Fei Comapny

Other

Cornelis Sander Kooijman

Hendrik Gezinus Tappel

Sander Richard Marie Stoks

Bart Buijsse

Faysal Boughorbel

Colin Sanford

Steven Berger

Hugo Van Leeuwen

Hendrik Jan De Vos

Ben Jacobus Marie Bormans

Koen Arnoldus Wilhelmus Driessen

Pavel Potocek

Gerard Nicolaas Anne Van Veen

Martinus Petrus Maria Bierhoff

Berend Helmerus Lich

Bart Jozef Janssen

Eric Gerardus Theodoor Bosch

Hendrik Nicolaas Slingerland

Tom Miller

Johannes Antonius Hendricus W G Persoon

Gene Mirro

Duarte Guerreiro Tome Antunes

Nikolaos Kontaras

Frank Jeroen Pieter Schuurmans

Uwe Luecken

Alan Frank De Jong

Jacob Simon Faber

Lis Karen Nanver

Gerardus Nicolaas Anne Van Veen

Thomas Ludovicus Maria Scholtes

Albertus Aemillius Seyno Sluijterman

Johannes Antonius Hendricus Wilhelmus Gerardus Persoon

Thijs Thomas Withaar

Gerard Anne Nicolaas Van Veen

Arthur Reinout Hartong

Mart Petrus Maria Bierhoff

Agata Sakić

Johannes Antonius Hendricus Wg Persoon

Colin August Sanford

Pybe Faber

Van Gerard Veen

Gert-Jan De Vos

Johannes Antonius Hendricus WG Persoon

Johannes AHWG Persoon

Johannes Antonius Hendricus Wilhelmus G Persoon

The invention relates to a method for analyzing an analogue signal comprising randomly spaced events having an event height. The method includes irradiating a sample with a focused beam of energetic electrons, detecting emission from the sample in response to such irradiation, and converting an analog signal of the emissions to a stationary time signal. The method further includes determining an estimated noise contribution for the stationary time signal, and determining an estimated event height of an event based on the stationary time signal and the estimated noise contribution for the stationary time signal, and determining, based on the estimated event height, an energy of the emission detected by the detector. This method is particularly useful for X-ray detectors, such as Silicon Drift Detectors, used in a SEM. By estimating the noise contribution to the signal, the step height is estimated with improved accuracy.

Pulse processing

A system for analyzing an analogue signal comprising randomly spaced events, the event having an event height, comprises:

The invention relates to a scanning-type charged particle microscope and a method for operation of such a microscope. Disclosed is a novel scanning strategy to the raster scan or serpentine scan. In some embodiment, the beam scanning motion is separated into short-stroke and long-stroke movements, to be assigned to associate short-stroke and long-stroke scanning devices, which may be beam deflectors or stage actuators. The scan strategy which is less susceptible to effects such as overshoot, settling/resynchronization, and 'backlash' effects.

Composite scan path in a charged particle microscope

A user interface for operation of a scanning electron microscope device that combines lower magnification reference images and higher magnification images on the same screen to make it easier for a user who is not used to the high magnification of electron microscopes to readily determine where on the sample an image is being obtained and to understand the relationship between that image and the rest of the sample. Additionally, other screens, such as, for example, an archive screen and a settings screen allow the user to compare saved images and adjust the settings of the system, respectively.

User interface for an electron microscope

An improved spectroscopic analysis apparatus and method are disclosed, comprising directing a beam of radiation onto a measurement location on a specimen, thereby causing a flux of X-rays to emanate from this location; examining the X-ray flux using a detector arrangement, thus acquiring a spectrum; choosing a set of different measurement directions originating from the location; recording outputs from the detector arrangement for different measurement directions; adopting a spectral model that is a convoluted mix of terms B and L, where B is the Bremsstrahlung background spectrum and Lcomprises spectral lines corresponding to the specimen composition at the measurement location; and then automatically deconvolving the set of measurements on the basis of the spectral model to calculate Lto determine the chemical composition of the specimen at the measurement location. The method includes corrections for differential X-ray absorption within the specimen along the different measurement directions.

Charged particle microscope with improved spectroscopic functionality

A method and apparatus for imaging a specimen using a scanning-type microscope, by irradiating a specimen with a beam of radiation using a scanning motion, and detecting a flux of radiation emanating from the specimen in response to the irradiation, in the first sampling session {S} of a set {S}, gathering data from a first collection of sparsely distributed sampling points {P} of set {P}. A mathematical registration correction is made to compensate for drift mismatches between different members of the set {P}, and an image of the specimen is assembled using the set {P} as input to an integrative mathematical reconstruction procedure.

