Methods for influencing charged particle beams, multipole devices, and charged particle beam apparatus

Abstract

To provide a multipole device having first and second multipoles provided on the same substrate.SOLUTION: A method includes directing a charged particle beam (11) through at least one aperture (102) of a multipole device (100, 200) including a first multipole (110, 210) having four or more first electrodes (111, 211) and a second multipole (120, 220) having four or more second electrodes (121, 221) arranged in a same cross-sectional plane, the first and second electrodes being arranged alternately around the at least one aperture (102), and at least one of exciting the first multipole to provide a first field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a first manner and exciting the second multipole to provide a second field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a second manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] Embodiments described in the present specification relate to a charged particle beam apparatus for, for example, inspection system applications, test system applications, lithography system applications, defect review, or critical dimensioning applications. Specifically, the embodiments relate to an electron beam inspection apparatus, and more specifically, to a scanning electron microscope. The embodiments described in the present specification further relate to a multipole device for influencing a charged particle beam in a charged particle beam apparatus, and a method for influencing a charged particle beam using the multipole device. Specifically, the embodiments described in the present specification relate to a multipole device and a method for influencing an electron beam in a specific manner, particularly in electronic inspection and imaging systems, for example, by deflecting, scanning, and / or correcting the electron beam. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Modern semiconductor technology creates high demand for structuring and probing of samples on nanometer or even sub-nanometer scales. Process control, inspection, or structuring on micrometer and nanometer scales is often performed using charged particle beams, for example electron beams, which are generated, formed, deflected, and focused in charged particle beam apparatuses such as electron microscopes or electron beam pattern generators. For inspection purposes, charged particle beams provide superior spatial resolution compared to, for example, photon beams.

[0003] Inspection apparatuses using charged particle beams such as scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) have many functions in multiple industrial fields, including but not limited to inspection of electronic circuits during manufacturing, exposure systems for lithography, detection systems, defect inspection tools, and test systems for integrated circuits. In such particle beam systems, fine beam probes with high current density can be used. For example, in the case of an SEM, a primary electron beam generates signal particles such as secondary electrons (SE) and / or backscattered electrons (BSE) that can be used for imaging and analyzing a sample. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] However, rapidly inspecting and / or imaging samples with a small charged particle beam apparatus is difficult. Specifically, various scanning deflectors, alignment deflectors, lenses, beam correctors, and / or other beam optics components may be installed along the optical axis within the vacuum housing of the charged particle beam apparatus, which can consume a considerable amount of space. However, space is generally limited in the charged particle beam apparatus, especially in the area near the objective lens.

[0005] Some charged particle beam apparatuses use multipole devices, such as electrostatic multipoles, for beam deflection and / or beam correction. Higher-order multipoles, such as 16-pole or 32-pole multipoles, can be used for various purposes, for example, as quadrupoles or octupoles. However, typical higher-order multipoles are complex devices, and it is difficult to reliably excite each of the numerous electrodes to the appropriate voltage at the appropriate time. Therefore, higher-order multipoles are generally adapted to affect the charged particle beam in a specific way, for example, to correct higher-order aberrations.

[0006] In light of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a compact multipole device adapted to flexibly and reliably influence a charged particle beam. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a method for flexibly and reliably influencing a charged particle beam within a charged particle beam apparatus, even when only limited space is available. Finally, it would be advantageous to provide a charged particle beam apparatus suitable for influencing a charged particle beam in a desired manner within a limited space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the foregoing, a method for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis, a multipole device for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis, and a charged particle beam apparatus for inspecting or imaging a sample are provided by independent claims.

[0008] According to a first embodiment, a method is provided for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis. The method involves guiding a charged particle through at least one aperture of a multipole device including a first multipole having four or more first electrodes and a second multipole having four or more second electrodes arranged in the same cross-sectional plane, wherein the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes are alternately arranged around the at least one aperture; and at least one of exciting the first multipole to provide a first field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a first way and exciting the second multipole to provide a second field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a second way.

[0009] In another embodiment, a multipole device is provided for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis. The multipole device includes a substrate having at least one aperture for a charged particle beam, the at least one aperture extending through the substrate along an optical axis; a first multipole including four or more first electrodes provided on the substrate; a second multipole including four or more second electrodes provided on the substrate, the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes being arranged alternately around at least one aperture; a first power supply array for connecting the first electrodes to a first voltage source; and a second power supply array for connecting the second electrodes to a second voltage source.

[0010] The first power array can be configured to excite a first multipole to provide a first field distribution for influencing a charged particle beam in a first way, for example, to deflect ("beam shift") the charged particle beam. The second power array can be configured to excite a second multipole to provide a second field distribution for influencing a charged particle beam in a second way, for example, to scan ("beam scan") the charged particle beam, and the first and second field distributions can be superimposed on each other.

[0011] In another embodiment, a charged particle beam apparatus is provided for imaging and / or inspecting a sample using a charged particle beam, in particular an electron beam. The charged particle beam apparatus may include a charged particle beam source for generating a charged particle beam, an objective lens for focusing the charged particle beam onto a sample, and a multipole device for influencing the charged particle beam, wherein the multipole device is configured according to any of the embodiments described herein.

[0012] Charged particle beam systems can provide a large field of view and enable large beam shifts when multipole devices are arranged near or inside the objective lens.

[0013] A multipole device may include a first multipole adapted to, for example, beam deflection ("beam shift") for influencing a charged particle beam in a first way, and a second multipole adapted to, for example, beam scanning ("beam scanning") in conjunction with beam shift for influencing a charged particle beam in a second way.

[0014] The embodiments further relate to apparatus for carrying out the disclosed method, including apparatus parts for performing individual method actions. The method can be carried out by hardware parts, by a computer programmed with appropriate software, by any combination of these two, or in any other way. Furthermore, the embodiments also relate to methods for operating the described apparatus.

[0015] Further advantages, features, aspects, and details that can be combined with the embodiments described herein are evident from the dependent claims, description, and drawings.

