APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING CHARGE ACCUMULATION ON A SUBSTRATE

摘要

A system for reducing surface charge on a target surface in charged particle beam lithography or microscopy, using an apparatus including: a beam column that outputs a charged particle beam towards the surface; and a charge reducing device positioned between the surface and the beam column, where the charge reducing device emits charged particles to neutralize charge on the surface. The charge reducing device can include a MOS device and a voltage source, where the voltage source is coupled to provide a voltage across the MOS device to cause the MOS device to emit the charged particles. The charge reducing device can include multiple MOS devices mounted on a mechanical mount and a voltage source, where the voltage source is coupled to provide a voltage across the MOS devices to cause the MOS devices to emit the charged particles. The associated method for reducing surface charge on a surface includes outputting the charged particle beam towards the target surface and emitting charged particles to neutralize the resulting charge on the surface.