Electrostatic Deflector for Charged Particle Optics

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This patent describes an improved electrostatic deflector for charged particle optics, such as used in electron or ion beam systems. The invention features a central electrode surrounding the particle beam, which has multiple openings. These openings allow the electric field from the surrounding deflection electrodes to partially penetrate into the central electrode, thereby deflecting the particle beam with high precision. This arrangement significantly reduces the sensitivity of beam steering to voltage fluctuations, which helps maintain more stable and precise operation over time and relaxes the stability requirements for the power supplies.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Electron or ion beam steering in mass spectrometers
• Beam control in electron microscopes
• Particle deflection in accelerators or beamlines
• Charged particle manipulation in lithography or semiconductor processing equipment
• Precision ion/electron optics for research instruments

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Much improved angular stability of the deflected particle beam compared to traditional designs
• Reduced sensitivity to voltage noise, drift, or fluctuations in the power supplies
• Lower requirements (and therefore costs) for precision and stability in voltage supply equipment
• Flexibility in operation modes, allowing for different voltage configurations and numbers of power supplies
• Possibility to compensate for mechanical misalignments using electronic voltage adjustments, improving robustness against manufacturing and alignment errors

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Patent Abstract

Electrostatic deflector for charged particle optics comprising at least two deflection electrodes connected to at least one power supply to supply a predefined potential (Ui) to at least one of the deflection electrodes, wherein the deflection electrodes define an axis of flight for a charged particle beam and provide an electrical field in a transverse direction to the axis of flight, wherein a central electrode encloses the axis of flight, wherein the central electrode has a plurality of openings through which the electrical field of the deflection electrodes penetrates into the central electrode and deflects the charged particle beam within the central electrode.