阅读说明：本技术 带电粒子束源 (Charged particle beam source ) 是由 刘坤 S·J·伦道夫 于 2021-03-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种例如在电子显微镜中使用的带电粒子束源可包含：导电支撑构件,其联接到基座；安装构件,其联接到所述支撑构件且限定孔；以及发射器构件,其收纳在所述孔中且通过围绕所述孔中的所述发射器构件流动的固定液材料层保持。(A charged particle beam source, such as used in electron microscopy, may comprise: a conductive support member coupled to the base; a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining an aperture; and an emitter member received in the bore and retained by a layer of stationary liquid material flowing around the emitter member in the bore.)

1. A charged particle beam source, comprising:

a conductive support member coupled to the base;

a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining an aperture; and

an emitter member received in the bore and retained by a layer of stationary liquid material flowing around the emitter member in the bore.

2. The charged particle beam source of claim 1, wherein:

the mounting member defines a longitudinal axis; and is

The bore extends along the longitudinal axis.

3. The charged particle beam source of claim 1, wherein:

the mounting member including an opening longitudinally offset along its length from a free end portion of the mounting member, the opening communicating with the bore; and is

A fixer fluid material of the fixer fluid material layer is received in the opening.

4. The charged particle beam source of claim 3, wherein the opening is a channel formed in the mounting member.

5. The charged particle beam source of claim 4, wherein the mounting member comprises a plurality of channels spaced along its length and at least one retaining portion extending around the emitter member.

6. The charged particle beam source of claim 3, wherein:

the mounting member includes a first end portion coupled to the support member and the free end portion is a free second end portion; and is

The opening is offset from the free second end portion toward the first end portion.

7. The charged particle beam source of claim 1, wherein the emitter member comprises lanthanum hexabromide (LaB)₆) Or cesium hexabromide (CeB)₆）。

8. The charged particle beam source of claim 1, wherein the layer of stationary liquid material is formed from a dispersed phase of a colloidal liquid.

9. The charged particle beam source of claim 8, wherein the layer of stationary liquid material comprises graphite.

10. The charged particle beam source of claim 1, configured as an electron beam source.

11. The charged particle beam source of claim 1, wherein said emitter means is not clamped by other components of said charged particle beam source.

12. A scanning electron microscope comprising the charged particle beam source of claim 1.

13. A method of manufacturing the charged particle beam source of claim 1, comprising:

forming the hole in the mounting member;

inserting the emitter member into the hole in the mounting member; and

flowing a colloidal liquid around the emitter member and the mounting member to form the layer of stationary liquid material.

14. A method of using the charged particle beam source of claim 1, comprising:

heating the emitter member to produce a charged particle beam; and

directing the charged particle beam toward a target.

15. A charged particle beam source, comprising:

a conductive support member coupled to the base;

a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining an aperture; and

an emitter member received in the bore;

wherein the mounting member includes a retaining portion extending around the emitter member.

16. The charged particle beam source of claim 15, wherein the emitter member is held in the aperture by a layer of stationary liquid material flowing around the emitter member in the aperture.

17. The charged particle beam source of claim 16, wherein the layer of stationary liquid material is formed from a dispersed phase of a colloidal liquid.

18. The charged particle beam source of claim 15, further comprising a channel defined in the mounting member.

19. The charged particle beam source of claim 15, wherein the aperture and the emitter member each comprise a rectangular cross-section.

20. A charged particle beam source, comprising:

a conductive support member coupled to the base;

a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining an aperture; and

an emitter member received in the bore and held in the bore by a layer of a fixing liquid material;

wherein the cross-section of the aperture is larger than the cross-section of the emitter member.

21. The charged particle beam source of claim 20, wherein the emitter member is not clamped by the mounting member.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to charged particle beam sources, such as electron beam sources, and systems and methods of manufacturing the same.

