A charged particle beam apparatus with reduced frequency of lens resetting operations and thus with improved throughput. The apparatus includes an electron source configured to generate an electron beam, an objective lens to which coil current is adapted to be applied to converge the electron beam on a sample, a focal position adjustment device configured to adjust the focal position of the electron beam, a detector configured to detect electrons from the sample, a display unit configured to display an image of the sample in accordance with a signal from the detector, a storage unit configured to store information on the hysteresis characteristics of the objective lens, and an estimation unit configured to estimate a magnetic field generated by the objective lens on the basis of the coil current, the amount of adjustment of the focal position by the focal position adjustment device, and the information on the hysteresis characteristics.

A lens for a charged particle beam apparatus, the lens having lens components, is described. The lens includes a first magnetic lens having an upper pole piece and a middle pole piece; a second magnetic lens having the middle pole piece and a lower pole piece; a first coil arranged in the first magnetic lens and to provide a first magnetic field between the upper pole piece and the middle pole piece; a second coil arranged in the second magnetic lens and to provide a second magnetic field between the middle pole piece and the lower pole piece; and an electrostatic lens having an upper electrode and a lower electrode, wherein at least one of a first inner diameter defined by the upper pole piece and a second inner diameter defined by the middle pole piece is larger than a third inner diameter of the lower pole piece.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a charged particle beam irradiation apparatus includes: a plurality of electrodes arranged in a magnetic field space of an electromagnetic lens and also arranged so as to surround a space on an outer side of a passing region of a charged particle beam; and a potential control circuit configured to control potentials of the plurality of electrodes so as to generate plasma in the space surrounded by the plurality of electrodes and so as to control movement of positive ions or electrons and negative ions generated by the plasma, wherein positive ions, electrons and negative ions, or active species are emitted from the space of the plasma.

This invention provides a charged particle source, which comprises an emitter and means fo generating a magnetic field distribution. The magnetic field distribution is minimum, about zero, or preferred zero at the tip of the emitter, and along the optical axis is maximum away from the tip immediately. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic field distribution is provided by dual magnetic lens which provides an anti-symmetric magnetic field at the tip, such that magnetic field at the tip is zero.

A charged particle beam writing method includes forming an aperture image by making a charged particle beam pass through an aperture substrate, changing, in the state where a plurality of crossover positions of the charged particle beam and positions of all of one or more intermediate images of the aperture image are adjusted to matching positions with respect to the aperture image with the first magnification, magnification of the aperture image from the first magnification to the second magnification by using a plurality of lenses while maintaining the last crossover position of the charged particle beam and the position of the last intermediate image of the aperture image to be fixed, and forming, using an objective lens, the aperture image whose magnification has been changed to the second magnification on the surface of the target object, and writing the aperture image.

A beam deflector includes a magnetic-flux-guiding structure which has an opening through which a beam axis extends, and at least two coils arranged at the magnetic-flux-guiding structure so that they produce a magnetic field B.sub.1 having lines passing through the two coils in succession, leave the magnetic-flux-guiding structure at a first location on a first side in relation to the beam axis, cross the beam axis at a second location which is arranged at a distance along the beam axis from the magnetic-flux-guiding structure, re-enter into the magnetic flux-guiding structure at a third location on a second side lying opposite the first side, and extend around the opening from the third location to the first location within the magnetic-flux-guiding structure.

An electron beam microscope comprises an electron beam source, a beam tube, a magnetic objective lens, an object holder, a scintillator arrangement, a detector arrangement and a potential supply system. The power supply system supplies: i) the object holder with a potential U1; ii) the beam tube with a potential U2; iii) a pole end of the objective lens with a potential U3; iv) a scintillator body of the scintillator arrangement with a potential; and v) a light detector of the detector arrangement with a potential U5, such that:

[00001]$\left(U2-U5\right)?5000V;$$\left(U4-U1\right)?0.1*\left(U2-U1\right)$$.Math.U4-U5.Math.?0.1*\left(U2-U1\right),\mathrm{and}$

A multicolumn charged particle beam exposure apparatus includes a plurality of column cells which generate charged particle beams, and the column cell includes a yoke which is made of a magnetic material and generates a magnetic field of a predetermined intensity distribution around an optical axis of the column, and a coil which is wound around the yoke. The coil includes a plurality of divided windings, which are driven by different power sources.

The object of the present invention provides a scanning transmission electron microscope with the ability to formed at least one diffraction pattern. The scanning electron microscope comprises an electron source, which is configured to provide primary electron beam, a condenser lens system, an objective electromagnetic system, a projection lens system and a detection system, in addition, the objective electromagnetic lens consists of an upper pole piece and a lower pole piece, wherein each pole piece comprises a pole piece face, which is a flat surface oriented towards a sample plane. A salient feature of the present invention is to form at least one diffraction pattern located in the distance from the lower pole piece face outside the pole piece gap, wherein the pole piece gap is the space between the upper pole piece face and the lower pole piece face.

The present invention relates to a scanning electron microscope realized to observe a test sample by detecting back-scattered electrons scattered and emitted from a surface of the test sample in the air without a vacuum chamber which is allowed to observe the test sample in a vacuum state the scanning electron microscope can be useful in minimizing dispersion of electrons of the electron beam passing through the shielding film caused due to electron scattering by focusing the electron beam passing through the shielding film on a top surface of the first back-scattered electron detector disposed between the electron gun and the shielding film to pass an electron beam and configured to detect back-scattered electrons scattered from the test sample since the first back-scattered electron detector is provided with the first planar coil having a magnetic field formed thereon.