Systems and methods for implementing charged particle flooding in a charged particle beam apparatus are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a charged particle beam system includes a charged particle source and a controller which controls the charged particle beam system to emit a charged particle beam in a first mode where the beam is defocused and a second mode where the beam is focused on a surface of a sample.

An inspection device for inspecting a surface of an inspection object using a beam includes a beam generator capable of generating one of either charge particles or an electromagnetic wave as a beam, a primary optical system capable of guiding and irradiating the beam to the inspection object supported within a working chamber, a secondary optical system capable of including a first movable numerical aperture and a first detector which detects secondary charge particles generated from the inspection object, the secondary charge particles passing through the first movable numerical aperture, an image processing system capable of forming an image based on the secondary charge particles detected by the first detector; and a second detector arranged between the first movable numerical aperture and the first detector and which detects a location and shape at a cross over location of the secondary charge particles generated from the inspection object.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam drawing apparatus includes an emitter emitting a charged particle beam, a shaping aperture array in which a plurality of first openings are formed, and which receives irradiation of the charged particle beam in an area including the plurality of first openings, and forms a multi-beam by allowing part of the charged particle beam to pass through a corresponding one of the plurality of first openings, a blanking aperture array in which a plurality of second openings are formed, through each of which a beam is passed, corresponding to part of the multi-beam which has passed through the plurality of first openings, the plurality of second openings each including a blanker that performs blanking deflection of a beam, and a movement controller moving the shaping aperture array or the blanking aperture array, and adjusting space between the shaping aperture array and the blanking aperture array,

Disclosed herein is a charged particle beam apparatus (10) includes: a sample chamber (11); a sample stage (31); an electron beam column (13) irradiating a sample S with an electron beam; and a focused ion beam column (14) irradiating the sample S with a focused ion beam. The apparatus (10) includes a displacement member (45) having: an open/close portion provided to be displaceable between an insertion position between a beam emitting end portion of the electron beam column (13) and the sample stage (31), and a withdrawal position away from the insertion position; and a contact portion provided at a contact position capable of contacting the sample S before the beam emitting end portion during operation of the sample stage (31). The apparatus (10) includes: a driving unit 42 displacing the displacement member (45); and a conduction sensor (24) detecting whether the sample is in contact with the contact portion.

Disclosed herein is a charged particle beam apparatus (10) including: a sample chamber (11); a sample stage (31); an electron beam column (13) irradiating a sample S using an electron beam; and a focused ion beam column (14) irradiating the sample S using a focused ion beam. The apparatus (10) includes an electrode member (45) provided to be displaced between an insertion position between a beam emitting end portion of the electron beam column (13) and the sample stage (31) and a withdrawal position distant from the insertion position, the electrode member being provided with an electrode penetrating hole passing the electron beam therethrough. The apparatus (10) includes: a driving unit (42) displacing the electrode member (45); a power source (20) applying a negative voltage to the electrode member (45); and an insulation member (43) electrically insulating the sample chamber (11)and the driving unit (42) from the electrode member (45).

In one embodiment, a method of aperture alignment for a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes irradiating a shaping aperture member with a charged particle beam while changing an incident direction, detecting a current for each of the incident directions of the charged particle beam, producing a current distribution map based on the incident direction and the current, and moving the shaping aperture member or a blanking aperture member based on the current distribution map to align the shaping aperture member with the blanking aperture member.

A composite stage for electron enhanced material processing is presented. The composite stage provides capacitive coupling of a biasing signal to a substrate supported by the composite stage. The composite stage comprises a pedestal and a support plate that includes stacked layer construction. The stacked layer construction includes a plurality of layers of electrically conductive and dielectric materials. According to one aspect, the plurality of layers includes at least one electrically conductive layer for receiving a basing signal, and at least one dielectric layer in contact with and overlying the at least one electrically conductive layer. According to one aspect, the substrate is held in place via an electrically insulating clamp, the clamp providing an aperture for processing of a portion of the substrate. A matching circuit is arranged between a biasing signal generator and the composite stage. A shunting resistor is coupled to the matching circuit.

A multi-beam optical system adjustment method includes forming multi-beams by making a region including the whole of a plurality of openings in a shaping aperture array substrate irradiated by a charged particle beam, and making portions of the charged particle beam individually pass through a corresponding one of the plurality of openings, measuring a distortion of the multi-beams while variably changing the crossover height position of the multi-beams, measuring the crossover height position of the multi-beams where the distortion of the multi-beams is smaller than the others, and adjusting the height position of a limiting aperture substrate which limits passage of a beam deviated from the trajectory in the multi-beams to the crossover height position.

A multi-beam pattern definition device for use in a particle-beam processing or inspection apparatus, which is irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles through a plurality of apertures to form corresponding beamlets, comprises an aperture array device in which said apertures are realized according to several sets of apertures arranged in respective aperture arrangements, and an absorber array device having openings configured for the passage of at least a subset of beamlets that are formed by the apertures. The absorber array device comprises openings corresponding to one of the aperture arrangement sets, whereas it includes a charged-particle absorbing structure comprising absorbing regions surrounded by elevated regions and configured to absorb charged particles impinging thereupon at locations corresponding to apertures of the other aperture arrangements of the aperture array device, effectively confining the effects of irradiated particles and electric charge therein.

Systems and methods for implementing charged particle flooding in a charged particle beam apparatus are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a charged particle beam system includes a charged particle source and a controller which controls the charged particle beam system to emit a charged particle beam in a first mode where the beam is defocused and a second mode where the beam is focused on a surface of a sample.