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 present invention provides a charged particle beam device. The device comprises an emitter array (22) for emitting a plurality of charged particle beams (8). The plurality of charged particle beams are imaged with a lens (12). An electrode unit (14) is provided for accelerating the plurality of charged particle beams. The potential differences between a first potential of the emitter array, a second potential of the electrode unit, and a third potential of a specimen, are controlled by a first control unit (11) and a second control unit. Thereby, the second potential is capable of accelerating the plurality of charged particle beams with respect to the first potential, and the third potential is capable of decelerating the plurality of charged particle beams with respect to the second potential.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a field emitter beam source (10) comprising at least one emitter (11); at least one extracting electrode (19) to extract a beam current (IE) from the emitter (11); a current source (12) for providing a predetermined beam current (IE0); a first voltage source (13) for providing a first voltage (UA) between the emitter (11) and the extracting electrode (19) to switch on the beam current (IE); and a first switch (S1) for disconnecting the first voltage source (13). With such a field emitter beam source, the emitter voltage (UE) necessary to emit a predetermined beam current (IE0) can be determined. This in turn enables the field emitter beam source (10) to generate beam current pulses with a fast rise time and a well defined beam current pulse charge Q.

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 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: 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 miniaturized optical column for a charged particle beam apparatus for examining a specimen (14). The column is constituted by, among other things, a charged particle source (2) for providing a beam of charged particles (10); a lens system for guiding the beam of charged particles (10) from the source (2) onto the specimen (14); and a housing (40) which, during operation, is set on beam boost potential.

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: An improved objective lens for a charged particle beam device is constituted by, among other things, a magnetic lens that creates a first magnetic field for focussing the charged particle beam onto the specimen. Furthermore, a deflector is integrated into the magnetic lens by providing at least one additional coil arrangement that creates a second magnetic field used to deflect the charged particle beam. Thereby, the second magnetic field is guided through at least one of the pole pieces of the magnetic lens. The present invention also provides an improved column for a charged particle beam device including the improved objective lens.

Abstract: The invention provides a charged particle device (1) comprising: a particle source (2) for providing a charged particle beam (4), and objective lens (10) for directing the particle beam onto a specimen (8), said objective lens (10) having an optical axis (6); a particle mirror (14) located on the optical axis (6) of the objective lens (10), said particle mirror having a front surface, a back surface, a drift region (26) reaching from the back surface to the front surface for letting the charged particle beam pass from the back surface to the front surface, said drift region (26) being positioned away from the optical axis (6), and a deflecting region located on the front surface for deflecting charge particles coming from the specimen towards a detector (16).

Abstract: The invention relates to a scanning electron beam device in which at least one electrostatic reflector is provided for reflection of a secondary electron beam emitted by the primary electron beam on the object. This reflector is preferably located outside the beam path of the primary electron beam, and at least one electron-optical element which effects a preliminary deflection of the secondary electron beam by a small angle with respect to the beam path of the primary electron beam is provided between the object and the reflector. Such an arrangement makes it possible with comparatively low technical expenditure to reflect the secondary electron beam by a relatively large angle with respect to the unaffected primary electron beam which travels on a straight axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for corpuscular-optical examination and/or processing of material samples in which the column and the table system are rotatable relative to one another about a first axis of rotation which encloses a specific angle of inclination with a perpendicular to the object plane, the column being arranged in such a way that its optical axis forms the same angle of inclination with the first axis of rotation. A device of this type is distinguished over known constructions by a substantially simpler construction.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for testing and repairing an inteted circuit in which the ion beam used for the repair simultaneously forms the corpuscular beam used for the test operation and one single beam generator is provided in order to generate this beam. Testing and repairing in one arrangement, without it being necessary to transfer the integrated circuit to be examined, reduces the expenditure in terms of time and cost.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for analyzing errors or failures in integrated circuits wherein the integrated circuit is displayed on the picture screen of a work station (AS) and the circuit is excited with a test signal such that at least one measuring location is selected on a malfunction path and an actual signal tappable at this measuring location is compared to a rated signal and wherein the fault location is identified from the comparison results at the measuring locations. The object is to execute a method using an electron beam testing apparatus (EMG) such that the simplest possible measured data transfer occurs.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ion beam device into which a secondary electron pectrometer is integrated, the scintillator being formed by the central electrode of the objective lens. Such an ion beam device permits not only the usual boring of holes but also at the same time very accurate potential measurements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a corpuscular beam device, such as an ion beam dce or an electron beam device, in which a primary corpuscular beam is focussed by means of an objective lens onto a sample. The secondary radiation emitted at the point of impact of the primary beam is accelerated onto the central electrode of the objective lens, this electrode being coated with scintillation material, and there produces light pulses which are converted by a light-sensitive detector into electrical signals and amplified.

Abstract: In modern electron beam measuring devices the thermal La/B6 or field emission source is replaced by a photocathode acted upon by a pulsed laser beam. Since the width of photoelectron pulses corresponds approximately to the width of the laser pulses, theses devices are particularly suitable for stroboscopic measurements in fast gallium arsenide circuits. The expenditure on apparatus for generating the photoelectron pulses is considerable since means for doubling the frequency of the primary laser light are necessary. It is therefore proposed to irradiate the cathode of the electron beam measuring device with photons of energy E.sub.Ph <W (W:=electron work function of the cathode material) and to reduce the work function with the aid of an external electrical field to such an extent that photoemission occurs, but not field emission.

Abstract: The multipole element has an even number of pole pieces (PS, PS') which are rranged symmetrically with respect to the optical axis (OA) of an electron beam measuring device and are rigidly connected to a ring-shaped yoke (J) by bar-shaped mounting elements (PH, PH'). A beam tube (SR), which is made from an electrically insulating material and has vacuum-tight ducts to receive the mounting elements (PH, PH') which are rigidly connected to the pole pieces (PS, PS'), is arranged coaxially with respect to the optical axis (OA) inside the yoke (J) which serves to guide the magnetic flux. The coils (SP, SP') for magnetic excitation of the pole pieces (PS, PS') are arranged on the parts of the mounting elements (PH, PH') lying outside the beam tube (SR). In order to generate an electrical multipole field suitable potentials (U, U') are applied to the pole pieces (PS, PS').

Abstract: An objective lens which is a component of a scanning electron microscope and wherein the electron source or the intermediate image of the electron source is reduced by condenser lenses is imaged onto a specimen (PR). The objective lens comprises an asymmetrical magnetic lens (ML), an electrostatic immersion lens (OE/UE) superimposed on the magnetic lens (ML), and electrode (ST) which is connected to a variable potential (U.sub.ST) so as to control the intensity of the current of secondary (SE) and back-scattered electrodes released from the specimen (PR), and a detector (DT) mounted immediately above the magnetic lens (ML). The electrodes (OE, UE) of the immersion lens are connected to potentials so that an electrical field which decelerates the primary electrons (PE) is formed inside the objective lens.