Patents Assigned to Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
  • Patent number: 7211806
    Abstract: A particle beam apparatus has a cooled anti-contaminator (18) and/or a cooled specimen holder (17). A thermal conductor (19) is provided for providing a connection between the anti-contaminator (18) and/or the specimen holder (17), on the one hand, and the cooler (21) of a cryogen vessel (20) on the other hand. The thermal conductor (19) includes a carbon fiber bundle. With the carbon fiber bundle (19a, 19b), a high thermal conductivity is ensured between the cooler (21) and the surface (17, 18) to be cooled. At the same time, thermal expansions are avoided which lead to a displacement of the anti-contaminator (18) and/or the specimen holder (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventor: Helmut Müller
  • Publication number: 20060284090
    Abstract: A material processing system for processing a work piece is provided. The material processing is effected by supplying a reactive gas and energetic radiation for activation of the reactive gas to a surrounding of a location of the work piece to be processed. The radiation is preferably provided by an electron microscope. An objective lens of the electron microscope is preferably disposed between a detector of the electron microscope and the work piece. A gas supply arrangement of the material processing system comprises a valve disposed spaced apart from the processing location, a gas volume between the valve and a location of emergence of the reaction gas being small. The gas supply arrangement further comprises a temperature-adjusted, especially cooled reservoir for accommodating a starting material for the reactive gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicants: CARL ZEISS NTS GMBH, NAWOTEC GMBH
    Inventors: Hans Koops, Peter Hoffrogge
  • Patent number: 7135677
    Abstract: An electron microscopy system comprises an objective lens (19) which images a field displaceable in x-direction on a fixed beam axis (17). The objective lens has an astigmatic effect which is compensated for by a beam shaper (63) on the fixed axis. Furthermore, lens configurations can selectively act on the primary electron beam or the secondary electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Kienzle, Rainer Knippelmeyer, Stephan Uhlemann, Max Haider, Heiko Müller
  • Patent number: 7119344
    Abstract: An electron beam device having a specimen holder, in particular for a transmission electron microscope (TEM), which makes it possible to identify the specimen holder in a simple manner is described. Therefore, the electron beam device has at least one specimen holder having at least one holding element for holding a specimen and at least one identification unit. Furthermore, the electron beam device has a reading unit for reading the identification unit without contact, a goniometer, into which the specimen holder may be inserted, and a controller for controlling the movement modes of the goniometer, via which the movement modes of the goniometer are controlled on the basis of the identification data supplied by the identification unit and of corresponding data stored in the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Hiller, Richard König, Harald Niebel
  • Patent number: 7109487
    Abstract: A particle beam device, in particular an electron microscope, having at least two particle beam columns and one object slide having a receiving surface for receiving an object. The particle beam device makes it possible to align the surface of the object perpendicular to the beam axes of the particle beam columns, using simple means, in an accurate and error-free manner. The object slide assumes a basic position from which it may be tilted into the position in which the first or the second beam axis is perpendicular or at least almost perpendicular to the receiving surface of the object slide. In the basic position, a normal to the receiving surface of the object slide is spatially oriented such that an angle formed between the first beam axis and the normal is greater than or equal to an angle formed between the second beam axis and the normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Kienle, Helmut Muller, Peter Hoffrogge, Wilhelm Bolsinger
  • Patent number: 7105814
    Abstract: A probe-forming electron microscopy system 1 (SEM) is proposed which comprises a position-sensitive detector 15. As a result, position-dependent secondary electron intensities in the object plane 7 or angle-dependent secondary electron intensities in the object plane 7 may be observed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Knippelmeyer
  • Patent number: 7084406
    Abstract: A detector arrangement for detecting position information contained in a beam (5) of charged particles is provided, comprising a plurality of position-sensitive detectors (17), each for supplying an image containing the position information of a position-dependent distribution of intensity, integrated in terms of time, of charged particles impinging on a detection area (19) of the detector (17), a control system (47) configured to receive the image supplied by the detectors (17), and a deflector (3) configured to direct the beam (5) of charged particles to the detection area (19) of a first detector (17) selectable from the plurality of detectors (17), the deflector (3) being controllable by the control system (47) to select the detector (17) from the plurality of detectors (17) to which the beam (5) is to be directed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Knippelmeyer
  • Patent number: 7060978
    Abstract: A detector system for a particle beam apparatus, in particular for a scanning electron microscope, has a target structure, which in a central region near the optical axis includes an electron-converting material. The target structure also includes either a non-converting material in a region remote from the optical axis or the region remote from the optical axis is offset in the direction of the optical axis with respect to the region near the optical axis that includes the electron-converting material. The detector system makes possible separate detection of only back-scattered electrons or only secondary electrons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Drexel, Johannes Bihr, Gerd Benner, Stephan Kujawa
  • Patent number: 6969854
    Abstract: An arrangement for holding a particle beam apparatus such as a transmission electron microscope. The arrangement is sufficient for receiving a good resolution in the area of 1 ? or less, said arrangement still being under more or less no influence of the environment, in particular, building vibrations. In one embodiment, the arrangement comprises a base structure comprising a plurality of hollow bodies, at least one of said hollow bodies having a first length extension in a first direction, a second length extension in a second direction and a third length extension in a third direction, said first length extension being larger than said second and third length extensions, and wherein a cross section of said at least one of said hollow bodies perpendicular to said first direction is substantially triangular. Due to the hollow body shape, a very stiff structure is provided with a very good eigenfrequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Erik Essers, Michael Trunz
