. When necessary, the sample is used to move the sample vertically or horizontally or tilt it at an angle. However, the multimicro column as described above can be moved by tilting itself and left and right and in real time to measure a sample. This method is very efficient for measuring large area samples. It can also move with only microcolumns or with the sample, reducing measurement time and increasing measurement efficiency.

In addition, the control method of the multi-microcolumns as described above or the modified multi-microcolumns can be used for large-area display of thin structure (thin film type) such as SFED.

The electron beam control method of the multi-microcolumns according to the present invention makes it easy and simple to control the electron beam of the multi-microcolum as a whole. The multi-microcolumns according to the present invention enable to perform the control method efficiently.

Claims (11)

An electron beam in a multi-microcolumn comprising an electron emission source, one or more electrostatic electron lenses comprising two or more lens layers, and a detector, wherein the unit microcolumns, which emit and release electrons to form and control the electron beam, in an n × m matrix In the method of adjusting, Individual electron emission sources and individual electron lens layers, A single voltage application method (first method) throughout the hole or electron emission source through which electrons of a single column part pass; A voltage application method (second method) for each unit column (hole or electron emission source); The same voltage application method (third system) for the same orientation (coordinate) electrode per unit column; And A voltage application method (fourth method) for each unit column and electrode (orientation or coordinate); Optional control of In order to induce the emission and progression of the electrons, the individual electron emitters and the individual extractors of the lens unit are both complemented in the first or second manner without using the first method, or both in the second manner. Authorize; Applying voltage to the lens layers of the electrostatic electronic lens using at least one of a first method and a second method, and Deflecting the electron beam by applying a voltage in a third or fourth manner; Method for adjusting the electron beam in a multi-microcolumn comprising a. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a focusing step. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said deflecting step and focusing are performed simultaneously. The lens layer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a lens layer having a predetermined shape before the deflecting step, the deflecting step, or before and after the deflecting step in order to specify the shape of the electron beam in a predetermined shape. A method of adjusting an electron beam, the method comprising applying a voltage in a first manner. 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the beam blanker layer is controlled in a third or fourth manner to block the electron beam prior to deflecting the multi-microcolumns. . A multi-microcolumn comprising a unit microcolumn having an electron emission source layer and at least one lens unit including two or more lens layers in an n × m matrix, Individual electron emission sources and individual electron lens layers A type (first type) in which a single voltage is applied to the holes or electron emission sources of a single column part as a whole; A type (second type) in which a voltage is applied for each hole or electron emission source of the unit column part; A type (third type) in which the same voltage is applied to the same orientation (coordinate) electrode per unit column part; And Type (fourth type) to which individual voltage is applied for each unit column part and electrode (orientation or coordinate) Optional configuration In order to induce the emission and progression of electrons, each of the individual electron emission sources and the individual extractors of the lens portion are selected to be complemented by the first type or the second type without using all of the first type, or all of the second type. and; And One or more lens layers of the lens unit are used as the first type and the second type, respectively; Multi microcolumns characterized by. The multi-microcolumn of claim 6, further comprising a lens layer or a deflector configured as a third type or a fourth type to serve as a deflector in the multi-microcolumn. The method of claim 7, wherein the electron emission source layer and the lens layer are formed in a wafer type, and each layer is insulated by an insulating layer, and the layers are all formed in a wafer form by a semiconductor manufacturing method or a MEMS process. Multi-microcolumn characterized by. The multi-microcolumn according to claim 7, wherein the multi-microcolumn is attached to an industrial robot or an articulated moving mechanism mechanism such as an X-Y-Z robot or an arm robot. 10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein an aperture of one layer of the lens portions of the multi-microcolumn has a predetermined shape for specifying the shape of the beam to a predetermined shape. Multi microcolumns. 10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, further comprising a third or fourth type of beam blanker layer in front of the lens serving as a deflector or deflector for blocking or deflecting the electron beam of the multi-microcolumn. Multi-microcolumn characterized by.

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