Abstract: A charged particle beam device is provided, including a primary beam source for generating a primary charged particle beam, an objective lens for focusing the primary charged particle beam onto a specimen, and an achromatic beam separator adapted to separate the primary charged particle beam from a secondary charged particle beam originating from the specimen. The achromatic beam separator is adapted to separate the primary charged particle beam and the secondary charged particle beam earliest practicable after generation of the secondary charged particle beam.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning electron beam device (100) is described. The multi-bea scanning electron beam device having a column, includes a multi-beam emitter (110) for emitting a plurality of electron beams (12,13,14), at least one common electron beam optical element (130) having a common opening for at least two of the plurality of electron beams and being adapted for commonly influencing at least two of the plurality of electron beams, at least one individual electron beam optical element (140) for individually influencing the plurality of electron beams, a common objective lens assembly (150) for focusing the plurality of electrons beams having a common excitation for focusing at least two of the plurality of electron beams, and adapted for focusing the plurality of electron beams onto a specimen (20) for generation of a plurality of signal beams (121, 131,141), and a detection assembly (170) for individually detecting each signal beam on a corresponding detection element.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus and a method for measuring an emission pattern of such an apparatus are provided. The apparatus comprises an emitter with an emission pattern including at least two emission peaks, a gun lens, and a diaphragm, wherein the gun lens comprises a deflector unit and the deflector unit is adapted to direct an emission peak of the at least two emission peaks to an opening of the diaphragm to thereby select the emission peak of the at least two emission peaks from the emission pattern.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a charged particle beam device (1) for inspecting or structuring a specimen (3) comprising a charged particle beam source (5) to generate a charged particle beam (7), a focussing lens (9) to focus the charged particle beam (7) onto the specimen (3), and an aperture system (13) for defining an aperture (6) for the charged particle beam (7). The aperture system (13) includes a first member (20) to block a first portion (7a) of the charged particle beam (7) between the charged particle beam source (5) and the focussing lens (9), a second member (30) to block a second portion (7b) of the charged particle beam (7) between the charged particle beam source (5) and the focussing lens (9), first means (24) for moving the first member (20) to adjust the size of the blocked first portion (7a) of the charged particle beam (7), and second means (34) for moving the second member (30) independently from the first portion (7b).

Abstract: The present invention relates to e.g. a charged particle beam energy width reduction system for a charged particle beam with a z-axis along the optical axis and a first and a second plane, comprising, a first element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner, a second element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner, a first quadrupole element being positioned such that, in operation, a field of the first quadrupole element overlaps with a field of the first element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner, a second quadrupole element being positioned such that, in operation, a field of the second quadrupole element overlaps with a field of the second element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner, a first charged particle selection element being positioned, in beam direction, before the first element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner, and a second charged particle selection element being positioned, in beam direction, after the first element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged particle beam device. The device comprises an emitter array for emitting a plurality of charged particle beams. The plurality of charged particle beams are imaged with a lens. An electrode unit 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 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: A charged particle beam apparatus with a charged particle beam source including an emitter with an emitter tip and a supporting member for supporting the emitter is provided. Further, the apparatus includes an emitter location measuring device for repeatedly measuring the location of the emitter and a deflector system for compensating variations in the location of the emitter.

Abstract: A method for operating a charged particle beam emitting device and, in particular, an electron beam emitting device including a cold field emitter is provided. The method includes the steps of placing the cold field emitter in a vacuum of a given pressure, the emitter exhibiting a high initial emission current I0 and a lower stable mean emission current IS under a given electric extraction field; applying the given electric extraction field to the emitter for emitting electrons from the emitter surface; performing a cleaning process by applying at least one heating pulse to the cold field emitter for heating the emitter surface, whereby the cleaning process is performed before the emission current of the cold field emitter has declined to the lower stable mean emission value IS; and repeating the cleaning process to keep the emission current of the emitter continuously above the substantially stable emission value IS.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus and a method for providing an energy-filtered primary electron beam are described. Therein, a primary electron beam having an asymmetric first energy distribution is generated by means of an electron source. The primary electron beam is high-pass energy filtered using a retarding lens.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged particle beam energy width reduction system. The system comprises a first element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner in an x-z-plane; a second element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner in the x-z-plane; a charged particle selection element positioned between the first and the second element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner; and a focusing element positioned between the first and the second element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged particle beam device. The device comprises a first lens generating a crossover a second lens positioned after the crossover and an element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner in an x-z-plane with a center of the element having essentially same z-position as the crossover. Further, a multipole element, which acts in the x-z-plane and a y-z-plane is provided. A first charged particle selection element and a second charged particle selection element are used for selecting a portion of the charged particles. Thereby, e.g. the energy width of the charged particle beam can be reduced.

