A method for examining a specimen surface with a probe of a scanning probe microscope, the specimen surface having an electrical potential distribution. The method includes (a) determining the electrical potential distribution of at least one first partial region of the specimen surface; and (b) modifying the electrical potential distribution in the at least one first partial region of the specimen surface and/or modifying an electrical potential of the probe of the scanning probe microscope before scanning at least one second partial region of the specimen surface.

Provided is a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus including: an emission unit emitting a charged particle beam; a restriction aperture unit having a first opening having a variable opening area, the restriction aperture unit shielding a portion of the charged particle beam; a shaping aperture array substrate having a plurality of second openings, the shaping aperture array substrate forming multiple beams by allowing the shaping aperture array substrate to be irradiated with the charged particle beam passing through the first opening and allowing a portion of the charged particle beam to pass through the plurality of second openings; and a blanking aperture array substrate having a plurality of third openings, each beam of the multiple beams passing through the plurality of third openings, the blanking aperture array substrate being capable of independently deflecting each beam of the multiple beams.

An apparatus may include a scanner, arranged to receive an ion beam, and arranged to deliver a scan signal, defined by a scan period, to scan the ion beam between a first beamline side and a second beamline side. The apparatus may include a corrector module, disposed downstream of the scanner, and defining a variable path length for the ion beam, between the first beamline side and the second beamline side, wherein a difference in propagation time between a first ion path along the first beamline side and a second ion path along the second beamline side is equal to the scan period.

The invention relates to an exposure apparatus and a method for projecting a charged particle beam onto a target. The exposure apparatus comprises a charged particle optical arrangement comprising a charged particle source for generating a charged particle beam and a charged particle blocking element and/or a current limiting element for blocking at least a part of a charged particle beam from a charged particle source. The charged particle blocking element and the current limiting element comprise a substantially flat substrate provided with an absorbing layer comprising Boron, Carbon or Beryllium. The substrate further preferably comprises one or more apertures for transmitting charged particles. The absorbing layer is arranged spaced apart from the at least one aperture.

The invention is directed to suppress charge of a region of interest or damage in the region of interest caused by blanking. A charged particle beam device includes: a deflector configured to scan a region of interest with a beam emitted from a beam source; a second deflector configured to retract the beam to outside of the region of interest after scanning the region of interest with the beam; and one or more computer systems including one or more processors configured to execute a program stored in a storage medium, in which the one or more computer systems determine a retraction direction or a retraction position of the beam (Step S402) based on a scanning direction of the beam in the region.

An axial alignment assembly (100) comprising a first body and a second body. The first body has a substantially cylindrical outer jacket, and has a first alignment axis. The second body comprises a substantially cylindrical inner jacket, and has a second alignment axis. The second body is positioned with respect to said first body in so that said inner jacket faces said outer jacket and in between said inner jacket and said outer jacket a substantially annular recess is formed. The axial alignment assembly further comprises a plurality of resilient elements that are positioned within said annular recess, wherein each resilient element is in contact with said outer jacket of said first body and with said inner jacket of said second body. Each resilient element exerts a force onto said outer jacket and onto said inner jacket for aligning said first alignment axis and said second alignment axis.

Disclosed herein is an aperture array configured to define sub-beams that are scanned in a scanning direction in a charged particle apparatus, the aperture array comprising a plurality of apertures arranged in an aperture pattern that comprises: a plurality of parallel aperture rows, wherein apertures are arranged along the aperture rows and the aperture rows are inclined relative to the scanning direction; an edge aperture row defining an edge of the aperture pattern; and an adjacent aperture row adjacent the edge row; wherein the edge aperture row and the adjacent aperture row each comprise fewer apertures than another aperture row of the aperture pattern.

According to one embodiment, a charged particle beam writing apparatus includes, a writing mechanism, a writing control circuit, a deflection operation control circuit configured to generate control data for controlling the blanking of each of the charged particle beams based on the shot data, a storage, a blanking control circuit configured to control the blanking based on the control data, and a detector. The writing control circuit is configured to, when the detector detects the abnormality during the writing, interrupt the writing, and generate interrupt position information at a position where the writing is interrupted based on the shot data which has been stored at the storage and is related to the control data that has not been used for controlling the blanking.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a charged particle source module for generating and emitting a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, comprising: a frame including a first frame part, a second frame part, and one or more rigid support members which are arranged between said first frame part and said second frame part; a charged particle source arrangement for generating a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, wherein said charged particle source arrangement, such as an electron source, is arranged at said second frame part; and a power connecting assembly arranged at said first frame part, wherein said charged particle source arrangement is electrically connected to said connecting assembly via electrical wiring.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a charged particle source module for generating and emitting a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, comprising: a frame including a first frame part, a second frame part, and one or more rigid support members which are arranged between said first frame part and said second frame part; a charged particle source arrangement for generating a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, wherein said charged particle source arrangement, such as an electron source, is arranged at said second frame part; and a power connecting assembly arranged at said first frame part, wherein said charged particle source arrangement is electrically connected to said connecting assembly via electrical wiring.