Beam manipulator in charged particle-beam apparatus

A manipulator array for manipulating a plurality of charged particle sub-beams each corresponding to a manipulator of the manipulator array, the manipulator array comprising:

• a substrate with major surfaces and a plurality of manipulators arrayed in an array, through each manipulator is defined a through-passage with ends that define in the major surfaces associated apertures, the through passage is configured for passage of a path of a charged particle sub-beam, an inner wall of the through-passage between the major surfaces comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to manipulate the charged particle beam, each electrode comprising doped substrate, the through-passage further defining a plurality of recesses, each recess between adjacent electrodes and each recess extending away from the path of the charged particle sub-beam for isolating the adjacent electrodes, each recess being between the adjacent electrodes and comprising an electrically insulating region between the adjacent electrodes, wherein the recess extends behind at least one of the adjacent electrodes relative to the path of the charged particle sub-beam and comprises at least part of the electrically insulating region.