A method for imaging a sample with charged particles comprises directing charged particles towards the sample along a primary axis, and simultaneously detecting a first portion and a second portion of the charged particles transmitted through the sample with a first detector and a second detector, respectively. The second detector is positioned downstream of the first detector. Each of the transmitted charged particles exits the sample at an exit angle between a direction of the transmitted charged particle and the primary axis. The exit angles of the first portion of the transmitted charged particles overlap with the exit angles of the second portion of the transmitted charged particles. In this way, complimentary information, such as the structural and compositional information, may be obtained simultaneously.

A charged particle beam apparatus covering a wide range of detection angles of charged particles emitted from a sample includes an objective lens for converging charged particle beams emitted from a charged particle source and a detector for detecting charged particles emitted from a sample. The objective lens includes inner and outer magnetic paths which are formed so as to enclose a coil. A first inner magnetic path is disposed at a position opposite to an optical axis of the charged particle beams. A second inner magnetic path, formed at a slant with respect to the optical axis of the charged particle beams, includes a leading end. A detection surface of the detector is disposed at the outer side from a virtual straight line that passes through the leading end and that is parallel to the optical axis of the charged particle beams.

An apparatus for obtaining ion energy distribution, IED, measurements in a plasma processing system, in one example, comprising a substrate for placement in the plasma processing system and exposed to the plasma, an ion energy analyser disposed in the substrate for measuring the ion energy distribution at the substrate surface during plasma processing, the analyser comprising a first conductive grid, a second conductive grid, a third conductive grid, a fourth conductive grid and a collection electrode, each grid separated by an insulation layer, a battery power supply and control circuitry, integrated in the substrate, for supplying and controlling voltage to each of the grids and the collector of the ion energy analyser; and a high voltage generating circuit.

The disclosure relates to a method of determining an energy width of a charged particle beam, comprising the steps of providing a charged particle beam, directing said beam towards a specimen, and forming an energy-dispersed beam from a flux of charged particles transmitted through the specimen. As defined herein, the method comprises the steps of providing a slit element in a slit plane, and using said slit element for blocking a part of said energy-dispersed beam, as well as the step of modifying said energy-dispersed beam at the location of said slit plane in such a way that said energy dispersed beam is partially blocked at said slit element. The unblocked part of said energy-dispersed beam is imaged and an intensity gradient of said imaged energy-dispersed beam is determined, with which the energy width of the charged particle beam can be determined.

An electron imaging apparatus 100 is disclosed, which is configured for an electron transfer along an electron-optical axis OA of an electron 2 emitting sample 1 to an energy analyzer apparatus 200, and comprises a sample-side first lens group 10, an analyzer-side second lens group 30 and a deflector device 20, configured to deflect the electrons 2 in an exit plane of the electron imaging apparatus 100 in a deflection direction perpendicular to the electron-optical axis OA. An electron spectrometer apparatus, an electron transfer method and an electron spectrometry method are also described.

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.

A scintillator assembly including an entrance surface for receiving charged particles into the scintillator assembly, the charged particles including first charged particles at a first energy level and second charged particles at a second energy level. A first scintillator structure configured for receiving the first charged particles and generating a corresponding first signal formed of first photons with a first wavelength of λ1, a second scintillator structure configured for receiving the second charged particles and generating a corresponding second signal of second photons with a second wavelength of λ2, and an emitting surface for egress of a combined signal from the scintillator assembly, the combined signal including the first and second photons, and at least one beam splitter for receiving the combined signal and separating the combined signal to first and second photons.

A charged particle beam device includes: a charged particle beam source; an analyzer that analyzes and detects particles including secondary electrons and backscattered charged particles that are emitted from a specimen by irradiating the specimen with a primary charged particle beam emitted from the charged particle beam source; a bias voltage applying unit that applies a bias voltage to the specimen; and an analysis unit that extracts a signal component of the secondary electrons based on a first spectrum obtained by detecting the particles with the analyzer in a state where a first bias voltage is applied to the specimen, and a second spectrum obtained by detecting the particles with the analyzer in a state where a second bias voltage different from the first bias voltage is applied to the specimen.

An operation method of an etching apparatus includes transferring, from a load lock chamber to a process chamber, a substrate on which an etching target layer is formed, first etching the etching target layer on the substrate in a first etching time, transferring the substrate to a storage location in a state in a vacuum state, intermediate cleaning the process chamber in a first cleaning time, transferring the substrate from the storage location to the process chamber, second etching the etching target layer on the substrate in a second etching time, and returning the substrate to the load lock chamber. The etching target layer is formed in a predetermined etching pattern by the first etching and the second etching.

Provided is a scanning electron microscope provided with an energy selection and detection function for a SE.sub.1 generated on a sample while suppressing the detection amount of a SE.sub.3 excited due to a BSE in the scanning electron microscope that does not apply a deceleration method. Provided are: an electron optical system that includes an electron source 21 generating an irradiation electron beam and an objective lens 12 focusing the irradiation electron beam on a sample; a detector 13 that is arranged outside an optical axis of the electron optical system and detects a signal electron generated when the sample is irradiated with the irradiation electron beam; a deflection electrode that forms a deflection field 26 to guide the signal electron to the detector; a disk-shaped electrode 23 that is arranged to be closer to the electron source than the deflection field and has an opening through which the irradiation electron beam passes; and a control electrode arranged along the optical axis to be closer to the sample than the deflection field. The sample and the objective lens are set to a reference potential. A potential lower than the reference potential is applied to the disk-shaped electrode, and a potential higher than the reference potential is applied to the control electrode.