A plasma processing apparatus can efficiently perform a pulse modulation method of switching a high frequency power to be used in a plasma process between a high level and a low level alternately according to a duty ratio of a modulation pulse. In this plasma processing apparatus, when performing a high/low pulse modulation on the high frequency power for plasma generation, if a weighted variable K is set to be 0.5<K<1, a constant reflection wave power PR.sub.H is generated on a high frequency transmission line of a plasma generation system even during a pulse-on period T.sub.on. Meanwhile, during a pulse-off period T.sub.off, a reflection wave power PR.sub.L decreases. By adjusting the value of K, a balance between the reflection wave power PR.sub.H during the pulse-on period T.sub.on and the reflection wave power PR.sub.L during the pulse-off period T.sub.off can be controlled.

Embodiments of the invention relate to a mass resolving aperture that may be used in an ion implantation system that selectively exclude ion species based on charge to mass ratio (and/or mass to charge ratio) that are not desired for implantation, in an ion beam assembly. Embodiments of the invention relate to a mass resolving aperture that is segmented, adjustable, and/or presents a curved surface to the oncoming ion species that will strike the aperture. Embodiments of the invention also relate to the filtering of a flow of charged particles through a closed plasma channel (CPC) superconductor, or boson energy transmission system.

A method for imaging a surface of a substrate using a multi-beam imaging system includes: modifying an electron beam using a multipole-field device; generating beamlets from the electron beam using a beam-splitting device having multiple apertures; in response to projecting foci of the beamlets onto the surface, driving the beamlets using a deflector set to scan a region of the surface for receiving signals based on electrons scattered from the region; and determining an image of the region for inspection based on the signals. The multi-beam imaging system includes: an electron source; a first multipole-field device for beam shaping and beam aberration correction; a beam-splitting device; a projection lens set; a deflector set; an objective lens set; a detector array; a second multipole-field device; a processor; and a memory storing instructions to determine an image of the region for inspection based on the signals.

A method for assembling an electron exit window of an electron beam generating device comprises arranging a foil support plate on a housing of the electron beam generating device, bonding a window foil to a frame along at least one continuous bonding line, thus creating an exit window sub-assembly, and attaching the exit window sub-assembly onto the housing.

A charged particle emission device includes a pre-emission state detector configured to detect a pre-emission charged state which is a charged state of a charged object before the charged particles are emitted, a learned model configured to receive a charged state of a charged object and a control parameter related to a control amount used for control of the charged particles to be emitted to the charged object to generate an estimated charged state which is a charged state of the charged object after the charged particles are controlled under the control parameter and emitted, an estimated charged state generator configured to input the pre-emission charged state and a plurality of control parameters to the learned model to generate a plurality of estimated charged states corresponding to the pre-emission charged state and the plurality of control parameters.

The invention relates to a collimator electrode stack (70), comprising: at least three collimator electrodes (71-80) for collimating a charged particle beam along an optical axis (A), wherein each collimator electrode comprises an electrode body with an electrode aperture for allowing passage to the charged particle beam, wherein the electrode bodies are spaced along an axial direction (Z) which is substantially parallel with the optical axis, and wherein the electrode apertures are coaxially aligned along the optical axis; and a plurality of spacing structures (89) provided between each pair of adjacent collimator electrodes and made of an electrically insulating material, for positioning the collimator electrodes at predetermined distances along the axial direction. Each of the collimator electrodes (71-80) is electrically connected to a separate voltage output (151-160). The invention further relates to a method of operating a charged particle beam generator.

A plasma etching method includes a first step of attracting a substrate onto a monopolar electrostatic chuck in a first plasma, which is a plasma of a noble gas, and stopping generation of the first plasma after the attracting of the substrate, and a second step of etching the substrate in a second plasma, which is a plasma of a halogen-based etching gas, and stopping generation of the second plasma after the etching of the substrate. In the first step, the generation of the first plasma is stopped when a positive voltage is applied from the monopolar electrostatic chuck to the substrate. In the second step, the generation of the second plasma is stopped when a negative voltage is applied from the monopolar electrostatic chuck to the substrate.

A method and a system for imaging an object, the system may include electron optics that may be configured to scan a first area of the object with at least one electron beam; wherein the electron optics may include a first electrode; and light optics that may be configured to illuminate at least one target of (a) the first electrode and (b) the object, thereby causing an emission of electrons between the first electrode and the object.

An ElectroMagnetic-Mechanical Pulser can generate electron pulses at rates up to 50 GHz, energies up to 1 MeV, duty cycles up to 10%, and pulse widths between 100 fs and 10 ps. A modulating Transverse Deflecting Cavity (TDC) imposes a transverse modulation on a continuous electron beam, which is then chopped into pulses by an adjustable Chopping Collimating Aperture. Pulse dispersion due to the modulating TDC is minimized by a suppressing section comprising a plurality of additional TDC's and/or magnetic quadrupoles. In embodiments the suppression section includes a magnetic quadrupole and a TDC followed by four additional magnetic quadrupoles. The TDC's can be single-cell or triple-cell. A fundamental frequency of at least one TDC can be tuned by literally or virtually adjusting its volume. TDC's can be filled with vacuum, air, or a dielectric or ferroelectric material. Embodiments are easily switchable between passive, continuous mode and active pulsed mode.

A plasma etching method includes a first step of attracting a substrate onto a monopolar electrostatic chuck in a first plasma, which is a plasma of a noble gas, and stopping generation of the first plasma after the attracting of the substrate, and a second step of etching the substrate in a second plasma, which is a plasma of a halogen-based etching gas, and stopping generation of the second plasma after the etching of the substrate. In the first step, the generation of the first plasma is stopped when a positive voltage is applied from the monopolar electrostatic chuck to the substrate. In the second step, the generation of the second plasma is stopped when a negative voltage is applied from the monopolar electrostatic chuck to the substrate.