	US 12,293,896 B2
	Particle beam system
Dirk Zeidler, Oberkochen (DE); Hans Fritz, Glottertal (DE); Ingo Mueller, Aalen (DE); Stefan Schubert, Oberkochen (DE); Arne Thoma, Aalen (DE); and András Major, Oberkochen (DE)
Assigned to Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed by Carl Zeiss MultiSEM GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/125,825.
Application 17/125,825 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2019/066058, filed on Jun. 18, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102018115012.1 (DE), filed on Jun. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0142980 A1, May 13, 2021
Int. Cl. H01J 37/317 (2006.01); H01J 37/14 (2006.01); H01J 37/147 (2006.01)

CPC H01J 37/3177 (2013.01) [H01J 37/14 (2013.01); H01J 37/1471 (2013.01); H01J 2237/0453 (2013.01); H01J 2237/141 (2013.01)]

33 Claims

1. A particle beam system, comprising:

a.) a multi-beam particle source configured to generate a first multiplicity of particle beams;

b.) a first imaging optical unit having an optical axis, the first imaging unit configured to:

i) particle-optically image a first object plane into an image plane; and

ii) direct the first multiplicity of particle beams onto the image plane; and

c.) a field generating arrangement configured to generate electric and/or magnetic deflection fields of adjustable strength,

wherein:

during operation of the particle beam system, the first multiplicity of particle beams are deflected by the deflection fields of the field generating arrangement by deflection angles dependent on the strength of the deflection fields;

the field generating arrangement is configured so that, for one particle beam, two straight lines coincide with a trajectory of the particle beam before entering the field generating arrangement and after emerging from the field generating arrangement;

the two straight lines are in a first plane;

the two straight lines intersect at a vertex;

the two straight lines define a deflection angle between each other;

the vertex is in a second plane parallel to the object plane;

the vertex is a first distance from the optical axis;

a normal to the first plane through the vertex is a second distance from the optical axis;

the second distance is less than 0.99 times the first distance;

the second plane is a third distance from the object plane;

the image plane is a fourth distance from the object plane; and

the third distance is less than 0.1 times the fourth distance.