Background

Charged Particle Beam (CPB) sources, such as those used in scanning and/or transmission electron microscopes, typically include a beam generating element, such as a filament, that emits a beam of charged particles when electrically biased and/or thermally heated (e.g., for Schottky (Schottky) emitters). Such filaments are typically made of a metallic material such as crystalline tungsten or rhenium, e.g., lanthanum hexabromide (LaB)₆) Or cesium hexabromide (CeB)₆) And/or other materials having a low work functionPreparing the materials. However, coupling a filament made of a low work function compound material to a heating element such as a tungsten hairpin can be problematic because the material typically cannot be attached by spot welding. Existing CPB sources made of compound materials therefore typically rely on the application of frictional engagement or compressive force to the emitter filament through portions of the heating element structure, for example by clamping the filament between graphite sheets in a woger (Vogel) mount. Other methods include fastening the filament by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) welding when the thickness of the emitter filament is nanometer microns thick. In each of these approaches, it is difficult and time consuming to precisely align the emitter filament. Woger mounts also typically require relatively high electrical heating currents to clean the emitter and/or cause beam generation during source operation, which may introduce thermal stability issues, for example. FIB welding is time consuming, technically complex, and must typically be performed under vacuum, resulting in relatively high production costs and low productivity. Accordingly, there is a need for improved CPB source structures and fabrication techniques.

Disclosure of Invention

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a charged particle beam source or module for use in a charged particle beam system, such as an electron microscope. In a representative embodiment, a charged particle beam source comprises: a conductive support member coupled to the base; a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining an aperture; and an emitter member received in the bore and retained by a layer of stationary liquid material flowing around the emitter member in the bore.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the mounting member defines a longitudinal axis, and the bore extends along the longitudinal axis.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the mounting member includes an opening longitudinally offset along its length from a free end portion of the mounting member, and the opening communicates with the bore. The fixing liquid material of the fixing liquid material layer is received in the opening.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the opening is a channel formed in the mounting member.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the mounting member includes a plurality of channels spaced along its length and a plurality of retaining portions extending around the emitter member.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the mounting member includes a first end portion coupled to the support member, the free end portion is a free second end portion, and the opening is offset from the free second end portion toward the first end portion.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the emitter member comprises lanthanum hexabromide (LaB)₆) Or cesium hexabromide (CeB)₆) Or other emitter materials that are not spot weldable.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the layer of fixer fluid material is formed from a dispersed phase of colloidal liquid.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the layer of fixer fluid material includes graphite.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the charged particle beam source is configured as an electron beam source.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the emitter member is not clamped by other components of the charged particle beam source.

In another representative embodiment, a scanning electron microscope can include the charged particle beam source of any or all of the disclosed embodiments.

In another representative embodiment, a method of fabricating a charged particle beam source includes: forming a hole in the mounting member; inserting the emitter member into the hole in the mounting member; and flowing a colloidal liquid around the emitter member and the mounting member to form a layer of stationary liquid material.

In another representative embodiment, a method of using a charged particle beam source includes heating an emitter member to produce a charged particle beam, and directing the charged particle beam toward a target.

In another representative embodiment, a charged particle beam source comprises: a conductive support member coupled to the base; a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining an aperture; and an emitter member received in the aperture, wherein the mounting member includes a retaining portion extending around the emitter member.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the emitter members are retained in the bore by a layer of stationary liquid material flowing around the emitter members in the bore.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the layer of fixer fluid material is formed from a dispersed phase of colloidal liquid.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the charged particle beam source can further comprise a channel defined between the retaining portions.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the aperture and the emitter member each comprise a rectangular cross-section.

In another representative embodiment, a charged particle beam source includes: a conductive support member coupled to the base; a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining an aperture; and an emitter member received in the hole and held in the hole by the layer of fixing liquid material, wherein a cross section of the hole is larger than a cross section of the emitter member.

