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.

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 the charged object before charged particles are emitted, an emission time generator configured to generate an emission time based on a past emission time of charged particles and a charged state of the charged object after the emission, emission processor circuitry configured to emit charged particles to the charged object which is in the pre-emission charged state based on the generated emission time, a post-emission state detector configured to detect a post-emission charged state which is a charged state of the charged object after the charged particles are emitted, machine learning processor circuitry configured to cause a machine learning model to learn a correspondence among the pre-emission charged state, the post-emission charged state, and the emission time generated by the emission time generator.

An imaging system that selectively alternates a first, non-destructive imaging mode and a second, destructive imaging mode to analyze a specimen so as to determine an atomic structure and composition of the specimen is provided. The field ionization mode can be used to acquire first images of ionized atoms of an imaging gas present in a chamber having the specimen disposed therein, and the field evaporation mode can be used to acquire second images of ionized specimen atoms evaporated from a surface of the specimen with the imaging gas remaining in the chamber. The first and second image data can be analyzed in real time, during the specimen analysis, and results can be used to dynamically adjust operating parameters of the imaging system.

Techniques to dynamically tune components of an ion implanter are described. A method includes generating a first histogram for a first setting parameter of an ion implanter and a second histogram for a second setting parameter of the ion implanter. The histograms comprise a graphical representation of a distribution of data points across a range of values for each setting parameter. The method includes presenting the histograms on a user interface, receiving a control directive to modify a first range of values for the first setting parameter, predicting a modification to a second range of values for the second setting parameter based on the modification to the first range of values by a machine learning model, and presenting the second histogram for the second setting parameter to indicate the modification to the second range of values for the second setting parameter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A multi-beam generator for a charged-particle multi-beam system comprises: a stack of multi-aperture plates with at least a first multi-lens array for long range focal length variation; and a second multi-lens array for short range focal length variation. Aperture diameters of the first multi-lens array vary to encode a pre-compensation of a spherically curved image field in an object plane of the multi-beam system. Aperture diameters of the second multi-lens array vary to encode a pre-compensation of a residual image field error in the object plane which is not pre-compensated by the first multi-lens array. The control unit of the multi-beam generator provides driving voltages to the first and second lens arrays based on the current working point of the charged-particle multi-beam system.

The invention relates to a method for balancing charges on a surface of an object comprising integrated circuit patterns in a scanning electron microscope, the method comprising: scanning an area on the surface of the object with a first electron beam with a first landing energy one or more times to generate a scanning electron microscopy image of the area and subsequently scanning the area on the surface of the object with a second electron beam with a second landing energy one or more times such that the charges accumulated on the surface of the object are at least partially balanced. The invention also relates to scanning electron microscopes with a single or dual beam column setup for imaging and erasing the accumulated charges.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a plasma processing chamber configured to accommodate a substrate, and a ring assembly provided around the substrate and including a dielectric, and a potential generator disposed on the dielectric and formed of a conductive material. A lower surface of the potential generator is disposed at a position higher than an upper surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a power supply configured to supply a direct current signal or a radio frequency signal to the potential generator.