The present invention is intended to provide improved patterned X-ray emitting targets as well as X-ray sources that include patterned X-ray emitting targets as well as X-ray reflectance scatterometry (XRS) systems and also including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) systems and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) systems which employ such X-ray emitting targets.

Apparatus include a reflector positioned adjacent to a sample location that is situated to receive a charged particle beam (CPB) along a CPB axis from a CPB focusing assembly so that the reflector is situated to receive light emitted from a sample at the sample location based on a CPB-sample interaction or a photon-sample interaction and to direct the light to a photodetector, and a steering electrode situated adjacent to the reflector so as to direct secondary charged particles emitted from the sample based on the CPB-sample interaction away from the reflector and CPB axis. Methods and systems are also disclosed.

The present invention is intended to provide improved patterned X-ray emitting targets as well as X-ray sources that include patterned X-ray emitting targets as well as X-ray reflectance scatterometry (XRS) systems and also including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) systems and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) systems which employ such X-ray emitting targets.

A method for improving a quality of a secondary electron image of a region of a sample, the method may include obtaining a backscattered electron (BSE) image of the region and a secondary electron (SE) image of the region; wherein the BSE image and the SE image are generated by scanning of the region with an electron beam; processing the BSE image and the SE image to provide a processed BSE image and a processed SE image; and generating a BSE compensated SE image, wherein the generating comprises applying one or more selected BSE correction factors on one or more parts of the processed BSE image.

A system and method for stress testing a sample, the system comprising a high-intensity laser unit and a target for laser-matter interaction, wherein the high-intensity laser unit delivers an intensity of at least 10.sup.13 W/cm.sup.2 on the target, and resulting laser-accelerated particles generated by the target irradiate the sample.

System, method and computer program product for determining mass fractions of one or more elements in a test sample based on a measurement with a wave-length dispersive x-ray fluorescence (WDX) spectrometer measuring gross intensities associated with respective elements with to-be-determined mass fractions (MFi) in the test sample. A mass fraction module determines mass fractions (MFi) by using a calibration equation (CE1) with the respective measured gross intensity and a respective calculated scattering efficiency as inputs. The calibration equation (CE1) associates net intensities of characteristic fluorescence lines of the sample elements with respective mass fractions. The net intensity for a particular peak is obtained by subtracting a respective calculated scattering efficiency times a scaling factor from the calibration equation (CE1) from the measured gross intensity of the particular peak. The elemental composition of the test sample is determined either via an iteration module or via an EDX quantification module.

A computer-assisted method for determining an element fraction of a determination element, in particular with a small atomic number, especially lithium, of an examination region of a sample bombarded with primary electrons, wherein a backscattered electron signal, preferably a backscattered electron image, captured using a backscattered electron detector and a spectroscopy element composition of the examination region determined using an X-ray spectroscopy detector, such as an EDX detector, are obtained. A practicable quantitative determination can be achieved if a measured gray value SM determined from the backscattered electron signal is combined with element fractions of the spectroscopy element composition in order to determine a fraction of the determination element. A device for processing data and to a computer product for carrying out the method is also disclosed.