Charged particle beam system and method of operating the same

A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprising:

• extracting a particle beam from a source;
• performing a first accelerating of at least some particles of the particle beam;
• forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the particle beam downstream from the first accelerating of the particles of the particle beam;
• performing a first decelerating of at least some particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the forming of the plurality of particle beamlets;
• performing a first accelerating of at least some particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the first decelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets;
• deflecting the particle beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of the particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the first decelerating of the particles of the particle beamlets;
• and
• performing a second decelerating of at least some particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the deflecting the particle beamlets,
• wherein the particles of the particle beamlets are incident on an object surface after performing the second decelerating.

A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprising:

• extracting a particle beam from a source;
• performing a first accelerating of at least some particles of the particle beam;
• performing a second accelerating of the particles of the particle beam downstream the first accelerating;
• performing a first decelerating of at least some particles of the particle beam downstream from the second accelerating;
• forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the particle beam downstream from the first decelerating, and accelerating at least some particles of the particle beamlets downstream of said forming;
• deflecting the particle beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the forming of the plurality of particle beamlets:
• and
• performing a first decelerating of at least some particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the deflecting the particle beamlets,
• wherein the particles of the particle beamlets are incident on an object surface after performing the second decelerating.

A method of operating a charged particle beam system, the method comprising:

• extracting a particle beam from a source;
• performing a first accelerating of at least some particles of the particle beam;
• performing a first decelerating of at least some particles of the particle beam downstream from the first accelerating;
• performing a second accelerating of at least some particles of the particle beam downstream from the first decelerating;
• forming a plurality of particle beamlets from the particle beam downstream from the second accelerating, and accelerating at least some particles of the particle beamlets downstream of said forming;
• deflecting the particle beamlets in a direction oriented transverse to a direction of propagation of particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the forming of the plurality of particle beamlets:
• and
• performing a first decelerating of at least some particles of the particle beamlets downstream from the deflecting the beamlets,
• wherein the particles of the particle beamlets are incident on an object surface after performing the second decelerating.