Gatan, Inc.

Hunt, John Andrew

Hosman, Thijs C.

Coyle, Steven Thomas

Hassel-shearer, Michael Patrick

John Andrew Hunt

Steven Thomas Coyle

Michael Bertilson

Michael Patrick Hassel-Shearer

David J Stowe

Alexander Jozef Gubbens

Radosav Pantelic

Ron Zolkowski

Thijs C Hosman

Chris Booth

Masoud Azimi

Paul E Mooney

Andrew Abbott

Tom Worsley

Simon Andrew Galloway

Paul Edward Mooney

Michael Karl Kundmann

Sara Hunt

Henri Adriaan Brink

Michael Patrick Hassel-shearer

Simon A Galloway

A golf club boot having a sole with a sleeve partially buttressed by a set of ribs with the buttressed sleeve extending upward from the sole supporting an upside-down golf club therein in upright condition when the golf club boot is used as a cane stand with the sleeve pivotable to maintain the sole in ground contact during a walking motion of a person using a golf club head as a cane handle.

Golf club boot

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.

Cryotransfer holder and workstation

Apparatuses for collection of wavelength resolved and angular resolved cathodoluminescence (WRARCL) emitted from a sample exposed to an electron beam (e-beam) or other excitation beams are described. Cathodoluminescence light (CL) may be emitted from a sample at specific angles relative to the excitation beam and analyzed with respect to light-emitting and other optical phenomena. The described embodiments allow collection of WRARCL data more efficiently and with significantly fewer aberrations than existing systems.

Apparatus for wavelength resolved angular resolved cathodoluminescence

Apparatuses for collection of upstream and downstream transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cathodoluminescence (CL) emitted from a sample exposed to an electron beam are described. A first fiber optic cable carries first CL light emitted from a first TEM sample surface, into a spectrograph. A second fiber optic cable carries second CL light emitted from a second TEM sample surface into the spectrograph. The first and second fiber optic cables are positioned such that the spectrograph produces a first light spectrum for the first fiber optic cable and a separate light spectrum for the second fiber optic cable. The described embodiments allow collection of TEM CL data in a manner that allows analyzing upstream and downstream TEM CL signals separately and simultaneously with an imaging spectrograph.

Apparatus for transmission electron microscopy cathodoluminescence

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.

System and method for alignment of cathodoluminescence optics

Disclosed are embodiments of an ion beam sample preparation and coating apparatus and methods. A sample may be prepared in one or more ion beams and then a coating may be sputtered onto the prepared sample within the same apparatus. A vacuum transfer device may be used with the apparatus in order to transfer a sample into and out of the apparatus while in a controlled environment. Various methods to improve preparation and coating uniformity are disclosed including: rotating the sample retention stage; modulating the sample retention stage; variable tilt ion beam irradiating means, more than one ion beam irradiating means, coating thickness monitoring, selective shielding of the sample, and modulating the coating donor holder.

Methods and apparatus for determining, using, and indicating ion beam working properties

A cryotransfer holder for mounting a specimen held at cryogenic temperature in an electron microscope is described. The holder includes a cylindrical dewar configured to maintain a constant center of mass about the holder axis regardless of orientation of the dewar. The holder further includes a sample shutter control mechanism that can be decoupled from the shutter to reduce vibration during imaging. There is also described a workstation for mounting specimens into the 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.

Ion beam sample preparation and coating apparatus and methods

An apparatus for collection, distribution, and analysis of cathodoluminescence (CL) and other light signals in an electron microscope is provided. The optical hub, utilizing a linear-translating fold-mirror and mounted to the electron microscope, is used to receive essentially collimated light collected from a collection-mirror and efficiently route the collected light to a plurality of light-analysis instruments. The linear-translating fold-mirror can provide fine positional alignment of the light signal, and in an aspect of the invention can be used to select or scan a portion of the collected light-pattern into an optical slit or aperture. In one aspect, the optical hub includes a light filter mechanism that can track the movement of the fold-mirror. In an aspect, the optical hub also controls the positioning of the collection-mirror in proximity to the specimen being analyzed.

Cathodoluminescence optical hub

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.

Ion beam sample preparation apparatus and methods

Ion beam sample preparation apparatus and methods are described. 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. The apparatus may also include an instrument controller responsive to the state of the apparatus and to the condition of the sample and is operable to control the preparation of the sample.

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.

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. 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.

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. Additionally, apparatus kits are disclosed that enable the use of the same shields in the observation of prepared samples.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

John Andrew Hunt