In any or all of the disclosed embodiments, the emitter member is not clamped by the mounting member.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed technology will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a representative embodiment of a charged particle beam system, according to one embodiment.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a charged particle beam source according to one embodiment.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a mounting member and an emitter member of the charged particle beam source of figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the mounting member of fig. 2 prior to forming the holes and channels.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the free end portion of the mounting member of FIG. 2 after forming the axial bore and the axially spaced passages in accordance with one embodiment.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the free end portion of the mounting member of fig. 2 illustrating the emitter member received in the axial bore.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the free end portion of the mounting member of FIG. 2 illustrating a layer of stationary liquid material applied to secure the emitter member in the hole.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the mounting member and the free end portion of the emitter member of fig. 2 prior to shaping of the emitter member.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the mounting member and free end portions of the transmitter member of fig. 2 with the transmitter member configured as a cold field transmitter in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the emitter member of FIG. 9.

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of the emitter member of fig. 2 superimposed over a cross-section of the hole in the mounting member.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the charged particle beam source of figure 2 mounted in a portion of a charged particle microscope, in accordance with one embodiment.

Figure 13 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of fabricating a charged particle beam source according to one embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the free end portion of the mounting member of FIG. 2 including two channels circumferentially offset from one another.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of the free end portion of the mounting member of fig. 2 containing a single channel.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the free end portion of the mounting member of fig. 2 containing a plurality of annular openings.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure relates to embodiments of Charged Particle Beam (CPB) sources, such as electron beam sources, field emitters, electron guns, and systems and methods for their manufacture. The CPB sources disclosed herein are discussed in the context of CPB systems such as CPB microscopes, but may also be applicable to other applications such as electroholography, x-ray sources, flat panel displays, jet propulsion, and the like. The CPB sources described herein may include: a conductive (e.g., metallic) support member, such as a tungsten hairpin, coupled to a pair of electrodes; and a metal (e.g., tungsten) mounting member, whichCoupled to and extending from the top end of the support member. The mounting member may define a receiving space therein for example LaB₆Or CeB₆An axial bore of an emitter member of the filament. The mounting member may further define at least one opening, aperture or channel in a side of the mounting member and axially offset from a free end of the mounting member. The emitter member may be held in the bore of the mounting member by a layer of fixing liquid material which flows around the mounting member, through the at least one channel, and into the bore such that an inner surface of the bore, a corresponding surface of the emitter member and/or an outer surface of the mounting member is coated by the layer of fixing liquid material. The CPB sources disclosed herein can provide improved alignment of the beam-generating emitters with the optical axis of the CPB system, as well as stable and reliable operation at high temperatures for long periods of time without significant degradation, and without the need for compressive forces applied by other elements of the structure to clamp or hold the emitter members in place.

Example 1

Fig. 1 illustrates a representative embodiment of a Charged Particle Beam (CPB) system 100 including a beam column 102. The beam column 102 may be, for example, a charged particle microscope, such as a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), or a combined Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM). In the illustrated embodiment, for ease of reference and not limitation, the beam column 102 is configured as a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). SEM 102 may include one or more CPB lenses, such as condenser lens 116 and objective lens 106. In some embodiments, the one or more CPB lenses may be magnetic lenses, and in particular, the objective lens 106 may be a magnetic objective lens. The SEM 102 is positioned for generating an image of the target or workpiece W.

The SEM 102 may be mounted to or in a vacuum chamber 108 that houses a positioning system 110 for holding and moving the workpiece W. The vacuum chamber 108 may be evacuated using a vacuum pump (not shown).

SEM 102 may include a CPB source 112, which may be configured according to any of the CPB source embodiments described herein. SEM 102 may be configured to manipulate the "raw" beam of radiation from CPB source 112 and perform operations thereon, such as focusing, aberration mitigation, cropping (using apertures), filtering, scanning, and the like. For example, the CPB source 112 may generate an input charged particle beam 114 (e.g., an electron beam) that propagates along a particle optical axis 115. The SEM 102 may generally include one or more lenses (e.g., CPB lenses) that focus the beam 114 onto the workpiece W, such as a condenser lens 116 and an objective lens 106. In some embodiments, SEM 102 may be provided with a deflection unit 118 that may be configured to manipulate beam 114. For example, the beam 114 may be manipulated in a scannable motion (e.g., raster or vector scan) across a sample under study or a workpiece to be processed. In some examples, additional CPB components are used, such as other lenses, deflectors, studs, and/or apertures, but are not shown for ease of illustration.