Abstract: An ion beam apparatus is provided, the ion beam apparatus comprising a movable ion source, a condenser lens, an aperture, and a scanning unit disposed between the condenser lens and the aperture, said scanning unit being adapted to scan an ion beam across the aperture. Furthermore, a method for aligning components of an ion beam apparatus is provided, comprising the steps of: producing an ion beam by means of an ion source, producing a first image of a beam cross section of the ion beam at a first voltage of a condenser lens, producing a second image of the beam cross section of the ion beam at a second voltage of the condenser lens, and positioning the ion source so that the centers of the first and second images coincide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a focusing lens, a charged particle beam device, and a method for focusing a charged particle beam onto a specimen, wherein the focusing lens comprises an auxiliary electrode having an essentially planar electrode surface for focusing the charged particle beam at a tilted landing angle, wherein the essentially planar electrode surface includes an auxiliary electrode angle with the optical axis of the focusing lens that is smaller than 80 degrees. With such a focusing lens, it is possible to operate a charged particle beam device at a tilted landing angle where focusing field distortions, caused by the tilted landing angle, are reduced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a charged particle beam device (1) for inspecting or structuring a specimen (3) comprising a charged particle beam source (5) to generate a charged particle beam (7), a focussing lens (9) to focus the charged particle beam (7) onto the specimen (3), and an aperture system (13) for defining an aperture (6) for the charged particle beam (7). The aperture system (13) includes a first member (20) to block a first portion (7a) of the charged particle beam (7) between the charged particle beam source (5) and the focussing lens (9), a second member (30) to block a second portion (7b) of the charged particle beam (7) between the charged particle beam source (5) and the focussing lens (9), first means (24) for moving the first member (20) to adjust the size of the blocked first portion (7a) of the charged particle beam (7), and second means (34) for moving the second member (30) independently from the first portion (7b).

Abstract: The present invention relates to e.g.

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 a first lens (101; 510) generating a crossover a second lens (102; 512) positioned after the crossover and a element acting in a focusing and dispersive manner in an x-z-plane with a center of the element having essentially same z-position as the crossover. Further, a multipole element, which acts in the x-z-plane and a y-z-plane is provided. A first charged particle selection element and a second charged particle selection element are used for selecting a portion of the charged particles. Thereby, e.g. the energy width of the charged particle beam can be reduced.

Abstract: A method for operating a charged particle beam emitting device and, in particular, an electron beam emitting device including a cold field emitter is provided. The method includes the steps of placing the cold field emitter in a vacuum of a given pressure, the emitter exhibiting a high initial emission current I0 and a lower stable mean emission current IS under a given electric extraction field; applying the given electric extraction field to the emitter for emitting electrons from the emitter surface; performing a cleaning process by applying at least one heating pulse to the cold field emitter for heating the emitter surface, whereby the cleaning process is performed before the emission current of the cold field emitter has declined to the lower stable mean emission value IS; and repeating the cleaning process to keep the emission current of the emitter continuously above the substantially stable emission value IS.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus with a charged particle beam source including an emitter with an emitter tip and a supporting member for supporting the emitter is provided. Further, the apparatus includes an emitter location measuring device for repeatedly measuring the location of the emitter and a deflector system for compensating variations in the location of the emitter.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus and a method for measuring an emission pattern of such an apparatus are provided. The apparatus comprises an emitter with an emission pattern including at least two emission peaks, a gun lens, and a diaphragm, wherein the gun lens comprises a deflector unit and the deflector unit is adapted to direct an emission peak of the at least two emission peaks to an opening of the diaphragm to thereby select the emission peak of the at least two emission peaks from the emission pattern.