In one embodiment, a multi-charged-particle beam writing apparatus includes an emission unit emitting a charged-particle beam, a limiting aperture substrate including a single first aperture, a shaping aperture array that has a plurality of second apertures and that is irradiated with the charged-particle beam having passed through the first aperture in a region including the plurality of second apertures and forms multi-beams by letting part of the charged-particle beam pass through the plurality of second apertures, and a blanking aperture array member including a plurality of third apertures through each of which a corresponding one of the multi-beams that have passed through the plurality of second apertures passes, the blanking aperture array member having a blanker in each of the third apertures, the blanker performing blanking deflection on the corresponding beam.

A scanning electron microscope having a charged particle device that processes a specimen using a charged particle beam, the scanning electron microscope includes: an electron source; a secondary-electron detector that detects secondary electrons generated from the specimen; a backscattered-electron detector that is disposed closer to the electron source than a detection surface of the secondary-electron detector to detect backscattered electrons generated from the specimen; a shielding plate for shielding a detection surface of the backscattered-electron detector; and a moving mechanism that moves the shielding plate. In a state where the shielding plate is moved by the moving mechanism so as to shield the detection surface of the backscattered-electron detector, the shielding plate is located between the detection surface of the backscattered-electron detector and the detection surface of the secondary-electron detector.

Systems and methods are provided for compensating dispersion of a beam separator in a single-beam or multi-beam apparatus. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a dispersion device comprising an electrostatic deflector and a magnetic deflector configured to induce a beam dispersion set to cancel the dispersion generated by the beam separator. The combination of the electrostatic deflector and the magnetic deflector can be used to keep the deflection angle due to the dispersion device unchanged when the induced beam dispersion is changed to compensate for a change in the dispersion generated by the beam separator. In some embodiments, the deflection angle due to the dispersion device can be controlled to be zero and there is no change in primary beam axis due to the dispersion device.

An ion beam treatment or implantation system includes an ion source emitting a plurality of parallel ion beams having a given spacing. A first lens magnet having a non-uniform magnetic field receives the plurality of ion beams from the ion source and focuses the plurality of ion beams toward a common point. The system may optionally include a second lens magnet having a non-uniform magnetic field receiving the ion beams focused by the first lens magnet and redirecting the ion beams such that they have a parallel arrangement having a closer spacing than said given spacing in a direction toward a target substrate.

A probe assembly for analyzing a test device that includes a housing with an electron source disposed therein for emitting primary electrons. A photon source is positioned to emit photons that strike the electron source such that when the photons strike the electron source, the electron source emits the primary electrons. Detection circuitry is provided that is configured to detect secondary electrons emitted from a test device of a test assembly and to form an excitation waveform.

In order to demagnetize the magnetic lens, an alternating attenuation current is applied as an excitation current, the alternating attenuation current oscillating such that a current value alternately becomes a first-polarity current I.sub.1(n) and a second-polarity current I.sub.2(n) in which n represents the number of times of amplitude variation. The first-polarity current I.sub.1(n) and the second-polarity current I.sub.2(n) are expressed as I.sub.1(n)=A??.sub.1(n), I.sub.2(n)=?A????.sub.2(n), in which oscillation of the alternating attenuation current is started from a first polarity, A represents an amplitude of the first-polarity current, ? represents an asymmetric coefficient, ?.sub.1(n) represents an attenuation function of the first-polarity current, and ?.sub.2(n) represents an attenuation function of the second-polarity current. The amplitude A of the first-polarity current is smaller than that of a saturation current of the magnetic lens, ?.sub.1(1)=?.sub.2(1)=1, and 0<?<1.

A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a region setting unit configured to set, as an irradiation region for a beam array to be used, the region of the central portion of an irradiation region for all of multiple beams of charged particle beams implemented to be emittable by a multiple beam irradiation mechanism, and a writing mechanism, including the multiple beam irradiation mechanism, configured to write a pattern on a target object with the beam array in the region of the central portion having been set in the multiple beams implemented.

A scanning electron microscope having a charged particle device that processes a specimen using a charged particle beam, the scanning electron microscope includes: an electron source; a secondary-electron detector that detects secondary electrons generated from the specimen; a backscattered-electron detector that is disposed closer to the electron source than a detection surface of the secondary-electron detector to detect backscattered electrons generated from the specimen; a shielding plate for shielding a detection surface of the backscattered-electron detector; and a moving mechanism that moves the shielding plate. In a state where the shielding plate is moved by the moving mechanism so as to shield the detection surface of the backscattered-electron detector, the shielding plate is located between the detection surface of the backscattered-electron detector and the detection surface of the secondary-electron detector.

An ion implanter is provided that includes an ion source configured to generate an ion beam and an analyzer magnet defining a chamber having a magnetic field therein. The chamber provides a curved path between a first end and a second end of the chamber. The ion source is disposed within the chamber of the analyzer magnet adjacent to the first end. The analyzer magnet is configured to bend the ion beam from the ion source within the chamber along the curved path to spatially separate one or more ion species in the ion beam while the ion source is immersed in the magnetic field of the analyzer magnet.

An ion source is provided that includes a gas source for supplying a gas, and an ionization chamber defining a longitudinal axis extending therethrough and including an exit aperture along a side wall of the ionization chamber. The ion source also includes one or more extraction electrodes at the exit aperture of the ionization chamber for extracting ions from the ionization chamber in the form of an ion beam. At least one of the extraction electrodes comprises a set of discrete rods forming a plurality of slits in the at least one extraction electrode for enabling at least one of increasing a current of the ion beam or controlling an angle of extraction of the ion beam from the ionization chamber. Each rod in the set of discrete rods is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ionization chamber.