Abstract: A field emitter arrangement and a method of cleaning an emitting surface of a field emitter are provided. The field emitter arrangement may include a field emitter tip having an emitting surface, wherein said field emitter tip is adapted to generate a primary beam of charged particles, and at least one electron source adapted to illuminate the emitting surface of the field emitter tip. The method of cleaning the emitting surface may include providing the field emitter having the emitting surface and at least one electron source adapted to illuminate the emitting surface and illuminating the emitting surface of the field emitter with a cleansing electron beam generated by the at least one electron source.

Abstract: A field emitter arrangement is provided, said field emitter arrangement comprising a field emitter tip having an emitting surface, and at least one light source adapted to illuminate the emitting surface of the field emitter tip. Furthermore, a method of cleaning an emitting surface of a field emitter tip is provided, the method comprising the steps of: providing a field emitter tip having an emitting surface and a light source and illuminating the emitting surface of the field emitter tip with the light source.

Abstract: An emitter for a charged particle beam apparatus is provided, said emitter comprising a filament extending between and being attached to first and second supports, an emitter tip attached to the filament, and a stabilization element attached to a third support and to the filament, wherein the first, second and third supports define a triangle so that the stabilization element extends at least partially in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the filament extends.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus is provided which comprises a charged particle source for producing a primary beam of charged particles, aperture means for collimating said primary beam of charged particles, wherein said aperture means is adapted to switch between a collimation of said primary beam resulting in a width appropriate for serial imaging of a sample as well as a collimation of said primary beam to a width appropriate for parallel imaging of said sample, a condenser lens for condensing said primary beam of charged particles, scanning means for deflecting said primary beam of charged particles, an objective lens for focusing said condensed primary beam, a sectorized detector for detecting a secondary charged particles. Also, several different operation modes of the beam apparatus are described allowing for serial imaging as well as parallel imaging.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical system for a charged particle multi-beam system. The optical system comprises an electrostatic lens component and a magnetic lens component. The components are used to focus a plurality of charged particle beams in a separate opening for each of at least a plurality a charged particle beams traveling through the optical system.

Abstract: The invention provides a multiple lens assembly 1 for a charged particle beam device which comprises at least two lens sub units 2, each sub unit having an optical axis 3, wherein at least two of the optical axes of the lens sub units are inclined to each other. Further, the invention provides a charged particle beam device which comprises at least one multiple lens assembly and a method for operating a charged particle beam device.

Abstract: The invention provides a deflecting system for deflecting a charged particle beam from a first direction to a second direction, the deflecting system comprising a first deflector for deflecting said charged particle beam off the first direction within a first deflection plane; a second deflector for deflecting the deflected charged particle beam into the second direction within the first deflection plane; and at least one deflecting pair of correcting coils comprising two correction coils which is positioned and shaped to reduce an astigmatism of the charged particle beam caused by the deflections.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for controlling inspection of a sample with a charged particle beam. A certain given voltage is supplied to an anode of the column to provide a required accelerating voltage for a charged particle beam. A certain negative voltage is supplied to the sample selected so as to provide a desirably high effective voltage of the column at said given voltage of the anode. A certain voltage is supplied an electrode of a lens arrangement located closer to the sample, this voltage being selected to satisfy one of the following conditions: the electrode voltage is either equal to or slightly lower than that of the sample; and the electrode voltage is significantly higher than that of the sample.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus is provided which comprises a charged particle source for producing a primary beam of charged particles, aperture means for collimating said primary beam of charged particles, wherein said aperture means is adapted to switch between a collimation of said primary beam to a width appropriate for serial imaging of a sample as well as a collimation of said primary beam to a width appropriate for parallel imaging of said sample, a condenser lens for condensing said primary beam of charged particles, scanning means for deflecting said primary beam of charged particles, an objective lens for focusing said condensed primary beam, a sectorized detector for detecting a secondary charged particles. Also, several different operation modes of the beam apparatus are described allowing for serial imaging as well as parallel imaging.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in monitoring a sample with a charged particle beam are presented. A mechanical displacement between a plane defined by the sample's surface and an optical axis defined by a beam directing arrangement is provided so as to orient the sample at a certain non-right angle ?1 with respect to the optical axis. A primary charged particle beam propagating towards the sample is deflected so as to affect the trajectory of the primary charged particle beam to provide a certain non-zero angle ?2 between the primary beam propagation axis and said optical axis.