[0016] To enable a more detailed understanding of the features described above in this disclosure, a more detailed description of what has been concisely summarized above can be obtained by referring to the embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to one or more embodiments and are described below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a multipole device according to an embodiment described herein, adapted to operate in accordance with any of the methods described herein. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a multipole device according to an embodiment described herein, adapted to operate in accordance with any of the methods described herein. [Figure 3a] This figure shows the multipole device in Figure 2 in a first operating mode in which the first multipole generates a bipolar field. [Figure 3b] This figure shows the multipole device in Figure 2 in a first operating mode in which the first multipole generates a bipolar field. [Figure 3c] This figure shows the multipole device in Figure 2 in a first operating mode in which the first multipole generates a bipolar field. [Figure 3d] This figure shows the bipolar field generated by a conventional octupole. [Figure 4] This figure shows the multipole device in Figure 2 in a second operating mode in which the first multipole generates a quadrupole field. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of a charged particle beam apparatus according to an embodiment described herein. [Figure 6] This flowchart illustrates a method for influencing a charged particle beam according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 7]It is a flow chart illustrating a method of affecting a charged particle beam according to an embodiment described in the present specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. In the following description with respect to the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components. Generally, only differences between individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation, and is not meant to be limiting. Furthermore, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used in or in combination with other embodiments to yield further additional embodiments. The description is intended to include such modifications and variations.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multipole device 100 for affecting a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis A according to an embodiment described in the present specification. The multipole device 100 includes a substrate 103 having at least one aperture 102 for the charged particle beam. The at least one aperture 102 extends through the substrate 103 along the optical axis A.

[0020] The multipole device 100 includes a first multipole 110 having four or more first electrodes 111 provided on the substrate 103, and a second multipole 120 having four or more second electrodes 121 provided on the substrate 103. The first electrodes 111 and the second electrodes 121 may be arranged on the same main surface of the substrate 103, particularly in the same cross-sectional plane perpendicularly intersecting the optical axis A. Accordingly, a charged particle beam propagating through the at least one aperture 102 can be affected by the first multipole 110 and the second multipole 120 in a beam interaction space at or near the center of the at least one aperture 102.

[0021] The first multipole 110 can be an electrostatic multipole or a magnetic multipole. The second multipole 120 can be an electrostatic multipole or a magnetic multipole. In some embodiments, both the first multipole 110 and the second multipole 120 are electrostatic multipole. An electrostatic multipole is configured to influence a charged particle beam by an electric field, and the electrodes of an electrostatic multipole are generally conductors (e.g., conductive objects or traces) that can be set to a predetermined potential. A magnetic multipole is configured to influence a charged particle beam by a magnetic field, and the electrodes of a magnetic multipole are generally magnets (e.g., coils) that can provide a predetermined magnetic field.

[0022] As schematically shown in Figure 1, the first electrode 111 of the first multipole 110 can be arranged at equidistant angular positions around at least one aperture 102, and the second electrode 121 of the second multipole 120 can be arranged at equidistant angular positions around at least one aperture 102. For example, if the first multipole 110 and the second multipole 120 are quadrupoles (as shown in Figure 1), the four first electrodes 111 can be arranged such that two adjacent first electrodes surround an angle of 90° with respect to the optical axis A (for example, the first electrodes are positioned at Θ1 = 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°), and the four second electrodes 121 can be arranged such that two adjacent second electrodes surround an angle of 90° with respect to the optical axis A (for example, the second electrodes are positioned at Θ2 = 45°, 135°, 225°, and 315°).

[0023] Four or more first electrodes 111 and four or more second electrodes 121 are arranged alternately around at least one opening 102. In the figure, the first electrodes 111 are indicated by the first hatching and the second electrodes 121 are indicated by the second hatching, so that the alternating arrangement of the first electrodes 111 and second electrodes 121 around at least one opening is clearly visible.

[0024] Therefore, the multipole device 100 includes two separate multipoles arranged alternately on the same substrate, with the substrate forming a support for the electrodes. Since the two separate multipoles are arranged on the same substrate in the same cross-sectional plane and interact with the charged particle beam in the same beam interaction region, space can be saved, and a compact multipole device is provided. For example, a multipole device having at least two separate multipoles can be placed in or near an objective lens, where space is generally limited.

[0025] A “multipole” can be understood as an array of electrodes (e.g., electrodes for providing electric and / or magnetic fields) configured to influence a charged particle beam in a particular way. Each multipole in the multipole devices described herein has at least four electrodes. For example, a multipole can be a quadrupole with four electrodes, an octupole with eight electrodes, or a higher-order multipole such as a 12-pole or 16-pole.

[0026] A quadrupole with four electrodes can, of course, be used to generate a quadrupole field for aberration correction (e.g., astigmatism correction), but a quadrupole can also be used to generate a bipolar field that can be applied in a selectable direction. Thus, a quadrupole can be used as a beam deflector to deflect a beam in a selectable deflection direction. Similarly, an octupole can, of course, be used to generate an octupole field, but an octupole can also be used to generate a quadrupole field acting in a selectable direction (e.g., for astigmatism correction), and an octupole can also be used to generate a bipolar field acting in a selectable direction (e.g., to deflect a charged particle beam in a selectable deflection direction).

[0027] According to embodiments described herein, two multipoles (at least quadrupoles or higher-order multipoles) are provided on the same substrate in the same cross-sectional plane, so that a charged particle beam can be influenced in at least two different ways using a single compact multipole device within a small beam interaction space. For example, the first multipole can be configured for beam correction, the second multipole for beam alignment, or the first multipole can be configured to deflect ("beam shift") the beam to a particular region of interest in a sample, and the second multipole can be configured to scan ("beam scan") the beam across the sample within the particular region of interest. Thus, a flexible, compact multipole device is provided by embodiments described herein.

