A method of examining a sample using a charged particle microscope is provided comprising scanning a charged particle beam over an area of the sample, detecting spectral emissions from the sample in response to scanning of the charged particle beam, and identifying a first plurality of substantially similar spectral emissions. A first chemical element is determined that is associated with the substantially similar spectral emissions. A first base spectral number value associated with said first chemical element is provided that is related to the number of similar spectral emissions that are required for confidently determining said first chemical element. The first base spectral number value is used for dividing at least a part of the scanned area of the sample into a first number of segments. The method includes providing a graphical representation of the sample, wherein said graphical representation includes said first chemical element and corresponding segments.

A multi-channel static CT device is provided, and the multi-channel static CT device includes: a scanning channel including a plurality of scanning sub-channels; a distributed X-ray source including a plurality of ray emission points arranged around the scanning channel; and a detector module including a plurality of detectors arranged around the scanning channel, wherein the plurality of detectors are arranged corresponding to the plurality of ray emission points.

A method of automated data acquisition for a transmission electron microscope, the method comprising: obtaining a reference image of a sample at a first magnification; for each of a first plurality of target locations identified in the reference image: steering an electron beam of the transmission electron microscope to the target location, obtaining a calibration image of the sample at a second magnification greater than the first magnification, and using image processing techniques to identify an apparent shift between an expected position of the target location in the calibration image and an observed position of the target location in the calibration image, training a non-linear model using the first plurality of target locations and the corresponding apparent shifts; based on the non-linear model, calculating a calibrated target location for a next target location; steering the electron beam to the calibrated target location and obtaining an image at a third magnification greater than the first magnification.

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.

A method for correction of thermal defects using tomographic scanning for additive manufacturing is provided. The method may include forming a portion of an object using an additive manufacturing system based on an intended three-dimensional (3D) model of the object that is in an additive manufacturing system format. The portion of the object is scanned using a tomographic scanner to obtain a model of the portion of the object in a tomographic scanner format. The model is converted from the tomographic scanner format into the additive manufacturing system format to obtain a converted tomographic model; and the converted tomographic model is compared to the intended 3D model to identify a defect in the portion of the object. A modified 3D model may be generated of the object correcting the intended 3D model to address the defect of the portion of the object.

In some embodiments, a scientific instrument includes an electron-beam column configured to scan an electron beam across a sample. The electron-beam column includes a beam blanker configured to gate the electron beam in response to a drive signal. The scientific instrument also includes an electron detector configured to measure a flux of transmitted or scattered electrons having interacted with the sample and an electronic controller configured to acquire an image of the sample using values of the flux measured with the electron detector for a plurality of electron-beam scan locations. The electronic controller is further configured to cause the drive signal to have a gating frequency at which the image has a moir pattern therein.

A scanning illuminating device includes an emission center from which radiation is emitted in an illuminating sector. A cylindrical ring is centered on the source and is rotatably movable about a first axis. The ring includes a plurality of slits regularly distributed about its axis of rotation and having the same angular amplitude . A cylinder portion is centered on the source and is rotatably movable about a second axis crossing the first axis at the center and forming a nonzero angle therewith. The cylinder portion includes a slit having an angular amplitude . A first device control of the rotation of the ring, defining an elementary angular step as such that an integer N1 other than 1 meets the condition =N1.Math.. A second device controls the rotation of the ring portion defining an angular step such that an integer N2 other than 1 meets the condition =N2.Math..

A detector for a scanning electron microscope (SEM) system comprises a semiconductor substrate, and a switching network formed on the semiconductor substrate and comprising a radiation hardened NMOS transistor, the NMOS transistor comprising a first source/drain diffusion region, a second source/drain diffusion region, and a gate patterned on the semiconductor substrate and encircling one of the first and second source/drain diffusion regions.

Provided is an image acquisition method of acquiring an image of a crystalline specimen in a scanning transmission electron microscope. The scanning transmission electron microscope includes an electron source; an illumination system including a condenser lens, an aperture, and an illumination system deflector; a specimen stage; an imaging apparatus capable of photographing a Ronchigram formed on a diffraction plane; and an imaging system deflector. The method includes aligning a center of the Ronchigram with a center of a detector plane of the imaging apparatus; aligning a direction of incidence of the electron beam with respect to the specimen with a crystal zone axis of the specimen by aligning a shadow of the aperture with the crystal zone axis on the diffraction plane; and causing the imaging system deflector to deflect the electron beam to align the electron beam with the center of the detector plane of the imaging apparatus.

Methods identify phase characteristics of a sample. Methods comprise obtaining backscattered electron data of the sample using a direct charged particle detector. Direct charged particle detectors comprise an array of pixels and is configured to count the number of backscattered electrons, or to measure the energy of each backscattered electron, detected by each pixel of the array when an electron beam is incident upon the sample. Backscattered electron data sets comprise the number of, or the measured energies of, the backscattered electrons detected by each pixel of the array when the electron beam is incident upon a respective region of the sample. Methods further comprise determining, for each data set, a respective statistical electron characteristic or a respective electron energy spectrum, and identifying a respective phase characteristic for at least some of the regions of the sample, based on the determined statistical electron characteristics or the determined electron energy spectra.