An apparatus is provided for microscopy, inspection, or analysis of a sample. The apparatus has a vacuum chamber and a charged-particle beam column in the vacuum chamber to direct a charged-particle beam onto a sample. The charged-particle beam column includes a charged-particle beam source to generate a charged-particle beam and charged-particle beam optics to direct the charged-particle beam onto the sample. The apparatus has a detector to detect radiation emanating from the sample to generate an image. A cartridge is provided to support the sample in the path of the charged-particle beam in the vacuum chamber. The cartridge is mechanically decoupled from the environment external to the vacuum chamber. A controller is provided to analyze the detected radiation to generate an image of the sample.

A gas flow system is provided, including a gas flow source, one or more gas inlets, one or more gas outlets, a gas flow region, a low pressure region, wherein the low pressure region is fluidly coupled to the one or more gas outlets, a high pressure region, and a gap. The one or more gas inlets are fluidly coupleable to the gas flow source. The gas flow region is fluidly coupled to the one or more gas inlets and the one or more gas outlets. The gap fluidly couples the gas flow region to the high pressure region. The high pressure region near the targets allows for process gas interactions with the target to sputter onto the substrate below. The low pressure region near the substrate prevents unwanted chemical interactions between the process gas and the substrate.

Systems and methods for automated alignment of cathodoluminescence (CL) optics in an electron microscope relative to a sample under inspection are described. Accurate placement of the sample and the electron beam landing position on the sample with respect to the focal point of a collection mirror that reflects CL light emitted by the sample is critical to optimizing the amount of light collected and to preserving information about the angle at which light is emitted from the sample. Systems and methods are described for alignment of the CL mirror in the XY plane, which is orthogonal to the axis of the electron beam, and for alignment of the sample with respect to the focal point of the CL mirror along the Z axis, which is coincident with the electron beam.

A particle beam apparatus and/or a light microscope is operated. A first temperature of an object may be changed, where the object may be arranged on an object receiving device rendered movable by a motor operated by a supply current. Changing the first temperature of the object may alter a second temperature of the object-receiving device from a first temperature value to a second temperature value. The supply current of the motor may be changed from a first current value to a second current value, where the supply current is designed to hold the object-receiving device in position, and a temperature of the object-receiving device may be changed from the second temperature value to a third temperature value on account of heat generated by the motor, which may be obtained by the second current value of the supply current and fed to the object receiving device.

An embodiment of a line-of-sight coating fixture includes a support structure, a spindle, and a shadow structure. The support structure includes a plurality of compartments disposed below a platter, each compartment having an opening on a periphery of the support structure. Each compartment is adapted to receive and secure a base of a workpiece such that a body of each workpiece to be coated is disposed about a periphery of the support structure and extends above the platter. The spindle is disposed through a center of the platter or support structure for rotating the workpieces thereabout. The shadow structure is disposed about the spindle, inside of the periphery, the shadow structure sized and adapted to shield a portion of each workpiece from line-of-sight coating material.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device which suppresses sample deformation caused by placing a sample on a suctioning surface of an electrostatic chuck mechanism, the sample having a temperature different from the suctioning surface. Proposed is a charged particle beam device which has an electrostatic chuck mechanism, the charged particle beam device being provided with: a stage (200) which moves a sample, which is to be irradiated with a charged particle beam, relative to an irradiation position of the charged particle beam; an insulating body (203) which is disposed on the stage and constitutes a dielectric layer of the electrostatic chuck; a first support member (402) which supports the insulating body on the stage; a ring-shaped electrode (400) which encloses the surroundings of the sample and is installed on the insulating body in a contactless manner, and to which a predetermined voltage is applied; and a second support member (405) which supports the ring-shaped electrode.

The invention relates to a method for ablating a material (1) from a material unit (502) and for arranging the material (1) on an object (125), the object (125) being arranged in a particle beam apparatus. Further, the invention relates to a computer program product, and to a particle beam apparatus for carrying out the method. The method comprises feeding a particle beam with charged particles onto the material (1), wherein the material (1) is arranged on the material unit (502) and/or wherein the material unit (502) is formed from the material (1), wherein the material (1) is ablatable from the material unit (502) and wherein the material (1) is arranged on the material unit (502) at a distance from the object (125).

Further, the method comprises ablating the ablatable material (1) arranged on the material unit (502) from the material unit (502) using the particle beam, and arranging the ablated material (514) on the object (125).

In corner sections of first to fourth quadrants whose origin point is a center of an upper surface of a stage, three each of two-dimensional heads are provided. The three each of two-dimensional heads include one first head and two second heads. The stage is driven, while measuring a position of the stage using three first heads that face a two-dimensional grating of a scale plate provided above the stage from the four first heads, and during the driving, difference data of measurement values of the two second heads with respect to the first head in a measurement direction are taken in for head groups to which the three first heads belong, respectively, and using the difference data, grid errors are calibrated.

Systems, methods, and programming are described for inspecting a substrate having a pattern imaged thereon, including obtaining a plurality of selected target locations on the substrate, the selected target locations dependent on characteristics of the pattern, scanning the substrate with a plurality of electron beamlets, wherein the scanning includes individually addressing the beamlets to impinge on the selected target locations independently, detecting a reflected or a transmitted portion of the beamlets, and generating images of the selected target locations.

In corner sections of first to fourth quadrants whose origin point is a center of an upper surface of a stage, three each of two-dimensional heads are provided. The three each of two-dimensional heads include one first head and two second heads. The stage is driven, while measuring a position of the stage using three first heads that face a two-dimensional grating of a scale plate provided above the stage from the four first heads, and during the driving, difference data of measurement values of the two second heads with respect to the first head in a measurement direction are taken in for head groups to which the three first heads belong, respectively, and using the difference data, grid errors are calibrated.