[0028] The multipole device 100 may further include a first power supply array 116 for connecting the first electrode 111 of the first multipole 110 to a first voltage source 115, and a second power supply array 126 for connecting the second electrode 121 of the second multipole 120 to a second voltage source 125. By connecting each of the first and second multipoles to separate voltage sources, control of each multipole is facilitated and, in practice, the provision of two separate multipoles is ensured. For example, the first electrode 111 of the first multipole can be ensured to be excited and controlled at a predetermined voltage, respectively, without adversely affecting the voltage source of the second electrode of the second multipole, and without being adversely affected by the voltage source of the second electrode of the second multipole, when the first and second multipoles are connected to different voltage sources. Furthermore, the first voltage source 115 can be adapted in particular to a first multipole task (which may be a strongly slowly changing or periodically constant beam deflection, also referred herein as “beam shifting”, which is advantageously performed by a low-speed, high-voltage power supply), and the second voltage source 125 can be adapted in particular to a second multipole task (which may be a rapid scanning of a charged particle beam, also referred herein as “beam scanning”, which is advantageously performed by a high-speed, low-voltage power supply).

[0029] Therefore, even though the multipole device 100 in Figure 1 includes a total of eight electrodes arranged around at least one aperture 102, the multipole device 100 in Figure 1 is substantially different from a conventional octupole with eight electrodes, which is powered by a single voltage source and therefore can only be excited in one way at a time, for example, for deflection or beam correction. Furthermore, since a conventional octupole is powered by a single voltage source with eight output terminals, a voltage change at some output terminals will affect the other output terminals, and as a result, a conventional octupole can only apply one common field distribution provided by all the electrodes of the octupole at once. In contrast to a conventional octupole, the multipole device 100 in Figure 1 includes two separate quadrupoles that can be controlled and operated completely independently by being connected to their respective voltage sources via their respective power supply arrays. Therefore, each quadrupole can be adapted to a specific task, and changes in the output voltage of the output terminal of the first voltage source do not affect the output terminal of the second voltage source. As a result, the first and second quadrupoles can be controlled independently, thereby enabling more accurate and reliable beam control.

[0030] Specifically, the first multipole 110 may be excited to provide a first field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a first way, and the second multipole 120 may be excited to provide a second field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a second way (simultaneously or subsequently, as necessary).

[0031] The multipole device 100 described herein can be used to influence a charged particle beam, particularly an electron beam, propagating along an optical axis A, as follows: The charged particle beam can be guided through at least one aperture 102 of the multipole device 100, which includes a first multipole 110 having four or more first electrodes 111 arranged in a cross-sectional plane and a second multipole 120 having four or more second electrodes 121, the four or more first electrodes 111 and the four or more second electrodes 121 being arranged alternately around at least one aperture 102.

[0032] The first multipole 110 can be excited to provide a first field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a first way. Simultaneously or subsequently, the second multipole 120 can be excited to provide a second field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a second way.

[0033] The first method of influencing a charged particle beam can be selected from the group consisting of beam deflection, beam scanning, aberration correction, astigmation, collimation, focusing, beam alignment, and blanking. The second method of influencing a charged particle beam can be selected from the group consisting of beam deflection, beam scanning, aberration correction, astigmation, collimation, focusing, beam alignment, and blanking. The second method generally differs from the first method. For example, the first field distribution can result in a shift of the charged particle beam to a specific region of interest in the sample within the xy plane (which is the plane of the sample), while the second field distribution can result in a rapid scanning of the beam across the sample in the said region of interest. In another example, the first field distribution can result in aberration correction of the charged particle beam, such as astigmatism correction, while the second field distribution can result in a rapid scanning of the beam across the sample, or beam alignment of the charged particle beam to propagate along a predetermined beam path. Other examples are possible in which two multipole systems can influence a charged particle beam in two different ways.

[0034] In some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first and / or second field distributions can be selected from the group consisting of a bipolar field with selectable azimuthal angles, a quadrupole field with selectable azimuthal angles, and an octupole field. For example, the first field distribution may be a bipolar field with selectable azimuthal angles, as a result the charged particle beam is deflected in a specific direction defined by the selectable azimuthal angles. For example, the second field distribution may be a rapidly changing bipolar field for providing a beam scan across a sample, e.g., a raster scan in the xy plane defined by the sample.

[0035] In some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first multipole 110 and the second multipole 120 are simultaneously excited to provide a first field distribution superimposed on a second field distribution. Thus, the charged particle beam can be simultaneously affected in two different ways by the two superimposed field distributions applied by the first and second multipoles. For example, the first field distribution can be a quadrupole field that performs astigmatism correction, and the second field distribution can be a bipolar field that causes beam scanning, so that the charged particle beam is simultaneously corrected and scanned by the multipole device.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first field distribution and / or the second field distribution are bipolar fields. In other words, the first multipole (including at least four electrodes) is configured to apply the first bipolar field to a charged particle beam, and / or the second multipole (including at least four electrodes) is configured, in particular, to apply the second bipolar field to the charged particle beam simultaneously. The two bipolar fields may have different intensities, directions, and / or may change at different rates. The two bipolar fields may be applied for different purposes, for example, to deflect and guide the beam to a given region of interest in a sample ("beam shift"), and to rapidly scan the charged particle beam across a sample. Thus, the two bipolar fields may have substantially different intensities and rates of change, as will be described in more detail below.

[0037] In particular, the first field distribution can be the first bipolar field, and the second field distribution can be the second bipolar field, with the first bipolar field being stronger than the second bipolar field. For example, at least temporarily, the ratio between the maximum field intensity of the first bipolar field and the maximum field intensity of the second bipolar field is 5:1 or greater, particularly 10:1, or even 20:1 or greater. The maximum field intensity of the bipolar field is generally located at the position of the optical axis A, generally approximately at the center of at least one aperture 102.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first voltage source 115 and the second voltage source 125 can be different types of voltage sources. For example, the first and second voltage sources can be configured to supply different maximum output voltages and / or different maximum output voltage change rates. In particular, the second voltage source 125 can be adapted to a faster output voltage change than the first voltage source 115. Alternatively or in addition, the first voltage source 115 can be adapted to a higher maximum output voltage than the second voltage source 125. For example, the first voltage source 115 can be configured for a maximum output voltage of 100V or more and / or a maximum voltage change rate of less than 1GHz, e.g., in the MHz range. Alternatively or in addition, the second voltage source 125 can be configured for a maximum output voltage of 50V or less, particularly 20V or less, or even 10V or less, and / or a maximum voltage change rate of more than 1GHz. In particular, the first voltage source 115 can be a low-speed high-voltage power supply, and / or the second voltage source 125 can be a high-speed low-voltage power supply.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first power array 116 is configured for higher voltages than the second power array 126. In particular, the first power array 116 may include high-voltage connections between each of the first electrodes 111 and the first voltage source 115. For example, the high-voltage connections can be adapted to voltages of 100V or higher. The second power array 126 may include low-voltage connections between each of the second electrodes 121 and the second voltage source 125. For example, the low-voltage connections can be adapted to voltages of 50V or lower. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the high-voltage connections is larger than that of the low-voltage connections. Alternatively or additionally, the second power array 126 may be configured as a high-speed connection between each of the second electrodes 121 and the second voltage source 125. For example, the high-speed connection section of the second power supply array section 126 may be shielded and / or have impedance matching, thereby enabling reliable transmission of voltage change rates in the GHz range to the second electrode of the second multipole.

