Multi-beam SEM technology for ultra-high throughput

E-beam based technologies are widely used for metrology applications in both wafer fabs and mask shops due to their intrinsic high resolution capabilities. However, the throughput requirements for defect inspection are orders of magnitude higher than what is traditionally achievable with electron beam technologies. We have developed a novel multi-electron beam based technology to address the existing need for high speed imaging of nanoscale patterns. This technique enables ultra-high image acquisition rates which scale with the number of electron beams. In this article the technology development status and imaging results will be shown, including first results with the multi-beam SEM on EUV masks.