公开(公告)号：US11651924B1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-16

申请号：US17846498

申请日：2022-06-22

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Kun Liu ,  Chad Rue ,  Alan Stephen Bahm

IPC: H01J37/073 ,  H01J1/304 ,  H01J1/34 ,  H01J19/24

CPC classification number: H01J1/3044 ,  H01J1/34 ,  H01J19/24 ,  H01J37/073 ,  H01J2201/30415 ,  H01J2201/30449 ,  H01J2237/06341

Abstract: Methods of producing microrods for electron emitters and associated microrods and electron emitters. In one example, a method of producing a microrod for an electron emitter comprises providing a bulk crystal ingot, removing a first plate from the bulk crystal ingot, reducing a thickness of the first plate to produce a second plate, and milling the second plate to produce one or more microrods. In another example, a microrod for an electron emitter comprises a microrod tip region that comprises a nanoneedle that in turn comprises a nanorod and a nanoprotrusion tip. The microrod and the nanoneedle are integrally formed from a bulk crystal ingot by sequentially: (i) removing the microrod from the bulk crystal ingot; (ii) coarse processing the microrod tip region to produce the nanorod; and (iii) fine processing the nanorod to produce the nanoprotrusion tip.

公开(公告)号：US11380511B2

公开(公告)日：2022-07-05

申请号：US16828571

申请日：2020-03-24

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Kun Liu ,  Steven J. Randolph

IPC: H01J37/075 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A charged particle beam source, such as for use in an electron microscope, can include an electrically conductive support member coupled to a base, a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining a bore, and an emitter member received in the bore and retained by a fixative material layer flowed around the emitter member in the bore.

公开(公告)号：US10410827B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-10

申请号：US15586194

申请日：2017-05-03

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Ali Mohammadi-Gheidari ,  Alexander Henstra ,  Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer ,  Kun Liu ,  Pleun Dona ,  Gregory A. Schwind ,  Gerbert Jeroen van de Water

IPC: H01J37/29 ,  H01J37/065 ,  H01J37/067 ,  H01J37/145 ,  G02B21/06 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: A charged particle microscope and a method of operating a charged particle microscope are disclosed. The microscope employs a source for producing charged particles, and a source lens below the source to form a charged particle beam which is directed onto a specimen by a condenser system. A detector collects radiation emanating from the specimen in response to irradiation of the specimen by the beam. The source lens is a compound lens, focusing the beam within a vacuum enclosure using both a magnetic lens having permanent magnets outside the enclosure to produce a magnetic field at the beam, and a variable electrostatic lens within the enclosure.

公开(公告)号：US20180323036A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-08

申请号：US15586194

申请日：2017-05-03

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Ali Mohammadi-Gheidari ,  Alexander Henstra ,  Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer ,  Kun Liu ,  Pleun Dona ,  Gregory A. Schwind ,  Gerbert Jeroen van de Water ,  Maarten Bischoff

IPC: H01J37/29 ,  H01J37/244 ,  G02B21/06

CPC classification number: H01J37/29 ,  G02B21/06 ,  H01J37/065 ,  H01J37/067 ,  H01J37/145 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J2237/06316 ,  H01J2237/06341 ,  H01J2237/0656 ,  H01J2237/08 ,  H01J2237/1415 ,  H01J2237/28

Abstract: A charged particle microscope and a method of operating a charged particle microscope are disclosed. The microscope employs a source for producing charged particles, and a source lens below the source to form a charged particle beam which is directed onto a specimen by a condenser system. A detector collects radiation emanating from the specimen in response to irradiation of the specimen by the beam. The source lens is a compound lens, focusing the beam within a vacuum enclosure using both a magnetic lens having permanent magnets outside the enclosure to produce a magnetic field at the beam, and a variable electrostatic lens within the enclosure.

公开(公告)号：US20130187058A1

公开(公告)日：2013-07-25

申请号：US13648887

申请日：2012-10-10

Applicant: FEI COMPANY

Inventor： Lynwood W. Swanson ,  Gregory A. Schwind ,  Sean Kellogg ,  Kun Liu

IPC: G01T1/29

CPC classification number: H01J37/00 ,  G01T1/29 ,  H01J37/02 ,  H01J37/073 ,  H01J2237/06316 ,  H01J2237/06341 ,  H01J2237/065

Abstract: The state of an emitter can be determined by measurements of how the current changes with the extraction voltage. A field factor β function is determined by series of relatively simple measurements of charged particles emitted at different conditions. The field factor can then be used to determine derived characteristics of the emission that, in the prior art, were difficult to determine without removing the source from the focusing column and mounting it in a specialized apparatus. The relations are determined by the source configuration and have been found to be independent of the emitter shape, and so emission character can be determined as the emitter shape changes over time, without having to determine the emitter shape and without having to redefine the relation between the field factor and the series of relatively simple measurements, and the relationships between the field factor and other emission parameters.

