There is provision of a substrate support assembly including an edge ring, a substrate support, and a thermal conductivity adjuster. The substrate support has a central portion that supports a substrate, and an outer peripheral portion that supports the edge ring arranged around the substrate. The thermal conductivity adjuster is in contact with a part of the edge ring in a circumferential direction, and a thermal conductivity of the thermal conductivity adjuster is different from a thermal conductivity of the edge ring.

There is provision of a substrate support assembly including an edge ring, a substrate support, and a thermal conductivity adjuster. The substrate support has a central portion that supports a substrate, and an outer peripheral portion that supports the edge ring arranged around the substrate. The thermal conductivity adjuster is in contact with a part of the edge ring in a circumferential direction, and a thermal conductivity of the thermal conductivity adjuster is different from a thermal conductivity of the edge ring.

A charged particle beam device is described, which includes: a beam source configured to generate a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis (A); an aperture device with a plurality of apertures configured to create a plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam; and a field curvature corrector. The field curvature corrector includes: a first multi-aperture electrode with a first plurality of openings having diameters that vary as a function of a distance from the optical axis (A); a second multi-aperture electrode with a second plurality of openings; and an adjustment device configured to adjust at least one of a first electrical potential (U1) of the first multi-aperture electrode and a second electrical potential (U2) of the second multi-aperture electrode. Further, a field curvature corrector and methods of operating a charged particle beam device are described.

A charged particle beam device is described, which includes: a beam source configured to generate a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis (A); an aperture device with a plurality of apertures configured to create a plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam; and a field curvature corrector. The field curvature corrector includes: a first multi-aperture electrode with a first plurality of openings having diameters that vary as a function of a distance from the optical axis (A); a second multi-aperture electrode with a second plurality of openings; and an adjustment device configured to adjust at least one of a first electrical potential (U1) of the first multi-aperture electrode and a second electrical potential (U2) of the second multi-aperture electrode. Further, a field curvature corrector and methods of operating a charged particle beam device are described.

An electron beam irradiation device includes a vacuum chamber having an electron beam generator inside, a vacuum nozzle, and a window foil on a tip of the vacuum nozzle. The electron beam irradiation device further includes an outer pipe surrounding the vacuum nozzle, a cooling-gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas into a coolant passage formed between the vacuum nozzle and the outer pipe, and a heat-conducting transmission foil fitted to the window foil and contacting the tip of the vacuum nozzle. The heat-conducting transmission foil has a value of at least 6310.sup.3, which is determined by dividing a thermal conductivity [W/(m.Math.K)] by a density [kg/m.sup.3], and a tip part of the vacuum nozzle is made of a material having at least a thermal conductivity of copper.

An electron beam irradiation device includes a vacuum chamber having an electron beam generator inside, a vacuum nozzle, and a window foil on a tip of the vacuum nozzle. The electron beam irradiation device further includes an outer pipe surrounding the vacuum nozzle, a cooling-gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas into a coolant passage formed between the vacuum nozzle and the outer pipe, and a heat-conducting transmission foil fitted to the window foil and contacting the tip of the vacuum nozzle. The heat-conducting transmission foil has a value of at least 6310.sup.3, which is determined by dividing a thermal conductivity [W/(m.Math.K)] by a density [kg/m.sup.3], and a tip part of the vacuum nozzle is made of a material having at least a thermal conductivity of copper.

In order to provide an electron gun capable of maintaining a small spot diameter of a beam converged on a sample even when a probe current applied to the sample is increased, a magnetic field generation source 301 is provided with respect to an electron gun including: an electron source 101; an extraction electrode 102 configured to extract electrons from the electron source 101; an acceleration electrode 103 configured to accelerate the electrons extracted from the electron source 101; and a first coil 104 and a first magnetic path 201 having an opening on an electron source side, the first coil 104 and the first magnetic path 201 forming a control lens configured to converge an electron beam emitted from the acceleration electrode 103. The magnetic field generation source is provided for canceling a magnetic field, at an installation position of the electron source 101, generated by the first coil 104 and the first magnetic path 201.

A charged particle beam device is described, which includes: a beam source configured to generate a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis (A); an aperture device with a plurality of apertures configured to create a plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam; and a field curvature corrector. The field curvature corrector includes: a first multi-aperture electrode with a first plurality of openings having diameters that vary as a function of a distance from the optical axis (A); a second multi-aperture electrode with a second plurality of openings; and an adjustment device configured to adjust at least one of a first electrical potential (U1) of the first multi-aperture electrode and a second electrical potential (U2) of the second multi-aperture electrode. Further, a field curvature corrector and methods of operating a charged particle beam device are described.

A charged particle beam device is described, which includes: a beam source configured to generate a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis (A); an aperture device with a plurality of apertures configured to create a plurality of beamlets from the charged particle beam; and a field curvature corrector. The field curvature corrector includes: a first multi-aperture electrode with a first plurality of openings having diameters that vary as a function of a distance from the optical axis (A); a second multi-aperture electrode with a second plurality of openings; and an adjustment device configured to adjust at least one of a first electrical potential (U1) of the first multi-aperture electrode and a second electrical potential (U2) of the second multi-aperture electrode. Further, a field curvature corrector and methods of operating a charged particle beam device are described.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a charged particle source module for generating and emitting a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, comprising: a frame including a first frame part, a second frame part, and one or more rigid support members which are arranged between said first frame part and said second frame part; a charged particle source arrangement for generating a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, wherein said charged particle source arrangement, such as an electron source, is arranged at said second frame part; and a power connecting assembly arranged at said first frame part, wherein said charged particle source arrangement is electrically connected to said connecting assembly via electrical wiring.