Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A multi-beam pattern definition device for use in a particle-beam processing or inspection apparatus, said device being adapted to be irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles and allow passage of the beam through a plurality of apertures thus forming a corresponding number of beamlets, said device comprising:an aperture array means in which said apertures are realized, wherein the aperture array means comprises at least two sets of apertures, each set of apertures comprising a plurality of apertures arranged in a substantially regular arrangement on the aperture array means with the arrangements of said sets being interlacing at least partially, wherein the apertures of different sets are, at least in a region where the arrangements are interlacing, offset to each other by displacements which correspond to a common displacement vector,an opening array means having a plurality of openings configured for the passage of at least a subset of beamlets that are formed by said apertures, wherein, in at least a region corresponding to said region of interlacing of arrangements, the opening array means comprises plurality of openings arranged in a substantially regular arrangement, said arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of one of said sets of apertures in said region and lacking openings at locations corresponding to apertures of the other set(s) of apertures, andpositioning means for positioning at least one of the aperture array means and the opening array means for adjusting the relative position of the aperture array means with respect to the opening array means, said positioning means being configured to selectively bring a selected set of the sets of apertures in the aperture array means into alignment with the plurality of openings in the opening array means in at least said region of interlacing of arrangements. 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a deflection array means having a plurality of blanking openings located such that each of the beamlets traverses one of the blanking openings along a nominal path, the deflection array means comprising a plurality of electrostatic deflector electrodes, each of which is associated with a blanking opening and is configured to deflect a beamlet traversing the respective blanking opening by an amount sufficient to deflect the beamlet off its nominal path when an activating electric voltage is applied to the respective electrode. 3. The device of claim 2, comprising at least one opening array means which is separate from the deflection array means. 4. The device of claim 2, wherein the deflection array means is configured as an opening array means. 5. The device of claim 4, wherein said deflector electrodes are located at a side of the deflection array means oriented away from an incoming beam. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the sets of apertures extend over different but overlapping areas on the aperture array means. 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the apertures within each set have an equivalent shape and size, whereas the apertures of different sets differ in at least one of their size and their shape. 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the aperture array means and the at least one opening array means are realized as plate-like devices oriented substantially perpendicular to the beam, and having a membrane portion designed for being disposed in the path of the beam. 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the positioning means are configured to adjust the position of the aperture array means only, whereas the opening array means is fixed within the device. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the positions of the apertures in at least one of the sets of apertures deviate from the exact position of a rectangular or oblique lattice by fine-placement displacements, said fine-placement displacements being designed to correct for imaging errors of a projection system operated in conjunction with the device, wherein the position of each aperture including its fine-placement displacement falls within the region defined by a projection of the corresponding opening of the opening array means onto the aperture array means, said projection being along the direction of the beam under the condition that the respective sets of apertures in the aperture array means is in alignment with the plurality of openings in the opening array means. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the aperture array means comprises several sub-regions with apertures, and the positioning means are designed to provide an offset range sufficient to move the aperture array means to said different sub-regions. 12. A method for alignment in a device according to claim 1, namely an alignment between one of the sets of apertures and the openings in the openings array means, comprising:irradiating the device with a beam of charged particles,measuring the current which is transmitted through the device as a function of varying relative positioning of the aperture array means and opening array means in terms of positioning parameters,determining the values of the positioning parameters of a maximum value of the transmitted current, andadjusting the positioning of the aperture array means relative to the opening array means according to said values of the positioning parameters. 13. A method for multi-beam writing in a particle-beam processing or inspection apparatus having a multi-beam pattern definition device according to claim 1, comprising:writing a first pattern on a surface region on a target using the multi-beam pattern definition device with a first set of apertures in the aperture array means being in alignment with the openings in the opening array means,adjusting the positioning of the aperture array means so as to bring a second set of apertures in the aperture array means into alignment with the openings in the openings array means, andwriting a second pattern on said surface region on the target.