Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus has a carrier for supporting a sample. A tilt mechanism is provided for tilting the wafer carrier through a range of attitudes including an attitude wherein a normal to the carrier defines a predetermined first angle on one side of vertical. A charged particle beam column irradiates a sample on the carrier with a beam of charged particles. The column is canted at a second angle on the opposite side of vertical from the stage normal such that the angle of beam incidence on the sample relative to the stage normal is equal to the sum of the first and second angles. The carrier may be tilted an attitude at the other end of the range of attitudes which is such that the carrier normal is parallel to the column axis and the beam is thus normal to the sample. The first and second angles in limit preferably equal thirty degrees, and the maximum angle of beam incidence on the sample thus equals sixty degrees.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus comprises a charged particle beam system and method including a particle beam generator for forming a beam of electrons, ions or other charged particles and for directing the beam along a predetermined axis to a focal point. Object support means support an object on the particle beam axis with the focal point on a surface of the object. There is provided an optical beam system forming part of an autofocusing system for maintaining the relative positions of the beam generating means and the object support means along the particle beam axis. The optical beam system comprises means for developing an optical beam, and means for directing the optical beam transversely to the particle beam axis and at an acute angle to the object surface. Means are provided for forming an optical beam first focus on a surface of the object.

Abstract: A system for adjusting the scanning pattern of an electron beam in a scanning electron microscope to decrease image sensitivity to vibrations. In the system, a seismometer is connected to sense displacement velocity caused by vibrations, an integrator is provided for integrating signals from the seisometer, and a phase compensation system is provided for operating upon the integrated signals to provide phase compensated signals that are substantialy 180 degrees out of phase with the sensed vibrations. The phase-compensated signals are used for adjusting the normal scanning pattern of the electron beam microscope to reduce the effects of the sensed vibrations on images provided by the microscope.

Abstract: A method and system to reduce the sensitivity of instruments such as scanning electron microscopes to vibrations and similar disturbances. In the preferred embodiment, the system includes at least two velocity sensors connected to the specimen stage of the microscope to detect vibrations in two independent directions, integrators to integrate output signals from the velocity sensors to indicate displacement of the specimen stage in the two directions, and a beam steering device that receives signals from the integrators and adjusts the normal scanning pattern of the electron beam of the microscope to reduce the effect of vibrations.

Abstract: An electron-beam scanning device (10) includes two pairs of plates (22 and 24, 64 and 66) that are oriented at right angles to each other. The plates cause electric fields oriented at right angles in a deflection region (68) through which an electron beam passes. Each pair of plates comprises the inner conductor and one of the outer conductors of a stripline section that conducts a deflection signal. The stripline section is matched in characteristic impedance to the coaxial cable by which the deflection signal is transmitted to the plates. A stop plate (28) ordinarily prevents the electron beam from reaching its target (30) but has an aperture (26) into which the beam can be momentarily deflected to cause a pulse of beam current to hit the target (30).