Methods and systems for raster scanning a surface of an object using a particle beam

摘要

A method of raster scanning a surface of an object using a particle beam comprises determining a basic set of raster points within a surface; determining a surface portion of the surface of the object, wherein the surface portion is to be raster scanned; ordering a set of raster points of the basic set located within the surface portion; and scanning of the surface portion by directing the particle beam onto the raster points of the ordered set in an order corresponding to an order of the raster points in the ordered set from the outside to the inside, i.e. starting from the boundary of the surface portion towards its center, or in the reverse order, i.e. from the inside to the outside.