The present disclosure provides a method for operating a dynamic pattern generator (DPG) having a mirror array. The method comprises receiving a clock signal, determining a time delay based on the period of the clock signal, determining a first clock signal for toggling a first group of mirror cells in the mirror array, determining a second clock signal, lagging behind the first clock signal by the time delay, for toggling a second group of mirror cells in the mirror array, toggling the first group of mirror cells in the mirror array in response to the first clock signal, and toggling the second group of the mirror cells in the mirror array in response to the second clock signal.

An ElectroMagnetic-Mechanical Pulser (EMMP) generates electron pulses at a continuously tunable rate between 100 MHz and 20-50 GHz, with energies up to 0.5 MeV, duty cycles up to 20%, and pulse widths between 100 fs and 10 ps. A dielectric-filled Traveling Wave Transmission Stripline (TWTS) that is terminated by an impedance-matching load such as a 50 ohm load imposes a transverse modulation on a continuous electron beam. The dielectric is configured such that the phase velocity of RF propagated through the TWTS matches a desired electron energy, which can be between 100 and 500 keV, thereby transferring electromagnetic energy to the electrons. The beam is then chopped into pulses by an adjustable aperture. Pulse dispersion arising from the modulation is minimized by a suppressing section that includes a mirror demodulating TWTS, so that the spatial and temporal coherence of the pulses is substantially identical to the input beam.

A system includes an aperture array comprising a plurality of active apertures, respective ones of the active apertures configured to selectively deflect beams passing therethrough. The system also includes a limiting aperture configured to pass beams not deflected by the active apertures to a target object. The system further includes a control circuit configured to control the active apertures to provide first and second different exposure duration resolutions.

A method of fabricating a Digital pattern generator (DPG) device is disclosed. The method includes forming an etch-stop-layer (ESL) over a bonding pad in a first region over a substrate, forming a pixel well in the second region over the substrate, forming an anti-charging layer over the bonding pad and along sidewalls of the pixel well. The bonding pad is covered by the ESL during the forming of the anti-charging layer over the bonding pad. The method also includes removing the anti-charging layer over the bonding pad. Therefore, after removing the anti-charging layer over the bonding pad, the bonding pad remains covered by the ESL.

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 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 for mixed signal synchronization for a charged particle column includes generating an optical pulse signal from a light source that emits a light beam pulse towards a sample within the charged particle column, generating a radio frequency (RF) signal associated with a RF cavity that pulses a charged particle beam towards the sample, generating a composite signal using at least the RF signal and the optical pulse signal, and controlling, based at least in part on the composite signal, at least one of i) the light source or ii) RF signals for the RF cavity such that light beam pulses and charged particle beam pulses are synchronized at the sample.

A method for characterization of a light beam within a charged particle column, the method comprising: directing a light beam pulse towards a sample within the charged particle column; directing a charged particle beam pulse towards the sample; detecting charged particles that, based at least in part on the light beam pulse and the charged particle beam pulse, interacted with the sample; determining a time delay between the charged particle beam pulse and the light beam pulse based at least in part on the charged particles; and determining at least one characteristic of the light beam pulse based at least in part on the time delay.

A method for flexible beam blanking in ultrafast transmission charged particle microscopy may include directing, during a first time interval, a first charged particle beam and a first pulsed photon beam towards a target, generating a first image of the target based at least in part on first interactions of the first charged particle beam with the target, directing, during a second time interval, a second charged particle beam toward the target, and generating a second image of the target based at least in part on second interactions of the second charged particle beam, and generating a corrected image of the target based at least in part on the first and second image.