公开(公告)号：US11205559B2

公开(公告)日：2021-12-21

申请号：US17077217

申请日：2020-10-22

申请人： Gatan, Inc.

发明人： John Andrew Hunt ,  Michael Bertilson

IPC分类号： H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/29

摘要： Systems and methods for automated alignment of cathodoluminescence (CL) optics in an electron microscope relative to a sample under inspection are described. Accurate placement of the sample and the electron beam landing position on the sample with respect to the focal point of a collection mirror that reflects CL light emitted by the sample is critical to optimizing the amount of light collected and to preserving information about the angle at which light is emitted from the sample. Systems and methods are described for alignment of the CL mirror in the XY plane, which is orthogonal to the axis of the electron beam, and for alignment of the sample with respect to the focal point of the CL mirror along the Z axis, which is coincident with the electron beam.

公开(公告)号：US20210110991A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-15

申请号：US17080937

申请日：2020-10-27

申请人： Gatan, Inc.

发明人： Alexander Jozef Gubbens ,  John Andrew Hunt ,  Masoud Azimi ,  Radosav Pantelic ,  Ron Zolkowski ,  Chris Booth

IPC分类号： H01J37/20 ,  G01N23/20025

摘要： A workstation is described for mounting specimens into a cryotransfer holder at cryogenic temperature. The workstation allows rotation about the cryotransfer holder axis to improve access to the sample placement area on the holder and to facilitate easy removal and retrieval of the sample after imaging. The cryotransfer holder includes a cylindrical dewar configured to maintain a constant center of mass about the holder axis regardless of orientation of the dewar.

公开(公告)号：US20210090856A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-25

申请号：US16635725

申请日：2018-08-01

申请人： Gatan, Inc.

发明人： Edward Michael JAMES ,  Ray Dudley TWESTEN

IPC分类号： H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/05 ,  H01J37/244

摘要： A system and method are disclosed for acquiring Electron Energy Loss Spectrometry (EELS) spectra in a transmission electron microscope. The inventive system and method maximize spectrum acquisition rate and duty cycle by exposing a first portion of an image sensor to a first spectrum while a previously exposed potion of the sensor is read out of the sensor during some or all of the exposure time.

公开(公告)号：US10110854B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-23

申请号：US13949369

申请日：2013-07-24

申请人： Gatan, Inc.

发明人： John Andrew Hunt ,  Steven Thomas Coyle ,  Michael Patrick Hassel-Shearer

IPC分类号： H04N7/18 ,  H01J5/02 ,  H01J37/08 ,  H01J37/30 ,  H05B6/00 ,  G01N23/00 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N1/32 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G02B21/00 ,  H01J37/305 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  G01N21/01 ,  G01N21/84

摘要： Disclosed are embodiments of an ion beam sample preparation apparatus and methods. The methods operate on a sample disposed in a vacuum chamber and include steps of directing an intensity-controllable, tilt-angle controllable ion beam at a sample holder coupled to a rotation stage. The methods further include illuminating and capturing one or more images of the sample, extracting useful features from one or more images and thereafter adjusting the sample preparation steps. Further methods are disclosed for capturing sequences of images, programmatically rotating images, and displaying sequences of images with similar rotation angles. Further methods include extracting useful features from sequences of images that may change with respect to time as ion beam preparation continues.

公开(公告)号：US09415095B2

公开(公告)日：2016-08-16

申请号：US14814435

申请日：2015-07-30

申请人： Paul Mooney

发明人： Paul Mooney

IPC分类号： A61K39/00 ,  H01J37/26 ,  A61K48/00 ,  C12N15/09

CPC分类号： A61K39/00 ,  A61K48/00 ,  C12N15/09 ,  G06T5/005 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  H01J37/222 ,  H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/263 ,  H01J2237/223 ,  H01J2237/226 ,  H01J2237/2448 ,  H01J2237/24495 ,  H01J2237/2617 ,  H04N5/3675

摘要： Methods are disclosed for removal of outlier pixels from a transmission electron microscopy camera image. One exemplary method includes establishing a desired exposure of n electrons per pixel; exposing the camera to a series of sub-frame exposures to produce a series of sub-frame images; calculating an average image signal of all sub-frame exposures in said series; establishing a threshold selected to achieve a desired number of false positives; evaluating each of said sub-frame exposures for pixels further away from said average than said threshold; and replacing pixels in each of said sub-frame images that exceed said threshold with said average to form corrected sub-frame images.

