Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Stefan Meyer

Michael Albiez

Erik Essers

Stewart Bean

Daniel Kirsten

Wolfgang Berger

Dirk Preikszas

Gerd Ludwig Benner

Luyang Han

Joerg Fober

Björn Gamm

Judith Kimling

Jörg Fober

Steffen Niederberger

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 system is configured to perform a method which includes: preventing at least one of generation of induced particles and incidence of the induced particles onto a detection area of a detector configured to output a detection signal; generating a residual signal by processing the detection signal outputted during the preventing using a control value; adjusting, based on the residual signal, the control value so that the residual signal takes a value within a predetermined limited residual-signal target range; directing a primary particle beam onto an object while allowing generation of the induced particles due to the primary particle beam and incidence of the induced particles onto the detection area; generating a result signal by processing the detection signal outputted during the directing using the control value.

Particle beam system and method of operating a particle beam system

An electron beam microscope includes an energy-sensitive detector to detect backscattered electrons and a signal processor for processing detection signals of the detector. The signal processor includes an analog amplifier. The signal processor also includes a window comparator having a signal input connected to an output of the analog amplifier. A signal generated at an output of the signal processor is generated based on a signal provided at an output the window comparator. The window comparator is configured to output a predetermined signal only if the amplified signal supplied to its signal input is less than or equal to an upper threshold and greater than or equal to a lower threshold.

Electron beam microscope

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 microscope comprises a magnetic lenshaving an optical axisand a pole piece. An objectto be examined is mounted at a point of intersectionbetween an optical axisand the object plane. First and second X-ray detectorshave first and second radiation-sensitive substratesarranged such that a first elevation angle &#x3b2;between a first straight lineextending through the point of intersectionand a center of the first substrateand the object planediffers from a second elevation angle &#x3b2;between a second straight lineextending through the point of intersectionand a center of the second substrateand the object planeby more than 14&#xb0;.

Particle beam microscope

Growing community of inventors

Aalen, Germany

Stefan Meyer