Craig C Henry

US Patent:

6926935, Aug 9, 2005

Filed:

Jun 27, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/607814

Inventors:

Jason Harrison Arjavac - Portland OR, US
Liang Hong - Hillsboro OR, US
Henri Lezec - Strasbourg, FR
Craig Matthew Henry - Aloha OR, US

Assignee:

FEI Company - Hillsboro OR

International Classification:

C23C014/30

US Classification:

427596, 427585, 438 14

Abstract:

The present invention provides methods for achieving substantially damage-free material deposition using charged particle (e. g. , ion, electron) or light beams for generating secondary electrons to induce deposition in a gas deposition material. Among other things, some of the methods can be used to deposit, with satisfactory throughput, a protective layer over a semiconductor feature without significantly altering the feature thereby preserving it for accurate measurement. In one embodiment, the beam is directed onto an electron-source surface next to the target surface but not within it. The beam is scanned on the electron-source surface causing secondary electrons to be emitted from the electron-source surface and enter the region over the target surface to interact with deposition gas for depositing a desired amount of material onto the target surface. In this way, materials can be deposited onto a the target surface at a suitably high rate without having to expose the target surface, itself, to the beam being used to perform the material deposition. In another embodiment, the beam is directed onto a separate electron generating surface (preferably one that has a relatively high secondary electron emission coefficient) proximal to the target surface for generating the electrons to deposit the deposition material onto the target surface.

US Patent:

7348556, Mar 25, 2008

Filed:

Oct 17, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/252115

Inventors:

Prasanna Chitturi - Hillsboro OR, US
Liang Hong - Hillsboro OR, US
Craig Henry - Aloha OR, US
John Notte - Gloucester MA, US

Assignee:

FEI Company - Hillsboro OR

International Classification:

H01J 37/30

US Classification:

250309, 250307, 250310

Abstract:

An improved method of measuring the three-dimensional surface roughness of a structure. A focused ion beam is used to mill a succession of cross-sections or “slices” of the feature of interest at pre-selected intervals over a pre-selected measurement distance. As each cross-section is exposed, a scanning electron microscope is used to measure the relevant dimensions of the feature. Data from these successive “slices” is then used to determine the three-dimensional surface roughness for the feature.

US Patent:

7423263, Sep 9, 2008

Filed:

Jun 23, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/474519

Inventors:

Liang Hong - Hillsboro OR, US
Craig Henry - Aloha OR, US
Jay Jordan - Beaverton OR, US
Young-Chung Wang - Hillsboro OR, US

Assignee:

FEI Company - Hillsboro OR

International Classification:

G01N 1/28
H01J 37/20

US Classification:

250304, 250307, 250311, 25044211

Abstract:

A method and apparatus is described for orienting samples for charged particle beam operations. A sample is attached to a probe with a major surface of the sample at a non-normal angle to the probe shaft, and the probe shaft is rotated to reorient the sample. The invention is particularly useful for preparing planar view TEM samples. The invention allows for a sample to be mounted to a TEM grid and thinning by an ion beam without removing the grid from the vacuum chamber for reorienting. In one embodiment, a probe oriented at an angle, such as 45 degrees, to the sample stage has a probe tip with a flat area oriented parallel at 45 degrees to the probe axis, that is, the flat area is parallel to the sample stage. The flat area of the probe tip is attached to the sample, and when the probe is rotated 180 degrees, the orientation of the sample changes by 90 degrees, from horizontal to vertical. The sample can then be attached to a vertically oriented TEM grid on a sample stage.

US Patent:

7511282, Mar 31, 2009

Filed:

May 25, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/440799

Inventors:

Enrique Agorio - Portland OR, US
Michael Tanguay - Portland OR, US
Christophe Roudin - Hillsboro OR, US
Liang Hong - Hillsboro OR, US
Jay Jordan - Beaverton OR, US
Craig Henry - Aloha OR, US
Mark Darus - Hillsboro OR, US

Assignee:

FEI Company - Hillsboro OR

International Classification:

G21K 5/10

US Classification:

25044211, 250306, 250307, 250309, 250310, 250311, 250304, 250424, 250396 R, 25049221, 25049222, 25044011, 250396 ML, 25049111, 430 5, 430296, 428141, 438800, 216 2

Abstract:

Methods of extracting a TEM sample from a substrate include milling a hole on the sample and inserting a probe into the hole. The sample adheres to the probe, and can be processed on transferred while on the probe. In another embodiment, the sample is freed from a substrate and adheres to a probe by electrostatic attraction. The sample is placed onto a TEM sample holder in a vacuum chamber.

US Patent:

20130248354, Sep 26, 2013

Filed:

Nov 30, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/691270

Inventors:

Brennan Peterson - Portland OR, US
Guus Das - Valkenswaard, NL
Craig Henry - Hillsboro OR, US
Larry Dworkin - Portland OR, US
Jeff Blackwood - Portland OR, US
Stacey Stone - Beaverton OR, US
Michael Schmidt - Gresham OR, US

International Classification:

H01J 37/305
H01J 37/30

US Classification:

20419233, 20419234

Abstract:

A method for TEM sample preparation and analysis that can be used in a FIB-SEM system without re-welds, unloads, user handling of the lamella, or a motorized flip stage. The method allows a dual beam FIB-SEM system with a typical tilt stage to be used to extract a sample to from a substrate, mount the sample onto a TEM sample holder capable of tilting, thin the sample using FIB milling, and rotate the sample so that the sample face is perpendicular to an electron column for STEM imaging.

US Patent:

20200312618, Oct 1, 2020

Filed:

Mar 29, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/370023

Inventors:

- Hillsboro OR, US
Craig Henry - Hillsboro OR, US
Michael B. Schmidt - Gresham OR, US
Mark Najarian - Beaverton OR, US

Assignee:

FEI Company - Hillsboro OR

International Classification:

H01J 37/305
H01J 37/147
H01J 37/20
H01J 37/28
H01L 21/67

Abstract:

Ion beams are directed to a substrate surface to expose a tapered, tilted surface in the substrate. The ion beams and the substrate are situated so that a first ion beam is incident along a first axis at a glancing angle, and a second ion beam is incident along a second axis in a plane defined by the glancing angle and at an angle with respect to the first axis. Exposure to the second ion beam tends to produced superior quality in the exposed surface such as by reducing curtain artifacts.

US Patent:

20170250055, Aug 31, 2017

Filed:

May 15, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/595773

Inventors:

- Hillsboro OR, US
Brennan Peterson - Portland OR, US
Guus Das - Valkenswaard, NL
Craig Matthew Henry - Hillsboro OR, US
Larry Dworkin - Portland OR, US
Jeff Blackwood - Portland OR, US
Stacey Stone - Beaverton OR, US
Michael Schmidt - Gresham OR, US

Assignee:

FEI Company - Hillsboro OR

International Classification:

H01J 37/305
H01J 37/20
H01J 37/28

Abstract:

A method for TEM sample preparation and analysis that can be used in a FIB-SEM system without re-welds, unloads, user handling of the lamella, or a motorized flip stage. The method allows a dual beam FIB-SEM system with a typical tilt stage to be used to extract a sample to from a substrate, mount the sample onto a TEM sample holder capable of tilting, thin the sample using FIB milling, and rotate the sample so that the sample face is perpendicular to an electron column for STEM imaging.