Abstract: A secondary charged particle imaging system comprising: a backscattered electron detector module, wherein the backscattered electron detector module is rotatable between a first angular position and a second angular position about an axis.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device for inspecting a specimen is described. The charged particle beam device includes a beam source for emitting a charged particle beam, an electrode for influencing the charged particle beam, and a damping unit provided on the electrode for damping vibrations of the electrode. Further, an objective lens module with an electrode is described, wherein a damping unit is provided on the electrode. Further, an electrode device is described, wherein a mass damper is mounted on a disk-shaped electrode body of the electrode device.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device, comprising a charged particle source configured to emit a charged particle beam; a movable stage comprising an assembly of aperture arrays having at least a first aperture array and a second aperture array, the movable stage is configured to align the assembly of aperture arrays with the charged particle beam, and at least one aperture array comprises a shielding tube coupled to the movable stage.

Abstract: The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle source and a beamlet-forming multiaperture plate. The device also includes a precompensator for reducing aberrations of the beamlets at a target, a scanner for scanning each of the beamlets, an objective lens for focusing each beamlet onto the target, and a controller configured to synchronize the precompensator and the scanner. The precompensator includes: at least one “radially variable” multiaperture electrode in which the diameter of each aperture thereof scales with the distance of the aperture from the optical axis, z; and at least one “cartesianally variable” multiaperture electrode in which the diameter of each aperture thereof scales with an x component of the position of the aperture.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device is described, which includes: a beam source configured to generate a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis (A); an aperture device with a plurality of apertures configured to create a plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam; and a field curvature corrector. The field curvature corrector includes: a first multi-aperture electrode with a first plurality of openings having diameters that vary as a function of a distance from the optical axis (A); a second multi-aperture electrode with a second plurality of openings; and an adjustment device configured to adjust at least one of a first electrical potential (U1) of the first multi-aperture electrode and a second electrical potential (U2) of the second multi-aperture electrode. Further, a field curvature corrector and methods of operating a charged particle beam device are described.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device for inspection of a specimen with an array of primary charged particle beamlets is described. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle beam source to generate a primary charged particle beam; a multi-aperture plate having at least two openings to generate an array of charged particle beamlets having at least a first beamlet having a first resolution on the specimen and a second beamlet having a second resolution on the specimen; an aberration correction element to correct at least one of spherical aberrations and chromatic aberrations of rotational symmetric charged particle lenses; and an objective lens assembly for focusing each primary charged particle beamlet of the array of primary charged particle beamlets onto a separate location on the specimen.

Abstract: A method of operating a charged particle beam device is disclosed, including passing each of a plurality of beamlets through a deflector and a scanner, in that order. Each of the beamlets is focused with an objective lens on a sample to form a plurality of focal spots, forming an array. A first beamlet is focused on a first spot and a second beamlet is focused on a second spot. In a centered configuration of the device, each of the plurality of beamlets is directed by the deflector toward a coma free point. In a beamlet-displaced configuration of the device, the scanner is scanned such that the first beamlet passes through an acceptable aberrations point, the first beamlet scanning a displaced first field of view; and the first spot is displaced from the regular first focal spot to a displaced first focal spot.

Abstract: An emitter assembly for emitting a charged particle beam along an optical axis is described. The emitter assembly being housed in a gun chamber and includes an emitter having an emitter tip, wherein the emitter tip is positioned at a first plane perpendicular to the optical axis and wherein the emitter is configured to be biased to a first potential, an extractor having an opening, wherein the opening is positioned at a second plane perpendicular to the optical axis and wherein the extractor is configured to be biased to a second potential, wherein the second plane has a first distance from the first plane of 2.25 mm and above.

Abstract: A multi-beam charged particle beam device is described. The multi-beam charged particle beam device includes a charged particle source configured to emit a primary charged particle beam; an aperture arrangement having openings configured to generate at least a first beamlet and a second beamlet of the primary charged particle beam; and a blanking device, the blanking device includes at least a first blanking deflector for the first beamlet and a second blanking deflector for the second beamlet; and a shield assembly having a first shielding element partially or fully surrounding the first blanking deflector.

Abstract: A charged particle beam arrangement is described. The charged particle beam arrangement includes a charged particle source including a cold field emitter, a beam limiting aperture between the charged particle source and a magnetic condenser lens; the magnetic condenser lens comprising a first inner pole piece and a first outer pole piece, wherein a first axial distance between the charged particle source and the first inner pole piece is equal or less than approximately 20 mm, an acceleration section for accelerating the charged particle beam to an energy of 10 keV or more, a magnetic objective lens comprising a second inner pole piece and a second outer pole piece, a third axial distance between the second inner pole piece and a surface of a specimen is equal to or less than approximately 20 mm, and a deceleration section.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is charged particle beam device and a a method of operating a charged particle beam device, comprising forming a plurality of focused charged particle beamlets. Charged particles are directed from a charged particle source to a multi-aperture plate. A plurality of beamlets are passed through a plurality of apertures of the multi-aperture plate. The beamlets include an inner beamlet of charged particles and a plurality of outer beamlets of charged particles. The outer beamlets are focused to form a plurality of outer focal points on a virtual ring having a center along an optical axis, the outer beamlets subjected to a field curvature aberration, such that the virtual ring is axially displaced relative to a virtual focal point of an uncompensated inner beamlet. A compensated inner beamlet is focused to a compensated focal point. The inner beamlet is compensated to form the compensated inner beamlet; and the compensated focal point is coplanar with the virtual ring.

