Charged particle energy filter

摘要

A multi-element electrostatic chicane energy filter, with the addition of electrostatic quadrupole and hexapole excitations to the dipole elements. A charged particle energy filter according to the present invention with a combination of dipole, quadrupole, and hexapole elements capable of producing a line focus at an aperture reduces space-charge effects and aperture damage. A preferred embodiment allows the filter to act as a conjugate blanking system. The energy filter is capable of narrowing the energy spread to result in a smaller beam.

主权项

1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instruction that, when executed, cause a computer to direct an operation of an energy filter of a charged particle beam system,
wherein the energy filter comprises:
an entrance and an exit for passing a charged particle beam passing through the energy filter, said charged particle beam being directed on an axis;at least four deflectors arranged in series configuration between the entrance and the exit for focusing and deflecting the charged particle beam passing through the energy filter; andan aperture positioned between two of the deflectors of the at least four deflectors, wherein the operation of the energy filter comprises:
deflecting a charged particle beam off of the axis and then back on the axis by applying dipole excitation to the at least four deflectors; andwidening a width of the charged particle beam and forming the charged particle beam into a line focus at the aperture by applying the quadrupole excitations to the at least four deflectors.