An optical height detection system in a charged particle beam inspection system. The optical height detection system includes a projection unit including a modulated illumination source, a projection grating mask including a projection grating pattern, and a projection optical unit for projecting the projection grating pattern to a sample; and a detection unit including a first detection grating mask including a first detection grating pattern, a second detection grating mask including a second detection grating pattern, and a detection optical system for forming a first grating image from the projection grating pattern onto the first detection grating mask and forming a second grating image from the projection grating pattern onto the second detection grating masks. The first and second detection grating patterns at least partially overlap the first and second grating images, respectively.

A system and method for advanced charge control of a light beam is provided. The system comprising a laser source comprising a laser diode for emitting a beam and a beam homogenizer to homogenize the emitted beam. The system and methods further comprise a beam shaper configured to shape the emitted beam using an anamorphic prism group and a driver configured to direct the shaped beam to a specified position on a wafer, wherein the laser source, the beam shaper, and the driver are coaxially aligned.

A system for laser enhanced voltage contrast using an optical fiber is provided. The system includes a vacuum chamber with a stage that secures a wafer. A laser light source outside the vacuum chamber directs light to an optical fiber. The optical fiber transmits all wavelengths of light from the laser light source into the vacuum chamber through a wall of the vacuum chamber.

An apparatus for collection, distribution, and analysis of cathodoluminescence (CL) and other light signals in an electron microscope is provided. The optical hub, utilizing a linear-translating fold-mirror and mounted to the electron microscope, is used to receive essentially collimated light collected from a collection-mirror and efficiently route the collected light to a plurality of light-analysis instruments. The linear-translating fold-mirror can provide fine positional alignment of the light signal, and in an aspect of the invention can be used to select or scan a portion of the collected light-pattern into an optical slit or aperture. In one aspect, the optical hub includes a light filter mechanism that can track the movement of the fold-mirror. In an aspect, the optical hub also controls the positioning of the collection-mirror in proximity to the specimen being analyzed.

Apparatus include a reflector positioned adjacent to a sample location that is situated to receive a charged particle beam (CPB) along a CPB axis from a CPB focusing assembly so that the reflector is situated to receive light emitted from a sample at the sample location based on a CPB-sample interaction or a photon-sample interaction and to direct the light to a photodetector, and a steering electrode situated adjacent to the reflector so as to direct secondary charged particles emitted from the sample based on the CPB-sample interaction away from the reflector and CPB axis. Methods and systems are also disclosed.

System and method for Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (UED) and Microscopy (UEM) configured to image atomic motion in real time with sub-femtosecond temporal resolution. Presented methodology utilizes the interaction of the pump optical pulse with the initial electron pulse that has been gated with the gating optical pulse. The initial electron pulse is generated in the electron microscope by the pulse of auxiliary light. In one case, the pump and gating pulses have attosecond duration and are duplicates of one another. The use of attosecond optical pulse (with frequency spectrum extending over two octaves in the visible and flanking spectral ranges) for optical gating of a pulse of electrons.

The invention relates to a method for inspecting a sample with an assembly comprising a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a light microscope (LM). The assembly comprises a sample holder for holding the sample. The sample holder is arranged for inspecting the sample with both the SEM and the LM, preferably at the same time. The method comprising the steps of: capturing a LM image of the sample in its position for imaging with the SEM; determining a position and dimensions of a region of interest in or on the sample using the LM image; determining values to which the SEM parameters need to be set to image the sample at a desired resolution; and capturing a SEM image of the region of interest, preferably using the first electron beam exposure of said region of interest.

Methods and systems for direct atomic layer etching and deposition on or in a substrate using charged particle beams. Electrostatically-deflected charged particle beam columns can be targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database to perform atomic layer etch and atomic layer deposition, expressing pattern with selected 3D-structure. Reducing the number of process steps in patterned atomic layer etch and deposition reduces manufacturing cycle time and increases yield by lowering the probability of defect introduction. Local gas and photon injectors and detectors are local to corresponding columns, and support superior, highly-configurable process execution and control.

An optical pyrometer having a coaxial light guide delivers laser radiation through optics to heat a localized area on a sample, and simultaneously collects optical radiation from the sample to perform temperature measurement of the heated area. Inner and outer light guides can comprise the core and inner cladding, respectively, of a double-clad fiber (DCF), or can be formed using a combination of optical fibers in one or more coaxial bundles. Coaxial construction and shared optics facilitate alignment of the centers of the heated and observed areas on the sample. The heated area can be on the order of micrometers when using a single-mode optical fiber core as the inner light guide. The system can be configured to heat small samples within a vacuum system of charged-particle beam microscopes such as electron microscopes. A method for using the invention in a microscope is also provided.

Methods and apparatuses for laser-assisted electron-beam inspection (EBI) are provided. The apparatus includes an EBI device and a laser illumination device. The EBI device includes an e-beam source configured to emit an incident e-beam, a deflector configured to deflect the incident e-beam to be projected onto a surface of a semiconductor device, and an electron detector configured to detect emergent electrons generated by the incident e-beam projected onto the surface. The laser illumination device includes a laser source configured to generate a laser, and a guiding device configured to guide the laser to be projected onto the semiconductor device. The laser changes the emergent electrons to cause, in a positive mode of the EBI apparatus, a PN junction of an NMOS of the semiconductor device to be in a conduction state.