The invention relates to charged particle beam generator comprising a charged particle source for generating a charged particle beam, a collimator system comprising a collimator structure with a plurality of collimator electrodes for collimating the charged particle beam, a beam source vacuum chamber comprising the charged particle source, and a generator vacuum chamber comprising the collimator structure and the beam source vacuum chamber within a vacuum, wherein the collimator system is positioned outside the beam source vacuum chamber. Each of the beam source vacuum chamber and the generator vacuum chamber may be provided with a vacuum pump.

The invention relates to a substrate exposure system comprising a frame, a substrate support module for carrying a substrate, an exposure apparatus for exposing said substrate, and adjustment assembly for adjusting the position of the exposure apparatus with respect to the substrate support module. The adjustment assembly comprises a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic generator and a conduit, wherein the conduit interconnects said hydraulic actuator and said hydraulic generator for forming a hydraulic system. The exposure apparatus, the frame, the adjustment assembly and the substrate support module are arranged as parts of a series of mechanically linked components. A first part of said series of mechanically linked components comprises the exposure apparatus, and a second part comprises the substrate support module. Said hydraulic actuator is arranged between said first part and said second part. Preferably the hydraulic actuator comprises a first bellows and the hydraulic generator comprises a second bellows.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle radiation device capable of performing appropriate vibration suppression control in accordance with a device condition. To achieve the purpose, proposed is a charged particle radiation device provided with: a sample stage for supporting a sample irradiated with a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source; and a vacuum chamber for placing the atmosphere in which the sample is disposed in a vacuum state. The charged particle radiation device is provided with: a sensor for detecting vibrations transmitted to the charged particle radiation device; a vibration addition mechanism for vibrating the charged particle radiation device; and a control device for performing feedback control for the vibration addition mechanism in accordance with detection by the sensor, wherein the control device changes a feedback gain of the feedback control in accordance with the type of instruction in a control sequence of the charged particle radiation device.

The invention relates to a method for operating a pressure system of a device for imaging, analyzing and/or processing an object. Moreover, the invention relates to a particle beam device for carrying out this method. In particular, the particle beam device is an electron beam device and/or an ion beam device The method comprises disconnecting a pump from a pressure reservoir, connecting the pressure reservoir to a vacuum chamber, measuring a reservoir pressure (V) existing in the pressure reservoir, determining a first pressure value (V1) of the reservoir pressure (V) at a first time (T1) and a second pressure value (V2) of the reservoir pressure (V) at a second time (T2), wherein the second time (T2) is later than the first time (T1), determining a functional relationship between the first pressure value (V1) of the reservoir pressure (V) and the second pressure value (V2) of the reservoir pressure (V), wherein the functional relationship is a function of time, extrapolating the functional relationship for times later than the second time (T2), determining a threshold time (TT1) using the extrapolated functional relationship, wherein the threshold time (TT1) is a time when the extrapolated functional relationship reaches a pressure threshold, determining a remaining time period (RT1) until the reservoir pressure (V) reaches the pressure threshold, and informing a user and/or a control system of the device about the remaining time period (RT1).

Sample stage, e.g. for use in a scanning electron microscope. The sample stage includes a base, a sample carrier, and an actuator assembly arranged for moving the sample carrier in at least one direction substantially parallel to the base. The actuator assembly is arranged so as not to contribute to the mechanical stiffness of the sample stage from the sample carrier to the base.

A vacuum connection mechanism includes: a main body part having a first opening and a first sub opening opened symmetrically in a first direction, and a second opening and a second sub opening opened symmetrically in a second direction; a first bellows connected to the first opening and to the end of which a first flange is provided; a first sub bellows connected to the first sub opening and to the end of which a first blind flange is provided; a first supporting member coupling the first flange and the first blind flange; a second bellows connected to the second opening and to the end of which a second flange is provided; a second sub bellows connected to the second sub opening and to the end of which a second blind flange is provided; and a second supporting member coupling the second flange and the second blind flange.

Provided is a charged particle beam device in which a support body is rigid enough to support a sample chamber while the vibration of the support body is reduced even under the action of a disturbance such as environmental sound, the degree of parallelism of the support body is maintained, and increase in weight of the support body is suppressed. The support body includes: a first member which supports a mounted object, and is supported by a vibration removing mount; second members which have a thickness different from that of the first member and arranged to overlap the first member; fixing members which fix the first member and the second members; and damping members which have rigidity lower than the fixing members and are deformed by a difference in variations between the first member and the second members.

Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus including: an XY stage on which a sample is placed; a charged particle beam source which irradiates the sample with a charged particle beam; a detector which detects charged particles emitted from the sample upon the irradiation with the charged particle beam; an image generator which generates an SEM image of the sample based on a detection signal output by the detector; and a controller configured to set control parameters based on a movement starting point and a movement ending point of the XY stage and control a driving unit for moving the XY stage according to the control parameters.

A scanning electron microscopy system is disclosed. The system includes a multi-beam scanning electron microscopy (SEM) sub-system. The SEM sub-system includes a multi-beam electron beam source configured to generate a plurality of electron beams, a sample stage configured to secure a sample, an electron-optical assembly, and a detector assembly configured to detect a plurality of electron signal beams emanating from the surface of the sample to form a plurality of images, each image associated with an electron beam of the plurality of electron beams. The system includes a controller configured to receive the images from the detector assembly, compare two or more of the images to identify common noise components present in the two or more images, and remove the identified common noise components from one or more images of the plurality of images.

These electron beam separator designs address thermally-induced beam drift in an electron-optical system. A heater coil wrapped around the beam separator unit can maintain constant power. Additional coils also can be wrapped around the beam separator in a bifilar manner, which can maintain constant power in the beam separator coils. Wien power can be determined, and then heater coil current can be determined.