Abstract: An electron microscope uses a camera with a plurality of fluorescent elements separated by walls and a corresponding plurality of detector elements which receive light from fluorescent elements. The walls prevent electrons incident on one fluorescent element from affecting an adjacent fluorescent element, thereby reducing blurring of the image produced by the camera. The fluorescent elements may be connected to the detector elements by waveguides having filters which permit the intensity of light transmitted to each detector element to be adjusted to give a uniform response. The fluorescent elements may be arranged in a linear array, and the electron microscope is then operated to cause an image of a sample to scan across the array.

Abstract: A plurality of band-shaped regions on a specimen are successively scanned by an electron beam having a ribbon-shaped rectangular cross-section. This scanning is effected by deflecting the electron beam electrostatically in the direction of the shorter side of the beam cross-section and electromagnetically in the direction of the longer side of the beam cross-section.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for testing a mask by an electron beam are disclosed in which the electron beam probe is first incident upon a predetermined point on a mask pattern of a photomask used to fabricate a semiconductor integrated circuit, the mask pattern is scanned by the electron beam probe from the predetermined point in a direction, the scanning operation is stopped when the electron beam probe reaches an edge of the mask pattern, the position of the edge or the distance between the predetermined point and the edge is determined by the number of pulse required to deflect the electron beam probe by a desired amount, and the position or distance thus determined is compared with the design data of the mask pattern to examine the dimensions of the mask pattern.