A method for designing a multi-beam particle microscope and a multi-beam particle microscope operating with a multiplicity of charged individual particle beams and imaging the latter into an object plane and comprising a plurality of path trajectory correction plates are disclosed. Each of the path trajectory correction plates has a multiplicity of apertures for the multiplicity of individual particle beams and exactly one settable correction voltage is applied to each of the path trajectory correction plates during the operation of the multi-beam particle microscope. A path trajectory correction plate is fixedly assigned to an operating parameter of the multi-beam particle microscope. When designing the path trajectory correction plates, the apertures in the path trajectory correction plates are adapted in view of shape and size such that operating parameter-related path deviations of all individual particle beams can be corrected.

An electrostatic lens for transporting charged particles in an axial direction includes a first group of first electrodes configured to receive a first DC potential from a DC voltage source, and a second group of second electrodes configured to receive a second DC potential from the DC voltage source different from the first DC potential. The first electrodes are interdigitated with the second electrodes. The first group and/or the second group has a geometric feature that progressively varies along the axial direction. The lens generates an axial potential profile that progressively changes along the axial direction, and thereby reduces geometrical aberrations. The lens may be part of a charged particle processing apparatus such as, for example, a mass spectrometer or an electron microscope.