The CPB system 100 may further comprise computer processing equipment and/or a controller 128 for controlling, among other things, the deflection unit 118, the Charged Particle Beam (CPB) lenses 106, 116, the positioning system 110, and the detector (not shown), and for displaying information collected from the detector, such as an image of the workpiece or a portion thereof, positional information, or system control data, on a display unit. In some cases, a control computer 130 is provided to establish various excitations, record imaging data, and generally control the operation of the SEM, positioning system, etc.

Example 2

Fig. 2 and 3 illustrate a Charged Particle Beam (CPB) source component, module, or assembly 200 according to one embodiment. The CPB source 200 may include a base 201 that includes an insulating body 202 and two electrodes 204 and 206 positioned or embedded in the insulator 202. In certain embodiments, the insulator 202 may comprise a high temperature insulating material, such as any of a variety of ceramic materials (e.g., alumina, boron nitride, glass, machinable glass-ceramic, etc.).

The CPB source 200 may further include a curved or angled support member 208 (also referred to as a "hairpin") that interconnects the two electrodes 204 and 206 on one side of the insulator 202. In the illustrated embodiment, support member 208 may include a first portion 210 and a second portion 212 coupled together at a top end 214. A first portion 210 of the support member 208 may be coupled or electrically connected to the electrode 204 and a second portion 212 of the support member may be coupled or electrically connected to the electrode 206. In certain examples, the first portion 210 and the second portion 212 may be coupled on opposite sides of the respective electrodes 204 and 206 (e.g., to points on the surface of cylindrical electrodes circumferentially offset by 180 °) so as to align the tip 214 with a longitudinal axis (e.g., axis 218) of the insulator 202. However, in other embodiments, portions 210 and 212 may be coupled to each other on the same side of the electrode depending on the particular requirements of the system.

The CPB source 200 can further include a mounting member 216 coupled to and extending from the tip 214 of the support member 208. Fig. 3 illustrates the mounting member 216 in more detail. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting member 216 is configured as a cylinder including a first end portion 220 coupled to the top end 214 of the support member 208 and a free second end portion 222, although in other embodiments the mounting member may have any shape. The mounting member 216 may define a longitudinal axis 218. The mounting member 216 may be formed separately and attached to the support member 208 (e.g., by welding), or may be formed integrally with the support member such that the support member and the mounting member are of unitary construction. As used herein, the terms "integrally formed" and "unitary construction" refer to constructions that do not include any welds, fasteners, or other means for fastening separately formed pieces of material to one another.

Referring to fig. 5, the mounting member 216 may further include a shaft/lumen/cavity/aperture 226 formed therein and extending from the free second end portion 222 in a direction along the longitudinal axis 218 (fig. 3). For example, the aperture 226 in the illustrated embodiment includes an opening 228 at a free edge of the free second end portion 222 and may be configured to receive an emitter member or filament 224, as described further below. In certain embodiments, the aperture 226 may extend along any portion of the length of the mounting member 216 depending, for example, on the length of the emitter member 224. In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture 226 has a rectangular cross-section corresponding to the rectangular cross-section of the emitter member 224, although in other embodiments the aperture may have any cross-sectional shape, such as a circular or annular cross-section, depending on the shape of the emitter.

In certain embodiments, the mounting member 216 may also include one or more openings spaced along its length and configured as channels/notches/grooves/slots 230. The channel 230 may be formed in the second end portion 222 of the mounting member 216 and may extend at least partially through a cross-section of the mounting member. Referring to fig. 3 and 5, prior to application of the layer 242 of stationary liquid material, described in more detail below, the channel 230 may be in fluid communication with the aperture 226. In certain embodiments, the channels 230 may extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 218 (fig. 3) and may be axially spaced apart from each other along the length of the mounting member 216.

