Systems and methods to focus and align multiple electron beams are disclosed. A camera produces image data of light from electron beams that is projected at a fiber optics array with multiple targets. An image processing module determines an adjustment to a voltage applied to a relay lens, a field lens, or a multi-pole array based on the image data. The adjustment minimizes at least one of a displacement, a defocus, or an aberration of one of the electron beams. Using a control module, the voltage is applied to the relay lens, the field lens, or the multi-pole array.

A charged particle beam apparatus acquires a scanned image by scanning a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting charged particles emitted from the sample. The charged particle beam apparatus includes: a plurality of detection units that detect charged particles emitted from the sample; and an image processing unit that generates the scanned image based on a plurality of detection signals outputted from the plurality of the detection units. The image processing unit performs a process of calculating a tilt direction of a sample surface and a tilt angle of the sample surface based on the plurality of the detection signals for an irradiation position of the charged particle beam; and a process of determining a color of a pixel of the scanned image according to the calculated tilt direction and the calculated tilt angle.

A charged particle beam apparatus acquires a scanned image by scanning a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting charged particles emitted from the sample. The charged particle beam apparatus includes: a plurality of detection units that detect charged particles emitted from the sample, and an image processing unit that generates the scanned image based on a plurality of detection signals outputted from the plurality of the detection units. The image processing unit performs a process of acquiring the plurality of the detection signals at an irradiation position of the charged particle beam; a process of extracting a maximum value and a minimum value from among signal amounts of the plurality of the acquired detection signals, and calculating a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value; a process of calculating a sum total of the signal amounts of the plurality of the detection signals; and a process of determining a pixel value of a pixel of the scanned image corresponding to the irradiation position based on a sum of a first value that is obtained based on the sum total and a second value that is obtained based on the difference.

A charged particle beam device which prevents an appearance of a shading contrast due to azimuth discrimination and obtains a clear magnetic domain contrast image with a high resolution and a high throughput. The charged particle beam device includes an electron beam source; a sample stage; an objective lens configured to focus electron beams on a sample; a detector that is mounted on a charged particle beam source side with respect to the objective lens and separately detects secondary electrons emitted in azimuth angle ranges of two or more different azimuths for the same observation region; an image processing and image management device including an image processing unit configured to perform synthesis after performing shading correction and contrast adjustment on an image obtained by detecting a first emission azimuth and an image obtained by detecting a second emission azimuth; an image database; and an image display unit.

A method of imaging a specimen in a Scanning Transmission Charged Particle Microscope, comprising the following steps: Providing the specimen on a specimen holder; Providing a beam of charged particles that is directed from a source through an illuminator so as to irradiate the specimen; Providing a segmented detector for detecting a flux of charged particles traversing the specimen; Causing said beam to scan across a surface of the specimen, and combining signals from different segments of the detector so as to produce a vector output from the detector at each scan position, said vector output having components Dx, Dy along respective X, Y coordinate axes,
specifically comprising: Performing a relatively coarse pre-scan of the specimen, along a pre-scan trajectory; At selected positions p.sub.i on said pre-scan trajectory, analyzing said components Dx, Dy and also a scalar intensity sensor value Ds; Using said analysis of Dx, Dy and Ds to classify a specimen composition at each position p.sub.i into one of a group of composition classes; For a selected composition class, performing a relatively fine scan at positions p.sub.i assigned to that class.

A method of imaging a specimen in a Scanning Transmission Charged Particle Microscope, comprising the following steps: Providing the specimen on a specimen holder; Providing a beam of charged particles that is directed from a source through an illuminator so as to irradiate the specimen; Providing a segmented detector for detecting a flux of charged particles traversing the specimen, which flux forms a beam footprint on said detector; Causing said beam to scan across a surface of the specimen, combining signals from different segments of the detector so as to produce a vector output from the detector at each scan position, and compiling this data to yield an imaging vector field; Mathematically processing said imaging vector field by subjecting it to a two-dimensional integration operation, thereby producing an integrated vector field image of the specimen,
specifically comprising: Using a confined sub-region of said beam footprint to produce said vector output, and the attendant imaging vector field and integrated vector field image.

An ion collector includes a plurality of segments and a plurality of integrators. The plurality of segments are physically separated from one another and spaced around a substrate support. Each of the segments includes a conductive element that is designed to conduct a current based on ions received from a plasma. Each of the plurality of integrators is coupled to a corresponding conductive element. Each of the plurality of integrators is designed to determine an ion distribution for a corresponding conductive element based, at least in part, on the current conducted at the corresponding conductive element. An example benefit of this embodiment includes the ability to determine how uniform the ion distribution is across a wafer being processed by the plasma.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device for detecting, with highly precise angular discrimination, charged particles emitted from a specimen. To achieve this purpose, proposed is a charged particle beam device provided with a scanning deflector for scanning on a specimen a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source, the charged particle beam device being provided with: a first detector for detecting charged particles obtained by scanning of the charged particle beam on a specimen, and a second detector placed between the first detector and the specimen, and supported so as to be able to move in the charged particle beam light axis direction.

A multiple beam inspection apparatus includes a multi-detector to detect multiple secondary electron beams generated because a target object is irradiated with multiple primary electron beams, and to include plural detection pixels each receiving irradiation of a corresponding one of the multiple secondary electron beams, and having a region which receives irradiation of a corresponding secondary electron beam and is larger than the irradiation spot size of the corresponding secondary electron beam, a shifting mechanism to shift irradiation positions of the multiple secondary electron beams irradiating the plural detection pixels, a determination circuitry to determine whether sensitivity of at least one of the plural detection pixels is degraded, and a setting circuitry to set, when sensitivity of at least one detection pixel is degraded, irradiation position shifting destinations of multiple secondary electron beams, irradiating the plural detection pixels, to be within respective corresponding same detection pixels.

A charged particle beam device includes: a plurality of detecting units which detect charged particles diffracted by a specimen; and an intensity pattern information generating unit which generates, based on intensities of a plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of detecting units, intensity pattern information that represents the intensities of the plurality of detection signals as a pattern.