A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.

A focused ion beam apparatus includes an ion source that emits an ion beam, an extraction electrode that extracts ions from a tip end of an emitter of the ion source, and a first lens electrode that configures a condenser lens by a potential difference with the extraction electrode, the condenser lens focusing the ions extracted by the extraction electrode, in which a strong lens action is generated between the extraction electrode and the first lens electrode so as to focus all ions extracted from the ion source to pass through a hole of the condenser lens including the first lens electrode.

An electron beam apparatus (100) is described, including an electron source (105) configured to generate a primary electron beam propagating along an optical axis (A), a sample stage (108) configured to support a sample, an objective lens (120) configured to focus the primary electron beam on the sample for causing an emission of a signal electron beam and a foil or grid lens (300, 400) for influencing the signal electron beam. The foil or grid lens includes an electrode (340) that surrounds the optical axis; and a first foil or grid (320) adjacent to the electrode and perpendicular to the optical axis, the first foil or grid being substantially transparent to electrons, wherein a central opening (325) configured to allow the primary electron beam to pass through the central opening is provided in the first foil or grid.

In the present invention, a charged particle beam device has a charged particle source (1), a first condenser lens (4) arranged downstream from the charged particle source (1), an aperture (5) arranged downstream from the first condenser lens (4), and a second condenser lens (6) arranged downstream from the aperture (5), wherein, when a sample (12) is to be irradiated at a second charged particle beam amount which is greater than a first charged particle beam amount, the first and second condenser lenses are controlled such that a charged particle beam is formed downstream from the aperture (5), and such that the focal point of the second condenser lens does not vary between the first charged particle beam amount and the second charged particle beam amount.

A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.

A charged particle beam apparatus with improved depth of focus and maintained/improved resolution has a charged particle source, an off-axis illumination aperture, a lens, a computer, and a memory unit. The apparatus acquires an image by detecting a signal generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam caused from the charged particle source via the off-axis illumination aperture. The computer has a beam-computing-process unit to estimate a beam profile of the charged particle beam and an image-sharpening-process unit to sharpen the image using the estimated beam profile.

An electron-beam device includes a laser and a photocathode film. The photocathode film has a front side and a back side and emits a plurality of electron beamlets when illuminated from the back side using the laser. The electron-beam device also includes electrodes to extract the plurality of electron beamlets from the front side of the photocathode film and to control shapes of the plurality of electron beamlets.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a multi-electron beam image acquisition apparatus, includes: a plurality of first electrostatic deflectors in two stages, each of the first electrostatic deflectors having a plurality of electrodes of quadrupoles or more, configured to deflect multiple primary electron beams collectively to scan a substrate with the multiple primary electron beams; a potential application circuit configured to apply a retarding potential to the substrate; a first determination circuit configured to determine a first phase difference of deflection directions for the plurality of first electrostatic deflectors so as to reduce aberration caused by deflection of the multiple primary electron beams according to a magnitude of the retarding potential; and a deflection control circuit configured to apply an individual potential according to the first phase difference of the deflection directions to each electrode of the plurality of first electrostatic deflectors.

The invention relates to a particle beam device (100) for imaging, analyzing and/or processing an object (114). The particle beam device (100) comprises a first particle beam generator (300) for generating a first particle beam, wherein the first particle beam generator (300) has a first generator beam axis (301), wherein an optical axis (OA) of the particle beam device (100) and the first generator beam axis (301) are identical; a second particle beam generator (400) for generating a second particle beam, wherein the second particle beam generator (400) has a second generator beam axis (401), wherein the optical axis (OA) and the second generator beam axis (401) are arranged at an angle being different from 0 and 180; a deflection unit (500) for deflecting the second particle beam from the second generator beam axis (401) to the optical axis (OA) and along the optical axis (OA), wherein the deflection unit (500) has a first opening (501) and a second opening (502) being different from the first opening (501), wherein the optical axis (OA) runs through the first opening (501), wherein the second generator beam axis (401) runs through the second opening (502); an objective lens (107) for focusing the first particle beam or the second particle beam onto the object (114), wherein the optical axis (OA) runs through the objective lens (107); and at least one detector (116, 121, 122) for detecting interaction particles and/or interaction radiation.

This scanning electron microscope is provided with: a deceleration means that decelerates an electron beam (5) when the electron beam is passing through an objective lens; and a first detector (8) and a second detector (7) that are disposed between the electron beam and the objective lens and have a sensitive surface having an axially symmetric shape with respect to the optical axis of the electron beam. The first detector is provided at the sample side with respect to the second detector, and exclusively detects the signal electrons having a high energy that have passed through a retarding field energy filter (9A). When the distance between the tip (13) at the sample side of the objective lens and the sensitive surface of the first detector is L1 and the distance between the tip at the sample side of the objective lens and the sensitive surface of the second detector is L2, then L1/L25/9. As a result, when performing low-acceleration observation using a deceleration method by means of a scanning electron microscope, it is possible to detect signal electrons without the effect of shading in a magnification range of a low magnification on the order of hundreds of times to a high magnification of at least 100,000. Also, it is possible to highly efficiently detect backscattered electrons, of which the amount generated is less than that of secondary electrons.