Patent ID: 7244932

Claim:
An electron beam apparatus comprising: an electron optical system comprising a plurality of optical systems, each of which further comprises a primary electron optical system for collecting, focusing, scanning and irradiating a sample with a plurality of primary electron beams; a detector device for detecting a plurality of secondary electron beams emitted by irradiating the sample with the primary electron beams; and a secondary electron optical system for guiding the secondary electron beams from the sample to the detector device; configured such that the plurality of optical systems scan different regions of the sample with their primary electron beams, and detect the respective secondary electron beams emitted from each of the respective regions; a stage device, for supporting the sample; a working chamber, for containing the stage device within a vacuum atmosphere therein; and a loader for supplying a sample onto the stage device in the working chamber, wherein said secondary electron optical system has an optical axis and at least one lens along said optical axis and multiple detectors.