Abstract translation: 发射极的状态可以通过测量电流如何随提取电压而变化来确定。 场因子β函数由在不同条件下发射的带电粒子的一系列相对简单的测量来确定。 然后可以使用场因子来确定发射的导出特性，在现有技术中难以确定，而不需要从聚焦柱移除源并将其安装在专门的装置中。 关系由源配置确定，并且已经被发现与发射体形状无关，因此发射体形状随着时间的推移而被确定，而不必确定发射体形状，而不必重新定义发射体形状之间的关系 场因子和一系列相对简单的测量，以及场因子与其他发射参数之间的关系。

公开(公告)号：US12165839B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US18354524

申请日：2023-07-18

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Marcus Straw ,  Dmitry Grinfeld ,  Alexander Makarov ,  Alan Bahm ,  Aaron Torok ,  Kun Liu ,  Joseph Christian ,  Josh Gilbert ,  Tom Nichols ,  Jeff Kosmoski

IPC: H01J37/295 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J49/42

Abstract: Systems and method for the preparation and delivery of biological samples for charged particle analysis are disclosed herein. An example system at least includes an ion filter coupled to select a sample ion from an ionized sample supply, the ion filter including a quadrupole filter to select the sample ion from the sample supply, an energy reduction cell coupled to receive the selected sample ion and reduce a kinetic energy of the sample ion, a validation unit coupled to receive the sample ion and determine whether the sample ion is a target sample ion, a substrate coupled to receive the sample, wherein the substrate is electron transparent, an ion transport module coupled to receive the sample ion from the ion filter and transport the sample ion to the substrate, and an imaging system arranged to image, with a low energy charged particle beam, the sample located on the substrate, wherein the substrate is arranged in an analysis location. The imaging system including a charge particle emitter coupled to direct coherent charged particles toward the sample; and a detector arranged to detect interference patterns formed from interaction of the coherent charged particles and the sample.

公开(公告)号：US11782385B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-10

申请号：US16717760

申请日：2019-12-17

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Kun Liu ,  Alan Bahm ,  Marcus Straw

IPC: G03H1/08 ,  G03H1/00

CPC classification number: G03H1/0866 ,  G03H1/0808 ,  G03H2001/0072 ,  G03H2001/0816 ,  G03H2001/0883

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for improved reconstructions of electron-based holograms are disclosed herein. An example method at least includes forming a hologram of a sample and a known object, forming a reconstruction of the known object using a reconstruction algorithm, comparing the reconstruction of the known object to a reference reconstruction of the known object, and adjusting the reconstruction algorithm based on the comparison of the reconstruction of the known object to the reference reconstruction of the known object. The example method may further include forming a reconstruction of the sample using the adjusted reconstruction algorithm.

公开(公告)号：US20230011267A1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-12

申请号：US17836611

申请日：2022-06-09

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Kun Liu ,  Steven J. Randolph

IPC: H01J37/075 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A charged particle beam source, such as for use in an electron microscope, can include a mounting member defining a first opening at a free end of the mounting member and a bore extending from the first opening into the mounting member along a longitudinal axis of the mounting member. A second opening can be defined in a side wall of the mounting member and can extend between an outer surface of the mounting member and the bore, the second opening being spaced apart from the first opening along the longitudinal axis of the mounting member. An emitter member can be received in the bore and aligned along the longitudinal axis of the mounting member. A fixative material can be received in the bore and in the second opening to retain the emitter member in the bore.

公开(公告)号：US11217425B2

公开(公告)日：2022-01-04

申请号：US16914924

申请日：2020-06-29

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Marcus Straw ,  Alexander Makarov ,  Josh Gilbert ,  Aaron Torok ,  Joseph Christian ,  Alan Bahm ,  Kun Liu ,  Tom Nichols ,  Jeff Kosmoski ,  Dmitry Grinfeld

IPC: H01J37/295 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J49/42

Abstract: Systems and method for the preparation and delivery of biological samples for charged particle analysis are disclosed herein. An example system at least includes an ion filter coupled to select a sample ion from an ionized sample supply, the ion filter including a quadrupole filter to select the sample ion from the sample supply, an energy reduction cell coupled to receive the selected sample ion and reduce a kinetic energy of the sample ion, a validation unit coupled to receive the sample ion and determine whether the sample ion is a target sample ion, a substrate coupled to receive the sample, wherein the substrate is electron transparent, an ion transport module coupled to receive the sample ion from the ion filter and transport the sample ion to the substrate, and an imaging system arranged to image, with a low energy charged particle beam, the sample located on the substrate, wherein the substrate is arranged in an analysis location. The imaging system including a charge particle emitter coupled to direct coherent charged particles toward the sample; and a detector arranged to detect interference patterns formed from interaction of the coherent charged particles and the sample.

公开(公告)号：US20210305006A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-30

申请号：US16828571

申请日：2020-03-24

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Kun Liu ,  Steven J. Randolph

IPC: H01J37/075 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A charged particle beam source, such as for use in an electron microscope, can include an electrically conductive support member coupled to a base, a mounting member coupled to the support member and defining a bore, and an emitter member received in the bore and retained by a fixative material layer flowed around the emitter member in the bore.