Abstract:
According to embodiments of the present invention, an aberration correction apparatus is provided. The aberration correction apparatus includes an aberration correction unit including a first conductive element, and a second conductive element arranged rotationally symmetrical about the first conductive element, wherein the aberration correction unit is arranged to propagate an annular beam having charged particles in between the first conductive element and the second conductive element such that propagation of the annular beam through the aberration correction unit is rotationally symmetrical about the first conductive element, and wherein the aberration correction unit is configured to generate, between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, a magnetic field force and an electric field force directed in opposite directions and superimposed on each other to act on the charged particles to change a trajectory of the charged particles, and an annular aperture optically coupled to the aberration correction unit.
Abstract:
A sequential radial mirror analyser (RMA) (100) for facilitating rotationally symmetric detection of charged particles caused by a charged beam incident on a specimen (112) is disclosed. The RMA comprises a 0V equipotential exit grid (116), and a plurality of electrodes (119, 120a, 120b, 120c) electrically configured to generate corresponding electrostatic fields for deflecting at least some of the charged particles of a single energy level to exit through the exit grid (116) to form a second-order focal point on a detector (106). The second-order focal point is associated with the single energy level, and the detector (106) is disposed external to the corresponding electrostatic fields. A related method is also disclosed.
Abstract:
A cathode structure for cold field electron emission and method of fabricating a single-tip cathode structure for cold field electron emission. The cathode structure comprises a pointed cathode wire; and a graphene-based coating on at least a tip of the pointed cathode wire. In a preferred embodiment, graphene is coated on nickel tips by chemical vapour deposition wherein nickel functions as a catalyst for growth of graphene. The cathode structure provides stable cold field emission for electron microscopy and lithography applications and exhibits an ultralow work function value of about 1.1 eV.
Abstract:
A corrector structure and a method for correcting aberration of an annular focused charged-particle beam, the corrector structure comprising a plurality of lenses configured for reducing second-order geometric aberration in the charged-particle beam.
Abstract:
A gun configured to generate charged particles, comprising a ring-cathode (200) electrically configured to generate a charged particle beam; a lens arranged to focus the charged particle beam on a specimen; and at least one correction focusing electrode (1406) arranged to generate at least one electrostatic/magnetic field to further divergently/convergently focus the charged particle beam for correcting in-plane geometric aberrations associated with the lens, the focusing being based on the in-plane geometric aberrations associated with the lens. A related method is also disclosed.