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.

An ion beam lens and methods for combining ion beams are disclosed. Embodiments combine hyperthermal ion beams and can include layered three-dimensional electrodes with passageways through the electrodes, each electrode having a specified DC voltage and each passageway configured for passing an ion beam to an exit, the velocity vectors of the beams being primarily oriented along the lens' central axis upon exiting the passageways. Embodiments include nested electrode plates with curved ion beam passageways. In some embodiments each electrode plate has a charge different from the electrode plates adjacent to it, and in some embodiments every other electrode plate is charged with a first DC voltage and the remaining plates are charged with a second DC voltage different from the first DC voltage.

Proposed is a charged particle beam apparatus for the purpose of detecting a charged particle emitted from a sample in a specific direction by discriminating between the charged particle and a charged particle emitted in another direction. As one aspect of achieving the above purpose, proposed is a charged particle beam apparatus including an objective lens configured to focus a beam emitted from a charged particle source, a detector (8) configured to detect at least one of a first charged particle (23) emitted from a sample by irradiating the sample with the beam and a second charged particle emitted from a charged particle collided member by causing the first charged particle to collide with the charged particle collision member disposed on a trajectory of the first charged particle, and an electrostatic lens (12) including a plurality of electrodes disposed between the objective lens and the detector, in which the electrostatic lens is a Butler type.

A multi-beam lens device is described, which includes: a first beam passage for a first charged particle beam formed along a first direction between a first beam inlet of the first beam passage and a first beam outlet of the first beam passage; a second beam passage for a second charged particle beam formed along a second direction between a second beam inlet of the second beam passage and a second beam outlet of the second beam passage, wherein the first direction and the second direction are inclined with respect to each other by an angle (α) of 5° or more such that the first beam passage approaches the second beam passage toward the first beam outlet; and a common excitation coil or a common electrode arrangement configured for focussing the first charged particle beam and the second charged particle beam. Further, a charged particle beam device as well as a method of operating a multi-beam lens device are described.

A multi-beam electron source is disclosed. The multi-beam source includes an electron source, a grid lens assembly, and a multi-lens array assembly. The multi-lens array assembly includes a set of lenses disposed across a substrate. The grid lens assembly is configured to cause a primary electron beam from the electron beam source to land on the multi-lens array assembly telecentrically. The multi-lens array assembly is configured to split the electron beam from the electron beam source into a plurality of primary electron beams. The grid lens assembly includes a first lens element and a second lens element, wherein the first lens element and the second lens element are separated by a gap of a selected distance. The grid lens assembly further includes a grid element including a set of apertures, wherein the grid element is disposed within the gap between the first lens element and the second lens element.

An input lens is provided which has a large acceptance solid angle for electrons. The input lens is for use in an electron spectrometer and disposed between an electron source producing electrons and an electron analyzer in the electron spectrometer. The input lens has a reference electrode at a reference potential, a slit, first through nth electrodes, where n is an integer equal to or greater than three, arranged between the reference electrode and the slit, and a second mesh attached to the first electrode. The first through nth electrodes are arranged in this order along an optical axis. The second mesh is at a potential higher than the reference potential.

A multiple electron beam irradiation apparatus includes a forming mechanism which forms multiple primary electron beams; a plurality of electrode substrates being stacked in each of which a plurality of openings of various diameter dimensions are formed, the plurality of openings being arranged at passage positions of the multiple primary electron beams, and through each of which a corresponding one of the multiple primary electron beams passes, the plurality of electrode substrates being able to adjust an image plane conjugate position of each of the multiple primary electron beams depending on a corresponding one of the various diameter dimensions; and a stage which is capable of mounting thereon a target object to be irradiated with the multiple primary electron beams having passed through the plurality of electrode substrates.

A scanning electron microscope objective lens system is disclosed, which includes: a magnetic lens, a deflection device, a deflection control electrode, specimen to be observed, and a detection device; in which, The opening of the pole piece of the magnetic lens faces to the specimen; the deflection device is located in the magnetic lens, which includes at least one sub-deflector; the deflection control electrode is located between the detection device and the specimen, and the deflection control electrode is used to change the direction of the primary electron beam and the signal electrons generating from the specimen; the detection device comprises the first sub-detector for detecting the back-scattered electrons and the second sub-detector for detecting the second electrons. A specimen detection method is also disclosed.

A scanning electron microscope objective lens system is disclosed, which includes: a magnetic lens, a deflection device, a deflection control electrode, specimen to be observed, and a detection device; in which, The opening of the pole piece of the magnetic lens faces to the specimen; the deflection device is located in the magnetic lens, which includes at least one sub-deflector; the deflection control electrode is located between the detection device and the specimen, and the deflection control electrode is used to change the direction of the primary electron beam and the signal electrons generating from the specimen; the detection device comprises the first sub-detector for detecting the back-scattered electrons and the second sub-detector for detecting the second electrons. A specimen detection method is also disclosed.

An input lens is provided which has a large acceptance solid angle for electrons. The input lens is for use in an electron spectrometer and disposed between an electron source producing electrons and an electron analyzer in the electron spectrometer. The input lens has a reference electrode at a reference potential, a slit, first through nth electrodes, where n is an integer equal to or greater than three, arranged between the reference electrode and the slit, and a second mesh attached to the first electrode. The first through nth electrodes are arranged in this order along an optical axis. The second mesh is at a potential higher than the reference potential.