A transmission electron microscope capable of obtaining a hollow-cone dark-field image and visually displaying irradiation conditions thereof includes an irradiation unit for irradiating a specimen with an electron beam, an objective lens for causing the electron beam transmitted through the specimen to form an image, beam deflectors positioned higher than a position where the specimen is placed, an objective movable aperture for passing only a portion of the electron beam transmitted through the specimen, and a deflection coil control unit. The deflection coil control unit controls a deflection angle of the electron beam using the beam deflectors such that the specimen is irradiated with the electron beam at a predetermined angle with respect to an optical axis while the electron beam is moving in a precessional manner and only a diffracted wave and/or a scattered wave having a desired angle passes through the objective movable aperture.

An improved system and method for inspection of a sample using a particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, to systems and methods of scanning a sample with a plurality of charged particle beams. An improved method of scanning an area of a sample using N charged particle beams, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two, and wherein the area of the sample comprises a plurality of scan sections of N consecutive scan lines, includes moving the sample in a first direction. The method also includes scanning, with a first charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, first scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the first charged particle beam. The method further includes scanning, with a second charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, second scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the second charged particle beam.

An electron beam apparatus addresses blanking issues resulting from sinking high-power heat onto an aperture diaphragm by evenly spreading heat on the aperture diaphragm. The apparatus can include an aperture diaphragm and a deflector that deflects the electron beam on the aperture diaphragm. The electron beam is directed at the aperture diaphragm in a pattern around the aperture. The pattern may be a circle, square, or polygon. The pattern also may include a variable locus relative to the aperture.

A method is provided for processing and/or observing an object using at least one particle beam that is scanned over the object. A scan region on the object is determined, the scan region having scan lines, and the particle beam is moved in a first scanning direction along one of the scan lines. The first scanning direction is changed to a second scanning direction at a change-of-direction time. Changing from the first scanning direction to the second scanning direction comprises setting of a point of rotation in that scan line of the scan region in which the particle beam is situated at the change-of-direction time, with an axis of rotation extending through the point of rotation. The first scanning direction is changed into the second scanning direction by rotating the scan region about the axis of rotation, with the point of rotation being selected dependent on the direction of rotation.

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for generating a plurality of substantially collimated charged particle beamlets. The apparatus includes a charged particle source for generating a diverging charged particle beam, a beam splitter for splitting the charged particle beam in an array of charged particle beamlets, a deflector array includes an array of deflectors including one deflector for each charged particle beamlet of said array of charged particle beamlets, wherein the deflector array is configured for substantially collimating the array of diverging charged particle beamlets. The apparatus further includes a beam manipulation device configured for generating electric and/or magnetic fields at least in an area between the charged particle source and the deflector array. The apparatus has a central axis, and the beam manipulation device is configured for generating electric and/or magnetic fields substantially parallel to the central axis and substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

A particle beam system includes a multi-beam particle source and a magnetic multi-deflector array. The magnetic multi-deflector array includes a coil that is arranged such that, during use of the particle beam system, a multiplicity of individual particle beams substantially passes through the first coil so that they are deflected in an azimuthal direction to correct an azimuthal telecentricity error of the particle beam system so that the individual particle beams telecentrically impinge on an object plane of the particle beam system.

A method of generating an image of a region of a semiconductor sample including a plurality of channels extending substantially perpendicular to a sample surface of the semiconductor sample based on a focused charged particle beam hitting a surface of the semiconductor sample along scanning lines, the method comprising at a charged particle beam imaging system the step of controlling the scanning lines of the focused charged particle beam in such a way that the scanning lines cross an interface between the semiconductor surface and each of the channels only with an angle greater or equal to 45. The image is generated based on the scanning lines.

A charged particle system generates a charged particle multi beam along a multi beam path. The charged particle system comprises an aperture array, a beam limit array and a condenser lens. In the aperture array are an array of apertures to generate from an up-beam charged particle source charged particle paths down-beam of the aperture array. The beam-limit array is down-beam of the aperture array. Defined in the beam-limit array is an array of beam-limit apertures for shaping the charged particle multi beam path. The condenser lens system is between the aperture array and the beam-limit array. The condenser lens system selectively operates different of rotation settings that define different ranges of beam paths between the aperture array and the beam-limit array. At each rotation setting of the condenser lens system, each beam-limit aperture of the beam-limit array lies on a beam path down-beam of the aperture array.