[0040] Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a multipole device 100, which includes two independent quadrupoles arranged alternately on a single cross-sectional plane. This saves space, and charged particle beams can be affected in different ways, synchronously or sequentially, within the same beam interaction space.

[0041] Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the multipole device 200 for influencing a charged particle beam, particularly an electron beam, according to the embodiments described herein. Except for the number of electrodes of the first and second multipoles, the multipole device 200 is similar to the multipole device 100 in Figure 1, and therefore can be referred to above and will not be repeated here.

[0042] The multipole device 200 includes a substrate 103 having at least one aperture 102 for a charged particle beam propagating along the optical axis A. Eight first electrodes 211 of the first multipole 210 are provided on the substrate 103, and eight second electrodes 221 of the second multipole 220 are provided on the substrate 103, in particular on the same principal surface of the substrate, so as to surround at least one aperture 102 at equal angles. The eight first electrodes 211 and the eight second electrodes 221 are arranged alternately around at least one aperture 102.

[0043] Therefore, the multipole device 200 in Figure 2 includes two independent octupoles arranged alternately on a single cross-sectional plane. This saves space, and the charged particle beams can be affected in different ways, synchronously or sequentially, within the same beam interaction space.

[0044] According to embodiments described herein, a first multipole 210 can be excited to provide a first field distribution for influencing a charged particle beam in a first manner, and a second multipole 220 can be excited to provide a second field distribution for influencing a charged particle beam in a second manner, particularly different from the first manner. For example, the first multipole 210 can apply a first bipolar field to the charged particle beam to deflect it, for example, to a region of interest of a sample to be examined. The second multipole 220 can apply a second bipolar field to the charged particles to scan the charged particle beam across the sample, particularly across a region of interest, for example, in a raster scanning pattern. The charged particle beam may be influenced in other ways, as described above with reference to Figure 1. By simultaneously exciting the first and second multipole, the first field distribution can be superimposed on the second field distribution.

[0045] According to some embodiments described herein, the first multipole 210 is a first octupole having eight first electrodes 211, the second multipole 220 is a second octupole having eight second electrodes 221, and the first and second octupoles are independent octupoles that are independently controllable and operable. Accordingly, the multipole device 200 includes a total of 16 poles arranged around at least one aperture 102, with eight first poles belonging to the first octupole and eight second poles belonging to the second octupole, and the eight poles of the first octupole and the eight poles of the second octupole being arranged alternately around at least one aperture 102.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first multipole 210 and the second multipole 220 are electrostatic multipole, and the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 221 are conductive portions, respectively, which are provided on a substrate and configured to be set to a predetermined potential. The “substrate” can be understood as a support for supporting the electrodes of the first and second multipole, for example, a thin plate. The substrate is not necessarily circular (as shown in the figure) and can have a different shape. The substrate may include an insulating surface on which the electrodes are arranged.

[0047] The first multipole 210 can be configured to provide a first bipolar field to deflect the charged particle beam, in particular to guide the beam to a given region of interest in the sample over a given period of time ("beam shift"), and the second multipole 220 can be configured to provide a second bipolar field superimposed on the first bipolar field to scan the charged particle beam across the sample.

[0048] The multipole device 200 described herein enables the superposition of large beam deflection in a predetermined selectable deflection direction by a first multipole and fast scanning of a charged particle beam in a predetermined scanning pattern, in particular enabling slow deflection and fast scanning of a charged particle beam simultaneously. Generally, the deflection is relatively slow, but a relatively high deflection voltage is used to deflect the charged particle beam to a predetermined region of interest of the sample. Generally, the scanning voltage is relatively fast, but the maximum deflection voltage is relatively low, changing rapidly between -10V and +10V, for example, in a stepwise or continuous manner. As a result, it is advantageous to use two independently controllable octupoles, each octupole being powered by its own power array and its own voltage source, so that each octupole is adapted to the task to be performed. Two independently operating and controllable octupoles with electrodes positioned in the same cross-sectional plane are provided by the embodiments described herein.

[0049] A first power array 116 may be provided to connect the first electrode 211 to the first voltage source 115, and a second power array 126 may be provided to connect the second electrode 221 to the second voltage source 125. Therefore, the two independently controllable octupoles are arranged alternately on a single cross-sectional plane.

[0050] The first and second multipoles can be simultaneously excited to provide a first and second field distribution to synchronously influence the charged particle beam in first and second ways.

[0051] Specifically, at least one or both of the first and second field distributions can be bipolar fields. The first field distribution can be a slowly changing or periodically constant bipolar field, and the second field distribution can be a rapidly changing bipolar field for scanning.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first field distribution is a first bipolar field, and the second field distribution is a second bipolar field, wherein the first bipolar field is at least temporarily stronger than the second bipolar field, for example, by 5 or 10 times. The first field distribution can be a bipolar field that deflects a charged particle beam to a predetermined region of interest of the sample to be examined, and the second field distribution can be a bipolar field that scans the charged particle beam across the sample, particularly in the region of interest.

[0053] In some embodiments, a first field distribution is maintained for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second or more) to deflect a charged particle beam to a predetermined region of interest of the sample, while a second field distribution is modified to scan the charged particle beam across the predetermined region of interest.

