公开(公告)号：US20220293387A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-15

申请号：US17654759

申请日：2022-03-14

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Kun Liu ,  Gregory A. Schwind ,  Alan S. Bahm

IPC: H01J37/073 ,  H01J9/02

Abstract: An electron source has an insulating base, a pair of conductive terminals, an insulating support member, a drift isolation member, an emitter-cathode, and one or more heating elements. The conductive terminals are exposed from a first surface of the insulating base. The insulating support member extends from the first surface of the insulating base. The drift isolation member is disposed at an end of the insulating support member remote from the insulating base. The emitter-cathode is coupled to the drift isolation member. The one or more heating elements are coupled to the conductive terminals and the drift isolation member. The combination of the drift isolation member with the insulating support member can prevent stress-induced drift from impacting position of the emitter-cathode, thereby improving the mechanical stability of the electron source.

公开(公告)号：US11430633B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-30

申请号：US17137130

申请日：2020-12-29

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Ondrej L. Shanel ,  Trond Karsten Varslot ,  Martin Schneider ,  Maarten Kuijper ,  Ondrej R. Baco ,  Václav Batelka

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/09 ,  H01J37/20

Abstract: Apertures having references edges are situated to define a sample irradiation zone and a shielded zone. The sample irradiation zone includes a portion proximate the shielded zone that is conjugate to a detector. A sample is scanned into the sample irradiation zone from the shielded zone so that the sample can remain unexposed until situated properly with respect to the detector for imaging. Irradiation exposure of the sample is reduced, permitting superior imaging.

公开(公告)号：US20220207893A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-30

申请号：US17564106

申请日：2021-12-28

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Darius KOCÁR

IPC: G06V20/69 ,  G06T7/11 ,  G06T1/20

Abstract: A scanning microscope system configured for material analysis and mineralogy comprising a first detector and a second detector, and a data-processing system comprising a data-storage component and a segmentation component. The data-storage component is configured for providing image(s) of a sample based on first emissions from a plurality of first scan locations. The segmentation component is configured for determining at least one or a plurality of second scan locations for at least one or a plurality of region(s) of the at least one image. The second detector is configured for detecting second emissions from at least one of the second scan locations of at least one of the regions. The system is further configured for determining the second scan location(s) for the region(s) and detecting the second emissions from the at least one of the second scan locations of the at least one of the regions in parallel.

公开(公告)号：US20220207698A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-30

申请号：US17177529

申请日：2021-02-17

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Zhenxin ZHONG ,  Hai Fe GAO ,  Ying Hong LIN ,  Ruixin ZHANG ,  Bingxing WU

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/33 ,  G06K9/32 ,  G06K9/46 ,  G06T7/73 ,  H01J37/28 ,  B23C3/00

Abstract: Methods and systems for milling and imaging a sample based on multiple fiducials at different sample depths include forming a first fiducial on a first sample surface at a first sample depth; milling at least a portion of the sample surface to expose a second sample surface at a second sample depth; forming a second fiducial on the second sample surface; and milling at least a portion of the second sample surface to expose a third sample surface including a region of interest (ROI) at a third sample depth. The location of the ROI at the third sample depth relative to the first fiducial may be calculated based on an image of the ROI and the second fiducial as well as relative position between the first fiducial and the second fiducial.

公开(公告)号：US20220199354A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-23

申请号：US17127749

申请日：2020-12-18

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Lubomír Tuma

IPC: H01J37/143 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/21

Abstract: A charged particle beam system can include a vacuum chamber, a specimen holder for holding a specimen within the vacuum chamber, and a charged particle column. The charged particle column can include a charged particle source for producing a beam of charged particles along an optical axis and a magnetic immersion lens for focusing the beam of charged particles. The magnetic immersion lens can include a first lens pole disposed adjacent a first surface of the specimen, an excitation coil surrounding the first lens pole, and a counterpole disposed adjacent a second surface of the specimen, the counterpole including one or more magnets disposed on the counterpole.

公开(公告)号：US11355305B2

公开(公告)日：2022-06-07

申请号：US16596538

申请日：2019-10-08

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Remco Johannes Petrus Geurts ,  Pavel Potocek ,  Maurice Peemen ,  Ondrej Machek

IPC: H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/22 ,  G06N3/08 ,  H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/305

Abstract: Methods and systems for creating TEM lamella using image restoration algorithms for low keV FIB images are disclosed. An example method includes irradiating a sample with an ion beam at low keV settings, generating a low keV ion beam image of the sample based on emissions resultant from irradiation by the ion beam, and then applying an image restoration model to the low keV ion beam image of the sample to generate a restored image. The sample is then localized within the restored image, and a low keV milling of the sample is performed with the ion beam based on the localized sample within the restored image.

公开(公告)号：US20220157557A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-19

申请号：US17649917

申请日：2022-02-03

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Bart Jozef Janssen ,  Edwin Verschueren ,  Erik Franken

IPC: H01J37/20

Abstract: A sample holder retains a sample and can continuously rotate the sample in a single direction while the sample is exposed to a charged particle beam (CPB) or other radiation source. Typically, the CPB is strobed to produce a series of CPB images at random or arbitrary angles of rotation. The sample holder can rotate more than one complete revolution of the sample. The CPB images are used in tomographic reconstruction, and in some cases, relative rotation angles are used in the reconstruction, without input of an absolute rotation angle.

公开(公告)号：US20220084806A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-17

申请号：US17468478

申请日：2021-09-07

Applicant: Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH ,  FEI Company

Inventor： Alexander Makarov ,  Wilko Balschun ,  Kyle Fort ,  Kun Liu

IPC: H01J49/06 ,  H01J37/02

Abstract: A coupling for connecting together vacuum-based analytical systems requiring to be vibrationally isolated, comprising: a tubular connector having a longitudinal axis, the connector comprising a first end for connection to a first analytical system and a flexible portion reducing transmission of vibrations and permitting displacement of the first analytical system in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the connector; and a seal longitudinally separated from the flexible portion, for vacuum sealing between the connector and a second analytical system; wherein the connector contains ion optics for transmitting ions between the first and second analytical systems.

公开(公告)号：US11211222B2

公开(公告)日：2021-12-28

申请号：US16730998

申请日：2019-12-30

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： John J. Flanagan ,  Nathaniel Kurtz ,  Ashley Tilson ,  Phillip Parker

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28 ,  G01N23/20058 ,  H01J37/22

Abstract: Automatic alignment of the zone axis of a sample and a charged particle beam is achieved based on a diffraction pattern of the sample. An area corresponding to the Laue circle is segmented using a trained network. The sample is aligned with the charged particle beam by tilting the sample with a zone axis tilt determined based on the segmented area.

公开(公告)号：US11175242B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-16

申请号：US15926621

申请日：2018-03-20

Applicant: FEI Company

Inventor： Andrew Kingston ,  Olaf Delgado-Friedrichs ,  Glenn Myers ,  Shane Latham ,  Adrian Sheppard ,  Trond Varslot ,  Petr St{hacek over (r)}elec

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G01N23/046

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed herein to correct for inconsistencies in CT scans based on pi-lines. An example method at least includes acquiring a plurality of projections of a sample, each projection of the plurality of projections acquired at a different location around the sample based on a trajectory, determining pairs of opposing projections from the plurality of projections based on a respective pi-line, and determining an amount of inconsistency between respective pi-line data for each pair of opposing projections, where the pi-line data is based, at least in part, on attenuation data.