One modified source-conversion unit and one method to reduce the Coulomb Effect in a multi-beam apparatus are proposed. In the modified source-conversion unit, the aberration-compensation function is carried out after the image-forming function has changed each beamlet to be on-axis locally, and therefore avoids undesired aberrations due to the beamlet tilting/shifting. A Coulomb-effect-reduction means with plural Coulomb-effect-reduction openings is placed close to the single electron source of the apparatus and therefore the electrons not in use can be cut off as early as possible.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an aberration corrector includes a first electrode substrate provided with first passage holes through which multiple electron beams pass; a second electrode substrate disposed below the first electrode substrate and provided with second passage holes through which the multiple electron beams pass, first electrodes of four or more poles being disposed individually on each top surface region of top surface regions around some second passage holes among the second passage holes; and a third electrode substrate disposed below the second electrode substrate and provided with third passage holes through which the multiple electron beams pass, second electrodes of four or more poles being disposed individually on each of top surface region of top surface regions around some third passage holes corresponding to remaining second passage holes in which the first electrodes are not disposed, among the third passage holes.

A charged particle beam microscope system is operated in a transmission imaging mode. During the operation, the charged particle beam microsystem directs a charged particle beam to the sample to produce images. A time series of beam tilts is applied in a pattern to the charged particle beam directed to the sample to produce a sequence of images. At least some of the images in the sequence of images are captured while the charged particle beam is transitioning between one beam tilt in the time series of beam tilts and a sequentially adjacent beam tilt in the time series of beam tilts. The pattern is configured to induce image changes between the images in the sequence of images that are indicative of optical aberrations in the charged particle beam microscope system.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an objective lens adjusting focus positions of multiple beams, an astigmatism correction element correcting astigmatism of the multiple beams, an inspection aperture allowing one of the multiple beams to pass therethrough, a deflector deflecting the multiple beams and causing the multiple beams to scan over the inspection aperture, a current detector detecting beam currents of the individual multiple beams after passing through the inspection aperture, a beam image formation unit forming a beam image based on the detected beam currents, a feature amount calculation unit generating a first waveform and a second waveform by adding brightnesses of the beam image in a first direction and in a second direction, and calculating a first and a second feature amounts from the first and the second waveforms, and a parameter calculation unit calculating an exciting parameter that is to be set for the astigmatism correction element based on the first feature amount and the second feature amount.

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.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for analyzing the energy of backscattered electrons generated from a specimen. The apparatus includes: an electron beam source (101) for generating a primary electron beam; an electron optical system (102, 105, 112) configured to direct the primary electron beam to a specimen while focusing and deflecting the primary electron beam; and an energy analyzing system configured to detect an energy spectrum of backscattered electrons emitted from the specimen. The energy analyzing system includes: a Wien filter (108) configured to disperse the backscattered electrons; a detector (107) configured to measure the energy spectrum of the backscattered electrons dispersed by the Wien filter (108); and an operation controller (150) configured to change an intensity of a quadrupole field of the Wien filter (108), while moving a detecting position of the detector (107) for the backscattered electrons in synchronization with the change in the intensity of the quadrupole field.

An aberration corrector includes a first multipole element for producing a hexapole field, a second multipole element for producing a hexapole field, and a transfer lens system disposed between the first and second multipole elements. The first and second multipole elements are arranged along an optical axis. At least one of the hexapole fields respectively produced by the first multipole element and the second multipole element varies in strength along the optical axis.

A control system of a charged particle beam apparatus obtains a first coefficient by performing multiple resolution analysis based on wavelet transform or discrete wavelet transform on at least a part of an image or a signal acquired by the charged particle beam apparatus. The control system obtains a second coefficient by performing, on at least a part of the first coefficient or an absolute value of the first coefficient, any one of calculation of a maximum value, calculation of a numerical value corresponding to a specified order in an order related to a magnitude, fitting to a histogram, calculation of an average value, and calculation of a total sum.

A charged particle beam apparatus for directing a charged particle beam to preselected locations of a sample surface is provided. The charged particle beam has a field of view of the sample surface. A charged-particle-optical arrangement is configured to direct a charged particle beam along a beam path towards the sample surface and to detect charged particles generated in the sample in response to the charged particle beam. A stage is configured to support and move the sample relative to the beam path. A controller is configured to control the charged particle beam apparatus so that the charged particle beam scans over a preselected location of the sample simultaneously with the stage moving the sample relative to the charged-particle-optical column along a route, the scan over the preselected location of the sample covering a part of an area of the field of view.

A charged particle beam system includes a charged particle source that generates a first charged particle beam and a multi beam generator that generates a plurality of charged particle beamlets from an incoming first charged particle beam. Each individual beamlet is spatially separated from other beamlets. The charged particle beam system also includes an objective lens that focuses incoming charged particle beamlets in a first plane so that a first region in which a first individual beamlet impinges in the first plane is spatially separated from a second region in which a second individual beamlet impinges in the first plane. The charged particle beam system also includes a projection system and a detector system including a plurality of individual detectors. The projection system images interaction products leaving the first region within the first plane due to impinging charged particles onto a first detector and images interaction products leaving the second region in the first plane onto a second detector.