Patent ID: 6465783
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
An apparatus for inspecting a surface of a specimen, the apparatus comprising:an emitter array comprising multiple charged-particle emitters each configured to emit simultaneously a separate individual charged particle beam along a separate respective beam axis; first and second electromagnetic lenses situated downstream of the emitter array and configured to focus simultaneously the individual charged particle beams, from the emitter array, onto respective loci on the surface of the specimen so as to cause each of the loci to emit secondary electrons; a secondary-electron (SE)-detector array comprising multiple SE-detector units each situated and configured to receive and detect secondary electrons from a respective locus on the specimen; and a deflector situated between the first and second electromagnetic lenses and configured to deflect the charged particle beams and cause the beams to scan simultaneously respective regions on the surface corresponding to the respective loci.