Immersion lens with magnetic shield for charged particle beam system

The present invention relates to charged particle beam lithography and more particularly to immersion lenses for such lithography. An immersion lens for a charged particle beam lithography system includes a magnetically floating shield that limits a deflection magnetic field from creating eddy currents in electrically conductive components of the system downstream from the shield. The surface of the shield lies parallel or approximately parallel to a magnetic equipotential surface of the focusing magnetic field so that the shield does not affect the focusing magnetic field. The shield is, e.g., a ferrite disk or a hollow ferrite cone defining a central bore for passage of the charged particle beam.