The present invention relates to an imaging device that includes a gating element which receives incident photons and releases pulsed electrons; a single microchannel-plate (MCP) which receives the pulsed electrons and amplifies the pulsed electrons as an amplified pulsed electron flux; a collection element which receives the amplified pulsed electron flux; a high-pass filter; and a gated integrator; wherein the high-pass filter element receives the amplified pulsed electron flux from the collection element and alternate current (AC) couples the amplified pulsed electron flux as a charge pulse to the gated integrator; and wherein the gating element and the gated integrator are time-synchronized to allow charge-integration only while the AC-coupled charge pulse is unipolar. A feedback loop can provide an auto-gating function. The imaging device can be used in night vision goggles or a mass spectrometer.

A charged-particle-beam microscope for imaging a sample, the microscope having a stage to hold a sample and an automated sample feeder to repeatedly and automatically exchange the sample from among a plurality of samples. A charged-particle-beam column is provided to direct a charged-particle-beam onto the sample, the charged-particle-beam column. The column includes a charged-particle-beam source to generate an electron beam and charged-particle-beam optics to converge the charged-particle beam onto the sample. A detector is provided to detect charged particles emanating from the sample to generate image data. A controller executes an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze the image data.

Systems and methods of profiling a charged-particle beam are disclosed. The method of profiling a charged-particle beam may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate the charged-particle beam along a primary optical axis, modifying the charged-particle beam by adjusting an interaction between the charged-particle beam and a standing optical wave, detecting charged particles from the modified charged-particle beam after the interaction with the standing optical wave, and determining a profile of the charged-particle beam based on the detected charged particles. Alternatively, the method may include activating an optical source, modifying the optical beam by adjusting an interaction between the optical beam and a charged-particle beam, detecting an optical signal from the modified optical beam, and determining a characteristic of the charged-particle beam based on the detected optical signal.

Systems and methods of profiling a charged-particle beam are disclosed. The method of profiling a charged-particle beam may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate the charged-particle beam along a primary optical axis, modifying the charged-particle beam by adjusting an interaction between the charged-particle beam and a standing optical wave, detecting charged particles from the modified charged-particle beam after the interaction with the standing optical wave, and determining a profile of the charged-particle beam based on the detected charged particles. Alternatively, the method may include activating an optical source, modifying the optical beam by adjusting an interaction between the optical beam and a charged-particle beam, detecting an optical signal from the modified optical beam, and determining a characteristic of the charged-particle beam based on the detected optical signal.

The present disclosure relates to dual beam device and three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection techniques by cross sectioning of inspection volumes with large depth extension exceeding 1 μm below the surface of a semiconductor wafer, as well as methods, computer program products and apparatuses for generating 3D volume image data of a deep inspection volume inside a wafer without removal of a sample from the wafer. The disclosure further relates to 3D volume image generation and cross section image alignment methods utilizing a dual beam device for three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection.

The present disclosure relates to the determination of a pattern height of a pattern, which has been produced with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography in a resist film. The determination is performed by using an electron beam (e-beam) system, in particular, by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In this respect, the disclosure provides a device for determining the pattern height, wherein the device comprising a processor. The processor is configured to obtain a SEM image of the pattern from an SEM. Further, the processor is configured to determine a contrast value related to the pattern based on the obtained SEM image. Subsequently, the processor is configured to determine the pattern height based on calibration data and the determined contrast value.

A charged particle beam apparatus acquires a scanned image by scanning a specimen with a charged particle beam, and detecting charged particles emitted from the specimen. The apparatus includes a charged particle beam source that emits the charged particle beam; an irradiation optical system that scans the specimen with the charged particle beam; a plurality of detection units that detects the charged particles emitted from the specimen; and an image processing unit that reconstructs a profile of a specimen surface of the specimen, based on a plurality of detection signals outputted from the plurality of detection units. The image processing unit: determines an inclination angle of the specimen surface, based on the plurality of detection signals; processing to determine a height of the specimen surface, based on the scanned image; and reconstructs the profile of the specimen surface, based on the inclination angle and the height.

An electron beam is irradiated on a specimen in a state where a negative voltage is applied to the specimen. The specimen is rotated to establish an optimum orientation of a specimen surface shape relative to an orientation of a detector having two detection surfaces disposed at rotational symmetric positions with respect to an optical axis of the electron beam taken as an axis of rotation, and an image is generated based on a quantity of a signal from reflected electrons detected by the detector.

A specimen machining device for machining a specimen by irradiating the specimen with an ion beam includes an ion source for irradiating the specimen with the ion beam, a specimen stage for holding the specimen, a camera for photographing the specimen, an information provision unit for providing information indicating an expected machining completion time, and a storage unit for storing past machining information. The information provision unit performs processing for calculating the expected machining completion time based on the past machining information, processing for acquiring an image photographed by the camera, processing for calculating a machining speed based on the acquired image, and processing for updating the expected machining completion time based on the machining speed.

A specimen machining device for machining a specimen by irradiating the specimen with an ion beam includes an ion source for irradiating the specimen with the ion beam, a shielding member disposed on the specimen to block the ion beam, a specimen stage for holding the specimen, a camera for photographing the specimen, a coaxial illumination device for irradiating the specimen with illumination light along an optical axis of the camera, and a processing unit for determining whether to terminate the machining based on an image photographed by the camera. The processing unit performs processing for acquiring information indicating a target machined width, processing for acquiring the image, processing for measuring a machined width on the acquired image, and processing for terminating the machining when the measured machined width equals or exceeds the target machined width.