Patent ID: 7375351

Claim:
A micro-column electron beam apparatus comprising: a base; an electron lens bracket having an electron lens module mounted thereon in a central portion of the base; an electron beam source tip module vertically disposed on the electron lens module; a pan spring plate stage module mounted over the base; a three-coupling pan spring plate portion comprising a first, second, and third spring units disposed within the pan spring plate stage module, wherein the spring units of the three-coupling pan spring plate portion are perpendicularly coupled to the sides of the vertically disposed electron beam source tip module to elastically support the electron beam source tip module and allow movement of the electron beam source tip module in three orthogonal directions; a first piezoelectric actuator coupled to the pan spring plate stage module to move the electron beam source tip module along a first axis perpendicular to the vertical axis; and a second piezoelectric actuator coupled to the pan spring plate stage module to move the electron beam source tip module along a second axis perpendicular to the vertical axis and the first axis.