A particle-beam inspection system may include a reflective particle-beam imaging system providing an image of a selected portion of a sample and a diffraction pattern of the selected portion of the sample and a controller communicatively coupled to the reflective particle-beam imaging system. The controller may receive two or more sample-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with two or more selected portions of the sample, where at least some of the two or more selected portions of the sample overlap. The controller may further receive two or more diffraction-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with the two or more selected portions of the sample. The controller may further construct one or more output images of the two or more selected portions of the sample from the two or more diffraction-plane images using phase information obtained from the two or more sample-plane images.

A particle-beam inspection system may include a reflective particle-beam imaging system providing an image of a selected portion of a sample and a diffraction pattern of the selected portion of the sample and a controller communicatively coupled to the reflective particle-beam imaging system. The controller may receive two or more sample-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with two or more selected portions of the sample, where at least some of the two or more selected portions of the sample overlap. The controller may further receive two or more diffraction-plane images from the reflective particle-beam imaging system associated with the two or more selected portions of the sample. The controller may further construct one or more output images of the two or more selected portions of the sample from the two or more diffraction-plane images using phase information obtained from the two or more sample-plane images.

A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an optical system that irradiates a sample mounted on a sample stage with a charged particle beam; at least one detector that detects a signal generated from the sample; an imaging device that acquires an observation image; a mechanism for changing observation positions in the sample which has at least one of a stage that moves the sample stage and a deflector that changes the charged particle beam's irradiation position; a display unit that displays an operation screen provided with an observation image displaying portion that displays the observation image and an observation position displaying portion that displays an observation position of the observation image; and a controller that controls display processing of the operation screen. The controller superimposes and displays on the observation position displaying portion a plurality of observation position images at different magnifications, based on the observation images' magnifications and coordinates.

A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an optical system that irradiates a sample mounted on a sample stage with a charged particle beam; at least one detector that detects a signal generated from the sample; an imaging device that acquires an observation image; a mechanism for changing observation positions in the sample which has at least one of a stage that moves the sample stage and a deflector that changes the charged particle beam's irradiation position; a display unit that displays an operation screen provided with an observation image displaying portion that displays the observation image and an observation position displaying portion that displays an observation position of the observation image; and a controller that controls display processing of the operation screen. The controller superimposes and displays on the observation position displaying portion a plurality of observation position images at different magnifications, based on the observation images' magnifications and coordinates.

A method for crystal analysis includes identifying a crystalline region on a device where an electronic channeling pattern is needed to be determined, acquiring a whole image for each of a plurality of different positions for the crystalline region using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) as the crystalline region is moved to different positions. Relevant regions are extracted from the whole images. The images of the relevant regions are stitched together to form a composite map of a full electron channeling pattern representative of the crystalline region wherein the electronic channeling pattern is provided due to an increase in effective angular range between a SEM beam and a surface of the crystal region.

Provided is a charged particle beam device that enables, even if a visual field includes therein a plurality of regions having different secondary electron emission conditions, the setting of appropriate energy filter conditions adapted to each of these regions. The charged particle beam device is equipped with a detector for detecting charged particles obtained on the basis of scanning, over a sample, a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source, and an energy filter for filtering by energy the charged particles emitted from the sample. Index values are determined for the plurality of regions contained within the scanning region of the charged particle beam, and, for each of a plurality of energy filter conditions, differences are calculated between the plurality of index values and the reference index values that have been set for each of the plurality of regions.

A high-brightness electron beam source is disclosed. The electron beam source may include a broadband illumination source configured to generate broadband illumination. A tunable spectral filter may be configured to filter the broadband illumination to provide filtered illumination having an excitation spectrum. The electron beam source may further include a photocathode configured to emit one or more electron beams in response to the filtered illumination, wherein emission from the photocathode is adjustable based on the excitation spectrum of the filtered illumination from the tunable spectral filter.

A high-brightness electron beam source is disclosed. The electron beam source may include a broadband illumination source configured to generate broadband illumination. A tunable spectral filter may be configured to filter the broadband illumination to provide filtered illumination having an excitation spectrum. The electron beam source may further include a photocathode configured to emit one or more electron beams in response to the filtered illumination, wherein emission from the photocathode is adjustable based on the excitation spectrum of the filtered illumination from the tunable spectral filter.

A method for crystal analysis includes identifying a crystalline region on a device where an electronic channeling pattern is needed to be determined, acquiring a whole image for each of a plurality of different positions for the crystalline region using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) as the crystalline region is moved to different positions. Relevant regions are extracted from the whole images. The images of the relevant regions are stitched together to form a composite map of a full electron channeling pattern representative of the crystalline region wherein the electronic channeling pattern is provided due to an increase in effective angular range between a SEM beam and a surface of the crystal region.

A charged particle microscope and a method of operating a charged particle microscope are disclosed. The microscope employs a source for producing charged particles, and a source lens below the source to form a charged particle beam which is directed onto a specimen by a condenser system. A detector collects radiation emanating from the specimen in response to irradiation of the specimen by the beam. The source lens is a compound lens, focusing the beam within a vacuum enclosure using both a magnetic lens having permanent magnets outside the enclosure to produce a magnetic field at the beam, and a variable electrostatic lens within the enclosure.