Systems and methods of observing a sample using an electron beam apparatus are disclosed. The electron beam apparatus comprises an electron source configured to generate a primary electron beam along a primary optical axis, and a first electron detector having a first detection layer substantially parallel to the primary optical axis and configured to detect a first portion of a plurality of signal electrons generated from a probe spot on a sample. The method may comprise generating a plurality of signal electrons and detecting the signal electrons using the first electron detector substantially parallel to the primary optical axis of the primary electron beam. A method of configuring an electrostatic element or a magnetic element to detect backscattered electrons may include disposing an electron detector on an inner surface of the electrostatic or magnetic element and depositing a conducting layer on the inner surface of the electron detector.

Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a combined scanning X-ray generator, a composite inspection apparatus and an inspection method. The combined scanning X-ray generator includes: a housing; an anode arranged in the housing, the anode including a first end of the anode and a second end of the anode opposite the first end of the anode; a pencil beam radiation source arranged at the first end of the anode and configured to emit a pencil X-ray beam; and a fan beam radiation source arranged at the second end of the anode and configured to emit a fan X-ray beam; wherein the pencil beam radiation source and the fan beam radiation source are operated independently.

Molecular structure of a crystal may be solved based on at least two diffraction tilt series acquired from a sample. The two diffraction tilt series include multiple diffraction patterns of at least one crystal of the sample acquired at different electron doses. In some examples, the two diffraction tilt series are acquired at different magnifications.

An x-ray microscopy method that obtains a classification of different particles by distinguishing between different material phases through a combination of image processing involving morphological edge enhancement and possibly resolved absorption contrast differences between the phases along with optional wavelet filtering.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for X-ray phase contrast imaging. The method comprises the following steps: from the measured phase gradient and overall attenuation information, an electron density is computed; the contribution p.sub.c of the Compton scattering to the overall attenuation is estimated from the electron density; the contribution pp of the photo-electric absorption to the overall attenuation is estimated from the overall attenuation and the contribution p.sub.c; the values p.sub.c and p.sub.p are used to reconstruct a Compton image and a photo-electric image; by linear combination of these two images, a monochromatic image at a desired energy is obtained.

An x-ray imaging apparatus includes an x-ray source module configured to output source x-rays, a pencil-beam-forming module having input and output ports, and a module engagement interface that enables a user to select aligned and non-aligned configurations of the source and pencil-beam-forming modules. In the aligned configuration, the pencil-beam-forming module is aligned with the source module to receive source x-rays at the input port and to output a scanning pencil beam through the output port toward a target. In the non-aligned configuration, the pencil-beam-forming module is not aligned with the x-ray source module to receive the source x-rays nor to output the pencil beam, but instead enables the source x-rays to form a stationary, wide-area beam directed toward the target. Example embodiments can be handheld, can enable both backscatter imaging and high-resolution transmission imaging using the same apparatus, and can be employed in finding and disarming explosive devices.

An x-ray transmission spectrometer system to be used with a compact x-ray source to measure x-ray absorption with both high spatial and high spectral resolution. The spectrometer system comprises a compact high brightness x-ray source, an optical system with a low pass spectral filter property to focus the x-rays through an object to be examined, and a spectrometer comprising a crystal analyzer (and, in some embodiments, a mosaic crystal) to disperse the transmitted beam, and in some instances an array detector. The high brightness/high flux x-ray source may have a take-off angle between 0 and 15 degrees, and be coupled to an optical system that collects and focuses the high flux x-rays to micron-scale spots, leading to high flux density. The x-ray optical system may also act as a “low-pass” filter, allowing a predetermined bandwidth of x-rays to be observed at one time while excluding the higher harmonics.

A method for characterizing a sample combining an X-ray tomography characterization technique and a secondary ionization mass spectrometry characterization technique, includes: a step of providing a tip that includes first and second end surfaces, a first cylindrical region bearing the first end surface and a second region in contact with the first cylindrical region and becoming slimmer towards the second end surface; a step of machining the second region to obtain a sample holder including a flat surface, the flat surface forming an end surface of the sample holder, the area of the flat surface being less than the area of the first end surface; a step of placing the sample on the flat surface of the sample holder; a first step of characterization of the sample using an X-ray characterization technique; a second step of characterization of the sample using a secondary ionization mass spectrometry characterization technique.

An apparatus is described herein. The apparatus comprises a first modality unit and a second modality unit. The first modality unit is located within a gantry. The second modality unit within the gantry is moveable along an examination axis to be concentric about with the first modality unit such that a field of view of the first modality unit and a field of view of the second modality unit are centered about a single point of interest.

The invention describes a method and a device (9) for executing a method of X-ray nano-radiography and nanotomography using a scanning electron microscope (1) consisting of the focus of an electron beam (2) from an electron microscope (1) onto one point of the surface of a scanned sample (3), the emission of bremsstrahlung and fluorescent radiation (6) from the focal point of the impact of the electron beam (2), the sensing of the scanned sample (3), and recording an image of the structure of the scanned sample (3) based on the change of intensities of the bremsstrahlung and fluorescent radiation (6) by the imaging detector (7) arranged behind the sample (3).