Particle-optical systems and arrangements and particle-optical components for such systems and arrangements

A charged-particle multi-beamlet system comprising:

• a source of charged particles;
• a multi-aperture plate disposed in a charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source, wherein the multi-aperture plate comprises plural apertures forming a first multi-aperture array with apertures arranged at positions of a basic pattern;
• a first multi-aperture selector plate having a main face and plural apertures forming a second multi-aperture array wherein apertures of the second multi-aperture array are arranged at positions of the basic pattern;
• a second multi-aperture selector plate having a main face and plural apertures forming a third multi-aperture array wherein apertures of the third multi-aperture array are arranged at positions of the basic pattern;
• a carrier configured so that the first multi-aperture selector plate and the second multi-aperture selector plate can be mounted on the carrier;
• an actuator configured to move the carrier such that, in a first mode of operation, the first multi-aperture selector plate is disposed in the charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source and, in a second mode of operation, the second multi-aperture selector plate is disposed in the charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source;
• wherein the source, the first multi-aperture plate and the carrier are arranged such that a first number of charged particle beamlets is generated at a position downstream of both the first multi-aperture plate and the multi-aperture selector plate;
• and
• wherein the apertures of the first multi-aperture selector plate and the second multi-aperture selector plate have diameters, and wherein the diameters of the apertures of the third multi-aperture array are greater than the diameters of the apertures of the second multi aperture array.