Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Applied Materials Israel Limited

Pascal Anger

Dirk Zeidler

Thomas Kemen

Gerd Ludwig Benner

Christof Riedesel

Antonio Casares

The present invention concerns a charged-particle multi-beamlet system that comprises a source of charged particles (); a first multi-aperture plate () having plural apertures disposed in a charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source; a first multi-aperture selector plate () having plural apertures; a carrier (), wherein the first multi-aperture selector plate is mounted on the carrier; and an actuator () configured to move the carrier such that the first multi-aperture selector plate is disposed in the charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source in a first mode of operation of the system, and such that the first multi-aperture selector plate is disposed outside of the charged particle beam path in a second mode of operation of the system. The source, the first multi-aperture plate and the carrier of the system 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 first multi-aperture selector plate in the first mode of operation, and that a second number of charged particle beamlets is generated at the position in the second mode of operation, wherein the first number of beamlets differs from the second number of beamlets.

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

A particle optical system comprises a beam generating system () configured to generate a plurality of particle beams () and to direct the plurality of particle beams () onto an object plane (), a first deflector arrangement () arranged in the beam path of the particle beams () upstream of the object plane () and configured to deflect the plurality of particle beams () before they are incident on the object plane (), an object holder () configured to hold an object () to be inspected in the object plane (), a plurality of detectors () configured to receive and to detect the plurality of particle beams () having traversed the object plane (), wherein the detectors are arranged in a detection plane () on a side of the object plane () opposite to the beam generating system (), at least one first particle optical lens () configured to collect particles of the particle beams emanating from the object plane on the detectors (), and a controller () configured to control the first deflector arrangement () in order to deflect locations of incidence () of the particle beams () on the object plane () by deflecting the particle beams ().

Particle optical system

Growing community of inventors

Aalen, Germany

Pascal Anger