A method of detecting an anomaly in a crystallographic structure, the method comprising: illuminating the structure with x-ray radiation in a known direction relative to the crystallographic orientation; positioning the structure such that its crystallographic orientation is known; detecting a pattern of the diffracted x-ray radiation transmitted through the structure; generating the simulated pattern based on the known direction relative to the crystallographic orientation; comparing the detected pattern to a simulated pattern for x-ray radiation illuminating in the known direction; and, detecting the anomaly in the crystallographic structure based on the comparison.

An electron beam inspection apparatus according to an embodiment includes a stage holding a substrate with a pattern; an electron beam column irradiating the substrate with multiple beams including a plurality of electron beams such that adjacent regions irradiated with the electron beams have an overlap portion therebetween; a first image storage unit storing a first inspection image acquired by irradiating a first inspection region of the substrate with the multiple beams; a second image storage unit storing a second inspection image acquired by irradiating a second inspection region of the substrate with the multiple beams; a correction coefficient storage unit storing a correction coefficient for correcting an image of the overlap portion; an image correction unit correcting an image of the overlap portion using the correction coefficient; and a comparison unit comparing the first inspection image with the second inspection image.

Embodiments may include methods, systems, and apparatuses for care area based swath speed for throughput and sensitivity improvement. A method may comprise receiving scan region of a die. The scan region of the die may have a first care area at a controller configured to control an inspection tool, wherein the inspection tool includes a stage having the die disposed thereon. The method may then include scanning a first portion of the scan region at a fast feed rate and the first care area at a slow feed rate. Scanning may include emitting particles in a particle beam toward the die resulting an incidence on the die. Emitting may be performed using a particle emitter. Scanning may then include detecting a portion of particles reflected from the incidence. Detecting may be performed using a detector. Scanning may then include changing a position of the stage relative to the incidence.

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.

Systems and methods are provided for scanning an item utilizing an X-ray scanner in order to facilitate a determination of whether the X-ray radiation penetrated through the entirety of the scanned item. Various embodiments comprise a conveying mechanism, an X-ray emitter, a detector, and an X-ray penetration grid (XPG). The XPG may comprise a radiopaque grid that may serve as a reference for determining whether radiation passes through the scanned item, the grid oriented such that the grid members are neither parallel nor perpendicular to the direction of travel. Such orientation may minimize or eliminate ghosted radiation signals included in a visual display of the radiation received by the detector. A scanned item may be oriented with the XPG such that radiation emitted by the X-ray emitter that passes through a portion of the scanned item must also pass through the XPG before being received by the detector.

A method and apparatus for rapid measurement and analysis of structure and composition of poly-crystal materials by X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy, which uses a two-dimensional energy dispersive area detector having an array of pixels, and a white spectrum X-ray beam source. A related data processing method includes separating X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy signals in the energy dispersive X-ray spectrum detected by each pixel of the two-dimensional energy dispersive detector; correcting the detected X-ray diffraction signals by a correction function; summing the corrected X-ray diffraction signals and X-ray spectroscopy signals, respectively, over all pixels to obtain an enhanced diffraction spectrum and an enhanced spectroscopy spectrum; using the enhanced diffraction and spectroscopy spectrum respectively to determine the structure and composition of the sample. The summing step includes using Bragg's equation to convert the intensity-energy diffraction spectrum for each pixel into an intensity-lattice spacing spectrum before summing them.

An electron diffraction imaging system for imaging the three-dimensional structure of a single target molecule of a sample uses an electron source that emits a beam of electrons toward the sample, and a two-dimensional detector that detects electrons diffracted by the sample and generates an output indicative of their spatial distribution. A sample support is transparent to electrons in a region in which the sample is located, and is rotatable and translatable in at least two perpendicular directions. The electron beam has an operating energy between 5 keV and 30 keV, and beam optics block highly divergent electrons to limit the beam diameter to no more than three times the size of the sample molecule and provide a lateral coherence length of at least 15 nm. An adjustment system adjusts the sample support position in response to the detector output to center the target molecule in the beam.

The disclosure provides a scanning imaging system for security inspection of an object and an imaging method thereof, the system comprising: a conveying unit configured for bringing the object to move along a conveying direction; a plurality of radiographic sources at one side of the conveying unit, being arranged successively in a direction vertical to a plane, in which the conveying unit is located, and configured for alternately emitting ray beams to form a scanning area; a linear detector array at the other side of the conveying unit, being configured for detecting first projection images, which are formed after the ray beams emitted by the plurality of radiographic sources penetrate through the object, in the process of the object passing through the scanning area; an imaging unit configured for obtaining a first reconstructed image of the object based on the first projection images of the plurality of radiographic sources.

An X-ray imaging inspection system for inspecting items comprises an X-ray source 10 extending around an imaging volume 16, and defining a plurality of source points 14 from which X-rays can be directed through the imaging volume. An X-ray detector array 12 also extends around the imaging volume 16 and is arranged to detect X-rays from the source points which have passed through the imaging volume, and to produce output signals dependent on the detected X-rays. A conveyor 20 is arranged to convey the items through the imaging volume 16.

An electrolyte membrane thickness measurement apparatus includes a detecting medium supplying portion configured to emit a detecting medium, a detecting portion configured to detect a metal catalyst, and an analyzing unit. A thickness direction profile of a detection signal is generated by the detecting portion, and first and second inflection points are determined in the thickness direction profile based on the intensity of the detection signal by the analyzing unit. The distance between the first and second inflection points is evaluated as the thickness of the electrolyte membrane by the analyzing unit.