Abstract: A system and method for multi detector detection of electrons, the method includes the steps of directing a primary electron beam, through a column, to interact with an inspected object, directing, by introducing a substantial electrostatic field, electrons reflected or scattered from the inspected objects towards multiple interior detectors, whereas at least some of the directed electrons are reflected or scattered at small angle in relation to the inspected object; and receiving detection signals from at least one interior detector.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for controlling inspection of a sample with a charged particle beam. A certain given voltage is supplied to an anode of the column to provide a required accelerating voltage for a charged particle beam. A certain negative voltage is supplied to the sample selected so as to provide a desirably high effective voltage of the column at said given voltage of the anode. A certain voltage is supplied an electrode of a lens arrangement located closer to the sample, this voltage being selected to satisfy one of the following conditions: the electrode voltage is either equal to or slightly lower than that of the sample; and the electrode voltage is significantly higher than that of the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved column for a charged particle beam device. The column comprises an aperture plate having multiple apertures to produce multiple beams of charged particles and a deflector to influence the beams of charged particles so that each beam appears to come from a different source. Furthermore, an objective lens is used in order to focus the charged-particle beams onto the specimen. Due to the deflector, multiple images of the source are created on the surface of the specimen whereby all the images can be used for parallel data acquisition. Accordingly, the speed of data acquisition is increased. With regard to the focusing properties of the objective lens, the beams of charged particles can basically be treated as independent particle beams which do not negatively affect each other. Accordingly, each beam basically provides the same resolution as the beam of a conventional charged particle beam device.

Abstract: The invention provides a focussing electron beam device with a single or an array of field emitter beam sources to generate electron beams with field emitter beam sources, at least one anode capable of accelerating the electrons of the electron beams towards a specimen, focussing components capable of focussing the electron beams onto the specimen and a control circuit that a) senses for deviations of the actual current values of the electron beams from desired current values; b) controls first voltages V1 to adjust the actual current values of the electron beams to the desired current values and c) controls second voltages V2 to adjust the actual focus positions of the electron beams to the desired focus positions. The voltage control circuit adjusts the actual current values of the electron beams to the desired current values and makes it possible to adjust the current values of an array of electron beams to a single value.

Abstract: The invention provides a deflecting system for deflecting a charged particle beam from a first direction to a second direction, the deflecting system comprising a first deflector for deflecting said charged particle beam off the first direction within a first deflection plane; a second deflector for deflecting the deflected charged particle beam into the second direction within the first deflection plane; and at least one deflect pair of correcting coils comprising two correction coils which are positioned and shaped t reduce an astigmatism of the charged particle beam caused by the deflections.

Abstract: The invention provides electron multiple beam devices (1) for probing or structuring a non-transparent specimen (20) with primary electron beams (14) with an array of electron beam sources (3) to generate multiple primary electron beams (14), an electron sensor (12) with electron sensor segments (12a) to detect electrons of the primary electron beams (14) and at least one anode (7) to direct the primary electron beams (14) towards the electron sensor (12). The electron sensor (12) serves to inspect the primary electron beams (14), calibrate the positions of the primary electron beams (14) and possibly adjust final focus length (13) and currents of the primary electron beams before or after a probing or structuring the upper surface (20a) of a non-transparent specimens (20). Further, methods to inspect primary electron beams (14), to adjust final focus lengths (13) and to calibrate the multiple electron beam device (1) are provided.

Abstract: The invention provides an electron beam device 1 comprising at least one field emission cathode 3 and at least one extracting electrode 5, whereby the field emission cathode 5 comprises a p-type semiconductor region 7 connected to an emitter tip 9 made of a semiconductor material, an n-type semiconductor region 11 forming a pn-diode junction 13 with the p-type semiconductor region 7 a first electric contact 15 on the p-type semiconductor region 7 and a second electric contact 17 on the n-type semiconductor region 11. The p-type semiconductor region 7 prevents the flux of free electrons to the emitter unless electrons are injected into the p-type semiconductor region 7 by the pn-diode junction 13. This way, the field emission cathode 3 can generate an electron beam where the electron beam current is controlled by the forward biasing second voltage V2 across the pn-diode junction. Such electron beam current has an improved current value stability.

Abstract: A deflection system is presented for use in a lens arrangement of a charged particle beam column for inspecting a sample. The system comprises a magnetic deflector operable to create a magnetic field, and a pole piece assembly at least partly accommodated within the magnetic field. The pole piece assembly has a portion made of a soft magnetic material and is formed with an opening for a charged particle beam propagation therethrough. The deflection system allows for conducting the magnetic field created by the magnetic deflector through the pole piece assembly towards the opening in the pole piece assembly. This enables to increase the magnetic field value in the vicinity of the sample at the optical axis of the lens arrangement at a given electric current through the excitation coils of the magnetic deflector, without a need to increase a working distance.

Abstract: An improved column for a charged particle beam device is constituted by, among other things, deflectors for scanning the beam over the specimen, for aligning the beam with regard to the objective and for compensating aberrations caused by the objective. Thereby, the total number of electrode arrangements and/or coil arrangements that are used for the deflectors and that are independently controllable, is 8 or less.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in monitoring a sample with a charged particle beam are presented. A mechanical displacement between a plane defined by the sample's surface and an optical axis defined by a beam directing arrangement is provided so as to orient the sample at a certain non-right angle &thgr;1 with respect to the optical axis. A primary charged particle beam propagating towards the sample is deflected so as to affect the trajectory of the primary charged particle beam to provide a certain non-zero angle &thgr;2 between the primary beam propagation axis and said optical axis.