Charged particle multi-beam inspection system and method of operating the same

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

• directing a plurality of primary charged particle beams onto an object such that an array of beam spots is produced on the object, wherein the array of beam spots can be displaced relative to the object;
• a first recording operation including maintaining each beam spot of the array of beam spots at a respective location of the object for a predetermined duration and detecting electrons originating from the beam spots;
• a first advance operation including displacing the array of beam spots relative to the object from an initial position to a next position such that the next position is displaced from the initial position by a first distance;
• a second advance operation including displacing the array of beam spots relative to the object from an initial position to a next position such that the next position is displaced from the initial position by a second distance which is greater than the first distance;
• a second recording operation including repeatedly performing a sequence of the first recording operation and the first advance operation such that each beam spot is maintained at each of plural different locations on the object for the predetermined duration;
• and
• a third recording operation including repeatedly performing a sequence of the second recording operation and the second advance operation such that plural different beam spots are maintained at each of the plural different locations on the object for the predetermined duration.

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

• directing a plurality of primary charged particle beams onto an object such that an array of beam spots is produced on the object, wherein the array of beam spots can be displaced relative to the object, wherein each charged particle beam is focused near the object, and wherein focus positions of the beams can be collectively changed in the direction of the beams;
• a first recording operation including maintaining each beam spot of the array of beam spots at a respective location of the object for a predetermined duration and detecting electrons originating from the beam spots;
• a first advance operation including displacing the array of beam spots relative to the object from an initial position to a next position such that the next position is displaced from the initial position by a first distance;
• a second recording operation including repeatedly performing a sequence of the first recording operation and the first advance operation such that each beam spot is maintained at each of plural different locations on the object for the predetermined duration;
• a third recording operation including repeatedly performing a sequence of the second recording operation and collectively changing the focus positions of the beams, such that each beam spot is repeatedly maintained at a given location on the object for the predetermined duration.