Manipulator, manipulator array, charged particle tool, multi-beam charged particle tool, and method of manipulating a charged particle beam

1 . A manipulator for manipulating a charged particle beam in a projection system, the manipulator comprising:

a substrate having opposing major surfaces in each of which is defined an aperture and a through-passage having an interconnecting surface extending between the apertures;

wherein the interconnecting surface comprises one or more electrodes;

the manipulator further comprising a potential divider comprising two or more resistive elements connected in series, the potential divider comprising an intermediate node between each pair of adjacent resistive elements, wherein at least one resistive element is formed within the substrate so as to extend between the opposing major surfaces;

wherein the intermediate node is electrically connected to at least one of the one or more electrodes.

2 . The manipulator of claim 1 , wherein each resistive element is formed within the substrate so as to extend between the opposing major surfaces.

3 . The manipulator of claim 1 , wherein the interconnecting surface comprises: an inward surface providing the one or more electrodes; and an outward surface forming a radially outer end of one or more radial recesses in the inward surface.

4 . The manipulator of claim 3 , wherein the one or more electrodes have adjacent electrodes and the interconnecting surface comprises an insulator between the adjacent electrodes, the insulator provided by at least part of outward and/or recessed surfaces between the adjacent electrodes; and/or

wherein at least one of the resistive elements is positioned distally from a central axis of the through-passage compared to the outward surface; and/or

wherein the two or more resistive elements are positioned further radially outward than a depth of the one or more radial recesses; and/or

wherein at least one of the resistive elements is positioned further radially inward than the outward surface; and/or

wherein the one or more radial recesses extend further radially outward than at least one of the resistive elements; and/or

wherein the one or more radial recesses have adjoining radial recesses and at least one of the resistive elements are positioned between the adjoining radial recesses; and/or

wherein at least one of the resistive elements is a portion of the substrate that is radially inward from the outward surface and radially outward from the inward surface; and/or

wherein each of the one or more electrodes extends between the opposing major surfaces of the substrate.

5 . The manipulator of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the two or more resistive elements comprises an inner portion that is positioned radially inward compared to the outward surface, and an outer portion that is positioned radially outward compared to the outward surface.

6 . The manipulator of claim 3 ,

wherein at least two of the two or more resistive elements comprise inner portions positioned radially inward from the outward surface and outer portions positioned radially outward from the outward surface and, in a plane parallel to one of the opposing major surfaces, a cross-sectional area of at least two of the inner portions is substantially equal; and/or

wherein, in a plane parallel to one of the opposing major surfaces, a cross-sectional area of at least two outer portions differs; and/or

wherein the inner portion and the outer portion of each resistive element are connected in series or in parallel.

7 . The manipulator of claim 1 ,

wherein, in a plane parallel to the opposing major surfaces of the substrate, cross-sections of the resistive elements have different areas, such that the resistive elements have different resistances; and/or

wherein, in a plane parallel to the opposing major surfaces of the substrate, a cross-section, of at least one of the two or more resistive elements comprises a circular cross-section; and/or

wherein at least one resistive element within the substrate is formed as a cylinder or a cone frustum; and/or

wherein at least one resistive element within the substrate is formed as a through silicon via; and/or

wherein a distribution of resistances, from an end node of the potential divider to intermediate nodes between pairs of adjacent resistive elements of the potential divider, is a substantially sinusoidal distribution; and/or

wherein the interconnecting surface comprises a plurality of electrodes, adjacent electrodes of the plurality of electrodes being electrically isolated from each other, wherein each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is electrically connected to a node of the potential divider;

and/or wherein the one or more electrodes have at least two electrodes electrically connected to different intermediate nodes between pairs of adjacent resistive elements of the potential divider.

8 . The manipulator of claim 1 , wherein the interconnecting surface comprises a number of electrodes that is a multiple of four.

9 . The manipulator of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more electrodes extends between the opposing major surfaces of the substrate.

10 . The manipulator of claim 1 , wherein the manipulator is a deflector configured to deflect a charged particle beam path relative to a central axis of the through-passage.

11 . The manipulator of claim 1 , wherein an array of apertures is defined in each of the opposing major surfaces, and wherein the substrate comprises an array of through-passages, each through-passage having a respective interconnecting surface extending between the respective apertures, wherein each interconnecting surface comprises at least one electrode.

12 . The manipulator of claim 11 , wherein, for each through-passage: the manipulator comprises a potential divider comprising two or more resistive elements connected in series, the potential divider comprising an intermediate node between each pair of adjacent resistive elements, wherein at least one resistive element is formed within the substrate so as to extend between the opposing major surfaces of the substrate; wherein the intermediate node is electrically connected to at least one of the one or more electrodes.

13 . The manipulator of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate node is connected to multiple electrodes comprised by the respective interconnecting surface of different through-passages.

14 . The manipulator of claim 11 , wherein the array of apertures of each of the opposing major surfaces has a regular repeating structure.

15 . The manipulator of claim 11 , the array comprising a midpoint which is alignable with a central beam path of a multi-beam, wherein the electrodes comprised by respective interconnecting surface of through-passages that are located an equal distance from the midpoint have a common connection to the potential divider.

16 . A charged particle tool comprising:

an illumination system configured to generate a charged particle beam, and

a projection system configured to direct the charged particle beam onto a sample, wherein the projection system comprises the manipulator of claim 1 .

17 . The charged particle tool of claim 16 , further comprising a controller configured to apply a voltage to the one or more electrodes of the manipulator.

18 . A manipulator for manipulating a charged particle beam in an electron-optical projection system, the manipulator comprising:

a substrate having major surfaces in each of which is defined an aperture, wherein a through-passage having an interconnecting surface extends between the apertures of the major surfaces, and wherein the interconnecting surface comprises electrodes;

a potential divider comprising two or more resistive elements in electrical series between two of the electrodes, the potential divider being configured to distribute an applied voltage over the electrodes,

wherein at least one of the resistive elements extends within the substrate between the major surfaces.

19 . The manipulator of claim 18 , wherein the two or more resistive elements have adjoining resistive elements and an intermediate node between the adjoining resistive elements is electrically connected to at least one of the electrodes.

20 . A manipulator array for manipulating a charged particle multi-beam, the manipulator array comprising:

manipulators provided in a substrate having opposing major surfaces, wherein each of the manipulators is defined by an aperture at each of the opposing major surfaces and a through-passage having an interconnecting surface extending between the apertures of the opposing major surfaces;

wherein each interconnecting surface comprises one or more electrodes;

each manipulator further comprising a potential divider comprising two or more resistive elements connected in series, the potential divider comprising an intermediate node between each pair of adjacent resistive elements, wherein at least one resistive element is formed within the substrate so as to extend between the opposing major surfaces of the substrate;

wherein the intermediate node is electrically connected to at least one of the one or more electrodes.