摘要翻译： 公开了用于从透射电子显微镜相机图像中去除异常值像素的方法。 一个示例性方法包括建立每个像素n个电子的期望曝光; 将相机曝光到一系列子帧曝光以产生一系列子帧图像; 计算所述系列中所有子帧曝光的平均图像信号; 建立一个选择的阈值以达到所需数量的假阳性; 针对比所述阈值更远离所述平均值的像素评估所述子帧曝光中的每一个; 以及用所述平均值替换超过所述阈值的每个所述子帧图像中的像素，以形成校正的子帧图像。

公开(公告)号：US08791438B2

公开(公告)日：2014-07-29

申请号：US13949318

申请日：2013-07-24

申请人： Gatan, Inc.

发明人： Steven Thomas Coyle ,  John Andrew Hunt ,  Michael Patrick Hassel-Shearer

IPC分类号： H01J37/36

CPC分类号： H01J37/20 ,  G01N1/32 ,  G01N2021/8411 ,  H01J37/3005 ,  H01J37/3056 ,  H01J2237/184 ,  H01J2237/202 ,  H01J2237/31745

摘要： Disclosed are embodiments of an ion beam sample preparation apparatus and methods. The apparatus has disposed in a vacuum chamber at least one tilting ion beam irradiating means with intensity control, a rotation stage with rotation control, a sample holder, and an adjustable positioning stage that has two axes of positional adjustment that are operable to move the region of the sample being prepared by the ion beam relative to the ion beam. The apparatus may also include a vacuum-tight optical window for observing the sample and a shutter for protecting the optical window from debris while the sample is prepared in the ion beam.

摘要翻译： 公开了离子束样品制备装置和方法的实施方案。 该设备已经在真空室中设置了至少一个具有强度控制的倾斜离子束照射装置，具有旋转控制的旋转台，样品保持器和可调整的定位台，其具有两个位置调整轴线，该两个轴线可操作以移动该区域 样品由离子束相对于离子束制备。 该装置还可以包括用于观察样品的真空密封光学窗口和用于在样品在离子束中制备样品时保护光学窗口免于碎片的快门。

公开(公告)号：US08476585B2

公开(公告)日：2013-07-02

申请号：US13408054

申请日：2012-02-29

申请人： Simon Andrew Galloway

发明人： Simon Andrew Galloway

IPC分类号： H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/28 ,  B01D59/44 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/18 ,  G01N1/06 ,  B23K15/10

CPC分类号： H01J37/20 ,  G01N1/06 ,  H01J2237/206 ,  H01J2237/226 ,  H01J2237/24495 ,  H01J2237/24578 ,  Y10T83/8748 ,  Y10T83/8749

摘要： A microtome for in situ residence within a chamber of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a SEM including the microtome is disclosed. The microtome includes a specimen holder for holding a specimen thereon at high voltage to produce a retardation field thereat and a movable knife. The SEM includes a backscatter electron detector disposed adjacent to specimen holder. The knife arranged is to be carried into engagement with the specimen on the specimen holder to slice a portion of the specimen away to expose a new face of the specimen without interfering with the high voltage on the specimen, and is mounted so that after having engaged the specimen to expose a new face of the specimen it is withdrawn to a retracted position whereupon it does not interfere with the retardation field.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种用于在扫描电子显微镜（SEM）的室内原位居住的切片机和包括切片机的SEM。 切片机包括用于在高压下保持样品以在其上产生延迟场的样本保持器和可动刀。 扫描电子显微镜（SEM）包括邻近样品架设置的反向散射电子检测器。 布置的刀将与试样夹持器上的试样接合，以将样品的一部分切开以露出样品的新面，而不干扰样品上的高电压，并且安装成使得在已经接合之后 试样露出样品的新面，它被抽出到缩回位置，因此它不会妨碍延迟场。

