The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 30, 2013
Filed:
May. 31, 2011
Johannes Jacobus Lambertus Mulders, Eindhoven, NL;
Laurent Roussel, Eindhoven, NL;
Wilhelmus Michael Busing, Eindhoven, NL;
Johannes Jacobus Lambertus Mulders, Eindhoven, NL;
Laurent Roussel, Eindhoven, NL;
Wilhelmus Michael Busing, Eindhoven, NL;
FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for obtaining images from slices of a specimen, the method comprising: repeatedly obtaining an image of the surface layer of the specimen () and removing the surface layer of the specimen, thereby bringing the next slice to the surface; characterized in that after at least one of the removals of a surface layer the specimen is exposed to a staining agent. This method is especially suited for use in a particle-optical instrument equipped with both a scanning electron microscope column () and a focused ion beam column (). The specimen can e.g. be stained in situ by admitting a gas, such as OsO4 (osmiumtetroxide), to the specimen. This method also makes it possible to perform differential staining by first making an image of the specimen exposed to a first staining agent, and subsequently making an image of the specimen when it is additionally stained by a second staining agent.