Method for operating a particle beam apparatus, computer program product and particle beam apparatus for carrying out the method

A non-transitory computer readable medium containing software which is loadable into a processor and which, when executed, causes a particle beam apparatus to perform the following steps:

• generating a particle beam having charged particles using a beam generator of the particle beam apparatus;
• using a first guiding device to guide the particle beam away from an optical axis of the particle beam apparatus with a first angle with respect to the optical axis;
• using a second guiding device to guide the particle beam to the optical axis with a second angle with respect to the optical axis in such a way that the particle beam is guided to first positions on a surface of the object that are arranged along a first geometrical shape on the surface of the object;
• guiding the particle beam using the first guiding device away from the optical axis with a third angle with respect to the optical axis;
• guiding the particle beam using the second guiding device to the optical axis with a fourth angle with respect to the optical axis in such a way that the particle beam is guided to second positions on the surface of the object that are arranged along a second geometrical shape on the surface of the object;
• providing a first guiding signal for guiding the particle beam using a control device and a first signal connection between the control device and the first guiding device;
• providing a second guiding signal for guiding the particle beam using the control device and a second signal connection between the control device and the second guiding device;
• providing the first guiding signal and the second guiding signal based on a first distance of a center point arranged on the surface of the object to the first geometrical shape to guide the particle beam along the first geometrical shape;
• and
• providing the first guiding signal and the second guiding signal based on a second distance of the center point to the second geometrical shape to guide the particle beam along the second geometrical shape, wherein guiding the particle beam along the first geometrical shape and/or along the second geometrical shape is quicker than guiding the particle beam from the first geometrical shape to the second geometrical shape.

A particle beam apparatus for processing, imaging and/or analyzing an object, comprising:

• at least one beam generator that generates a particle beam having charged particles;
• at least one first guiding device that guides the particle beam;
• at least one second guiding device that guides the particle beam;
• at least one control device that provides a first guiding signal and a second guiding signal for guiding the particle beam;
• at least one first signal connection that is arranged between the control device and the first guiding device;
• at least one second signal connection that is arranged between the control device and the second guiding device;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium containing software which is loadable into at least one processor that is arranged in or on the control device, wherein the software, when executed by the processor, causes the particle beam apparatus to perform the following steps:
• generating a particle beam having charged particles using a beam generator of the particle beam apparatus;
• using a first guiding device to guide the particle beam away from an optical axis of the particle beam apparatus with a first angle with respect to the optical axis;
• using a second guiding device to guide the particle beam to the optical axis with a second angle with respect to the optical axis in such a way that the particle beam is guided to first positions on a surface of the object that are arranged along a first geometrical shape on the surface of the object;
• guiding the particle beam using the first guiding device away from the optical axis with a third angle with respect to the optical axis;
• guiding the particle beam using the second guiding device to the optical axis with a fourth angle with respect to the optical axis in such a way that the particle beam is guided to second positions on the surface of the object that are arranged along a second geometrical shape on the surface of the object;
• providing a first guiding signal for guiding the particle beam using a control device and a first signal connection between the control device and the first guiding device;
• providing a second guiding signal for guiding the particle beam using the control device and a second signal connection between the control device and the second guiding device;
• providing the first guiding signal and the second guiding signal based on a first distance of a center point arranged on the surface of the object to the first geometrical shape to guide the particle beam along the first geometrical shape;
• and
• providing the first guiding signal and the second guiding signal based on a second distance of the center point to the second geometrical shape to guide the particle beam along the second geometrical shape, wherein guiding the particle beam along the first geometrical shape and/or along the second geometrical shape is quicker than guiding the particle beam from the first geometrical shape to the second geometrical shape.