Fei Comapny

Marek Uncovský

Tomás Vystavel

Pavel Stejskal

Bart Buijsse

Ali Mohammadi-Gheidari

Bohuslav Sed'a

Alan Frank De Jong

Libor Novák

Petr Glajc

Pierre Bleuet

Various approaches are provided for transferring samples within an inert gas environment to and from a beam system. In one example, a sample transfer capsule includes a container configured to store a sample during transport, wherein the container is adjustable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, an inert gas storage chamber coupled to the container and configured to store an inert gas, and a valve coupled to the inert gas storage chamber and the container and configured to selectively allow the inert gas to flow from the inert gas storage chamber to the container when the container is in the closed configuration. In this way, samples may be maintained in an inert gas environment during transport and while beam system vacuum chambers are vented, thereby reducing exposure of the samples and subsequently reducing the rate of a chemical reaction, such as oxidation or nitridation, of the samples.

Inert gas sample transfer for beam systems

A charged particle imaging apparatus comprising:

Multi-beam charged particle imaging apparatus

A method of investigating a specimen using X-ray tomography, comprising (a) mounting the specimen to a specimen holder, (b) irradiating the specimen with a beam of X-rays along a first line of sight through the specimen, and (c) detecting a flux of X-rays transmitted through the specimen and forming a first image. Then (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) for a series of different lines of sight through the specimen, thereby producing a corresponding series of images. The method further comprises (e) performing a mathematical reconstruction on said series of images, so as produce a tomogram of at least part of the specimen, wherein the specimen is disposed within a substantially cylindrical metallic shell with an associated cylindrical axis, the beam of X-rays is produced by directing a beam of charged particles onto a zone of said metallic shell, so as to produce a confined X-ray source at said zone, and the series of different lines of sight is achieved by rotating said shell about said cylindrical axis, thereby causing relative motion of said zone relative to the specimen.

Arrangement for X-Ray tomography

The invention relates to a method of acquiring an Energy Backscattering Pattern image of a sample in a charged particle apparatus, the sample showing a flat surface, the charged particle apparatus equipped with an electron column for producing a finely focused electron beam, a position sensitive detector for detecting EBSP patterns, and a sample holder for holding and positioning the sample, the method comprising the steps of:

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Brno, Czechia

Marek Uncovský