A method of processing a workpiece may include forming a first layer on a first side of a base layer. The base layer may be part of a substrate including a plurality of layers. The method may also include forming a second layer on the first layer. A material of the second layer may include metal. The method may also include forming an opening in the second layer, forming an opening in the first layer by etching, and removing the second layer. The method may include dry etching of the first layer.

A multi-beam charged particle inspection system and a method of operating a multi-beam charged particle inspection system for wafer inspection can provide high throughput with high resolution and high reliability. The method and the multi-beam charged particle beam inspection system can be configured to extract from a plurality of sensor data a set of control signals to control the multi-beam charged particle beam inspection system and thereby maintain the imaging specifications including a movement of a wafer stage during the wafer inspection task.

Using a segmented detector having detection regions enables an observation of atoms in a specimen with a high contrast. A scanning transmission electron microscope system 100 scans an electron beam EB over a specimen S, uses a segmented detector 105 having detection regions disposed in a bright-field area to detect electrons transmitted through and scattered from the specimen S for each detection region, generates segmented images based on results of detecting the electrons in the detection regions, and applies filters determined based on a signal-to-noise ratio to the segmented images to generate a reconstructed image. The signal-to-noise ratio is proportional to an absolute value of a total phase contrast transfer function normalized by a noise level, the total phase contrast transfer function being defined by product-sum operation of complex phase contrast transfer functions and weight coefficients for the detection regions. The filters are determined based on the weight coefficients that yield a maximum of the signal-to-noise ratio.

There is provided a charged particle beam apparatus that can reduce the processing time. A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an excitation control unit that controls a focal position by changing a control value of excitation of an electronic lens; an electrostatic field control unit that controls the focal position by changing a control value of an electrostatic field; a focal position height estimation unit that estimates a height of the focal position from the control value of the excitation of the electronic lens; and a control unit that controls the excitation control unit and the electrostatic field control unit. The control unit compares the height of the focal position estimated by the focal position height estimation unit with a height of a sample surface of a sample to be observed, and according to a result of comparison, determines whether it is necessary to change the control value of the excitation of the electronic lens before observing the sample.

A method and a system are for sparse sampling utilizing a programmatically randomized signal for modulating a carrier signal. The system includes a compound sparse sampling pattern generator that generates at least one primary carrier signal, and at least one secondary signal. The at least one secondary signal modulates the at least one primary signal in a randomized fashion.

A rapid and automatic virus imaging and analysis system includes (i) electron optical sub-systems (EOSs), each of which has a large field of view (FOV) and is capable of instant magnification switching for rapidly scanning a virus sample; (ii) sample management sub-systems (SMSs), each of which automatically loads virus samples into one of the EOSs for virus sample scanning and then unloads the virus samples from the EOS after the virus sample scanning is completed; (iii) virus detection and classification sub-systems (VDCSs), each of which automatically detects and classifies a virus based on images from the EOS virus sample scanning; and (iv) a cloud-based collaboration sub-system for analyzing the virus sample scanning images, storing images from the EOS virus sample scanning, and storing and analyzing machine data associated with the EOSs, the SMSs, and the VDCSs.

Provided is a charged particle beam device that enables, even if a visual field includes therein a plurality of regions having different secondary electron emission conditions, the setting of appropriate energy filter conditions adapted to each of these regions. The charged particle beam device is equipped with a detector for detecting charged particles obtained on the basis of scanning, over a sample, a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source, and an energy filter for filtering by energy the charged particles emitted from the sample. Index values are determined for the plurality of regions contained within the scanning region of the charged particle beam, and, for each of a plurality of energy filter conditions, differences are calculated between the plurality of index values and the reference index values that have been set for each of the plurality of regions.

Computer-implemented methods for controlling a charged particle microscopy system include estimating a drift of a stage of the charged particle microscopy system based on an image sequence, and automatically adjusting a stage settling wait duration based on the drift estimate. Charged particle microscopy systems include an imaging system, a movement stage, and a processor and memory configured with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to estimate a stage settling duration of the movement stage based on an image sequence obtained with the imaging system, and automatically adjust a stage settling wait duration for the movement stage based on the stage settling duration.

The disclosure relates to a method for examining a sample in a scanning transmission charged particle microscope. The method comprises the steps of providing a scanning transmission charged particle microscope, having an illuminator and a scanning unit. The method comprises the steps of providing a desired dose for at least a first sample location of the plurality of sample locations; and determining, using a controller of the microscope, a first set of parameter settings for the illuminator and the scanning unit for substantially achieving the desired dose at the first sample location.

Apparatus and methods for adjusting beam condition of charged particles are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, the apparatus includes one or more first multipole lenses displaced above an aperture, the one or more first multipole lenses being configured to adjust a beam current of a charged-particle beam passing through the aperture. The apparatus also includes one or more second multipole lenses displaced below the aperture, the one or more second multipole lenses being configured to adjust at least one of a spot size and a spot shape of the beam.