An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a beam current measuring device and a first electrode. The beam current measuring device is retractably movable into an ion beam trajectory so as to measure an ion beam current. The first electrode is disposed immediately upstream of the beam current measuring device in an ion beam transport channel. The first electrode serves both as a suppressor electrode for repelling secondary electrons released from the beam current measuring device, back toward the beam current measuring device, and as a beam optical element other than the suppressor electrode.

A particle beam system includes first and second particle beam columns. In a first operating mode, an end cap having an opening therein is outside a beam path of a first particle beam. In a second operating mode, the beam path of the first particle beam can extend through the opening of the end cap so that secondary particles coming from a work region can pass through the opening of the end cap to a detector in the interior of the first particle beam column. While the particle beam system is in the first operating mode, an image of an object arranged in the work region is recorded using the first particle beam column. While the particle beam system is in the second operating mode, the object is processed using a second particle beam.

An apparatus may include a first grounded drift tube, arranged to accept a continuous ion beam, at least two AC drift tubes, arranged in series, downstream to the first grounded drift tube, and a second grounded drift tube, downstream to the at least two AC drift tubes. The apparatus may include an AC voltage assembly, electrically coupled to at least two AC drift tubes. The AC voltage assembly may include a first AC voltage source, coupled to deliver a first AC voltage signal at a first frequency to a first AC drift tube of at least two AC drift tubes. The AC voltage assembly may further include a second AC voltage source, coupled to deliver a second AC voltage signal at a second frequency to a second AC drift tube of the at least two AC drift tubes, wherein the second frequency comprises an integral multiple of the first frequency.

An apparatus may include a first grounded drift tube, arranged to accept a continuous ion beam, at least two AC drift tubes, arranged in series, downstream to the first grounded drift tube, and a second grounded drift tube, downstream to the at least two AC drift tubes. The apparatus may include an AC voltage assembly, electrically coupled to at least two AC drift tubes. The AC voltage assembly may include a first AC voltage source, coupled to deliver a first AC voltage signal at a first frequency to a first AC drift tube of at least two AC drift tubes. The AC voltage assembly may further include a second AC voltage source, coupled to deliver a second AC voltage signal at a second frequency to a second AC drift tube of the at least two AC drift tubes, wherein the second frequency comprises an integral multiple of the first frequency.

A charged particle beam system comprises a particle beam source having a particle emitter at a first voltage, a first electrode downstream of the particle beam source at a second voltage, a multi-aperture plate downstream of the first electrode, a second electrode downstream of the multi-aperture plate at a third voltage, a third electrode downstream of the second electrode at a fourth voltage, a deflector downstream of the third electrode, an objective lens downstream of the deflector, a fourth electrode downstream of the deflector at a fifth voltage; and an object mount at a sixth voltage. Voltage differences between the first, second, third, fourth and fifth voltages have same and opposite signs.

The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle beam source which emits a primary charged particle beam, an objective lens which focuses the primary charged particle beam on a sample, a passage electrode which is formed of a metal material and is disposed between the charged particle beam source and a tip end of the objective lens, a detector which detects a secondary charged particle emitted from the sample, and an electrostatic field electrode which is electrically insulated from the passage electrode. The passage electrode is formed such that the primary charged particle beam passes through the inside of the passage electrode. The electrostatic field electrode is formed to cover an outer periphery of the passage electrode.

A method of monitoring compliance with filter specification during the implantation of ions into a substrate reading a signature of the filter and comparing the read signature with filter signatures stored in a database to identify properties of the filter including at least one of a maximum allowable temperature of the filter and a maximum allowable accumulated ion dose of the filter. The temperature and/or the accumulated ion dose of the filter is measured while ions are implanted into the substrate by an ion beam passing through the filter. The implantation is terminated when the measured temperature or accumulated ion dose of the filter reaches or exceeds the maximum allowable threshold.

A particle-optical arrangement comprises a charged-particle source for generating a beam of charged particles; a multi-aperture plate arranged in a beam path of the beam of charged particles, wherein the multi-aperture plate has a plurality of apertures formed therein in a predetermined first array pattern, wherein a plurality of charged-particle beamlets is formed from the beam of charged particles downstream of the multi-aperture plate, and wherein a plurality of beam spots is formed in an image plane of the apparatus by the plurality of beamlets, the plurality of beam spots being arranged in a second array pattern; and a particle-optical element for manipulating the beam of charged particles and/or the plurality of beamlets; wherein the first array pattern has a first pattern regularity in a first direction, and the second array pattern has a second pattern regularity in a second direction electron-optically corresponding to the first direction, and wherein the second regularity is higher than the first regularity.

An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a beam current measuring device and a first electrode. The beam current measuring device is retractably movable into an ion beam trajectory so as to measure an ion beam current. The first electrode is disposed immediately upstream of the beam current measuring device in an ion beam transport channel. The first electrode serves both as a suppressor electrode for repelling secondary electrons released from the beam current measuring device, back toward the beam current measuring device, and as a beam optical element other than the suppressor electrode.

A thin-film forming apparatus and method are provided. A thin-film forming apparatus includes a chamber configured to hold a vacuum formed in the chamber, a deposition object placed at a set position inside the chamber, a sputtering target placed inside the chamber and containing particles for deposition, a gas supply module configured to supply a gas for forming a plasma state inside the chamber, a step-coverage control module located inside the chamber and facing the deposition object, and a voltage supply module located inside the chamber and configured to supply an electric current to the sputtering target, wherein the deposition object is deposited with the particles provided from the sputtering target based on the electric current, and wherein the step-coverage control module is configured to control a step coverage of the deposition object by adjusting an amount of the particles moving toward the deposition object through a repositioning maneuver.