The present invention relates to a slit diaphragm, a slit diaphragm system comprising at least two slit diaphragms arranged adjacent to each other and to a coating module and coating facility comprising a slit diaphragm.

The present disclosure relates to a collimator. The collimator may include a motor, a transmission unit having a first end and a second end, and a leaf unit having a leaf. The first end of the transmission unit may be connected to the motor and the second end of the transmission unit may be connected to the leaf. The present disclosure also relates to a collimator system. The collimator system may include a leaf module having a leaf, a driving module having a motor configured to drive the leaf, and a processing module to generate a movement profile of the leaf. The movement profile of the leaf may include a first speed during a first stage, a second speed of the leaf during a second stage, and a third speed of the leaf during a third stage.

A deposition system is disclosed that allows for growth of inclined c-axis piezoelectric material structures. The system integrates various sputtering modules to yield high quality films and is designed to optimize throughput lending it to a high-volume in manufacturing environment. The system includes two or more process modules including an off-axis module constructed to deposit material at an inclined c-axis and a longitudinal module constructed to deposit material at normal incidence; a central wafer transfer unit including a load lock, a vacuum chamber, and a robot disposed within the vacuum chamber and constructed to transfer a wafer substrate between the central wafer transfer unit and the two or more process modules; and a control unit operatively connected to the robot.

A method includes operating a multiple particle beam system at different working points. The numerical aperture can be set for each of the working points in such a way that the resolution of the multiple particle beam system is optimal. In the process, the beam pitch between adjacent individual particle beams on the sample to be scanned is kept constant as a boundary condition. There are no mechanical reconfigurations of the system whatsoever for the purposes of varying the numerical aperture.

A charged particle beam pattern forming device is described, a charged particle beam passing through a third aperture for forming a charged particle beam pattern, the charged particle beam pattern forming device including: a first element including a first aperture, a second element including a second aperture, the second aperture overlapping the first aperture, wherein the third aperture is defined by an overlap of the first aperture and the second aperture, and a shape of the third aperture is capable of being changed by a driver such that the first element is moved in a first direction and the second element is moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

When a charged particle beam aperture having an annular shape is used, since a charged particle beam directly above the optical axis having the highest current density in the charged particle beam is blocked, it is difficult to dispose the charged particle beam aperture at an optimal mounting position. An charged particle beam apparatus includes a charged particle beam source that generates a charged particle beam, a charged particle beam aperture, a charged particle beam aperture power supply that applies a voltage to the charged particle beam aperture, an objective lens for focusing the charged particle beam on a sample, a detector that detects secondary charged particles emitted by irradiating the sample with the charged particle beam, a computer that forms a charged particle beam image based on the secondary charged particles detected by the detector, in which the position of the charged particle beam aperture is set so that the charged particle beam image does not move and changes concentrically in synchronization with the AC voltage, in a state where an AC voltage is applied to the charged particle beam aperture by the charged particle beam aperture power supply.

Provided is a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus including: an emission unit emitting a charged particle beam; a restriction aperture unit having a first opening having a variable opening area, the restriction aperture unit shielding a portion of the charged particle beam; a shaping aperture array substrate having a plurality of second openings, the shaping aperture array substrate forming multiple beams by allowing the shaping aperture array substrate to be irradiated with the charged particle beam passing through the first opening and allowing a portion of the charged particle beam to pass through the plurality of second openings; and a blanking aperture array substrate having a plurality of third openings, each beam of the multiple beams passing through the plurality of third openings, the blanking aperture array substrate being capable of independently deflecting each beam of the multiple beams.

The present disclosure relates a multi-leaf collimator. The multi-leaf collimator may include a plurality of leaves. At least two leaves of the plurality of leaves may be movable parallel to each another. For each leaf of at least some of the plurality of leaves, at least one portion of the leaf may have thicknesses varying along a longitudinal direction of the each leaf. The each leaf may have a first end and a second end along the longitudinal direction of the each leaf.

Embodiments consistent with the disclosure herein include methods and a multi-beam apparatus configured to emit charged-particle beams for imaging a top and side of a structure of a sample, including: a deflector array including a first deflector and configured to receive a first charged-particle beam and a second charged-particle beam; a blocking plate configured to block one of the first charged-particle beam and the second charged-particle beam; and a controller having circuitry and configured to change the configuration of the apparatus to transition between a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the deflector array directs the second charged-particle beam to the top of the structure, and the blocking plate blocks the first charged-particle beam. And in the second mode, the first deflector deflects the first charged-particle beam to the side of the structure, and the blocking plate blocks the second charged-particle beam.

A fine-adjustable charged particle lens comprises a magnetic circuit assembly including permanent magnets, a yoke body, and a shunting device comprising a shunting component, and this assembly surrounds a beam passage extending along the longitudinal axis (cx). The shunting device is placed in the yoke body besides the permanent magnets and may be composed of several sector components, comprising different high magnetically permeable materials. The permanent magnet and the yoke body form a magnetic circuit having at least two gaps, in order to generate a magnetic field reaching inwards into the beam passage, into which a sleeve insert having electrostatic electrodes can be inserted, which may also generate an electric field spatially overlapping said magnetic field. The shunting device partially bypasses the magnetic flux of said circuit assembly and thus reduces the magnetic field to a desired value.