Patent ID: 7022987

Claim:
A particle-optical arrangement, comprising: a beam splitter having a main plane and three terminals; and a beam-guiding system for guiding a first beam and a second beam of charged particles to and away from the beam splitter, such that one of the first and second beams enters the beam splitter through a first terminal thereof, and such that another of the first and second beams leaves the beam splitter through the first terminal; wherein the beam splitter provides at least two field regions, wherein a magnetic field of a substantially constant strength is provided in each of the at least two field regions, wherein at least one of the at least two field regions is enclosed by a current conductor for generating the magnetic field therein; wherein the beam splitter provides for the first beam at least three beam-manipulating regions which are passed by the first beam, wherein each of the at least three beam-manipulating regions is a portion of one respective field region of the at least two field regions, and wherein different magnetic fields are provided in beam-manipulating regions directly adjacent to each other along a beam path of the first beam; wherein the beam path of the first beam intersects, when seen upon projection onto the main plane of the beam splitter, plural current conductors enclosing respective field regions at respective intersecting positions; and wherein the beam splitter and the beam-guiding system are configured such that curvatures of each current conductor on both sides of each respective intersecting position is of a same direction.