公开(公告)号：US08445874B2

公开(公告)日：2013-05-21

申请号：US13082370

申请日：2011-04-07

申请人： Steven Thomas Coyle ,  John Andrew Hunt

发明人： Steven Thomas Coyle ,  John Andrew Hunt

IPC分类号： G21K5/10

CPC分类号： H01J37/20 ,  G01N1/32 ,  H01J37/185 ,  H01J37/31 ,  H01J2237/2007 ,  H01J2237/3118

摘要： Disclosed are embodiments of an ion beam sample preparation apparatus and methods for using the embodiments. The apparatus comprises an ion beam irradiating means in a vacuum chamber that may direct ions toward a sample, a shield blocking a portion of the ions directed toward the sample, and a shield retention stage with shield retention means that replaceably and removably holds the shield in a position. The shield has datum features which abut complementary datum features on the shield retention stage when the shield is held in the shield retention stage. The shield has features which enable the durable adhering of the sample to the shield for processing the sample with the ion beam. The complementary datum features on both shield and shield retention stage enable accurate and repeatable positioning of the sample in the apparatus for sample processing and reprocessing. A retention stage lifting means allows the creation of a loading chamber that is isolated from the main vacuum chamber where sample ion beam milling takes place. A heat sink means is configured to conduct heat away from the sample undergoing sample preparation in the ion beam.

摘要翻译： 公开了用于使用实施例的离子束样品制备装置和方法的实施方案。 该装置包括在真空室中的离子束照射装置，其可以将离子定向到样品，阻挡部分朝向样品的离子的屏蔽件，以及具有屏蔽保持装置的屏蔽保持台，该屏蔽保持装置可替换地和可移除地将屏蔽保持在 一个位置。 当屏蔽保持在屏蔽保持阶段时，屏蔽具有与屏蔽保持平台上的辅助基准特征相交的基准特征。 屏蔽件具有能够将样品耐久地粘附到屏蔽件的特征，以用离子束处理样品。 屏蔽和屏蔽保持阶段的补充基准特征使得样品能够准确和可重复地定位在用于样品处理和再处理的设备中。 保持级提升装置允许创建与主真空室隔离的装载室，其中进行样品离子束研磨。 散热装置被配置为将热量从在离子束中进行样品制备的样品导出。

公开(公告)号：US08320704B2

公开(公告)日：2012-11-27

申请号：US12235366

申请日：2008-09-22

申请人： Paul E. Mooney

发明人： Paul E. Mooney

IPC分类号： G06K9/40

CPC分类号： G06K9/03 ,  G06K9/00134 ,  G06K2209/403 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J2237/226 ,  H01J2237/2443 ,  H01J2237/24495 ,  H01J2237/282

摘要： Methods for creating reference images of fiber optic sensor plates for use in electron microscopes. The methods include taking of reference images of stripe or dot patterns. The spatial frequency of the stripe or dot patterns is such that image artifacts of the fiber optic stacks is recorded. The reference images can then be used to correct for these artifacts.

摘要翻译： 创建用于电子显微镜的光纤传感器板的参考图像的方法。 这些方法包括拍摄条纹或点图案的参考图像。 条纹或点图案的空间频率使得记录光纤堆叠的图像伪影。 然后可以使用参考图像来校正这些伪影。

公开(公告)号：US08129679B2

公开(公告)日：2012-03-06

申请号：US12823375

申请日：2010-06-25

申请人： Paul Mooney

发明人： Paul Mooney

IPC分类号： H01J37/22

CPC分类号： H01J37/05 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/26 ,  H01J2237/05 ,  H01J2237/2441 ,  H01J2237/24455 ,  H01J2237/24485 ,  H01J2237/26 ,  H01J2237/2802

摘要： Methods are disclosed for operating a device having a high energy particle detector wherein the particles create first incoming traversal events, outgoing backscatter events, higher-order in and out events and incoming events caused by particles which backscatter out of the device, hit nearby mechanical structures and are scattered back into the device. Exemplary method steps include discriminating incoming traversal events from outgoing backscatter events, higher-order in and out events and incoming events by limiting dose rate to a level at ensures that separate events do not overlap and discriminating events from background and from other events based on total energy in each event; discriminating backscatter events from incoming traversal events based on electron path shape; or determining that a first event and a second event are coincident with each other and separating incoming form backscatter events based on electron path shape and energy level.

摘要翻译： 公开了用于操作具有高能量粒子检测器的装置的方法，其中颗粒产生第一进入的穿越事件，出射的后向散射事件，高阶进入和离开事件以及由反向散射出装置的颗粒引起的进入事件，撞击附近的机械结构 并分散回设备。 示例性方法步骤包括通过将剂量率限制到一个水平来区分进入的遍历事件与输出的后向散射事件，高阶进入和离开事件以及进入的事件，以确保单独的事件不会与基于总计的背景和来自其他事件的事件重叠和区分事件 每个事件的能量; 基于电子路径形状鉴别反向散射事件与进入的穿越事件; 或者确定第一事件和第二事件彼此重合，并基于电子路径形状和能级分离入射形式的反向散射事件。