Methods and systems for aligning images for a specimen acquired with different modalities are provided. One method includes acquiring information for a specimen that includes at least first and second images for the specimen. The first image is acquired with a first modality different than a second modality used to acquire the second image. The method also includes inputting the information into a learning based model. The learning based model is included in one or more components executed by one or more computer systems. The learning based model is configured for transforming one or more of the at least first and second images to thereby render the at least the first and second images into a common space. In addition, the method includes aligning the at least the first and second images using results of the transforming. The method may also include generating an alignment metric using a classifier.

Methods are provided for operating a particle-optical device, wherein electrical charging of a sample to be examined is reduced. The particle-optical device includes a vacuum chamber for receiving a sample, a particle source for generating a primary particle beam directed to the sample, a scan generator for directed guidance of the primary particle beam over the sample surface, and at least one detector for detecting interaction products created during the interaction between the primary particle beam and the sample.

The invention relates to an object preparation device (114) for preparing an object (124, 425) in a particle beam apparatus. By way of example, the particle beam apparatus is an electron beam apparatus and/or an ion beam apparatus. The invention moreover relates to a particle beam apparatus having such an object preparation device (114) and to a method for operating the particle beam apparatus (124, 425). The object preparation device (114) has an object receptacle device (704) for receiving the object (125, 425), a cutting device (700) and a cutting bevel (701) for cutting the object (125, 425), wherein the cutting bevel (701) is arranged at the cutting device (700). The cutting bevel (701) lies in a cutting plane (703). Further, an axis of rotation (R1) lies in the cutting plane (703). The cutting bevel (701) is embodied to be rotatable about the axis of rotation (R1).

The system described herein relates to an imaging device for imaging an object in a particle beam apparatus and/or for imaging a structural unit of a particle beam apparatus, and to a particle beam apparatus having such an imaging device. The imaging device has an illumination unit having a first switching state and a second switching state for illuminating the object and/or the structural unit with illumination light, where, in the first switching state, the illumination light comprises only light of a first spectral range and where, in the second switching state, the illumination light comprises only light of a second spectral range. The imaging device has a control unit for switching the illumination unit into the first switching state or into the second switching state, and a camera unit for imaging the object and/or the structural unit.

A charged particle beam apparatus with improved depth of focus and maintained/improved resolution has a charged particle source, an off-axis illumination aperture, a lens, a computer, and a memory unit. The apparatus acquires an image by detecting a signal generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam caused from the charged particle source via the off-axis illumination aperture. The computer has a beam-computing-process unit to estimate a beam profile of the charged particle beam and an image-sharpening-process unit to sharpen the image using the estimated beam profile.

The present invention provides apparatuses to inspect small particles on the surface of a sample such as wafer and mask. The apparatuses provide both high detection efficiency and high throughput by forming Dark-field BSE images. The apparatuses can additionally inspect physical and electrical defects on the sample surface by form SE images and Bright-field BSE images simultaneously. The apparatuses can be designed to do single-beam or even multiple single-beam inspection for achieving a high throughput.

This composite charged particle beam device comprises a first charged particle beam column (6), a second charged particle beam column (1) which is equipped with a deceleration system, and is equipped with a detector (3) inside the column, a test piece stage (10) on which a test piece (9) is placed, and an electric field correction electrode (13) which is provided around the tip of the first charged particle beam column, wherein the electric field correction electrode is an electrode that corrects the electric field distribution formed in the vicinity of the test piece, and the electric field correction electrode is positioned between the test piece and the first charged particle beam column, and on the opposite side from the second charged particle beam column with respect to the optical axis of the first charged particle beam column.

The scanning electron microscope includes: an electron source; a first deflector for deflecting a primary electron beam emitted from the electron source; a second deflector for focusing the primary electron beam deflected by the first deflector and deflecting a second electron from a sample, which is generated the focused primary electron beam, to the outside of the optical axis; a voltage applying unit for applying a negative voltage to the sample to decelerate the primary electron beam; a spectrometer for dispersing the secondary electron; a detector for detecting the secondary electron passing through the spectrometer; an electrostatic lens provided between the second deflector and the spectrometer; and a voltage control unit that controls the voltage applied to the electrostatic lens based on the negative voltage applied to the sample. The electrostatic lens allows the deflecting action to be overlapped with the converging action.

A detecting method and a detecting equipment therefor are provided. The detecting method includes: inspecting whether a display panel has a defective position; after acquiring the defective position of the display panel by the inspecting, using a first focused ion beam generated by a first ion overhaul apparatus to cut the defective position of the display panel, so as to strip a defect at the defective position and observe morphology of defect; using a repair apparatus to perform a repair treatment on the defective position after the defect is stripped. An inspection apparatus for the inspecting of the defective position, the first ion overhaul apparatus and the repair apparatus are sequentially installed on the same production line.

A specimen loading method for loading a specimen that contains water into a specimen chamber of a charged particle beam device, includes: a step (S100) of mounting the specimen on a specimen support; a step (S102) of covering a predetermined area of the specimen with a water retention material; a step (S104) of evacuating the specimen chamber in which the specimen having the predetermined area covered with the water retention material is placed; and a step (S106) of exposing the predetermined area covered with the water retention material.