In a particular embodiment, the channel 230 can be formed in the free second portion 222. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the free second end portion 222 includes two channels 230A and 230B that are axially spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis 218 and extend through approximately half the thickness of the mounting member. The free second end portion 222 may further include curved projections or extensions configured as retaining members/portions 232 disposed between the continuous channels 230 and/or, in some embodiments, at an end face of the free second end portion 222. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in fig. 5, mounting member 216 includes a curved retaining portion 232A between channels 230A and 230B, and a curved retaining portion 232B located distally of channel 230B. The aperture 226 may extend through the retaining portions 232A and 232B.

Still referring to fig. 5, in the illustrated embodiment, the mounting member 216 can further include an extension portion or bracket portion 234 extending axially (e.g., distally) from the retaining portion 230B. The bracket portion 234 may define a longitudinally extending notch or channel 236 that is axially aligned and in fluid communication with the aperture 226 (at least prior to insertion of the emitter member 224 and application of the securing liquid material layer 242). In certain embodiments, the bracket portion 234 may include three axially extending pointed protrusions 248, 250, and 252, which together may define the notch 246.

In certain embodiments, the channels 230 may be circumferentially aligned with one another as in the illustrated embodiment, or may be circumferentially offset. For example, in certain embodiments, the channels 230 may be formed anywhere around the circumference of the mounting member 216 and may have any angular spacing. For example, fig. 14 illustrates another example in which channels 230A and 230B are circumferentially offset from each other by 180 °. The channels 230 may also be formed with uniform axial spacing, as illustrated, or with different axial spacing between the channels, depending on the particular requirements of the system. The channel 230 may also have any width as measured in the axial direction and may extend around any proportion of the circumference of the mounting member. The channels also need not have the same width or circumferential length. In other embodiments, the mounting means may comprise only a single channel 230, as illustrated in fig. 15. In still other embodiments, the channels 230 may be any size and/or shape opening or aperture in fluid communication with the bore 226 and may be formed in any number and at any location along and/or around the mounting member 216 to permit the fixative solution to enter the bore. For example, fig. 16 illustrates a mounting member 216 that includes a plurality of circular apertures 260, which may be angularly and longitudinally aligned with one another as shown, or angularly and/or longitudinally offset in any arrangement. The mounting member may also include a plurality of rows or strips of such apertures 260 spaced axially along the mounting member. In still other embodiments, the emitter member 224 may be received in a hole formed in the support member 208, for example at the top end, and need not include a mounting member.

As mentioned above, the CPB source may further include an emitter component 224 coupled to the mounting component 216. More particularly, a base or first end portion 238 (fig. 6) of the emitter member 224 may be received in the bore 226 of the mounting member 216, and the emitter member may extend axially from the free second end portion 222 of the mounting member in a direction along the longitudinal axis 218 (fig. 3). In certain embodiments, the distal or free end portion of the emitter member 224 may be sharp or pointed. In the illustrated embodiment, the emitter members 224 have a rectangular cross-section corresponding to the rectangular apertures 226, although the emitter members 224 and apertures 226 may have any cross-sectional shape.

The emitter member 224 may comprise any of a variety of materials that exhibit a relatively low work function (e.g., 2.93 eV or less, such as 2.6 eV or less). An exemplary material may comprise crystalline lanthanum hexabromide (LaB)₆) Cesium hexabromide (CeB)₆) Crystalline tungsten (e.g., W (100)), ZrO coated crystalline tungsten, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanocones, ZnO nanoribbons, WOx nanowires or other metal nanowires, and the like.

