A transmission electron microscope includes an electron beam source emitting an electron beam and an illumination optical system for directing the emitted electron beam at a sample. The illumination optical system has a first condenser lens, a second condenser lens, a third condenser lens, a fourth condenser lens, an objective lens, and a condenser aperture disposed at the position of the second condenser lens. The third condenser lens and the fourth condenser lens cooperate to make the position of the condenser aperture and a sample plane conjugate to each other. The first condenser lens and the second condenser lens cooperate to make the electron beam source and a front focal plane of the objective lens conjugate to each other while the conjugate relationship between the position of the condenser aperture and the sample plane is maintained by the third and fourth condenser lenses.

A device (1) for coating a substrate (4) with nanometric sized particles, wherein the device (1) comprises: a plurality of means (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) called production means, each able to product a jet (3) of nanometric sized particles, each of said production means having a longitudinal axis, the production means being arranged so that the various longitudinal axes are parallel and oriented in a first direction (X) defining the direction of propagation of the jet and in the form of at least two columns (9, 10) offset from each other in a second direction (Y) orthogonal to the first direction (X), where the first (9) and the second column (10) each comprise at least one production means, said at least one production means (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of the first column (9) also being offset relative to said at least one production means (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of the second column (10) in a third direction (Z) that is both orthogonal to the first direction (X) and to the second direction (Y).

A carrier proximity mask and methods of assembling and using the carrier proximity mask may include providing a first carrier body, second carrier body, and set of one or more clamps. The first carrier body may have one or more openings formed as proximity masks to form structures on a first side of a substrate. The first and second carrier bodies may have one or more contact areas to align with one or more contact areas on a first and second sides of the substrate. The set of one or more clamps may clamp the substrate between the first carrier body and the second carrier body at contact areas to suspend work areas of the substrate between the first and second carrier bodies. The openings to define edges to convolve beams to form structures on the substrate.

A carrier proximity mask and methods of assembling and using the carrier proximity mask may include providing a first carrier body, second carrier body, and set of one or more clamps. The first carrier body may have one or more openings formed as proximity masks to form structures on a first side of a substrate. The first and second carrier bodies may have one or more contact areas to align with one or more contact areas on a first and second sides of the substrate. The set of one or more clamps may clamp the substrate between the first carrier body and the second carrier body at contact areas to suspend work areas of the substrate between the first and second carrier bodies. The openings to define edges to convolve beams to form structures on the substrate.

A method of operating a semiconductor apparatus includes forming a first electron beam passing through a first shaping aperture; modifying an energy distribution of the first electron beam by a second shaping aperture, such that the first electron beam has a main region and an edge region having a greater energy than the main region; and exposing a workpiece to the main region and the edge region of the first electron beam to create a pattern.

A method of patterning a substrate. The method may include providing a cavity in a layer, disposed on the substrate, the cavity having a first length along a first direction and a first width along a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the layer has a first height along a third direction, perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The method may include depositing a sacrificial layer over the cavity in a first deposition procedure; and directing angled ions to the cavity in a first exposure, wherein the cavity is etched, and wherein after the first exposure, the cavity has a second length along the first direction, greater than the first length, and wherein the cavity has a second width along the second direction, no greater than the first width.

A multi-electron beam system that forms hundreds of beamlets can focus the beamlets, reduce Coulomb interaction effects, and improve resolutions of the beamlets. A Wien filter with electrostatic and magnetic deflection fields can separate the secondary electron beams from the 5 primary electron beams and can correct the astigmatism and source energy dispersion blurs for all the beamlets simultaneously.

An aperture system of an electron beam apparatus includes a plurality of apertures each including a first area including at least one through hole allowing an electron beam to pass therethrough and a second area disposed outside the first area and including first and second alignment keys, wherein two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, include the first alignment keys arranged in mutually overlapping positions and having the same size, and an aperture, excluding the two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, includes the second alignment keys arranged to overlap the first alignment keys and having an area larger than an area of the first alignment keys.

In one embodiment, a beam detector includes a first aperture plate including a first passage hole, a second aperture plate including a second passage hole that allows a single detection target beam passing through the first passage hole to pass therethrough, and a sensor detecting a beam current of the detection target beam passing through the second passage hole. The second aperture plate includes an electrically conductive material, a plurality of third passage holes are formed around the second passage hole, and the plurality of third passage holes allow light to pass therethrough.

An aperture system of an electron beam apparatus includes a plurality of apertures each including a first area including at least one through hole allowing an electron beam to pass therethrough and a second area disposed outside the first area and including first and second alignment keys, wherein two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, include the first alignment keys arranged in mutually overlapping positions and having the same size, and an aperture, excluding the two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, includes the second alignment keys arranged to overlap the first alignment keys and having an area larger than an area of the first alignment keys.