Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of directing charged particle beams in a charged particle beam system, comprising:applying a first deflection signal to a first stage deflector, the first deflection signal corresponding to a first dwell point; andapplying a second signal to a second stage deflector, the second deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the first deflection signal, in which the delay is approximately equal to the transition time of the electronics plus the time required for a charged particle to pass from the exit of the first deflector stage to the exit of the second deflector stage. 2. A method of directing charged particle beams in a charged particle beam system, comprising:applying a first deflection signal to a first stage deflector, the first deflection signal corresponding to a first dwell point; andapplying a second signal to a second stage deflector, the second deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the first deflection signal, in which the delay is approximately equal to the transition time of the electronics plus the time required for a charged particle to pass from the center of the first deflector stage to the center of the second deflector stage. 3. A method of directing charged particle beams in a charged particle beam system, comprising:applying a first deflection signal to a first stage deflector, the first deflection signal corresponding to a first dwell point; andapplying a second signal to a second stage deflector, the second deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the first deflection signal, in which the delay is determined so as to increase the actual dwell time at each dwell point by compensating at least in part for charged particles that are in flight when the first deflection signal changes. 4. A method of directing charged particle beams in a charged particle beam system, comprising:applying a first deflection signal to a first stage deflector, the first deflection signal corresponding to a first dwell point;applying a second signal to a second stage deflector, the second deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the first deflection signal; andapplying a blanking signal to a blanking electrode and incorporating into the deflector signals a delay caused by the ion travel time from blanker to the deflector. 5. A charged particle beam system comprising:a source of particles;a first stage charged particle deflector;a second stage charged particle deflector;a voltage source for applying signals to the first and second stage deflectors; anda memory storing computer readable instructions that when executed cause the system to apply the second stage detector signal corresponding to a first dwell point at a different time than the first stage deflector signal for the same dwell point, the time difference between the application of the second stage deflector signal and the application of the first stage deflector signal is determined to increase the actual time during which the beam impacts on a previous dwell point to which it was directed. 6. A method of directing charged particle beams in a charged particle beam system, comprising:applying a first deflection signal to a first stage deflector, the first deflection signal corresponding to a first dwell point; andapplying a second signal to a second stage deflector, the second deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the first deflection signal, in which the delay is determined to increase the actual time during which the beam impacts on a previous dwell point to which the beam was directed. 7. The method of claim 6 further comprising applying a third signal to a third stage deflector, the third deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the second deflection signal. 8. The method of claim 6 further comprising applying one or more additional deflection signals to one or more additional deflectors. 9. The method of claim 6 in which the charged particle beam is a focused ion beam. 10. The method of claim 6 in which the charged particle beam is an electron beam. 11. A method of directing charged particle beams in a charged particle beam system, comprising:applying a first deflection signal to a first stage deflector, the first deflection signal corresponding to a first dwell point; andapplying a second signal to a second stage deflector, the second deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the first deflection signal, in which the delay is programmed to a value between 0 and three times the pixel rate. 12. The method of claim 11 in which the delay is programmed to a value between one half and three halves the pixel rate. 13. The method of claim 11 further comprising applying a third deflection signal to a third stage deflector, the third deflection signal corresponding to the first dwell point and being delayed with respect to the second deflection signal. 14. The method of claim 11 further comprising applying one or more additional deflection signals to one or more additional deflectors. 15. The method of claim 11 in which the charged particle beam is a focused ion beam. 16. The method of claim 11 in which the charged particle beam is an electron beam. 17. A charged particle beam system comprising:a source of particles;a first stage charged particle deflector;a second stage charged particle deflector;a voltage source for applying signals to the first and second stage deflectors, the system being programmed to apply the second stage deflector signal corresponding to a first dwell point at a different time than the first stage deflector signal for the same dwell point, the time difference between the application of the second stage deflector signal and the application of the first stage deflector is determined to increase the actual time during which the beam impacts on a previous dwell point to which it was directed. 18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a memory storing computer instructions, the instructions including a program controlling the voltage source. 19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the memory stores computer instructions to delay the application of the second stage deflector signal by an amount corresponding approximately to the time of flight of a charged particle through a part of the system. 20. The charged particle beam system of claim 17, in which the system is programmed to apply the second stage deflector signal corresponding to a first dwell point at a different time than the first stage deflector signal for the same dwell point, the time difference between the application of the second stage deflector signal and the application of the first stage deflector signal is approximately equal to the transition time of the electronics plus either the time required for a charged particle to pass from the exit of the first deflector stage to the exit of the second deflector stage or time required for a charged particle to pass from the center of the first deflector stage to the center of the second deflector stage. 21. The charged particle beam system of claim 17, in which the system is programmed to apply a blanking signal to a blanking electrode and incorporate into the deflector signals a delay caused by the ion travel time from blanker to the deflector.