Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Björn Gamm

Erik Essers

Stefan Meyer

Wolfgang Berger

Marko Matijevic

Judith Kimling

Jörg Fober

A particle beam column generates a particle beam of charged particles, for example electrons or ions, and direct it onto a sample. The particle beam column comprises a multi-aperture stop and a deflection system for selectively steering the particle beam through one of a plurality of apertures provided in the multi-aperture stop. The apertures have different sizes in order to limit the current strength of the particle beam to different values. The particle beam column furthermore comprises a lens for changing the divergence angle of the particle beam upstream of a first stop. The lens can comprise a magnetic lens, which comprises a magnetic core with a plurality of parts, which are electrically insulated from one another and can have substantially different electrical potentials during operation. Some of the parts of the magnetic core can have the same electrical potential as the first stop during operation.

Particle beam column

A particle beam device has a particle source, an extraction stop, an anode stop and a beam tube. A driver system of the particle beam device is configured to apply an electrical excitation stop potential to the extraction stop, to apply an electrical anode stop potential, able to be set in a variable manner, to the anode stop and to apply an electrical beam tube potential to the beam tube. A controller of the particle beam device is configured to control the driver system such that a voltage between the extraction stop and the anode stop is able to be set in a variable manner, as a result of which a current strength of the particle beam passing through the aperture of the anode stop is able to be set in a variable manner.

Particle beam device, method for operating the particle beam device and computer program product

Two types of operational parameters are used in a particle beam microscope. First parameters influence the image quality, and have settings that are alterable by a user in view of obtaining a better image quality. Second parameters characterize the mode of operation, and the image quality becomes poorer when these change. A mode of operation of the particle beam microscope includes: registering of settings of the first parameters and the second parameters, which the user undertakes in a period of time; analysing a plurality of recorded settings of the first parameters and of the second parameters; determining settings of the first parameters which are advantageous in view of the image quality on the basis of the current settings of the second parameters; and setting the determined advantageous settings of the first parameters.

Method for operating a particle beam microscope

A particle beam system is configured to perform a method which includes: preventing at least one of generation of induced particles and incidence of the induced particles onto a detection area of a detector configured to output a detection signal; generating a residual signal by processing the detection signal outputted during the preventing using a control value; adjusting, based on the residual signal, the control value so that the residual signal takes a value within a predetermined limited residual-signal target range; directing a primary particle beam onto an object while allowing generation of the induced particles due to the primary particle beam and incidence of the induced particles onto the detection area; generating a result signal by processing the detection signal outputted during the directing using the control value.

Particle beam system and method of operating a particle beam system

A particle beam system includes first and second particle beam columns. In a first operating mode, an end cap having an opening therein is outside a beam path of a first particle beam. In a second operating mode, the beam path of the first particle beam can extend through the opening of the end cap so that secondary particles coming from a work region can pass through the opening of the end cap to a detector in the interior of the first particle beam column. While the particle beam system is in the first operating mode, an image of an object arranged in the work region is recorded using the first particle beam column. While the particle beam system is in the second operating mode, the object is processed using a second particle beam.

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Koenigsbronn, Germany

Björn Gamm