# US 2019/0355544 A1 · Charged particle beam system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0355544 A1 - Document ID: US20190355544A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/530,077 - Filed: 2019-08-02 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-20 - Assignees: Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH - Applicants: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH - Inventors: Christoph Riedesel; Dirk Zeidler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190355544A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/09: Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields - H01J 37/10: Lenses - H01J 37/147: Arrangements for directing or deflecting the discharge along a desired path ({H01J37/045 take precedence;} lenses H01J37/10) - H01J 37/222: {Image processing arrangements associated with the tube} - H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor - H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} - H01J 2237/0044: of objects being observed or treated - H01J 2237/1536: Image distortions due to scanning - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A charged particle beam system includes a charged particle source, a multi beam generator, an objective lens, a projection system, and a detector system. The projection system includes a first subcomponent configured to provide low frequency adjustments, and the projection system comprises a second subcomponent configured to provide a high frequency adjustments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A charged particle beam system, comprising: a charged particle source configured to generate a first charged particle beam; a multi beam generator configured to generate a plurality of charged particle beamlets from an incoming first charged particle beam such that each individual beamlet of the plurality of charged particle beamlets is spatially separated from other beamlets of the plurality of charged particle beamlets; an objective lens configured to focus incoming charged particle beamlets in a first plane so that a first region in which a first individual beamlet of the plurality of charged particle beamlets impinges in the first plane is spatially separated from a second region in which a second individual beamlet of the plurality of charged particle beamlets impinges in the first plane; a projection system; and a detector system comprising a plurality of individual detectors, wherein: the projection system is configured to image interaction products leaving the first region within the first plane due to impinging charged particles onto a first one of the plurality of individual detectors; the projection system is configured to image interaction products leaving the second region in the first plane due to impinging charged particles onto a second one of the plurality of individual detectors; the projection system comprises a first subcomponent configured to provide low frequency adjustments; and the projection system comprises a second subcomponent configured to provide a high frequency adjustments. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam system of claim 1, wherein the second subcomponent comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of an electrostatic lens, an electrostatic deflector, and an electrostatic stigmator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The charged particle beam system of claim 2, wherein the projection system comprises a current monitoring aperture in a cross-over plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The charged particle beam system of claim 3, further comprising a fast CCD camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The charged particle beam system of claim 4, further comprising one or more processing devices and one or more machine-readable hardware storage devices comprising instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising: analyzing an actual state of the projection system; and manipulating the second subcomponent during scanning of a sample by the plurality of charged particle beamlets. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The charged particle beam system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting the second subcomponent in a manner that positions and/or forms of beam spots of the interaction products on the individual detectors are kept constant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The charged particle beam system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting the projection system in a two-step mode, wherein: in a first step the first component is adjusted while the second subcomponent is kept constant or switched-off; and in a second step the second subcomponent is adjusted while the first subcomponent is kept constant. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam system of claim 1, wherein the projection system comprises a current monitoring aperture in a cross-over plane. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam system of claim 1, further comprising a fast CCD camera. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam system of claim 1, further comprising one or more processing devices and one or more machine-readable hardware storage devices comprising instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising: analyzing an actual state of the projection system; and manipulating the second subcomponent during scanning of a sample by the plurality of charged particle beamlets. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam system of claim 1, wherein the second subcomponent comprises an electrostatic micro-optics array. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: a) aligning a multi beam charged particle beam system using static methods and static charged particle optical elements of the multi beam charged particle beam system; b) rigging and starting a workflow; and c) activating a fast multi beam projection alignment system of the multi beam charged particle beam system before a first image is recorded, and d) controlling the fast multi beam projection alignment system for an optimal imaging of interaction products onto a plurality of detectors, wherein, during a), the fast multi beam projection alignment system is in an off state. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising recording images of patterns of a plurality of secondary charged particle beamlets. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: analyzing the recorded images; deducting appropriate voltages to correct deviations of the recorded patterns from desired patterns; and applying the deducted voltages to appropriate components of the fast multi beam projection alignment system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring a centering of the plurality of secondary charged particle beamlets in a crossover plane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting the fast multi beam projection alignment system at least two times while simultaneously scanning a sample by a plurality of primary charged particle beamlets. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting the fast multi beam projection alignment system at least two times while simultaneously scanning a sample by a plurality of primary charged particle beamlets. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting the fast multi beam projection alignment system at least two times while simultaneously scanning a sample by a plurality of primary charged particle beamlets. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising monitoring a centering of the plurality of secondary charged particle beamlets in a crossover plane. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting the fast multi beam projection alignment system at least two times while simultaneously scanning a sample by a plurality of primary charged particle beamlets.