Apparatus and method for analysing a sample by means of electrically charged particles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for imaging and/or analyzing and/or processing a sample by means of electrically charged particles, for example using a transmission or scanning electron microscope. The object of the invention is to reduce the influence of magnetic fields. For this purpose, an apparatus is proposed for imaging and/or analyzing a sample with high resolution by means of electrically charged particles, in particular using an electron beam, the apparatus comprising: a device for providing electrically charged particles; a chamber comprising means for receiving and holding the sample; a device for guiding the electrically charged particles along a central axis MZ towards the chamber; and a detector. A sample arranged in the chamber can be subjected to the electrically charged particles during operation. Furthermore, a device is provided for compensating for a magnetic interference field and for establishing a preferably elongated compensation volume having its greatest extent along the central axis MZ, wherein an existing magnetic interference field can be reduced within the compensation volume during operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.