A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a circuitry to set, when a charged particle beam is deflected to move between plural small regions by a deflector, plural first mesh regions obtained by virtually dividing a chip region into regions by length and width sizes same as those of each of the plural small regions; determine whether a shot figure having been assigned exists in each of the plural first mesh regions; a circuitry to perform, for the plural first mesh regions, merging of two or more adjacent first mesh regions; a circuitry to measure, for each of plural second mesh regions each obtained by merging, the number of first mesh regions each having been determined that an assigned shot figure exists therein; and a circuitry to generate a map for each chip, where measured number of first mesh regions with the shot figure is defined as a map value.

A system for melting, sintering, or heat treating a material is provided. The system includes a cathode, an anode, and a focus coil assembly having a quadrupole magnet. The quadrupole magnet includes four poles and a yoke. The four poles are spaced apart and surround a beam cavity. Each of the four poles includes a pole face proximate the beam cavity and an end opposite the pole face. The first and third poles are aligned along an x-axis and configured to have a first magnetic polarity at their respective pole faces and a second magnetic polarity opposite the first magnetic polarity at their respective ends. The second and fourth poles are aligned along a y-axis and configured to have the second magnetic polarity at their respective pole faces and the first magnetic polarity at their respective ends. The yoke surrounds the poles and is coupled to the poles.

Embodiments disclose an energy degrader for attenuating the energy of a charged particle beam, comprising a first energy attenuation member presenting a beam entry face having the shape of a part of a first helical surface, a second energy attenuation member presenting a beam exit face having the shape of a part of a second helical surface, the beam exit face being positioned downstream of said beam entry face with respect to the beam direction, and a drive assembly for rotating the first and/or the second energy attenuation members about respectively a first and/or a second rotation axis while crossed by the particle beam. The first and second helical surfaces are continuous surfaces and have the same handedness, to enable a more compact degrader with a smaller moment of inertia.

Reciprocal space map of specific sample locations is generated based on the sample images acquired by irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam at multiple incident angles. The incident angles are obtained by tilting the charged particle beam and/or the sample around two perpendicular axes within the sample plane. The reciprocal space map of a selected sample location is generated based on intensity of pixels corresponding to the location in the sample images.

A board includes a first magnetic conductive plate and a second magnetic conductive plate. The first magnetic conductive plate has a first magnetic conductive direction. The second magnetic conductive plate overlaps with the first magnetic conductive plate. The second magnetic conductive plate has a second magnetic conductive direction. The first magnetic conductive direction and the second magnetic conductive direction cross.

A multi-positional valve is used to control the destination of gas flows from multiple gas sources. In one valve position the gases flow to an isolated vacuum system where the flow rate and mixture can be adjusted prior to introduction into a sample vacuum chamber. In another valve position the pre-mixed gases flow from the isolated vacuum chamber and through a needle into the sample vacuum chamber.

To provide an ion gun of a penning discharge type capable of achieving a milling rate which is remarkably higher than that in the related art, an ion milling device including the same, and an ion milling method.

An ion generation unit includes a cathode that emits electrons, an anode that is provided within the ion generation unit and has an inner diameter of 5.2 mm or less, and magnetic-field generation means using a permanent magnet of which a maximum energy product ranges from 110 kJ/m.sup.3 to 191 kJ/m.sup.3.

To provide an ion gun of a penning discharge type capable of achieving a milling rate which is remarkably higher than that in the related art, an ion milling device including the same, and an ion milling method.

An ion generation unit includes a cathode that emits electrons, an anode that is provided within the ion generation unit and has an inner diameter of 5.2 mm or less, and magnetic-field generation means using a permanent magnet of which a maximum energy product ranges from 110 kJ/m.sup.3 to 191 kJ/m.sup.3.

The invention relates to charged particle beam generator comprising a charged particle source for generating a charged particle beam, a collimator system comprising a collimator structure with a plurality of collimator electrodes for collimating the charged particle beam, a beam source vacuum chamber comprising the charged particle source, and a generator vacuum chamber comprising the collimator structure and the beam source vacuum chamber within a vacuum, wherein the collimator system is positioned outside the beam source vacuum chamber. Each of the beam source vacuum chamber and the generator vacuum chamber may be provided with a vacuum pump.

An apparatus may include an electrostatic filter having a plurality of electrodes; a voltage supply assembly coupled to the plurality of electrodes; a cleaning ion source disposed between the electrostatic filter and a substrate position, the cleaning ion source generating a plasma during a cleaning mode, wherein a dose of ions exit the cleaning ion source; and a controller having a first component to generate a control signal for controlling the voltage supply assembly, wherein a negative voltage is applied to at least one of the plurality of electrodes when the plasma is generated.