Adjustable resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy methods and apparatus are disclosed herein. An example method includes operating an electron microscope in a first state, the first state including operating a source of the electron microscope at a first temperature, obtaining, by the electron microscope, a first EELS spectrum of a sample at a first resolution, the first resolution based on the first temperature, operating the electron microscope in a second state, the second state including operating the source of the electron microscope at a second temperature, the second temperature different than the first temperature, and obtaining, by the electron microscope, a second EELS spectrum of the sample at a second resolution, the second resolution based on the second temperature, wherein the second resolution is different than the first resolution.

A method for operating a particle beam generator for a particle beam device, and a particle beam device for carrying out this method, are provided. An extractor voltage may be set to an extractor value using a first variable voltage supply unit. An emission current of the particle beam generator may be measured. When the emission current of the particle beam generator decreases, a suppressor voltage applied to a suppressor electrode may be adjusted using a second variable voltage supply unit such that a specific emission current of the particle beam generator is reached or maintained. When the emission current of the particle beam generator increases, the extractor voltage applied to the extractor electrode may be adjusted using the first variable voltage supply unit such that the specific emission current of the particle beam generator is reached or maintained.

The present disclosure provides a method to adjust asymmetric velocity of a scan in a scanning ion beam etch process to correct asymmetry of etching between the inboard side and the outboard side of device structures on a wafer, while maintaining the overall uniformity of etch across the full wafer.

A method for operating a multi-beam particle microscope which operates using a plurality of individual charged particle beams, wherein the method includes the following steps: measuring the beam current; determining a deviation of the measured beam current from a nominal beam current; decomposing the determined deviation into a drift component and into a high-frequency component; and controlling the high-frequency component of the beam current via a first closed-loop beam current control mechanism and/or compensating an effect of the high-frequency component on a recording quality of the multi-beam particle microscope using different mechanism than a closed-loop beam current control mechanism. An electrostatic control lens arranged in the beam generating system between extractor and anode can be used as first closed-loop beam current control mechanism. Adapting an extractor voltage of the beam generating system can be avoided.

In order to improve the processing reproducibility, an ion milling device 100 includes a sample chamber 107, a sample stage 102 that is disposed in the sample chamber on which a sample is placed, an ion source 101 that emits an unfocused ion beam toward the sample, a control unit 112 that controls an output of the ion beam, an oscillator 104 that is disposed in the sample chamber, and an oscillation circuit 111 that oscillates the oscillator and outputs an oscillation signal to the control unit, in which the control unit controls the output of the ion beam such that a vibrational frequency change amount of the oscillator per unit time due to deposition of sputtered particles generated by irradiating the sample with the ion beam on the oscillator is kept within a predetermined range.

The present disclosure relates to integrating microdevices into a system substrate. In particular it relates to measuring microdevices using an electron beam method using one or several tips as Ebeam sources. The disclosure further outlines methods to target Ebeams effectively to produce an optimum result with minimal damage to adjacent microdevices and components.

In one embodiment, a charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a current limiting aperture, a blanking deflector switching between beam ON and beam OFF so as to control an irradiation time by deflecting the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture, a blanking aperture blocking the charged particle beam deflected by the blanking deflector in such a manner that the beam OFF state is entered, and an electron lens disposed between the current limiting aperture and the blanking aperture. A lens value set for the electron lens is substituted into a given function to calculate an offset time. The offset time is added to an irradiation time for writing a pattern to correct the irradiation time. The blanking deflector switches between the beam ON and the beam OFF based on the corrected irradiation time.

A method of operating a charged particle microscope comprising the following steps: Providing a specimen on a specimen holder; Using a source to produce a beam of charged particles that is subject to beam current fluctuations; Employing a beam current sensor, located between said source and specimen holder, to intercept a part of the beam and produce an intercept signal proportional to a current of the intercepted part of the beam, the beam current sensor comprising a hole arranged to pass a beam probe with an associated probe current; Scanning said probe over the specimen, thereby irradiating the specimen with a specimen current, with a dwell time associated with each scanned location on the specimen; Using a detector to detect radiation emanating from the specimen in response to irradiation by said probe, and producing an associated detector signal; Using said intercept signal as input to a compensator to suppress an effect of said current fluctuations in said detector signal,
wherein: The beam current sensor is configured as a semiconductor device with a sensing layer that is oriented toward the source, in which: Each charged particle of said intercepted part of the beam generates electron/hole pairs in said sensing layer; Generated electrons are drawn to an anode of the semiconductor device; Generated holes are drawn to a cathode of the semiconductor device, thereby producing said intercept signal.

Adjustable resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy methods and apparatus are disclosed herein. An example method includes operating an electron microscope in a first state, the first state including operating a source of the electron microscope at a first temperature, obtaining, by the electron microscope, a first EELS spectrum of a sample at a first resolution, the first resolution based on the first temperature, operating the electron microscope in a second state, the second state including operating the source of the electron microscope at a second temperature, the second temperature different than the first temperature, and obtaining, by the electron microscope, a second EELS spectrum of the sample at a second resolution, the second resolution based on the second temperature, wherein the second resolution is different than the first resolution.

In one embodiment, an ion implantation apparatus includes an ion source configured to generate an ion beam. The apparatus further includes a scanner configured to change an irradiation position with the ion beam on an irradiation target. The apparatus further includes a first electrode configured to accelerate an ion in the ion beam. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to change at least any of energy and an irradiation angle of the ion beam according to the irradiation position by controlling the ion beam having been generated from the ion source.