Abstract: An apparatus for surface inspection and processing of a wafer includes a microcolumn and an associated scanning probe microscope. The microcolumn enables high speed scanning of the wafer at a relatively high resolution, while the scanning probe microscope provides atomic resolution of highly localized areas of the wafer. The microcolumn and scanning probe microscope can be partially fabricated out of the same substrate. Additionally, the microcolumn and scanning probe microscope can be a portion of an array of microcolumns and/or scanning probe microscopes. The apparatus may be used for imaging, lithography and spectroscopy.

Abstract: A method and system for cleaning the silicon microlenses in an electron-beam microcolumn in situ. The microlenses individually are heated by passing a current through each microlens. The current is utilized to heat the microlens to at least two hundred degrees Centigrade to prevent contamination and occasionally to a temperature on the order of six to seven hundred degrees Centigrade to remove any builtup or potential contamination.