The invention is directed to an arrangement for the illumination of a substrate with a plurality of individually shaped, controllable particle beams, particularly for electron beam lithography in the semiconductor industry. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for illuminating a substrate with a plurality of individually shaped, controllable particle beamlets which permits a high-resolution structuring of substrates with a high substrate throughput without limiting the flexibility of the applicable structure patterns or limiting the high substrate throughput due to a required flexibility.