In certain embodiments, the cross-section (e.g., cross-sectional area) of the aperture 226 may be greater than the cross-section (e.g., cross-sectional area) of the first end portion 238 of the emitter member, although the emitter member 224 and the aperture 226 have the same cross-sectional shape. This is illustrated in fig. 11, where a cross-section of the first end portion 238 of the emitter member 224 is schematically shown superimposed on a cross-section of the aperture 226. Thus, the emitter member may be free to move longitudinally within the bore 226 relative to the mounting member prior to securing or attaching the emitter member 224 to the mounting member 216. Thus, unlike prior wobbe CPB sources, in the illustrated embodiment, the mounting means 216 does not grip or apply a compressive force to the emitter means 224 to hold the emitter means in place.

Accordingly, a fixative material, adhesive, or fixation or adhesive means may be used to secure the emitter members 224 in place within the apertures 226. In certain embodiments, the fixer fluid material may be in the form of a layer of material that secures/bonds/secures/couples/attaches the emitter member 224 to the mounting member 216, and is referred to herein as the fixer fluid material layer 242 (fig. 3 and 7). In certain embodiments, the fixer fluid material layer 242 may be a material applied in a liquid or flowable state, such as a dispersed phase of a colloidal liquid or sol. In particular embodiments, the layer of stationary liquid material 242 may include a layer of graphite that remains after evaporation of the liquid phase or medium of the colloidal graphite mixture. In certain embodiments, the layer 242 of liquid material may extend at least partially around the perimeter of the emitter member 224 in the aperture 226 and/or around the exterior of the mounting member 216 to bond or secure the emitter member 224 in place in the aperture.

Exemplary materials that may be used to form the stationary liquid material layer 242 include graphite, graphene, Bucky ball (e.g., C)₆₀) Carbon nanotubes, amorphous carbon, and the like. Such materials can be used as part of a colloidal mixture (e.g., a dispersed phase), where the liquid phase includes any of water (e.g., an aqueous colloidal mixture), alcohol (e.g., isopropanol), acetone, and the like. In other embodiments, the emitter means 224 may be secured in place using other materials having relatively high melting temperatures and/or other processes including Focused Ion Beam (FIB) welding, any of various thin film deposition techniques including tungsten, rhenium, molybdenum, tantalum, etc., such as e-beam deposition, thermal evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, etc.

In certain embodiments, the support member 208 and/or the mounting member 216 may be made of any electrically conductive, high temperature material, such as any of a variety of metals having relatively high melting points. Non-limiting examples include tungsten (W) (e.g., polycrystalline tungsten), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), rhenium (Re), niobium (Nb), and the like, and/or combinations or alloys of such metals.

Fig. 4-9 illustrate a representative process of manufacturing a CPB source 200 according to one embodiment. Fig. 4 illustrates the mounting member 216 mounted to the support member 208 in an unmachined state prior to forming the holes and channels. In certain embodiments, the free second end portion 222 of the mounting member 216 may include a tip 244. In certain embodiments, the support member 208 and/or the insulator 202 may be mounted in a suitable fixture, and the aperture 226 may be formed by, for example, any of a variety of milling or micromachining techniques, such as laser beam machining, focused ion beam milling, and the like. The channels 230 may be formed in a similar manner and/or by other techniques including chemical etching (e.g., wet or dry etching), photolithography, and the like.

Fig. 5 illustrates the mounting member 216 after the holes 226 and the channels 230 are formed. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the tip 244 (fig. 4) may be partially milled away to form the bracket portion 234 and the projections 248 and 252. In other embodiments, the tip 244 remains un-milled, or may be completely milled away. Referring to fig. 6, the emitter members 224 may then be inserted into the apertures 226 in the direction of arrow 254 using, for example, a micromanipulator. When received in the aperture, the retaining portions 232A and 232B may extend around or over the emitter member 224 such that the emitter member is surrounded by the material of the mounting member at the location of the retaining portions.