[0054] After the region of interest has been scanned, for example in a raster scanning manner, by changing the second field distribution, the first field distribution may be modified to deflect the charged particle beam to a predetermined second region of interest of the sample to be examined. The modified first field distribution may be maintained for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second or more), while the second field distribution is modified to scan the charged particle beam over the predetermined second region of interest.

[0055] Therefore, the sample inspection process can proceed by continuing to guide the charged particle beam to different regions of interest by changing the first field distribution provided by the first multipole. The first field distribution can be maintained in each region of interest for a predetermined time, and as a result, each region of interest can be inspected by rapidly changing the second field distribution to scan the charged particle beam across the sample within each region of interest. This makes it possible to inspect large sample surfaces by changing the bipolar fields provided by the first and second multipole accordingly.

[0056] Highly reliable beam deflection superimposed by rapid beam scanning can be provided by connecting a first multipole to a first voltage source adapted to relatively slow but large beam deflection, and by connecting a second multipole to a second voltage source adapted to rapid voltage changes for beam scanning at relatively low maximum voltages.

[0057] Figures 3a and 3c show the multipole device 200 of Figure 2 in a first operating mode, where the first field distribution, i.e., the first bipolar field, is provided by the first electrode of the first multipole 210, while a small or zero voltage V2 ≈ 0 is applied to the second electrode of the second multipole 220. The bipolar field can be provided by applying a voltage V1*sin(θ1) to the first electrode of the first multipole, where θ1 refers to the angular position of each first electrode (the position θ1=0 can be arbitrarily chosen to apply the bipolar field in a selectable direction), and V1 is the maximum voltage supplied by the first voltage source 115 at a particular time. As schematically shown in Figure 3a, the following voltages V are applied to the eight first electrodes of the first multipole 210 to provide the bipolar field. V1*sin0°=0 V1*sin45°=+0.707*V1 V1*sin90°=+V1 V1*sin135°=+0.707*V1 V1*sin180°=0 V1*sin225°=-0.707*V1 V1*sin270°=-V1 V1 * sin315° = -0.707 * V1. At the same time, a voltage smaller than the voltage V1 (for example, zero voltage, V2=0, as shown in Figure 3a) is applied to the eight second electrodes of the second multipole 220, and the resulting field distribution is shown via electric field lines in Figure 3a. As shown in Figure 3a, an electric dipole field is generated in the central region of the multipole device 200, and the optical axis A extends through the multipole device. As a result, the dipole field is applied to the charged particle beam propagating along the optical axis A, thereby causing a beam shift in the xy plane. Instead of V2=0 as shown in Figure 3a, it is possible to apply a small variable voltage V2*sin(θ2) with V2<V1 in particular to the second electrodes to cause beam scanning.

[0058] By adjusting the maximum voltage V1 supplied by the first voltage source, the deflection intensity caused by the first multipole 210 can be set as needed. Furthermore, the deflection direction can be set as needed in the xy plane when θ2 is replaced with θ2+ε, where ε is a phase term. The field distribution exemplarily shown in Figure 3a causes beam deflection in the x direction.

[0059] In particular, the dipole field generated by the first multipole 210 of the multipole device 200 differs from the dipole field generated by a conventional octopole (schematically shown in Figure 3d), because the second electrodes of the second multipole 220, which are provided at a relatively low or zero potential (V2 ≈ 0V in Figure 3a), are each arranged between two adjacent first electrodes of the first multipole 210. Therefore, the potential on the ring line of radius r (r = electrode radius) extending around the optical axis A repeatedly changes between V=V1*sin(θ1) and zero at the positions of the first and second electrodes, as schematically shown by the solid line in Figure 3b. In particular, to simplify calculation, the electrodes are modeled here as being infinitely small (that is, point electrodes), and a linear voltage change is respectively assumed between two adjacent point electrodes.

[0060] In contrast, conventional octupoles, as schematically shown by the dashed line in Figure 3b, produce an essentially sinusoidal potential depending on the angle θ on a ring line with radius r around the optical axis A.

[0061] If the voltage along a ring line of radius r (r = electrode radius) is known, the multipole components of the resulting overall field distribution at position A on the optical axis can be calculated using Fourier analysis. Figure 3c shows the harmonic intensities of the field distribution in Figure 3a. As can be seen in Figure 3c, the coefficient of the fundamental dipole is approximately 0.5, and all harmonics below order 7 are zero, but a clearly visible 7th harmonic with a coefficient of approximately -0.3 and a clearly visible 9th harmonic with a coefficient smaller than 0.2 are generated. The field of the 7th harmonic is R -6 Since it is proportional to (where R is the distance of the electron from the optical axis A), the effect of the seventh harmonic is extremely small and practically negligible. Similarly, the effect of the ninth harmonic is very small. Therefore, even when a relatively small or zero voltage is simultaneously applied to the second electrode of the second multipole 220, a generally good bipolar field can be created using the first multipole 210 of the multipole device 200 according to the embodiments described herein.

[0062] In some embodiments, a second bipolar field is generated by a second multipole 220, while a first bipolar field is generated by a first multipole. Specifically, a voltage V2*sin(θ2) is applied to the second electrode of the second multipole, where θ2 refers to the angular position of each second electrode (the position θ2=0 can be arbitrarily chosen or changed to apply the bipolar field in a selectable direction), and V2 is the maximum voltage supplied by the second voltage source at a given time. The value V2 can be rapidly changed to scan the charged particle beam along the line across the sample (e.g., -V2 to +V2). In addition, the value of V2*sin(θ2) can be rapidly changed to raster scan the charged particle beam in the xy plane across the region of interest to be examined.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the maximum voltage V1 supplied by the first voltage source, which causes slowly changing or periodically constant beam shift, is substantially substantially larger than the maximum voltage V2 supplied by the second voltage source, which causes rapid beam scanning, for example by 5 times or more, or 10 times or more. For example, the first voltage source is configured to supply a maximum voltage of 100V or more, thereby enabling large-angle beam shift, while the second voltage source, for example, inspecting a region of interest on a sample to find defects within the region of interest, is configured to supply a maximum voltage V2 of 20V or less or 10V or less, thereby enabling beam scanning over a predetermined (small) region of interest on the sample.

