Apparatuses, methods, and systems for ultra-fast beam current adjustment for a charged-particle inspection system include an charged-particle source configured to emit charged particles for scanning a sample; and an emission booster configured to configured to irradiate electromagnetic radiation onto the charged-particle source for boosting charged-particle emission in a first cycle of a scanning operation of the charged-particle inspection system, and to stop irradiating the electromagnetic radiation in a second cycle of the scanning operation.

A system and method for defect inspection using voltage contrast in a charged particle system are provided. Some embodiments of the system and method include positioning the stage at a first position to enable a first beam of the plurality of beams to scan a first surface area of the wafer at a first time to generate a first image associated with the first surface area; positioning the stage at a second position to enable a second beam of the plurality of beams to scan the first surface area at a second time to generate a second image associated with the first surface area; and comparing the first image with the second image to enable detecting whether a defect is identified in the first surface area of the wafer.

Provided is an ion milling apparatus capable of enhancing reproducibility of an ion distribution. The ion milling apparatus includes: an ion source 101; a sample stage 102 on which a sample to be processed by being irradiated with an unfocused ion beam from the ion source 101 is placed; and a measurement member holding unit 106 that holds an ion beam current measurement member 105. A covering material 120 is provided so as to cover at least a surface of the measurement member holding unit 106 and the sample stage 102 facing the ion source 101. A material of the covering material 120 contains, as a main component, an element having an atomic number smaller than that of an element of a material of a structure on which the covering material is provided. The ion beam current measurement member 105 is moved in an irradiation range of the ion beam on a trajectory, which is located between the ion source and the sample stage, in a state where the ion beam is output from the ion source 101 under a first irradiation condition, and an ion beam current flowing when the ion beam current measurement member 105 is irradiated with the ion beam is measured.

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for adjusting a focal point position of an X-ray tube. The method may include: obtaining a first thermal capacity and a first position of a focal point of an X-ray tube; obtaining a second thermal capacity of the X-ray tube; determining a second position of the focal point the X-ray tube based on the second thermal capacity; determining a target grid voltage difference of a focusing cup of the X-ray tube based on the first position and the second position of the focal point; and adjusting the X-ray tube based on the target grid voltage difference.

The invention provides a bias voltage to the component (such as the Faraday cup) for reducing the generation of particles, such as the implanted ions and/or the combination of the implanted ions and the material of the component, and preventing particles peeling away the component. The strength of the biased voltage should not significantly affect the implantation of ions into the wafer and should significantly prevent the emission of radiation and/or electrons away the biased component. How to provide and adjust the biased voltage is not limited, both the extra voltage source and the amended Pre-Amplifier are acceptable. Moreover, due to the electric field generated by the Faraday cup is modified by the biased voltage, the ion beam divergence close to the Faraday cup may be reduced such that the potential difference between the ion beam measured by the profiler and received by the Faraday cup may be minimized.

An ion beam profiling system include a beam profiling element, an ion sensitive element electrically isolated from the beam profiling element, an ion source configured to emit an ion beam at the beam profiling element and the ion sensitive element, and a current measuring device coupled to the ion sensitive element. The beam profiling element includes a plate of material having two parallel major surfaces, a first slit aperture extending through the plate of material and having a first longitudinal length extending in a direction parallel to the two parallel major surfaces, and a second slit aperture extending through the plate of material and having a second longitudinal length extending in a direction parallel to the two parallel major surfaces, wherein the first longitudinal length of the first slit aperture is perpendicular to the second longitudinal length of the second slit aperture.

A device may include an electron source, a detector, and a deflector. The electron source may be directed toward a sample area. The detector may receive an electron signal or an electron-induced signal. A deflector may be positioned between the electron source and the sample. The deflector may modulate an intensity of the electron source directed to the sample area according to an electron dose waveform having a continuously variable temporal profile.

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.

An ion implantation has an ion source and a mass analyzer configured to form and mass analyze an ion beam. A bending element is positioned downstream of the mass analyzer, and respective first and second measurement apparatuses are positioned downstream and upstream of the bending element and configured to determine a respective first and second ion beam current of the ion beam. A workpiece scanning apparatus scans the workpiece through the ion beam. A controller is configured to determine an implant current of the ion beam at the workpiece and to control the workpiece scanning apparatus to control a scan velocity of the workpiece based on the implant current. The determination of the implant current of the ion beam is based, at least in part, on the first ion beam current and second ion beam current.

A method for estimating the cathode lifetime of an electron gun includes recording the change amount, per unit temperature increase of the cathode of an electron gun which emits an electron beam, with respect to a parameter value relating to the electron beam, to be recorded in relation to the usage time of the cathode, and estimating the lifetime of the cathode by one of estimating a time obtained by adding a predetermined time to a time at which the change amount recorded a plurality of times becomes lower than a prescribed value as the lifetime of the cathode, and estimating, using an approximate line obtained by approximating the change amount recorded a plurality of times, a time at which the change amount becomes zero as the lifetime of the cathode, and outputting the estimated lifetime.