Referring to fig. 7, the emitter members 224 may then be secured in place by applying a layer 242 of fixing liquid material. In certain embodiments, the layer of fixative material 242 may be applied in a liquid state (e.g., injected using a pipette), as in the case of colloidal graphite. The colloidal liquid may flow around and through the channels 230, into the holes 226 (fig. 5), and around the emitter members 224 such that the emitter members 224 and the inner surfaces of the holes are wetted by the colloidal liquid along substantially the entire length of the holes 226. The phase of the liquid medium or colloidal liquid may be allowed to evaporate, causing a layer of stationary liquid material (e.g., a graphite layer) to coat/cover/encapsulate the emitter members, the holes, and the surfaces of the mounting members to hold the emitter members 224 in place. In certain embodiments, the layer 242 of fixer fluid material may fill gaps or cavities between the emitter members 224 and the oversized holes 226, as shown in fig. 7 and 8. In certain embodiments, the layer of fixer fluid material 242 and the mounting member 216 may be bonded/fused/welded together at elevated temperatures to further assist in securing the emitter member 224 to the mounting member, such as in embodiments where the layer of fixer fluid material comprises carbon or graphite and the mounting member comprises tungsten. Such fusion or welding may occur during normal microscope operation and/or during run-in periods in which the components are heated.

Fig. 8 illustrates the emitter member 224 secured to the mounting member 216. In certain embodiments, the emitter members 224 may then be subjected to additional processing or shaping steps to serve as cold field emitters, schottky emitters, and the like. For example, in certain embodiments, the emitter member 224 may be shortened such that it extends beyond the mounting member 216 by a specified distance (e.g., 200 μm in certain embodiments). In certain embodiments, depending on the particular characteristics desired, the distal or free end portion of the emitter member 224 may also be shaped/machined/milled to a point or other specified shape. For example, fig. 9 and 10 illustrate emitter members 224 configured as cones (fig. 9) and nanorods (e.g., cylindrical or substantially cylindrical) (fig. 10). Such emitters may be configured to function as cold field emitters or schottky emitters.

Fig. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a CPB source 200 installed in a charged particle microscope 300, which can be configured according to any of the CPB systems described herein. When installed in the microscope 300, the emitter members 224 may be precisely aligned along the particle optical axis 302 of the microscope. By electrically biasing and/or heating (e.g., by flowing current through support member 208) emitter member 224 (depending on whether the emitter is configured as a cold field emitter or a schottky emitter), emitter member 224 may emit a charged particle beam that may be manipulated and focused by various elements of the beam column as described above. In fig. 12, only the portion of the second portion 212 of the support member 208 that is behind the plane of the cross-section is visible.

One or more of the embodiments described herein may provide significant advantages over existing CPB sources. For example, inserting the emitter member into a hole of the mounting member and securing the emitter member in place by flowing a fixing liquid material into the hole allows for the fabrication of a CPB source that is much smaller than possible using a conventional woger mount. The mounting member 216 of the CPB source described herein may be tens of microns in diameter or less, while a similar wobbe mount may require a tungsten pedestal mount or clamping member that is hundreds of microns to several millimeters in diameter or major dimension. Thus, the beam-generating portion of a CPB source configured as described herein can be ten times smaller than a similar CPB source including a wobbe mount. This may also reduce the current requirement required to heat the emitter filament to its operating temperature, thereby correspondingly improving thermal stability.

Furthermore, the time required to produce the CPB sources described herein can be significantly reduced compared to existing sources, while providing the same or superior performance. More particularly, because the hole 226 may be formed in precise alignment with the axis of the mounting member 216, the emitter member 224, when received in the hole, may automatically be precisely aligned with this axis and no complex alignment procedures and fasteners are required. Furthermore, because the emitter members are not clamped or held in place by the compressive forces applied by the support structure as in a woger mount, the complexity of installing the emitter members 224, as well as the time required, may also be significantly reduced. In particular, the CPB source configurations described herein do not require that the clamping members of the support structure be spread apart to receive the emitter filament, nor that members, such as graphite sheets, be placed between the clamping members and the emitter filament, all of which complicate assembly and alignment.

