A scanning transmission electron microscope is adapted to acquire high quality precession electron diffraction (PED) patterns by means of separated scanning deflectors and precession deflectors. Magnetic or electrostatic deflectors may be used for scanning and for precession. This enables independent optimization of parameters for each deflection system to achieve a broad operating range simultaneously for both deflection systems.

There is provided a beam alignment method capable of easily aligning an electron beam with a coma-free axis in an electron microscope. The method starts with tilting the electron beam (EB) in a first direction (+X) relative to a reference axis (A) and obtaining a first TEM (transmission electron microscope) image. Then, the beam is tilted in a second direction (X) relative to the reference axis, the second direction (X) being on the opposite side of the reference axis (A) from the first direction (+X), and a second TEM image is obtained. The reference axis is incrementally varied so as to reduce the brightness of the differential image between a power spectrum of the first TEM image and a power spectrum of the second TEM image.

There are disclosed an aberration correction method and a charged particle beam system capable of correcting off-axis first order aberrations. The aberration correction method is for use in the charged particle beam system (100) equipped with an aberration corrector (30) which has plural stages of multipole elements (32a, 32b) and a transfer lens system (34) disposed between the multipole elements (32a, 32b). The method includes varying the excitation of the transfer lens system (34) and correcting off-axis first order aberrations.

In a charged particle beam device including an objective lens that focuses a charged particle beam; a first deflector that deflects the charged particle beam to emit the charged particle beam to a sample from a direction different from an ideal optical axis of the objective lens; and a second deflector that deflects a charged particle emitted from the sample, a charged particle focusing lens to focus the charged particle emitted from the sample is disposed between the sample and the second deflector and strengths of the objective lens and the charged particle focusing lens are controlled, according to deflection conditions of the first deflector.

A method of determining an energy spectrum or energy width of a charged particle beam (11) focused by a focusing lens (120) toward a sample plane (p.sub.S) in a charged particle beam imaging device is described. The method includes (a) introducing an energy-dependent deflection of the charged particle beam (11) that leads to a spot broadening along a dispersion axis in the sample plane (p.sub.S), and taking an image of a sample (10) arranged in the sample plane using the charged particle beam; (b) retrieving a beam profile of the charged particle beam from the image; and (c) determining the energy spectrum or energy width from the beam profile. Further embodiments described herein relate to a charged particle beam imaging device configured to determine the energy spectrum or energy width of a charged particle beam, particularly according to any of the methods described herein.

An automatic method is provided to align a semiconductor crystalline substrate for electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) in regions where an electron channeling pattern cannot be reliably obtained but crystalline defects need to be imaged. The automatic semiconductor crystalline substrate alignment method is more reproducible and faster than the current operator intensive process for ECCI alignment routines. Also, the automatic semiconductor crystalline substrate alignment method increases the throughput of ECCI.

The rocking beam method is used to generate a first image of an object and a second image of the object. A control device sets the size and/or the shape of an opening and/or the position of an aperture unit of the particle beam apparatus, and/or at least one electrostatic and/or magnetic deflection unit of the particle beam apparatus for displacing the scanning region, in such a way that a first irradiation direction of the particle beam in the direction of the location on the surface of the object corresponds to a second irradiation direction of the particle beam in the direction of the location on the surface of the object, wherein the first irradiation direction is ascertained from the first image and wherein the second irradiation direction is ascertained from the second image.

A method of determining an energy spectrum or energy width of a charged particle beam (11) focused by a focusing lens (120) toward a sample plane (p.sub.S) in a charged particle beam imaging device is described. The method includes (a) introducing an energy-dependent deflection of the charged particle beam (11) that leads to a spot broadening along a dispersion axis in the sample plane (p.sub.S), and taking an image of a sample (10) arranged in the sample plane using the charged particle beam; (b) retrieving a beam profile of the charged particle beam from the image; and (c) determining the energy spectrum or energy width from the beam profile. Further embodiments described herein relate to a charged particle beam imaging device configured to determine the energy spectrum or energy width of a charged particle beam, particularly according to any of the methods described herein.

The present disclosure relates to an ion beam etching (IBE) system including a plasma chamber configured to provide plasma, a screen grid, an extraction grid, an accelerator grid, and a decelerator grid. The screen grid receives a screen grid voltage to extract ions from the plasma within the plasma chamber to form an ion beam through a hole. The extraction grid receives an extraction grid voltage, where a voltage difference between the screen grid voltage and the extraction grid voltage determines an ion current density of the ion beam. The accelerator grid receives an accelerator grid voltage. A voltage difference between the extraction grid voltage and the accelerator grid voltage determines an ion beam energy for the ion beam. The IBE system can further includes a deflector system having a first deflector plate and a second deflector plate around a hole to control the direction of the ion beam.