[0064] Figure 4 shows the multipole device 200 of Figure 2 in a second mode of operation, wherein a first field distribution, i.e., a quadrupole field, is provided by a first electrode of a first multipole, while a small or zero voltage V2≒0 is applied to a second electrode of a second multipole. The quadrupole field may be provided by applying voltages of +V1, 0, +V1, 0, -V1, 0, -V1, 0 circumferentially to the first electrodes in this order. The quadrupole field can be used, for example, for astigmatism correction.

[0065] Simulations have shown that even when a small voltage (V2 < V1) or an essentially zero voltage (V2≒0) is simultaneously applied to the second electrodes of the second multipole, for example for scanning a charged particle beam or for performing higher-order corrections, the quadrupole field produced by the first multipole at the position of the optical axis A is fairly good.

[0066] It has thus been shown that it is possible to simultaneously influence a charged particle beam in two ways by means of two multipoles (e.g., quadrupoles or octupoles) arranged in one cross-sectional plane in an alternating interleaved manner that has not been considered or demonstrated before. A space-saving, compact and flexibly usable multipole device is provided by the embodiments described herein.

[0067] It should be understood that the multipole devices described herein may include three or more multipoles on the same substrate, for example, three independently operating quadrupoles, hexupoles, or octupoles in the same cross-sectional plane. The “alternating” arrangement of the first and second electrodes as used herein means including an alternating arrangement of the first electrode, the second electrode, and a third (or further) electrode in the circumferential direction around the optical axis. Furthermore, the multipole may be a quadrupole or a higher-order multipole, particularly an octupole, and may also be a 12-pole or 16-pole. It is further possible that the multipole device is configured for a multibeamlet apparatus. In the latter case, the substrate includes two or more apertures, and the first and second electrodes of two independently operating multipoles are arranged alternately around each of the two or more apertures.

[0068] Further embodiments described herein provide a charged particle beam apparatus 500 for inspecting and / or imaging a sample 10. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a charged particle beam apparatus 500 for inspecting a sample 10 using, for example, an electron beam.

[0069] The charged particle beam apparatus 500 can be an electronic inspection device, such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM), configured to inspect and / or image the sample 10 placed on the sample stage 560.

[0070] The charged particle beam apparatus 500 includes a charged particle beam source 505 for generating a charged particle beam 11 that propagates along the optical axis A. The charged particle beam source 505 can be an electron source, such as a cold field emitter (CFE), a thermal field emitter (TFE), or another type of electron source.

[0071] The charged particle beam apparatus 500 includes an objective lens 520 configured to focus the charged particle beam 11 onto the sample 10. The objective lens 520 may be a magnetic objective lens, an electrostatic objective lens, or a combined magnetic-electrostatic objective lens.

[0072] The sample 10, for example, a wafer, an electronic circuit, or another substrate to be inspected, can be placed on the sample stage 560. The sample stage 560 can be made movable in the plane of the sample, i.e., in the xy plane and / or in the direction z of the optical axis A.

[0073] The charged particle beam apparatus 500 may include a vacuum housing 501 in which the beam optical components of the charged particle beam apparatus 500 are arranged. The vacuum housing 501 may have a pressure of less than 1 mbar, for example, 10 -5 It can be vented to near-atmospheric pressure below mbar.

[0074] The charged particle beam apparatus 500 may include further beam optical components, such as a condenser lens 510 for collimating the charged particle beam 11, an aberration corrector for correcting beam aberrations, a beam separator 540 for separating signal particles (e.g., secondary electrons SE and / or backscattered electrons BSE) generated when the charged particle beam 11 collides with the sample 10 from the charged particle beam 11, and / or a detector 550 for detecting the signal particles.

[0075] The charged particle beam apparatus 500 further includes a multipole device 100 (or 200) according to any embodiment described herein. The multipole device 100 can be arranged such that the optical axis A extends through at least one aperture 102 of the multipole device.

[0076] In some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the multipole device 100 is arranged adjacent to or within the objective lens 520. Arranging the multipole device 100 near or within the objective lens 520 is advantageous because it allows for a larger deflection angle when the multipole device 100 is arranged near the sample 10. This can provide a charged particle beam apparatus with a large field of view (FOV). Figure 5 shows the multipole device 100 located upstream of the objective lens, at a distance of 2 cm or less from the objective lens. Furthermore, alternative positions of the multipole device 100 within the objective lens 520 are shown by dashed lines in Figure 5. Generally, the distance along the optical axis A between the multipole device 100 and the objective lens 520 can be 5 cm or less, resulting in an electron beam inspection apparatus with a large FOV.

[0077] In some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the multipole device 100 is configured to deflect a charged particle beam to a region of interest of a sample by applying a first bipolar field to a first electrode of a first multipole 110. Furthermore, the multipole device 100 is configured to scan the charged particle beam over a sample in the region of interest by applying a second bipolar field to a second electrode of a second multipole 120 such that the first and second bipolar fields are superimposed on each other.

[0078] The first bipolar field is generally larger than the second bipolar field (e.g., 5 times or more, or 10 times or more), and the second bipolar field generally changes more rapidly than the first bipolar field, providing a fast scanning movement of the charged particle beam 11 across the sample (e.g., with a change rate of 1 GHz or more).

[0079] The first multipole 110 can deflect the charged particle beam to different regions of interest of the sample and maintain a first bipolar field for each region of interest to be inspected for a predetermined period of time. The second multipole 120 can rapidly scan the charged particle beam across each region of interest, for example, in a raster scanning pattern, thereby allowing each region of interest to be inspected in detail.

[0080] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for influencing a charged particle beam according to embodiments described herein.

[0081] In box 610, a charged particle beam is guided through at least one aperture of a multipole device including a first multipole having four or more first electrodes and a second multipole having four or more second electrodes arranged in the same cross-sectional plane, wherein the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes are arranged alternately around the at least one aperture.

[0082] In box 620, a first multipole is excited to provide a first field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a first manner. For example, the first field distribution can be a first bipolar field, and the first manner can be beam deflection of the charged particle beam to a given region of interest of the sample. Alternatively, the first field distribution can be a quadrupole field, and the first manner can be astigmatism correction or another aberration correction.