Furthermore, any or all of the hole formation, channel formation, emitter element placement, and/or application of the layer of immobilized liquid material may be performed under open laboratory conditions (e.g., "in air"), without the need to perform under vacuum. This can significantly reduce the time required to manufacture the CPB source 200 compared to existing beam sources, especially those requiring FIB welding or component fixing under vacuum. The manufacture of the CPB source described herein can also be automated and/or implemented on a commercial scale.

The CPB source with the configuration described herein has been charged particle microscopy at 10^-6The temperature of 2200K was heated under pressure for about one hour and substantially no mechanical drift or material loss from the layer of liquid material was observed, indicating that the CPB source embodiments described herein are robust and reliable.

The CPB sources described herein may be used in any of a variety of charged particle beam systems, such as the SEM, TEM, or STEM described above, including multi-beam systems in which such microscopes are combined with other beam columns, such as a Focused Ion Beam (FIB).

Fig. 13 illustrates a representative method of manufacturing the CPB source 200. At process block 400, with the base member 202 installed in a chuck or fixture, holes 226 may be formed in the installation member 216, for example, with a pulsed or continuous wave, focused or unfocused laser beam. At process block 402, an opening/aperture/channel 230 may be formed in the free second end portion 222 of the mounting member 216, for example, by a pulsed or continuous wave, focused or unfocused laser beam, etching, or photolithographic process. At process block 404, with the base member 202 held in one fixture and the emitter members 224 held in another fixture, such as a micromanipulator, the emitter members may be aligned with and inserted into the apertures 226. At process block 406, a layer 242 of stationary liquid material may be applied, for example, by pipetting colloidal graphite liquid onto the free second end portion 222 of the mounting member, such that the liquid flows through the channel 230 into the aperture 226 and around the emitter member 224 to coat the surfaces of the emitter member, the aperture, the retaining portion, and other portions of the mounting member. When the liquid phase of the colloidal liquid has evaporated, further shaping of the emitter member 224 may be performed, depending on the specific requirements of the CPB system in which the source will be used. Alternatively, as mentioned above, the layer of immobile liquid material may be applied in other ways, for example by thin film deposition or the like.

Clause interpretation

As used in this application and the claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, the term "comprising" means "including". Further, the term "coupled" does not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between the coupled items.

The systems, devices, and methods described herein should not be construed as limiting in any way. Indeed, the present disclosure is directed to all novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, alone and in various combinations and subcombinations with one another. The disclosed systems, methods, and apparatus are not limited to any specific aspect or feature or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatus require that any one or more specific advantages be present or problems be solved. Any theory of operation is for ease of explanation, but the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatus are not limited to such theory of operation.

Although the operations of some of the disclosed methods are described in a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, it should be understood that this manner of description encompasses rearrangement of the operations, unless a particular ordering is required by specific language set forth herein. For example, in some cases, operations described sequentially may be rearranged or performed concurrently. Moreover, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may not show the various ways in which the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatus can be used in conjunction with other systems, methods, and/or apparatus. In addition, the present specification sometimes uses terms like "produce" and "provide" to describe the disclosed methods. These terms are high-level abstractions of the actual operations that are performed. The actual operations that correspond to these terms will vary depending on the particular implementation and can be readily discerned by one of ordinary skill in the art.

In some instances, a value, program, or device is referred to as "lowest," "best," "smallest," or the like. It will be appreciated that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a selection may be made among many functional alternatives used, and that such selections need not be better, smaller, or preferred over other selections.

Certain examples may be described with reference to directions indicated as "above," "below," "upper," "lower," etc. These terms are used for convenience of description and do not imply any particular spatial orientation.

While alternatives for the various components, parameters, operating conditions, etc. recited herein exist, it is not intended that such alternatives must be equivalently and/or equivalently performed. Unless otherwise stated, it is also not meant to prioritize alternatives.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed technology may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only examples and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Rather, the scope of the present disclosure is at least as broad as the appended claims and equivalents of the features recited therein. We therefore claim all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims.