Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Nts Gmbh

Alfred Kärcher Se Co. Kg

Michael Albiez

Erik Essers

Stewart Bean

Stefan Meyer

Daniel Kirsten

Hubert Mantz

Rainer Arnold

Dirk Preikszas

Ulrike Zeile

Armin Heinz Hayn

Wolfram Buhler

Wolfram Bühler

Timo Spengler

Matthias Lang

Owain Evans

Angelika Mohr

Andreas Friederich

Tobias Masek

Disclosed is a charged particle optical apparatus. The charged particle optical apparatus has a liner electrode in a first vacuum zone. The liner electrode is used to generate an electrostatic objective lens field. The apparatus has a second electrode which surrounds at least a section of the primary particle beam path. The section extends in the first vacuum zone and downstream of the liner electrode. A third electrode is provided having a differential pressure aperture through which the particle beam path exits from the first vacuum zone. A particle detector is configured for detecting emitted particles, which are emitted from the object and which pass through the differential pressure aperture of the third electrode. The liner electrode, the second and third electrodes are operable at different potentials relative to each other.

Charged particle optical apparatus for through-the-lens detection of particles

A particle beam apparatus includes a first aperture unit having an adjustable aperture opening. The particle beam apparatus may include a first condenser lens having a first pole shoe and a second pole shoe. Both the first pole shoe and the second pole shoe may be adjustable relative to a second aperture unit independently of each other. The second aperture unit may be designed as a pressure stage aperture separating a first area having a vacuum at a first pressure, and a second area having a vacuum at a second pressure. Additionally, a method for adjusting a beam current in a particle beam apparatus is provided.

Particle beam apparatus having an aperture unit and method for setting a beam current in a particle beam apparatus

Charged particle optical apparatus for through-the lens detection of particles

Disclosed is a charged particle optical apparatus, which includes a particle optical arrangement, configured to define a particle beam path for inspecting an object. The object is accommodated in a pressure-controlled interior of a specimen chamber during the inspection of the object. The charged particle optical apparatus further includes a differential pressure module having a differential pressure aperture. A positioning arm is arranged in the specimen chamber for selectively position the differential pressure module within the pressure-controlled interior of the specimen chamber into an operating position in which the particle beam path passes through the differential pressure aperture. The selective positioning includes an advancing movement of the differential pressure module toward the primary particle beam path. The advancing movement is transmitted to the differential pressure module by a track-guided movement of the positioning arm.

Charged particle optical apparatus having a selectively positionable differential pressure module

A particle beam device, in particular an electron beam device, is provided having a beam generator for generating a primary particle beam, an objective lens for focusing the primary particle beam onto an object, and a detector for detecting particles emitted by the object. The objective lens has at least one magnetic unit, with the magnetic unit generating at least one first crossover and at least one second crossover. The first crossover is arranged in the objective lens or in a region between the objective lens and the object. The second crossover is arranged at the object. The device permits the examination of the object using particles which have a low energy, with good imaging properties. A method for operating the particle beam device is also provided.

Particle beam device and method for operating a particle beam device

An aperture unit for a particle beam device, in particular an electron beam device, is disclosed. Deposit supporting units are arranged at the aperture unit, with which deposit supporting units contaminations can be bound in such a way that the contaminations can no longer deposit at an aperture opening of the aperture unit. Coatings which can be arranged on the aperture unit make it possible to reduce interactions which cause contaminations to deposit at the aperture opening.

Aperture unit for a particle beam device

A method for treating a surface of an object and a device suitable in particular for performing this method provide for examining the surface of the object with the aid of a particle beam to counteract the charge buildup on the object. A gas is supplied to convey the charge away from the surface and/or to neutralize it.

Method and device for examining a surface of an object

Particle beam systems and methods

A particle beam system comprises a particle beam sourcefor generating a primary particle beam, an objective lensfor focusing the primary particle beamin an object plane; a particle detector; and an X-ray detectorarranged between the objective lens and the object plane. The X-ray detector comprises plural semiconductor detectors, each having a detection surfaceoriented towards the object plane. A membrane is disposed between the object plane and the detection surface of the semiconductor detector, wherein different semiconductor detectors have different membranes located in front, the different membranes differing with respect to a secondary electron transmittance.

Particle beam system

A method for processing a digital gray value image includes the steps of: generating a binary edge image from the gray value image so that edges present in the gray value image are determined as line areas around the edges; applying a sharpness algorithm in the gray value image within regions which correspond to the line areas; and, carrying out a smoothing process in the gray value image within regions which lie outside of the line areas so that an additional smoothed, sharpened gray value image is generated.

Method for processing a digital gray value image so that a reduced image noise and simultaneously a higher image sharpness is achieved

A method for binarizing a digital gray value image includes generating a binary edge image from the gray value image so as to cause existing edges to be determined as line areas around an edge; and, thereafter, computing a mean value of gray values of the gray value image in all regions which correspond to the line areas around an edge of the binary edge image with the mean value defining a threshold value for the generation of a binarized gray value image.

Method for binarizing a digital gray value image to generate a binarized gray value image and arrangement for carrying out said method

The invention relates to a focusing and positioning ancillary device for a particle-optical scanning microscope, a particle-optical scanning microscope including a corresponding positioning aid, and a method for focusing and positioning an object in a particle-optical scanning microscope. The focusing and positioning ancillary device includes an illuminating device, a camera, a display and a control unit. The illuminating device produces a collimated or focused light beam at an angle to the particle-optical beam axis which intersects the particle-optical beam axis at a predetermined position. The camera is sensitive to the wavelength of the light beam and records an image of the object, which is positioned on the object table, at a second angle to the particle-optical beam axis. The control unit produces an image captured by the camera on the display together with a marking which indicates the position of the particle-optical beam axis in the image.

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Aalen, Germany

Michael Albiez