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 and allows passage of the beam 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 a plurality of openings configured for the passage of at least a subset of beamlets that are formed by the apertures. The absorber array device comprises a plurality of openings corresponding to one of the aperture arrangements of the aperture array device, 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.

A method of processing a workpiece may include forming a first layer on a first side of a base layer. The base layer may be part of a substrate including a plurality of layers. The method may also include forming a second layer on the first layer. A material of the second layer may include metal. The method may also include forming an opening in the second layer, forming an opening in the first layer by etching, and removing the second layer. The method may include dry etching of the first layer.

The disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for manipulating charged particle beams. In one arrangement, an aperture assembly is provided that comprises a first aperture body and a second aperture body. Apertures in the first aperture body are aligned with apertures in the second aperture body. The alignment allows charged particle beams to pass through the aperture assembly. The first aperture body comprises a first electrode system for applying an electrical potential to an aperture perimeter surface of each aperture in the first aperture body. The first electrode system comprises a plurality of electrodes. Each electrode is electrically isolated from each other electrode and electrically connected simultaneously to the aperture perimeter surfaces of a different one of a plurality of groups of the apertures in the first aperture body.

Systems and methods for reducing the buildup of charge during the investigation of samples using charged particle beams, according to the present disclosure include irradiating a first portion of a sample during a first time period, wherein the irradiating the first portion of the sample causes a gradual accumulation of net charge in the first portion of the sample, generating imaging data based on emissions resultant from irradiating the first portion of the sample, and then irradiating a second portion of a sample holder for a second time period. The methods may further includes iteratively repeating the irradiation of the first portion and the second portion during imaging of the sample region. When more than one region of interest on the sample is to be investigated, the method may also include continuing to image additional portions of the sample by iteratively irradiating a region of interest on the sample and a corresponding portion of the sample holder.

The disclosure relates to charged-particle multi-beam columns and multi-beam column arrays. In one arrangement, a sub-beam defining aperture array forms sub-beams from a beam of charged particles. A collimator array collimates the sub-beams An objective lens array projects the collimated sub-beams onto a sample. A detector detects charged particles emitted from the sample. Each collimator is directly adjacent to one of the objective lenses. The detector is provided in a plane down-beam from the sub-beam defining aperture array.

A detector substrate (or detector array) for use in a charged particle multi-beam assessment tool to detect charged particles from a sample. The detector substrate defines an array of apertures for beam paths of respective charged particle beams of a multi-beam. The detector substrate includes a sensor unit array. A sensor unit of the sensor unit array is adjacent to a corresponding aperture of the aperture array. The sensor unit is configured to capture charged particles from the sample. The detector array may include an amplification circuit associated with each sensor unit in the sensor unit array and proximate to the corresponding aperture in the aperture array. The amplification circuit may include a Trans Impedance Amplifier and/or an analogue to digital converter.

The present technology encompasses plasma sources including a first plate defining a first plurality of apertures arranged in a first set of rows. The first plate may include a first set of electrodes extending along a separate row of the first set of rows. The plasma sources may include a second plate defining a second plurality of apertures arranged in a second set of rows. The second plate may include a second set of electrodes extending along a separate row of the second set of rows. Each aperture of the second plurality of apertures may be axially aligned with an aperture of the first plurality of apertures. The plasma sources may include a third plate positioned between the first plate and the second plate. The third plate may define a third plurality of apertures.

A particle beam system includes: a particle source to generate a beam of charged particles; a first multi-lens array including a first multiplicity of individually adjustable and focusing particle lenses so that at least some of the particles pass through openings in the multi-lens array in the form of a plurality of individual particle beams; a second multi-aperture plate including a multiplicity of second openings downstream of the first multi-lens array so that some of the particles which pass the first multi-lens array impinge on the second multi-aperture plate and some of the particles which pass the first multi-lens array pass through the openings in the second multi-aperture plate; and a controller configured to supply an individually adjustable voltage to the particle lenses of the first multi-lens array and thus individually adjust the focusing of the associated particle lens for each individual particle beam.

A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput and in flexibly varying observing conditions is proposed. The apparatus uses a movable collimating lens to flexibly vary the currents of the plural probe spots without influencing the intervals thereof, a new source-conversion unit to form the plural images of the single electron source and compensate off-axis aberrations of the plural probe spots with respect to observing conditions, and a pre-beamlet-forming means to reduce the strong Coulomb effect due to the primary-electron beam.

Disclosed herein is a substrate stack comprising a plurality of substrates, wherein: each substrate in the substrate stack comprises at least one alignment opening set; the at least one alignment opening set in each substrate is aligned for a light beam to pass through corresponding alignment openings in each substrate; and each substrate comprises at least one alignment opening that has a smaller diameter than the corresponding alignment openings in the other substrates.