[0083] In box 630, a second multipole is excited to provide a second field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a second way. For example, the second field distribution can be a second bipolar field that can be rapidly varied to scan the charged particle beam across a sample in the region of interest.

[0084] The excitation of the first and second multipoles in boxes 620 and 630 can occur simultaneously, resulting in the charged particle beam being affected in two different ways simultaneously by a single multipole device. Specifically, "slow" beam deflection can be superimposed on "rapid" beam scanning by two independently controlled multipoles arranged in the same cross-sectional plane of the same substrate.

[0085] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for influencing a charged particle beam according to embodiments described herein.

[0086] In box 710, a charged particle beam is guided through at least one aperture of a multipole device including a first multipole having four or more first electrodes and a second multipole having four or more second electrodes arranged in the same cross-sectional plane, wherein the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes are arranged alternately around the at least one aperture.

[0087] In box 720, the charged particle beam is deflected to a first region of interest (ROI) of the sample by applying a first bipolar field to a first multipole. The first bipolar field is maintained in box 730 for a period of, for example, one second or more.

[0088] In box 730, the charged particle beam is scanned across a first region of interest, for example, in a raster scanning pattern, by applying a rapidly changing scanning field to a second multipole. The first region of interest is then inspected, and defects in the sample within the first region of interest can be found, for example.

[0089] In box 740, the charged particle beam is deflected to a second region of interest (ROI) of the sample by applying another bipolar field to the first multipole. The other bipolar field is maintained for a period of time, for example, one second or more, during box 750.

[0090] In box 750, the charged particle beam is scanned across a second region of interest, for example, in a raster scanning pattern, by applying a rapidly changing scanning field to a second multipole. The second region of interest is then inspected, and defects in the sample within the second region of interest can be found, for example.

[0091] Therefore, this method can be continued by examining further areas of interest in the sample.

[0092] Specifically, the following embodiments are described herein. Embodiment 1 A method for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis, comprising guiding the charged particle through at least one aperture of a multipole device including a first multipole having four or more first electrodes and a second multipole having four or more second electrodes arranged in the same cross-sectional plane, wherein the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes are alternately arranged around the at least one aperture; and at least one or both of exciting the first multipole to provide a first field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a first way and exciting the second multipole to provide a second field distribution for influencing the charged particle beam in a second way. Embodiment 2 The method according to Embodiment 1, wherein the first multipole is a first octupole comprising eight first electrodes, and / or the second multipole is a second octupole comprising eight second electrodes. In particular, the first and second multipole are octupoles. Alternatively, the first and second multipole may be quadrupoles. Alternatively, the first and second multipole may be 16 poles. Embodiment 3 The method according to Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein influencing the charged particle beam in a first way and in a second way is selected from the group consisting of beam deflection, beam scanning, aberration correction, astigmatism correction, collimation, focusing, beam alignment, and blanking. In particular, influencing the charged particle beam in a first way may include beam deflection, and influencing the charged particle beam in a second way may include beam scanning. Alternatively, beam deflection may be combined with aberration correction, such as astigmatism correction. Embodiment 4 The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the first field distribution and the second field distribution are selected from the group consisting of a bipolar field with a selectable azimuthal angle, a quadrupole field with a selectable azimuthal angle, and an octupole field. Embodiment 5 The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the first multipole and the second multipole are simultaneously excited to provide a first field distribution superimposed on a second field distribution. Embodiment 6 The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein at least one or both of the first and second field distributions are bipolar fields. In particular, both the first and second field distributions can be bipolar fields. Embodiment 7 The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the first field distribution is a first bipolar field, the second field distribution is a second bipolar field, and the first bipolar field is stronger than the second bipolar field. In particular, the ratio between the maximum field intensity of the first bipolar field and the maximum field intensity of the second bipolar field is 5:1 or greater, and especially 10:1. Embodiment 8 The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein a voltage of V1*sin(θ1) is applied to the first electrode of a first multipole, where θ1 refers to the angular position of each first electrode in the circumferential direction, and V1 is an adjustable deflection voltage. Alternatively or additionally, a voltage of V2*sin(θ2) is applied to the second electrode of a second multipole, where θ2 refers to the angular position of each second electrode in the circumferential direction, and V2 is a variable scanning voltage of 20V or less. Embodiment 9 The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the first field distribution is a bipolar field that deflects a charged particle beam, and the second field distribution is a bipolar field that scans the charged particle beam across a sample. Beam deflection and scanning can be performed simultaneously by exciting both the first and second multipolar fields. Embodiment 10 The method according to Embodiment 9, wherein a first field distribution is maintained for a predetermined time to deflect a charged particle beam to a first region of interest of a sample, while a second field distribution is modified to scan the charged particle beam across the first region of interest. Embodiment 11 The method according to Embodiment 10, further comprising modifying a first field distribution to deflect a charged particle beam to a second region of interest of a sample, and then maintaining the first field distribution for a predetermined time while modifying the second field distribution to scan the charged particle beam over the second region of interest. Embodiment 12 The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the first electrode of a first multipole is connected to a first voltage source, in particular a low-speed high-voltage source, and the second electrode of a second multipole is connected to a second voltage source, in particular a high-speed low-voltage power supply. The methods according to the embodiments described above can be carried out by either the multipole device and / or charged particle beam apparatus described herein. Embodiment 13 A multipole device for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along an optical axis, comprising: a substrate having at least one aperture for the charged particle beam, the at least one aperture extending through the substrate along the optical axis; a first multipole comprising four or more first electrodes provided on the substrate; a second multipole comprising four or more second electrodes provided on the substrate, the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes being alternately arranged around at least one aperture; a first power supply array for connecting the first electrodes to a first voltage source; and a second power supply array for connecting the second electrodes to a second voltage source. The multipole device can be configured to operate according to any of the methods described herein. Embodiment 14 The multipolar device according to Embodiment 13, wherein the first multipolar is a first octupole comprising eight first electrodes, and / or the second multipolar is a second octupole comprising eight second electrodes. Embodiment 15 The multipole device according to embodiment 13 or 14, wherein the first multipole and the second multipole are electrostatic multipole, and the first electrode and the second electrode are conductive portions provided on a substrate and configured to be set to a predetermined potential. Embodiment 16 A multipole device according to any one of embodiments 13 to 15, wherein the first voltage source is a low-speed high-voltage source specifically configured for a maximum voltage of 100V or more and a change rate of less than 1GHz, and the second voltage source is a high-speed low-voltage power supply specifically configured for a maximum voltage of 50V or less and a change rate of more than 1GHz. Embodiment 17 A multipole device according to any one of embodiments 13 to 16, wherein the first power supply array includes a high-voltage connection between each of the first electrodes and a first voltage source, and the second power supply array includes a high-speed connection between each of the second electrodes and a second voltage source. Embodiment 18 A multipole device according to any one of embodiments 13 to 16, wherein a first multipole is configured to provide a first bipolar field for beam deflection, and a second multipole is configured to provide a second bipolar field for scanning a charged particle beam across a sample, superimposed on the first bipolar field. Embodiment 19 A multipolar device according to any one of embodiments 13 to 18, wherein the first multipolar and the second multipolar are independently controllable multipolars. Embodiment 20 A charged particle beam apparatus for inspecting or imaging a sample using a charged particle beam, comprising: a charged particle beam source for generating a charged particle beam; an objective lens for focusing the charged particle beam onto a sample; and a multipole device for influencing the charged particle beam according to any embodiment described herein. Embodiment 21 A charged particle beam apparatus according to Embodiment 20, wherein the multipole device is arranged adjacent to or within the objective lens. Embodiment 22 A charged particle beam apparatus according to Embodiment 20 or 21, wherein a multipole device is configured to deflect the charged particle beam to a region of interest in a sample and to scan the charged particle beam over the region of interest.

