A method of calibrating analog-to-digital converters, ADCs, of a charged particle-optical device comprises: providing, for each of the ADCs, image data of charged particles detected from a sample output by the ADC; calculating, for each of the ADCs, at least one statistical value from a distribution of the image data output by the ADC; and changing at least one setting of at least one of the ADCs based on the calculated at least one statistical values so as to compensate for any mismatch between the at least one statistical value of the ADCs.

A switching circuit includes: an electronic switch comprising one or more diodes for switching a capacitor within an electronic variable capacitor array; a first power switch receiving a common input signal and a first voltage input; and a second power switch receiving the common input signal and a second voltage input, wherein the second voltage input is opposite in polarity to the first voltage input, and the first power switch and the second power switch asynchronously connect the first voltage input and the second voltage input, respectively, to a common output in response to the common input signal, the one or more diodes being switched according to the first voltage input or the second voltage input connected to the common output.

One or more examples relate, generally, to an apparatus. The apparatus includes a charged particle source and a charged particle pointer. The charged particle pointer urges charged particles emitted by the charged particle source in a predetermined direction. The charged particle pointer comprises a repeller, and an isolator positioned along a path extending from the repeller in the predetermined direction.

A defect inspection device is provided with an illumination optical system that irradiates light or an electron beam onto a sample, a detector that detects a signal obtained from the sample through the irradiation of the light or electron beam, a defect detection unit that detects a defect candidate on the sample through the comparison of a signal output by the detector and a prescribed threshold, and a display unit that displays a setting screen for setting the threshold. The setting screen is a two-dimensional distribution map that represents the distribution of the defect candidates in a three dimensional feature space having three features as the axes thereof and includes the axes of the three features and the threshold, which is represented in one dimension.

There is provided an electron microscope in which a crossover position can be kept constant. The electron microscope (100) includes: an electron source (110) for emitting an electron beam; an acceleration tube (170) having acceleration electrodes (170a-170f) and operative to accelerate the electron beam; a first electrode (160) operative such that a lens action is produced between this first electrode (160) and the initial stage of acceleration electrode (170a); an accelerating voltage supply (112) for supplying an accelerating voltage to the acceleration tube (170); a first electrode voltage supply (162) for supplying a voltage to the first electrode (160); and a controller (109b) for controlling the first electrode voltage supply (162). The lens action produced between the first electrode (160) and the initial stage of acceleration electrode (170a) forms a crossover (CO2) of the electron beam. The controller (109b) controls the first electrode voltage supply (162) such that, if the accelerating voltage is modified, the ratio between the voltage applied to the first electrode (160) and the voltage applied to the initial stage of acceleration electrode (170a) is kept constant.

There is provided an electron microscope in which a crossover position can be kept constant. The electron microscope (100) includes: an electron source (110) for emitting an electron beam; an acceleration tube (170) having acceleration electrodes (170a-170f) and operative to accelerate the electron beam; a first electrode (160) operative such that a lens action is produced between this first electrode (160) and the initial stage of acceleration electrode (170a); an accelerating voltage supply (112) for supplying an accelerating voltage to the acceleration tube (170); a first electrode voltage supply (162) for supplying a voltage to the first electrode (160); and a controller (109b) for controlling the first electrode voltage supply (162). The lens action produced between the first electrode (160) and the initial stage of acceleration electrode (170a) forms a crossover (CO2) of the electron beam. The controller (109b) controls the first electrode voltage supply (162) such that, if the accelerating voltage is modified, the ratio between the voltage applied to the first electrode (160) and the voltage applied to the initial stage of acceleration electrode (170a) is kept constant.

A vacuum apparatus equipped with an automatic transport mechanism for transporting a specimen and a sensor for detecting a state of the vacuum apparatus includes: a determining unit which determines whether a recoverable error has occurred based on a signal from the sensor; and a display control unit which causes, when it is determined that a recoverable error has occurred, a display unit to display a procedure of a recovery operation in a wizard format. The display control unit determines whether the recovery operation has been performed according to the procedure displayed on the display unit based on a signal from the sensor, and causes the display unit to display a next procedure of the recovery operation when it is determined that the recovery operation has been performed according to the procedure.

A multiple electron beam writing apparatus includes an excitation light source to emit an excitation light, a multi-lens array to divide the excitation light into a plurality of lights, a photoemissive surface to receive the plurality of lights incident through its upper side, and emit multiple photoelectron beams from its back side, a blanking aperture array mechanism to provide, by deflecting each beam of the multiple photoelectron beams, an individual blanking control which individually switches each beam between ON and OFF, an electron optical system to include an electron lens, and to irradiate, using the electron lens, a target object with the multiple photoelectron beams having been controlled to be beam ON, and a control circuit to interconnect, for each shot of the multiple photoelectron beams, a timing of switching the excitation light between emission and non-emission with a timing of switching the each beam between ON and OFF.

A multiple electron beam writing apparatus includes an excitation light source to emit an excitation light, a multi-lens array to divide the excitation light into a plurality of lights, a photoemissive surface to receive the plurality of lights incident through its upper side, and emit multiple photoelectron beams from its back side, a blanking aperture array mechanism to provide, by deflecting each beam of the multiple photoelectron beams, an individual blanking control which individually switches each beam between ON and OFF, an electron optical system to include an electron lens, and to irradiate, using the electron lens, a target object with the multiple photoelectron beams having been controlled to be beam ON, and a control circuit to interconnect, for each shot of the multiple photoelectron beams, a timing of switching the excitation light between emission and non-emission with a timing of switching the each beam between ON and OFF.

An objective lens arrangement includes a first, second and third pole pieces, each being substantially rotationally symmetric. The first, second and third pole pieces are disposed on a same side of an object plane. An end of the first pole piece is separated from an end of the second pole piece to form a first gap, and an end of the third pole piece is separated from an end of the second pole piece to form a second gap. A first excitation coil generates a focusing magnetic field in the first gap, and a second excitation coil generates a compensating magnetic field in the second gap. First and second power supplies supply current to the first and second excitation coils, respectively. A magnetic flux generated in the second pole piece is oriented in a same direction as a magnetic flux generated in the second pole piece.