Stage assembly, particle-optical apparatus comprising such a stage assembly, and method of treating a sample in such an apparatus

A method of treating a sample in the in a charged particle beam system, comprising:

• mounting a sample on a sample table;
• translating the sample table in three dimensions along an X-axis perpendicular to a reference plane, a Y-axis parallel to the reference plane, and a Z-axis parallel to the reference plane, said X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis being mutually orthogonal and passing through a reference point;
• rotating the sample table about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z-axis;
• rotating the sample table about a flip axis substantially perpendicular to the Z-axis;
• rotating the flip axis about the rotation axis;
• and
• directing a charged particle beam toward the sample.

A stage assembly for charged particle beam, comprising:

• a flip assembly for holding a sample table and rotating the sample table about a flip assembly axis;
• a support supporting the flip assembly, the support being rotatable around a rotational axis, substantially perpendicular to the flip axis, to rotate the flip assembly;
• and
• actuators for causing the flip assembly to translate in three dimensions.

A stage assembly for positioning a sample, comprising:

• a sample table for mounting a sample;
• and
• a set of actuators, arranged so as to effect translation of the sample table along directions substantially parallel to an X-axis perpendicular to a reference plane, a Y-axis parallel to the reference plane, and a Z-axis parallel to the reference plan, said X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis being mutually orthogonal,
• the set of actuators being further arranged to effect:
• rotation of the sample table about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z-axis, and;
• rotation of the sample table about a flip axis substantially perpendicular to the Z-axis, in which the flip axis is itself rotatable about the rotation axis.