  • Patent number: 6967328
    Abstract: A method for the electron-microscopic observation of a semiconductor arrangement is provided. It includes providing an electron microscopy optics for imaging secondary electrons emanating from the semiconductor arrangement within an extended object field on a position-sensitive detector, providing an illumination device for emitting a primary energy beam, directing the primary energy beam to at least the object field for extracting there secondary electrons from the semiconductor arrangement. The semiconductor arrangement comprises a region with an upper surface provided by a first material and a recess with a high aspect ratio which is surrounded by the upper surface and has a bottom provided by a second material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Kienzle, Rainer Knippelmeyer, Ingo Müller
  • Patent number: 6949744
    Abstract: An electron microscopy system and an electron microscopy method for detection of time dependencies of secondary electrons generated by primary electrons is provided, in which the primary electron pulses are directed onto a sample surface and electrons emanating from the sample surface are detected, time resolved. To this end the system comprises in particular a cavity resonator. A cavity resonator can also be used to reduce aberrations of focusing lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Steigerwald, Erik Essers
  • Patent number: 6946657
    Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus is disclosed which combines the functions of an energy selector 27 and a beam splitter 21. The particle-optical apparatus is used in an electron microscopy system and serves to separate and superimpose, respectively, beam paths of a primary electron beam 11 and a secondary electron beam 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Kienzle, Rainer Knippelmeyer, Heiko Müller
  • Patent number: 6914248
    Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus is proposed as well as a method for operating the same. The particle-optical apparatus provides a magnetic field for deflecting charged particles of a beam of charged particles and comprises a body of a material with a permeability number around which a current conductor at least partially engages and a temperature-adjusting unit for adjusting a temperature of the magnetic-flux-carrying body substantially to a nominal temperature. A relative variation of the permeability number relative to a width of a temperature range is to be smaller than a limit value a, wherein a is preferably smaller than 3·10?3K?1. In particular, the nominal temperature is at an extremum of a temperature dependence of the permeability number. Preferably, such a particle-optical apparatus can be employed in a microscopy or a lithography apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventor: Wilfried Clauss
  • Patent number: 6914249
    Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus is provided for directing a beam of charged particles on an object plane or to image the object plane with the beam onto an image plane or intermediate image plane. The apparatus comprises a stack of lens assemblies which are disposed in beam direction at a fixed distances spaced apart from which other and are controllable for providing successively adjustable deflection fields for a beam traversing the stack. Each lens assembly provides at least one field source member for a magnetic or electric field. In particular, two rows of a plurality of field source members per lens assembly can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Kienzle, Rainer Knippelmeyer
  • Patent number: 6891168
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method to manipulate at least one beam of charged particles are provided. The apparatus comprises two rows of field source members 13 which are disposed periodically at a distance from each other such that there exist planes of symmetry S, S? with respect to which the field source members 13 are symmetrically disposed. The field has a component which is displaceable in the x-direction. To provide such field, a pattern of source strengths according to the formula F1(x)=Fm(x)+Fc(x) is applied to the field source members, wherein Fm is a component which is substantially independent of the displacement x0 and Fc is a correction component which is dependent on x0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Knippelmeyer
  • Patent number: 6878936
    Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus is proposed which comprises a particle-optical lens for deflecting a plurality of separate beam-charged particles which is provided by a plurality of finger electrodes provided along an opening of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Kienzle, Rainer Knippelmeyer
  • Patent number: 6872956
    Abstract: A cascade type pump arrangement for a particle beam device has first and second turbomolecular pumps, wherein an outlet of the second turbomolecular pump is forepumped by an intermediate pressure region situated between a main pump port and an outlet of the first turbomolecular pump. The particle beam device has a particle beam source operated in ultra high vacuum and a specimen chamber operated at pressures from high vacuum at least up to 1 hPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Gnauck, Volker Drexel
  • Patent number: 6861651
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electron-optical corrector for eliminating third-order aberrations, such as spherical aberrations, field curvature and off-axis astigmatism; said corrector being devoid of third-order off-axis coma, third-order distortion and first-order chromatic aberration of the first degree. The corrector has a construction which is symmetrical about the central plane in the direction of the linear optical axis. A hexapole S1 of length l1 is first positioned in the direction of the beam path, followed by a circular lens R1, a hexapole S2 of length l2 and subsequently a circular lens R2 which is followed by a third hexapole S3 with the same strength with the same strength of the hexapole S1 and double the length of the latter l3=211.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventor: Harald Rose
  • Patent number: 6855938
    Abstract: An objective lens with magnetic and electrostatic focusing for an electron microscopy system is provided whose at least partially conical outer shape allows orienting an object to be imaged at a large angle range in respect of an electron beam, said objective lens exhibiting, at the same time, good optical parameters. This is enabled by a specific geometry of the lens elements. Furthermore, an examination for the simultaneous imaging and processing of an object is proposed which comprises, besides an electron microscopy system with the above-mentioned objective lens, also an ion beam processing system and an object support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Preikszas, Michael Steigerwald, Peter Hoffrogge, Peter Gnauck