A method of investigating a specimen using charged particle microscopy, comprising the following steps: Using a primary source to produce a pulsed beam of charged particles that propagate along a beam path; Providing a specimen at an irradiation position in said beam path; Using a secondary source to produce repetitive excitations of the specimen; Using a detector to register charged particles in said beam that traverse the specimen after each said excitation,
wherein: Said primary source is configured to produce a train of multiple pulses per excitation by said secondary source; Said detector is configured to comprise an integrated array of pixels, each with an individual readout circuit, to register a time-of-arrival of individual particles in said train.

A multi charged particle beam writing method includes performing ON/OFF switching of a beam by an individual blanking system for the beam concerned, for each beam in multi-beams of charged particle beam, with respect to each time irradiation of irradiation of a plurality of times, by using a plurality of individual blanking systems that respectively perform beam ON/OFF control of a corresponding beam in the multi-beams, and performing blanking control, in addition to the performing ON/OFF switching of the beam for the each beam by the individual blanking system, with respect to the each time irradiation of the irradiation of the plurality of times, so that the beam is in an ON state during an irradiation time corresponding to irradiation concerned, by using a common blanking system that collectively performs beam ON/OFF control for a whole of the multi-beams.

A method of investigating a specimen using charged particle microscopy, comprising the following steps: Using a primary source to produce a pulsed beam of charged particles that propagate along a beam path; Providing a specimen at an irradiation position in said beam path; Using a secondary source to produce repetitive excitations of the specimen; Using a detector to register charged particles in said beam that traverse the specimen after each said excitation,
wherein: Said primary source is configured to produce a train of multiple pulses per excitation by said secondary source; Said detector is configured to comprise an integrated array of pixels, each with an individual readout circuit, to register a time-of-arrival of individual particles in said train.

The present invention relates to a beam blanker for a scanning particle microscope for blanking a charged particle beam having a beam axis, along which charged particles propagate before entering the beam blanker, wherein the beam blanker comprises: (a) at least one stop having an aperture, through which the charged particle beam can pass; (b) at least one first and one second deflection element, which are each configured to deflect the particle beam from the beam axis in a first and a second direction, respectively, upon a voltage being present; and (c) a deflection controller configured to apply a first AC voltage having a first frequency to the first deflection element and a second AC voltage having a second frequency to the second deflection element, wherein the deflection controller sets a difference frequency between the first and second AC voltages such that pulses of the charged particle beam have a predefined pulse period and during the pulse period outside the pulse duration substantially no charged particles pass through the aperture of the stop.

An electron energy loss spectrometer is described having a direct detection sensor, a high speed shutter and a sensor processor wherein the sensor processor combines images from individual sensor read-outs and converts a two dimensional image from said sensor into a one dimensional spectrum and wherein the one dimensional spectrum is output to a computer and operation of the high speed shutter is integrated with timing of imaging the sensor. The shutter is controlled to allow reduction in exposure of images corresponding to the individual sensor readouts. A plurality of images are exposed by imaging less than the full possible exposure and wherein the plurality of images are combined to form a composite image. The plurality of images can be comprised of images created by exposing the sensor for different exposure times.

A charged particle apparatus includes: a charged particle source unit; a blanking electrode unit that blanks a charged particle beam launched from the charged particle source unit; a deflecting electrode unit that deflects the charged particle beam launched from the charged particle source unit and passing through the blanking electrode unit; an objective lens unit that converges the charged particle beam deflected by the deflecting electrode unit and radiates the charged particle beam to a surface of a sample; a secondary charged particle detection unit that detects a secondary charged particle generated from the sample irradiated with the charged particle beam; a signal processing unit that processes a signal obtained by detecting the secondary charged particle by the secondary charged particle detection unit; and a control unit that controls the entire apparatus. The control unit includes a transient signal correction unit that corrects a transient signal when the blanking of the charged particle beam is turned off by the blanking electrode. Thus, an image with no distortion can be obtained even when the blanking electrode is operated to turn on and off at a high speed and it is possible to perform measurement or inspection of a minute pattern with high precision.

An electron emitter comprises a tapered-shaped emission tip having a base face and an apex opposite the base face, the emission tip consisting essentially of semiconductor material, the semiconductor material being partially doped n-type and partially doped p-type, wherein the base face is doped one of n-type or p-type and the apex is doped opposite type of the base face and a p-n junction is thereby formed at a position between the base face and the apex.

An apparatus includes an electron source coupled to provide an electron beam, a beam deflector arranged to provide a pulsed electron beam from the electron beam, a detector arranged to receive the pulsed electron beam after transmitting through a sample, and a controller coupled to control at least the beam deflector and the detector, the controller coupled to or including code that, when executed by the controller, causes the apparatus to establish the pulsed electron beam with pulse characteristics based on control of at least the beam deflector, wherein an illumination window is formed based on the pulse characteristics, the illumination window being a time frame when the sample is illuminated with a pulse of the pulsed electron beam, and to form a detection window for the detector and synchronize the detection window in relation to the illumination window, wherein detection events occurring in the detection window form the basis of an image, wherein the detection window determines a time frame when the detector converts the pulse of the pulsed electron beam transmitted through the sample to an electron induced signal.

An electron energy loss spectrometer is described having a direct detection sensor, a high speed shutter and a sensor processor wherein the sensor processor combines images from individual sensor read-outs and converts a two dimensional image from said sensor into a one dimensional spectrum and wherein the one dimensional spectrum is output to a computer and operation of the high speed shutter is integrated with timing of imaging the sensor. The shutter is controlled to allow reduction in exposure of images corresponding to the individual sensor readouts. A plurality of images are exposed by imaging less than the full possible exposure and wherein the plurality of images are combined to form a composite image. The plurality of images can be comprised of images created by exposing the sensor for different exposure times.

An ElectroMagnetic-Mechanical Pulser can generate electron pulses at rates up to 50 GHz, energies up to 1 MeV, duty cycles up to 10%, and pulse widths between 100 fs and 10 ps. A modulating Transverse Deflecting Cavity (TDC) imposes a transverse modulation on a continuous electron beam, which is then chopped into pulses by an adjustable Chopping Collimating Aperture. Pulse dispersion due to the modulating TDC is minimized by a suppressing section comprising a plurality of additional TDC's and/or magnetic quadrupoles. In embodiments the suppression section includes a magnetic quadrupole and a TDC followed by four additional magnetic quadrupoles. The TDC's can be single-cell or triple-cell. A fundamental frequency of at least one TDC can be tuned by literally or virtually adjusting its volume. TDC's can be filled with vacuum, air, or a dielectric or ferroelectric material. Embodiments are easily switchable between passive, continuous mode and active pulsed mode.