High performance inspection scanning electron microscope device and method of operating the same

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

• generating charged particles forming a charged particle beam with a cold field emitter having a tungsten tip;
• in an acceleration section, accelerating the charged particles;
• collimating the charged particle beam by a magnetic condenser lens;
• focusing the charged particle beam onto a surface of a specimen a combined action of the magnetic condenser lens and a magnetic objective lens having an inner pole piece and an outer pole piece, wherein an axial distance between the inner pole piece of the magnetic objective lens and the surface of a specimen amounts to less than approximately 20 mm, and wherein the axial distance is larger than a further axial distance between the outer pole piece and the surface of the specimen;
• and
• a deceleration section, decelerating the charged particles to a landing energy at the surface of the specimen.

An scanning electron device comprising:

• a charged particle beam arrangement, comprising:
• a charged particle source including a cold field emitter having a single crystal tip;
• an extraction electrode assembly configured to extract a charged particle beam from the charged particle source;
• a beam limiting aperture between the charged particle source and a magnetic condenser lens;
• the magnetic condenser lens adapted for collimating the charged particle beam and comprising a first inner pole piece and a first outer pole piece, wherein a first axial distance between the charged particle source and the first inner pole piece is equal or less than approximately 20 mm and wherein the first axial distance is larger than a second axial distance between the charged particle source and the first outer pole piece;
• an acceleration section for accelerating the charged particle beam to an energy of 10 keV or more, a field of the magnetic condenser lens overlaps, at least partially, with the acceleration section;
• a magnetic objective lens comprising a second inner pole piece and a second outer pole piece, a third axial distance between the second inner pole piece and a surface of a specimen is equal to or less than approximately 20 mm, and wherein the third axial distance is larger than a fourth axial distance between the second outer pole piece and the surface of the specimen, a combined action of the magnetic condenser lens and the magnetic objective lens focuses the charged particle beam onto the surface of the specimen;
• and
• a deceleration section for decelerating the charged particle beam from the energy of 10 keV or more to a landing energy of 2 keV or below, a field of the magnetic objective lens overlaps, at least partially, with the deceleration section.