Miniature electron beam columns have the advantage of high resolution (<10 nm) at low beam energies (0.5 - 2 kV),
making them well-suited for probing the surface structure of a wide variety of nano-scale materials. Because miniature
columns have the further benefits of small form factor and low cost of manufacturing, they are uniquely suited for high
resolution tabletop Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Miniature columns are also good candidates for use in
multiple beam lithography and high throughput mask writing systems.
A miniature electrostatic column has been developed for the Novelx mySEM tabletop SEM using monolithically
processed bonded stacks of silicon and glass, mounted to a ceramic substrate. It has been shown previously that this
type of design can be used to produce a highly manufacturable and reliable column. This column design has
demonstrated high resolution imaging and lithography capabilities. The column includes a condenser lens integrated
into the source silicon stack, which provides variable beam current density at the limiting aperture in order to vary the
probe current.
This paper presents results from the condenser lens in the mySEM column, demonstrating continuously variable beam
current over a wide range. Simulations presented in this paper show that this column is capable of >2 nA beam current
using the condenser lens, with only a slight increase in beam size at high beam current. Measurements are in good
agreement with the simulations, demonstrating > 7 nA beam current with the condenser turned on.
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