Patent ID: 7928404

Claim:
A method of blanking a charged particle beam within a charged particle column using a beam blanker, said beam blanker comprising a first deflector, a second deflector and a blanking aperture, said first deflector being positioned between a gun lens and a main lens, said second deflector being positioned between said first deflector and said main lens, said blanking aperture being positioned between said second deflector and said main lens, said first deflector, said second deflector and said blanking aperture being aligned on the optical axis of said column, said method comprising: configuring said column such that no charged particle beam cross-over is formed in said column; configuring said main lens to form an image of a virtual source of said charged particle beam at a substrate plane; deflecting said beam with a first deflector in a first direction; and deflecting said beam with a second deflector in a second direction onto said blanking aperture, wherein said first direction is antiparallel to said second direction; wherein said image at said substrate plane does not move during blanking.