Abstract: An electrostatic multipole device for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis is described. The electrostatic multipole device comprises a substrate with at least one aperture opening for the charged particle beam, which extends along the optical axis through the substrate, and four or more electrodes which are formed on a first main surface of the substrate to influence the charged particle beam propagating through the aperture opening, wherein each of the four or more electrodes is arranged at a radial distance from a beam limiting edge of the aperture opening. Further, a method of manufacturing an electrostatic multipole device is described.

Abstract: An electron beam device for inspecting a sample with an electron beam is described. The electron beam device includes an electron beam source including a thermal field emitter, which includes an emitter tip having an emission facet configured for electron emission, wherein the emission facet has an emission facet width; and a first side facet and a second side facet, wherein an edge facet is formed between the first side facet and the second side facet, which has an edge facet width. The edge facet width is between 20% and 40% of the emission facet width. The electron beam source further includes an extractor device; and a heating device for heating the thermal field emitter. The electron beam device further includes electron beam optics and a detector device for detecting secondary charged particles generated at an impingement or hitting of the primary electron beam on the sample.

Abstract: A housing device for providing a magnetic shielding of a charged particle beam is described. The housing device includes a housing element configured to at least partially enclose a charged particle beam propagation path and comprising a magnetic shielding material, wherein the housing element includes an inner surface directed toward the charged particle beam propagation path, an outer surface directed away from the charged particle beam propagation path and at least one edge region with an edge surface connecting the inner surface with the outer surface; and a contacting element comprising a conductive material and fixed to the at least one edge region in at least one of a form-fit connection and a bonded connection. Further, a housing arrangement including two or more electrically contacting housing devices, a charged particle beam device with a housing device, and methods of manufacturing a housing device are described.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a charged particle beam device. The charged particle beam device includes an emitter arrangement configured to generate a primary charged particle beam having two or more primary charged particle sub-beams, a sample stage for supporting a sample, an objective lens for focusing the two or more primary charged particle sub-beams onto the sample, and a primary charged particle optics. The primary charged particle optics includes a coil provided between the emitter arrangement and the objective lens. The coil is configured to generate a magnetic field having a magnetic field component parallel to a longitudinal axis of the coil, wherein the magnetic field acts on the two or more primary charged particle sub-beams propagating along the longitudinal axis, and wherein an aspect ratio of the coil is at least 1.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for imaging a signal charged particle beam emanating from a sample by impingement of a primary charged particle beam. The system includes a detector arrangement having a first detection element for detecting a first signal charged particle sub-beam of the signal charged particle beam originating from a first spot on the sample and a second detection element for detecting a second signal charged particle sub-beam of the signal charged particle beam originating from a second spot on the sample, wherein the first detection element and the second detection element are separated from each other, and signal charged particle optics.

Abstract: A cold field emitter for emitting an electron beam for an electron beam device is described. The emitter includes an emitter tip having a tip surface; and two or more adjacent facets formed at the tip surface and having facet boundaries, each of the facets forming a recess in the emitter tip, wherein the facets are separated. An intermediate area is provided between and around the two or more adjacent facets and the intermediate area is configured for electron emission. Further, an electron beam device, a method for operating an electron beam device and a method for producing an emitter for an electron beam device is described.

Abstract: A multipole device for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis is described. The multipole device includes: an electrostatic deflector with at least two deflector electrodes for deflecting the charged particle beam by a deflection angle, wherein the deflector electrodes extend over a first length along the optical axis; and an electrostatic corrector comprising at least four corrector electrodes to compensate for an aberration of the charged particle beam, wherein the corrector electrodes extend over a second length along the optical axis, which is shorter than the first length.

Abstract: An electrostatic multipole device for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis is described. The multipole device includes a first electrical contact, a second electrical contact, and a high-resistance layer which extends at least partially around the optical axis and is configured to allow a current flow between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact, wherein the first electrical contact contacts the high-resistance layer at a first circumferential position and is configured to provide a first potential to the first circumferential position, and wherein the second electrical contact contacts the high-resistance layer at a second circumferential position at an angular distance from the first circumferential position and is configured to provide a second potential to the second circumferential position. Further, an electrostatic multipole arrangement including two or more such multipole devices and a charged particle beam device are described.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device for imaging and/or inspecting a sample is described. The charged particle beam device includes a beam emitter for emitting a primary charged particle beam; and a retarding field device for retarding the primary beam before impinging on the sample, the retarding field device including a magnetic-electrostatic objective lens and a proxy electrode. The charged particle beam device is adapted for guiding the primary beam along an optical axis to the sample for generating secondary particles released from the sample and backscattered particles. The proxy electrode comprises a first opening allowing the passage of the primary beam and at least one second opening for allowing the passage of off-axial backscattered particles. Further, a proxy electrode and a method for imaging and/or inspecting a sample by a charged particle beam are described.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device is provided which includes a primary beam source device adapted for generating a primary charged particle beam, a mirror corrector device adapted for providing compensation of spherical and/or chromatic aberrations, a first beam separator adapted for transmitting the primary charged particle beam to the mirror corrector device and for separating the primary charged particle beam from a compensating primary charged particle beam reflected by the mirror corrector device, wherein the first beam separator has a magnetic deflector configured to generate at least one dipole magnetic field, an objective lens adapted for focusing the compensating primary charged particle beam onto a specimen, and a second beam separator adapted for transmitting the compensating primary charged particle beam to the specimen and for separating the compensating primary charged particle beam from a secondary charged particle beam originating from the specimen.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for detecting signal charged particles in a charged particle beam device. The method includes emitting a primary charged particle beam, illuminating a specimen with the primary charged particle beam, wherein the primary charged particle beam has a landing energy on the specimen of less than 40 keV, wherein signal charged particles with a first energy spectrum are generated, energy filtering the signal charged particles such that signal charged particles in an energy range from an energy of 85% of the landing energy to 100% propagate for subsequent detection, and detecting the signal charged particles within the energy range using at least one detector.

