An electrostatic device includes a top and a bottom silicon layer, around an insulating buried layer. A beam opening allows a beam of charged particles to travel through. The device is encapsulated in an insulating layer. One or more electrodes and ground planes are deposited on the insulating layer. These also cover the inside of the beam opening. Electrodes and ground planes are physically and electrically separated by micro-trenches and micro-undercuts that provide shadow areas when the conductive areas are deposited. Electrodes may be shaped as elongated islands and may include portions overhanging the top silicon layer, supported by electrode-anchors.

Manufacturing starts from a single wafer including the top, buried, and bottom layers, or it starts from two separate silicon wafers. Manufacturing includes steps to form the top and bottom beam openings and microstructures, to encapsulate the device in an insulating layer, and to deposit electrodes and ground areas.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a container; a stage disposed in the container and including an electrode; a plasma source that generates plasma in the container; a bias power supply that periodically supplies a pulsed negative DC voltage to the electrode; an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate placed on the stage; and a DC power supply that supplies a DC voltage to the edge ring. The DC power supply supplies a first DC voltage in a first time period when the pulsed negative DC voltage is not supplied to the electrode, and supplies a second DC voltage in a second time period when the pulsed negative DC voltage is supplied to the electrode.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a container; a stage disposed in the container and including an electrode; a plasma source that generates plasma in the container; a bias power supply that periodically supplies a pulsed negative DC voltage to the electrode; an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate placed on the stage; and a DC power supply that supplies a DC voltage to the edge ring. The DC power supply supplies a first DC voltage in a first time period when the pulsed negative DC voltage is not supplied to the electrode, and supplies a second DC voltage in a second time period when the pulsed negative DC voltage is supplied to the electrode.

A multiple-charged particle-beam irradiation apparatus includes a shaping aperture array substrate that causes a charged particle beam to pass through a plurality of first apertures to form multi-beams, a plurality of blanking aperture array substrates each provided with a plurality of second apertures, which enable corresponding beams to pass, and including a blanker arranged at each of the second apertures, a movable table on which the blanking aperture array substrates are mounted so as to be spaced apart from each other in a second direction, which is orthogonal to a first direction along an optical axis, and that moves in the second direction to position one of the blanking aperture array substrates on the optical axis, and an alignment mechanism that performs an alignment adjustment between the blanking aperture array substrate on the optical axis and the shaping aperture array substrate.

An additive manufacturing apparatus utilizing combined electron beam selective melting and electron beam cutting. One electron beam emitting, focusing, and scanning device (6) is capable of emitting electron beams (67, 68) in three modes of heating, selective melting, and electron beam cutting. The electron beam in the heating mode is emitted to scan and preheat a powder bed (7). The electron beam (67) in the selective melting mode is emitted to scan and melt powder (71) in a section outline to form a section layer of a component. The electron beam (68) in the electron beam cutting mode is emitted to perform one or more cutting scans on inner and outer outlines (74, 75) of a section of the component to obtain accurate and smooth inner and outer outlines of the section. The heating, melting deposition, and outline cutting processes are repeated to obtain a required three-dimensional physical component.

An additive manufacturing apparatus utilizing combined electron beam selective melting and electron beam cutting. One electron beam emitting, focusing, and scanning device (6) is capable of emitting electron beams (67, 68) in three modes of heating, selective melting, and electron beam cutting. The electron beam in the heating mode is emitted to scan and preheat a powder bed (7). The electron beam (67) in the selective melting mode is emitted to scan and melt powder (71) in a section outline to form a section layer of a component. The electron beam (68) in the electron beam cutting mode is emitted to perform one or more cutting scans on inner and outer outlines (74, 75) of a section of the component to obtain accurate and smooth inner and outer outlines of the section. The heating, melting deposition, and outline cutting processes are repeated to obtain a required three-dimensional physical component.

Disclosed is a plasma treatment apparatus, a lower electrode assembly and a forming method thereof, wherein the lower electrode assembly includes: a base for carrying a substrate to be treated; a focus ring encircling a periphery of the base; a coupling loop disposed below the focus ring; a conductive layer disposed in the coupling loop; and a wire for electrically connecting the conductive layer and the base so that the base and the conducting layer are equipotential. The lower electrode assembly is less prone to cause arc discharge.

Disclosed is a plasma treatment apparatus, a lower electrode assembly and a forming method thereof, wherein the lower electrode assembly includes: a base for carrying a substrate to be treated; a focus ring encircling a periphery of the base; a coupling loop disposed below the focus ring; a conductive layer disposed in the coupling loop; and a wire for electrically connecting the conductive layer and the base so that the base and the conducting layer are equipotential. The lower electrode assembly is less prone to cause arc discharge.

A method for operating a particle beam microscope comprises setting a distance of an object from an objective lens, setting an excitation of the objective lens, setting an excitation of a double deflector to a first setting such that a particle beam is incident on the object at a first orientation, and recording a first particle-microscopic image at these settings. The method also comprises setting the excitation of the double deflector to a second setting such that the particle beam is incident on the object at a second orientation which differs from the first orientation; and recording a second particle-microscopic image at the second setting of the double deflector. Thereupon, a new distance of the object from the objective lens is determined based on an analysis of the first and second particle-microscopic images, and the distance of the object from the objective lens is set to the new distance.

A method for operating a particle beam microscope comprises setting a distance of an object from an objective lens, setting an excitation of the objective lens, setting an excitation of a double deflector to a first setting such that a particle beam is incident on the object at a first orientation, and recording a first particle-microscopic image at these settings. The method also comprises setting the excitation of the double deflector to a second setting such that the particle beam is incident on the object at a second orientation which differs from the first orientation; and recording a second particle-microscopic image at the second setting of the double deflector. Thereupon, a new distance of the object from the objective lens is determined based on an analysis of the first and second particle-microscopic images, and the distance of the object from the objective lens is set to the new distance.