Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a source configured to emit charged particles, an optical system and a stage; wherein the stage is configured to support a sample thereon and configured to move the sample by a first distance in a first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to form probe spots on the sample with the charged particles; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance in the first direction and by a second distance in a second direction, simultaneously, while the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance less a width of one of the probe spots in an opposite direction of the first direction, after the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction.

A detection system serves for X-ray inspection of an object. An imaging optical arrangement serves to image the object in an object plane illuminated by X-rays generated by an X-ray source. The imaging optical arrangement comprises an imaging optics to image a transfer field in a field plane into a detection field in a detection plane. A detection array is arranged at the detection field. An object mount holds the object to be imaged and is movable relative to the X-ray source via an object displacement drive along at least one lateral object displacement direction in the object plane. A shield stop with a transmissive shield stop aperture is arranged in an arrangement plane in a light path and is movable via a shield stop displacement drive in the arrangement plane. A control device has a drive control unit, which is in signal connection with the shield stop displacement drive and with the object displacement drive for synchronizing a movement of the shield stop displacement drive and the object displacement drive. The result is an optimization of an X-ray illumination of the object to achieve a high-resolution object imaging.

Proposed are an X-ray inspection apparatus and a method of inspection with X-rays in which foreign objects in even a sample in which bending, sagging, or curving may occur can be inspected accurately. The X-ray inspection apparatus includes an X-ray source (2) which irradiates a sample with an X-ray, an X-ray detection unit (3) that is installed on a side opposite to the X-ray source with respect to the sample and detects the X-ray that passed through the sample, and a sample support mechanism (14) that supports the sample, wherein the sample is flexible and has a shape of a film, and the sample support mechanism has a support body (4) through which the X-ray is capable of passing and which is in close contact with and supports at least a portion of the sample, that is disposed between the X-ray source and the X-ray detection unit.

Provided are a high-energy and high-powered laser light source and a photoemission electron microscope using the laser light source. The laser light source 2 is intended for use in the photoemission electron microscope for emitting a quasi-continuous wave laser 7 and includes: a first laser light source 100 configured to emit a continuous wave coherent light 100a, an optical resonator 110 including an optical path in which the continuous wave coherent light 100a circulates and including a non-linear optical element 114 disposed on the optical path, and a quasi-continuous wave light source 120 configured to emit a quasi-continuous wave coherent light 120a having a wavelength shorter than that of the continuous wave coherent light 100a and having a near rectangular output waveform. When the quasi-continuous wave coherent light 120a is incident on the non-linear optical element 114 from outside the optical resonator 110 while the continuous wave coherent light 100a is entering the optical resonator 110 to circulate in the optical path, the quasi-continuous wave laser 7 having a wavelength shorter than that of the quasi-continuous wave coherent light 120a is emitted from the non-linear optical element 114.

Systems and methods inspect a fastener installed at least partially through a hole in a part, by measuring fastener concentricity, measuring fastener flushness with a surface, and/or detecting foreign object debris near the fastener. Systems include an x-ray imaging system, a first camera device, a second camera device, a first support structure, and at least one processing unit. The first camera device produces a first image of the fastener from a first vantage point, and the second camera device produces a second image of the fastener from a second vantage point, such that a 3D image of the fastener can be created from the first image and the second image. The system inspects the fastener based on the x-ray image and/or the 3D image, to determine concentricity and/or flushness of the fastener. Systems may be automated and mounted on robot arms to be positioned relative to the fasteners being inspected.

A sequential X-ray fluorescence spectrometer according to the present invention includes a total analysis time display unit configured to measure, for each kind of analytical sample, a standard sample which contains a component at a known content as a standard value to determine a measured intensity of each measurement line corresponding to the component. The total analysis time display unit is further configured to calculate, for each component, a counting time which gives a specified analytical precision by using the standard value and the measured intensity and to calculate a total counting time as a sum of the counting times of respective components. The total analysis time display unit is configured to calculate a total analysis time as a sum of the total counting time and a total non-counting time and to output the calculated total analysis time and the calculated counting times of the respective components.

A method for operating a measurement system (100) comprises: generating a beam of electromagnetic radiation (25) directed along a central ray (27) using a radiation source (19); moving the radiation source (19) relative to an object region (35) so that the central ray (27) is directed onto a radiation detector (31) during the movement; wherein the moving of the radiation source (19) relative to the object region (35) comprises: rotating the radiation source (19) about a first axis of rotation (D1), wherein the radiation source (19) is disposed eccentrically to the first axis of rotation (D1); rotating the radiation source (19) about a second axis of rotation (D2), wherein the first axis of rotation (D1) and the second axis of rotation (D2) together enclose an acute angle (α) amounting to at most 80°.

Specimen control means are disclosed for use with multipurpose particle beam instruments, such as with SEM, ESEM, TESEM, TEM, ETEM and ion microscopes. It provides a control stage located outside a chamber with a flexible wall that allows specimen movement inside the chamber. The same stage can open or close the bottom of the chamber base carrying a specimen stub, which is transferred to and from a conveyor belt or carousel supplied with a multitude of stubs filled with new specimens for examination. The chamber is further supplied with directed gas controls to regulate its gaseous environment. There is a supply of clean gas to maintain the instrument and specimen free of contamination, or to provide a reactant gas for microfabrication, or to enhance signal detection in a microscope. Stationary charged particle beam instruments are equipped with micro-mechanical specimen scanning for use in ultra-high resolution particle beam technologies.

An X-ray spectrometer is provided with: an excitation source configured to irradiate excitation rays onto an irradiation area of a sample, a diffraction member provided to face the irradiation area; a slit member provided between the irradiation area and the diffraction member, the slit member having a slit extending parallel to the irradiation area and a prescribed surface of the diffraction member; an X-ray linear sensor having a light-incident surface in which a plurality of detection elements are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the slit; a first moving mechanism configured to change an angle between the sample surface and the prescribed surface, and/or a distance between the sample surface and the prescribed surface by moving the diffraction member within a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a second moving mechanism configured to position the X-ray linear sensor on a path of characteristic X-rays passed through the slit and diffracted by the prescribed surface by moving the X-ray linear sensor within a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Scanning systems for performing computed tomography scanning may include a stator, a rotor supporting at least one radiation source and at least one radiation detector rotatable with the rotor, and a rotator operatively connected to the rotor to rotate the rotor relative to the stator. A conveyor system may include a respective conveyor extending through the rotor of the scanning system. A control system operatively connected to the scanning system and the conveyor system may be configured to automatically and dynamically increase a rate at which the rotor moves, decrease a rate at which the respective conveyor moves, and/or adjust other system parameters when the control system enters a finer pitch mode and to automatically and dynamically decrease a rate at which the rotor moves, increase a rate at which the respective conveyor moves, and/or adjust other system parameters when the control system enters a coarser pitch mode.