[0093] The foregoing describes embodiments, but other and further embodiments can be devised without departing from their basic scope, and the scope thereof is determined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along the optical axis, Guiding the charged particle beam through at least one aperture of a multipole device including a first multipole having four or more first electrodes arranged in the same cross-sectional plane and a second multipole having four or more second electrodes, wherein the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes are arranged alternately around the at least one aperture. Exciting the first multipole to provide a first bipolar field for influencing the charged particle beam in a first way, Exciting the second multipole to provide a second bipolar field for influencing the charged particle beam in a second way, Includes, The first multipole and the second multipole are simultaneously excited to provide the first bipolar field superimposed on the second bipolar field in order to synchronously influence the charged particle beam in the first and second ways, A method wherein the first bipolar field is a bipolar field that deflects the charged particle beam, and the second bipolar field is a bipolar field that scans the charged particle beam across a sample.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first multipole is a first octupole comprising eight first electrodes, and the second multipole is a second octupole comprising eight second electrodes.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein influencing the charged particle beam in the first manner and influencing the charged particle beam in the second manner are selected from the group consisting of beam deflection and beam scanning.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first bipolar field and the second bipolar field are each bipolar fields having selectable azimuth angles.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first bipolar field is stronger than the second bipolar field.

6. A voltage V1 * sin(θ1) is applied to the first electrode of the first multipole, where θ1 is the angular position of each of the first electrodes in the circumferential direction, and V1 is an adjustable deflection voltage. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a voltage of V2 * sin(θ2) is applied to the second electrode of the second multipole, where θ2 is the angular position of each of the second electrodes in the circumferential direction, and V2 is a variable scanning voltage of 20V or less.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second bipolar field changes more rapidly than the first bipolar field in order to provide a fast scanning movement of the charged particle beam.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first bipolar field is maintained for a predetermined time to deflect the charged particle beam to a predetermined first region of interest of the sample, while the second bipolar field is modified to scan the charged particle beam over the predetermined first region of interest.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising modifying the first bipolar field to deflect the charged particle beam to a second region of interest of the sample, and then maintaining the first bipolar field for a predetermined time while the second bipolar field is modified to scan the charged particle beam over the second region of interest.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first electrode of the first multipole is connected to a first voltage source, and the second electrode of the second multipole is connected to a second voltage source different from the first voltage source.

11. A multipole device for influencing a charged particle beam propagating along the optical axis, A substrate having at least one aperture for the charged particle beam, wherein the at least one aperture extends through the substrate along the optical axis, A first multipolar including four or more first electrodes provided on the substrate, A second multipolar comprising four or more second electrodes provided on the substrate, wherein the four or more first electrodes and the four or more second electrodes are arranged alternately around the at least one opening, A first power supply array for connecting the first electrode to a first voltage source, A second power supply array for connecting the second electrode to a second voltage source and Includes, The first multipole is configured to provide a first bipolar field, and the second multipole is configured to provide a second bipolar field superimposed on the first bipolar field. A multipole device in which the first bipolar field is configured for beam deflection and the second bipolar field is configured for scanning the charged particle beam across a sample.

12. The multipolar device according to claim 11, wherein the first multipolar is a first octupole including eight first electrodes, and the second multipolar is a second octupole including eight second electrodes.

13. The multipole device according to claim 11, wherein the first multipole and the second multipole are electrostatic multipole, and the first electrode and the second electrode are conductive portions provided on the substrate and configured to be set to a predetermined potential.

14. The multipole device according to claim 11, wherein the first voltage source is a low-speed high-voltage power supply and the second voltage source is a high-speed low-voltage power supply.

15. The multipole device according to claim 11, wherein the second bipolar field is configured to change more rapidly than the first bipolar field in order to provide a fast scanning movement of the charged particle beam.

16. The multipolar device according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the first multipolar and the second multipolar are independently controllable multipolars.

17. A charged particle beam apparatus for inspecting or imaging a sample using a charged particle beam, A charged particle beam source for generating the charged particle beam, An objective lens for focusing the charged particle beam onto the sample, The multipole device according to any one of claims 11 to 15 for influencing the charged particle beam, A charged particle beam device, including one.

18. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the multipole device is arranged adjacent to or within the objective lens.

19. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the multipole device is configured to deflect the charged particle beam to a region of interest of the sample and to scan the charged particle beam over the region of interest.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio between the maximum field intensity of the first bipolar field and the maximum field intensity of the second bipolar field is at least 5:1 temporarily.

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