Abstract: A beam separator device (200) is described.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device (100) is described. The charged particle beam device includes a beam source (150) for generating a charged particle beam (101); a lens device (160); and a beam deflector device (110) for deflecting the charged particle beam with respect to a direction of incidence (A).

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method of operating a charged particle beam device is provided. The charged particle beam device includes a beam separation unit, a first optical component distanced from the beam separation unit and a second optical component distanced from the beam separation unit and distanced from the first optical component. The method includes generating a primary charged particle beam. The method further includes generating a first electric field and a first magnetic field in the beam separation unit. The method further includes guiding the primary charged particle beam through the beam separation unit in which the first electric field and the first magnetic field are generated, wherein a travel direction of the primary charged particle beam leaving the beam separation unit is aligned with a first target axis under the influence of the first electric field and the first magnetic field.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device is described. In one aspect, the charged particle beam device includes a charged particle beam source, and a switchable multi-aperture for generating two or more beam bundles from a charged particle beam which includes: two or more aperture openings, wherein each of the two or more aperture openings is provided for generating a corresponding beam bundle of the two or more beam bundles; a beam blanker arrangement configured for individually blanking the two or more beam bundles; and a stopping aperture for blocking beam bundles. The device further includes a control unit configured to control the individual blanking of the two or more beam bundles for switching of the switchable multi-aperture and an objective lens configured for focusing the two or more beam bundles on a specimen or wafer.

Abstract: A charged particle beam specimen inspection system is described. The system includes an emitter for emitting at least one charged particle beam, a specimen support table configured for supporting the specimen, an objective lens for focusing the at least one charged particle beam, a charge control electrode provided between the objective lens and the specimen support table, wherein the charge control electrode has at least one aperture opening for the at least one charged particle beam, and a flood gun configured to emit further charged particles for charging of the specimen, wherein the charge control electrode has a flood gun aperture opening at which a conductive membrane is provided which is positioned between the flood gun and the specimen support table.

Abstract: A method of operating a charged particle beam device is provided. The charged particle beam device includes a beam separator that defines an optical axis, and includes a magnetic beam separation portion and an electrostatic beam separation portion. The method includes generating a primary charged particle beam, and applying a voltage to a sample, the voltage being set to a first value to determine a first landing energy of the primary charged particle beam. The method further includes creating an electric current in the magnetic beam separation portion, the current being set to a first value to generate a first magnetic field, and applying a voltage to the electrostatic beam separation portion, the voltage being set to a first value to generate a first electric field.

Abstract: A scanning charged particle beam device configured to image a specimen is described. The scanning charged particle beam device includes a source of charged particles, a condenser lens for influencing the charged particles, an aperture plate having at least two aperture openings to generate at least two primary beamlets of charged particles, at least two deflectors, wherein the at least two deflectors are multi-pole deflectors, a multi-pole deflector with an order of poles of 8 or higher, an objective lens, wherein the objective lens is a retarding field compound lens, a beam separator configured to separate the at least two primary beamlets from at least two signal beamlets, a beam bender, or a deflector or a mirror configured to deflect the at least two signal beamlets, wherein the beam bender is a hemispherical beam bender or beam bender having at least two curved electrodes, and at least two detector elements.

Abstract: A charged particle beam source device adapted for generating a charged particle beam is provided. The charged particle beam source device includes an emitter tip adapted for providing charged particles. Furthermore, an extractor electrode having an aperture opening is provided for extracting the charged particles from the emitter tip. An aperture angle of the charged particle beam is 2 degrees or below the aperture angle being defined by a width of the aperture opening and a distance between the emitter tip and the extractor electrode, wherein the distance between the emitter tip and the extractor electrode is a range from 0.1 mm to 2 mm.

Abstract: A secondary charged particle detection device for detection of a signal beam is described. The device includes a detector arrangement having at least two detection elements with active detection areas, wherein the active detection areas are separated by a gap (G), a particle optics configured for separating the signal beam into a first portion of the signal beam and into at least one second portion of the signal beam, and configured for focusing the first portion of the signal beam and the at least one second portion of the signal beam. The particle optics includes an aperture plate and at least a first inner aperture openings in the aperture plate, and at least one second radially outer aperture opening in the aperture plate, wherein the first aperture opening has a concave shaped portion, particularly wherein the first aperture opening has a pincushion shape.