Mathematical image assembly in a scanning-type microscope

Methods and systems are provided for a scanning microscope to rapidly form a partial digital image of an area. The method includes performing an initial scan for the area and using initial scan to identify regions representing features of interest in the area. Then, the method performs additional adaptive scans of the regions representing structures of interest. Such scans adapt the path of the scanning beam to follow the edges of a feature of interest by performing localized scan patterns that intersect the feature edge, and directing the localized scan patterns to follow the feature edge.

Adaptive scanning for particle size using directed beam signal analysis

The invention relates to a method for analyzing the output signal of a silicon drift detector (SDD). A SDD is used for detecting X-rays emitted by a sample as a result of impinging radiation. The signal of a SDD comprises a number of randomly spaced steps, in which the step height is a function of the energy of the detected X-ray photon. The variance in step height is a function of the averaging time that can be used to determine the plateau between steps: averaging over a short interval results in more uncertainty of the plateau value than a long interval. By according a weight factor, a function of the variance such that a step with low variance (high reliability) is associated with a larger weight factor than a step with high variance (low reliability), measurement values with a low variance are emphasized. This results in better resolved spectra.

Method for analyzing an EDS signal

A detector with a Silicon Diode and an amplifier, and a feedback element in the form of, for example, a resistor or a diode, switchably connected to the output of the amplifier. When the feedback element is selected via a switch, the detector operates in a Current Measurement Mode for determining electron current, and when the element is not selected the detector operates in its well-known Pulse Height Measurement Mode for determining the energy of X-ray quanta.

Silicon drift diode detector configured to switch between pulse height measurement mode and current measurement mode

Information from multiple detectors acquiring different types of information is combined to determine one or more properties of a sample more efficiently than the properties could be determined using a single type of information from a single type of detector. In some embodiments, information is collected simultaneously from the different detectors which can greatly reduce data acquisition time. In some embodiments, information from different points on the sample are grouped based on information from one type of detector and information from the second type of detector related to these points is combined, for example, to create a single spectrum from a second detector of a region of common composition as determined by the first detector. In some embodiments, the data collection is adaptive, that is, the data is analyzed during collection to determine whether sufficient data has been collected to determine a desired property with the desired confidence.

Clustering of multi-modal data

The method relates to a method of scanning a sample. Scanning a sample is typically done by scanning the sample with a probe along a multitude of parallel lines. In prior art scan methods a sample is scanned multiple times with a nominally identical scan pattern. The invention is based on the insight that the coherence between adjacent points in a direction along the scan direction is much better than the coherence of adjacent points perpendicular to the scan direction. By combining two images that are scanned perpendicular to each other, it should thus be possible to form an image making use of the improved coherence (due to shorter temporal distance) in both directions. The method thus involves scanning the sample with two scan patterns, the lines of one scan pattern preferably perpendicular to the lines of the other scan pattern. Hereby it is possible to use the temporal coherence of scan points on a line of one scan pattern to align the lines of the other scan pattern, and vice versa.

Scanning method for scanning a sample with a probe

An improved method of directing a charged particle beam that compensates for the time required for the charged particles to traverse the system by altering one or more of the deflector signals. According to one embodiment of the invention, a digital filter is applied to the scan pattern prior to digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion in order to reduce or eliminate over-shoot effects that can result from TOF errors. In other embodiments, analog filters or the use of signal amplifiers with a lower bandwidth can also be used to compensate for TOF errors. By altering the scan pattern, over-shoot effects can be significantly reduced or eliminated.

Pattern modification schemes for improved FIB patterning

A method of charged-particle microscopy, comprising: irradiating a sample surface S to cause radiation to emanate from the sample; detecting at least a portion of said emitted radiation recording an output Oof said detector arrangement as a function of emergence angle &#x3b8;of said emitted radiation, measured relative to an axis normal to S thus compiling a measurement set M={(O, &#x3b8;)} for a plurality of values of &#x3b8;; automatically deconvolving the measurement set M and spatially resolve it into a result set R={(V, L)},in which a spatial variable V demonstrates a value Vat an associated discrete death level Lreferenced to the surface S, whereby n and K are members of an integer sequence, and spatial variable V represents a physical property of the sample as a function of position in its bulk.

Charged-particle microscope providing depth-resolved imagery

A charged-particle microscopy includes irradiating a sample in measurement sessions, each having an associated beam parameter (P) value detecting radiation emitted during each measurement session, associating a measurand (M) with each measurement session, thus providing a data set (S) of data pairs {P, M}, wherein an integer in the range of 1&#x2266;n&#x2266;N, and processing the set (S) by: defining a Point Spread Function (K) having a kernel value Kfor each value n; defining a spatial variable (V); defining an imaging quantity (Q) having fore each value of n a value Qthat is a three-dimensional convolution of Kand V, such that Q=K*V; for each value of n, determining a minimum divergence min D(M&#x2225;K*V) between Mand Q, solving V while applying constraints on the values K.

Charged particle microscopy imaging method

Growing community of inventors

Veldhoven, Netherlands

Cornelis Sander Kooijman