Abstract: A charged particle beam dump for a charged particle beam device is described. The beam dump includes an annular shaped body having an inner perimeter wall that defines an open annulus for passing of primary charged particle beamlets, the annular shaped body further having an outer perimeter wall and a bottom wall; and an annular shaped electrode provided partially above the annular shaped body having an inner perimeter side and an outer perimeter side, wherein the inner perimeter side is outside of the radius of the inner perimeter wall of the annular shaped body.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of reducing coma and chromatic aberration in a charged particle beam device for providing a beam tilt of a charged particle beam. The method includes tilting the charged particle beam with a deflection assembly consisting of two or more electrostatic deflection elements, wherein at least one deflection element of the two or more deflection elements is a post-lens deflector, while the charged particle beam is guided through an essentially coma-free z-position of an objective lens, and reducing off-axis chromatic aberrations with a magnetic deflection element, wherein tilting the charged particle beam reduces coma independent of off-axis chromatic aberrations.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device is described, which includes: a beam source configured to generate a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis (A); an aperture device with a first number of apertures configured to create a first number of beamlets from the charged particle beam, wherein the first number is five or more, wherein the apertures are arranged on a ring line around the optical axis (A) such that perpendiculars of the apertures onto a tangent of the ring line are evenly spaced. The charged particle beam device further includes an electrostatic multipole device configured to individually influence the beamlets. Further, a charged particle beam influencing device and a method of operating a charged particle beam device are described.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device for inspection of a specimen with an array of primary charged particle beamlets is described. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle beam source to generate a primary charged particle beam; a multi-aperture plate having at least two openings to generate an array of charged particle beamlets having at least a first beamlet having a first resolution on the specimen and a second beamlet having a second resolution on the specimen; an aberration correction element to correct at least one of spherical aberrations and chromatic aberrations of rotational symmetric charged particle lenses; and an objective lens assembly for focusing each primary charged particle beamlet of the array of primary charged particle beamlets onto a separate location on the specimen.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes a charged particle source configured to generate charged particles, an electrode configured to accelerate the charged particles to form a charged particle beam, a bender unit configured to adjust a path of the charged particle beam, and an objective lens configured to focus the charged particle beam onto a spot on a sample. The charged particle beam passes through a bore of the objective lens as the charged particle beam propagates from the charged particle source to the sample. The apparatus also includes a light source configured to generate a light beam, and a mirror disposed within the bender unit and arranged to direct the light beam to the spot on the sample.

Abstract: A method of imaging a secondary charged particle beam emanating from a sample by impingement of a primary charged particle beam is provided. The method includes setting a first operating parameter to a first value. The first operating parameter is selected from a group including: landing energy of the primary charged particle beam on the sample, extraction field strength for the secondary charged particle beam at the sample, magnetic field strength of an objective lens that focuses the primary charged particle beam onto the sample, and working distance of the objective lens from the sample. The method further includes controlling, while the first operating parameter is set to the first value, the excitation of a first lens and of a second lens to map the secondary charged particle beam onto a first region on an aperture plate. The first region overlaps with a first opening of the aperture plate and with a second opening of the aperture plate.

Abstract: A multi-beam lens device is described, which includes: a first beam passage for a first charged particle beam formed along a first direction between a first beam inlet of the first beam passage and a first beam outlet of the first beam passage; a second beam passage for a second charged particle beam formed along a second direction between a second beam inlet of the second beam passage and a second beam outlet of the second beam passage, wherein the first direction and the second direction are inclined with respect to each other by an angle (?) of 5° or more such that the first beam passage approaches the second beam passage toward the first beam outlet; and a common excitation coil or a common electrode arrangement configured for focussing the first charged particle beam and the second charged particle beam. Further, a charged particle beam device as well as a method of operating a multi-beam lens device are described.

Abstract: A secondary charged particle imaging system for imaging a secondary charged particle beam emanating from a sample by impingement of a primary charged particle beam is provided. The system includes a detector arrangement, and an adaptive secondary charged particle optics. The detector arrangement comprises a first detection element for detecting a first secondary charged particle sub-beam of the secondary charged particle beam, and a second detection element for detecting a second secondary charged particle sub-beam of the secondary charged particle beam.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electron beam device (500) for inspecting a sample (10) with an electron beam, comprising an electron beam source comprising a cold field emitter (100) for emitting an electron beam, electron beam optics for directing and focusing the electron beam onto the sample (10), and a detector device (540) for detecting secondary charged particles generated by impingement of the electron beam on the sample (10).