Multi-beam charged particle microscope design with mirror for field curvature correction
OwnerDirk Zeidler, Thomas Schmid +1inventors
InventorsDirk Zeidler, Thomas Schmid, Wolfgang Singer
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Abstract
A multi-beam charged particle system can have reduced field curvature. The multi-beam charged particle system can comprise a charged particle mirror element for compensating a field curvature of charged particle imaging elements. The charged particle mirror element can be configured for generating during use a virtual reflection surface of curved shape for reflecting primary charged particles. The disclosure can be applied for applications of multi-beam charged particle system, where higher beam uniformity and throughput are desired.
Claims21
A multi-beam charged particle system, comprising:
- an object irradiation unit, comprising:
- a charged particle beam source configured to provide a primary charged particle beam;
- a multi-beam forming unit configured to form a plurality of primary beamlets from the primary charged particle beam;
- a plurality of lens elements comprising an objective lens, the objective lens configured to generate a plurality of focus spots of the plurality of primary beamlets in an image plane;
- a chargeable particle mirror element configured so that, when charged during use of the multi-beam charged particle system, the particle mirror element compensates a field curvature of the plurality of lens elements.
A method of operating a multi-beam charged particle system which comprises a chargeable particle mirror element, the method comprising:
- selecting a parameter setting of the multi-beam charged particle system;
- determining a field curvature of the multi-beam charged particle system with the selected parameter setting;
- determining a driving voltage to compensate the field curvature;
- providing the driving voltage to at least one electrode of the particle mirror element;
- and
- performing an application of the multi-beam charged particle system.
-23. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.