Beam pattern device having beam absorber structure

A multi-beam pattern definition device for use in a particle-beam processing or inspection apparatus, said device being adapted to be irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles and allow passage of the beam through a plurality of apertures thus forming a corresponding number of beamlets, said device comprising:

• an aperture array device in which said apertures are realized,
• wherein the aperture array device comprises at least two sets of apertures, each set of apertures comprising a plurality of apertures transparent to said beam, the apertures of each set being arranged in a substantially regular aperture arrangement on the aperture array device with the aperture arrangements of said sets being interlacing at least partially, wherein the aperture arrangements, at least in a region where the aperture arrangements are interlacing, realize mutually equivalent arrangements offset to each other by respective displacement vectors but otherwise having equivalent relative locations of apertures,
• an absorber array device located downstream of the aperture array device, said absorber array device including:
• a plurality of openings configured for the passage of beamlets that are formed by a subset of said apertures of the aperture array device,
• said plurality of openings in the absorber array device being arranged in a substantially regular arrangement corresponding to the aperture arrangement of a first set of said sets of apertures of the aperture array device in at least a region corresponding to said region where the aperture arrangements are interlacing,
• a charged-particle absorbing structure comprising absorbing regions surrounded by absorber flanks elevated with respect to said absorbing regions and configured to absorb charged particles impinging thereupon,
• said absorbing regions being located at locations corresponding to the locations of apertures in the aperture arrangements of said sets of apertures of the aperture array device other than said first set of apertures, in at least a region corresponding to said region where the aperture arrangements are interlacing.