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

US9384938B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH · DE
• Applied Materials Israel Ltd. · IL

Inventors

• Dirk Zeidler · Oberkochen, DE
• Thomas Kemen · Meppen, DE
• Pascal Anger · Aalen, DE
• Antonio Casares · Aalen, DE
• Christof Riedesel · Oberkochen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 23, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 5, 2016
• Expiry date: Sep 23, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/1205
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention concerns a charged-particle multi-beamlet system that comprises a source of charged particles (301); a first multi-aperture plate (320) having plural apertures disposed in a charged particle beam path of the system downstream of the source; a first multi-aperture selector plate (313) having plural apertures; a carrier (340), wherein the first multi-aperture selector plate is mounted on the carrier; and an actuator (350) 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 m…