A charged particle beam source, such as for use in an electron microscope, can include an electrically conductive support member coupled to a base, a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining a bore, and an emitter member received in the bore and retained by a fixative material layer flowed around the emitter member in the bore.

A thermal field emitter, an apparatus, and a method for generating multiple beams for an e-beam tool are provided. The thermal field emitter includes an electron emitting portion configured to emit an electron beam and a nano-aperture array (NAA) having a plurality of openings. The NAA is positioned in a path of the electron beam. The NAA is configured to form multiple beams. The multiple beams include electrons from the electron beam that pass through the plurality of openings.

Electron emitters and method of fabricating the electron emitters are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, an electron emitter includes a tip with a planar region having a diameter in a range of approximately (0.05-10) micrometers. The electron emitter tip is configured to release field emission electrons. The electron emitter further includes a work-function-lowering material coated on the tip.

A system for determining Schottky thermal field emission (TFE) usable current and brightness of a Schottky TFE source is provided, the system including: one or more processors, configured to: acquire and store in a memory a Schottky TFE emission image in a digital format; and determine Schottky TFE usable beam current and brightness for the based on experimentally developed algorithms that utilize usable current criteria and usable emission current density, the usable current criteria being generated based on properties of a central beam component and an outer beam component of Schottky TFE beam current.

An object of the invention is to stably supply an electron beam from an electron gun, that is, to prevent variation in intensity of the electron beam. The invention provides a charged particle beam device that includes an electron gun having an electron source, an extraction electrode to which a voltage used for extracting electrons from the electron source is applied, and an acceleration electrode to which a voltage used for accelerating the electrons extracted from the electron source is applied, a first heating unit that heats the extraction electrode, and a second heating unit that heats the acceleration electrode.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an emitter that is made of hafnium carbide (Hf) and that releases electrons in a stable and highly efficient manner, a method for manufacturing the emitter, and an electron gun and electronic device in which the emitter is used.

In this nanowire-equipped emitter, the nanowires are made of hafnium carbide (HfC) single crystal, the longitudinal direction of the nanowires match the <100> crystal direction of the hafnium carbide single crystal, and the end part of the nanowires through which electrons are to be released comprise the (200) face and the {310} face of the hafnium carbide single crystal, with the (200) face being the center and the {311} face surrounding the (200) face.

Electron emitters and methods of fabricating the electron emitters are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, an electron emitter includes a tip with a planar region having a diameter in a range of approximately (0.05-10) micrometers. The electron emitter tip is configured to release field emission electrons. The electron emitter further includes a work-function-lowering material coated on the tip.

A method for operating a particle beam generator for a particle beam device, and a particle beam device for carrying out this method, are provided. An extractor voltage may be set to an extractor value using a first variable voltage supply unit. An emission current of the particle beam generator may be measured. When the emission current of the particle beam generator decreases, a suppressor voltage applied to a suppressor electrode may be adjusted using a second variable voltage supply unit such that a specific emission current of the particle beam generator is reached or maintained. When the emission current of the particle beam generator increases, the extractor voltage applied to the extractor electrode may be adjusted using the first variable voltage supply unit such that the specific emission current of the particle beam generator is reached or maintained.

An inspection method for a substrate, the inspection method including: providing an electron beam having a first polarization state to a sample of the semiconductor substrate; detecting a first response signal of the sample caused by interaction of the electron beam having the first polarization state with the sample; providing an electron beam having a second polarization state to the sample of the semiconductor substrate; detecting a second response signal of the sample caused by interaction of the electron beam having the second polarization state with the sample; and determining a geometric or material property of the sample, based on the first response signal and the second response signal.

The present invention is to provide an electron microscope capable of being activated to an appropriate temperature by disposing an NEG at an extraction electrode around an electron source. The present invention is an electron microscope provided with an electron gun, in which the electron gun includes an electron source, an extraction electrode, and an accelerating tube, the accelerating tube is connected to the extraction electrode at a connection portion, the extraction electrode includes a first heater and a first NEG, and the first heater and the first NEG are spaced apart in an axial direction of an electron beam emitted from the electron source.