Beam intercept profiles are measured as a particle beam transversely scans across a probe. A current of beam particles, a detector intensity, or image pixel intensities can variously be measured to obtain the profiles. Multiple profiles are used to determine geometric parameters which in turn can be used to configure equipment. In one application, transverse beam intercept profiles are measured for different waist heights of the particle beam. Steepness of the several profiles can be used to determine a height of the probe as the height at which the profile is steepest. The known probe height enables placing the probe in contact with a substrate at another known height. In another application, transverse beam intercept profiles of orthogonal probe edges are used to position a beam waist, reduce spot size, or reduce astigmatism. Techniques are applicable to SEM, FIB, and nanoprobe systems. Methods and apparatus are disclosed, with variations.

In order to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of stably detecting secondary particles and electromagnetic waves even for a non-conductive sample under high vacuum environment and enabling excellent observation and analysis, the charged particle beam apparatus includes a charged particle gun (12), scanning deflectors (17 and 18) configured to scan a charged particle beam (20) emitted from the charged particle gun (12) onto a sample (21), detectors (40 and 41) configured to detect a scanning control voltage input from an outside into the scanning deflectors, an arithmetic unit (42) configured to calculate, based on the detected scanning control voltage, irradiation pixel coordinates for the charged particle beam; and an irradiation controller (45) configured to control irradiation of the sample with the charged particle beam according to the irradiation pixel coordinates.

An electron imaging apparatus 100 is disclosed, which is configured for an electron transfer along an electron-optical axis OA of an electron 2 emitting sample 1 to an energy analyzer apparatus 200, and comprises a sample-side first lens group 10, an analyzer-side second lens group 30 and a deflector device 20, configured to deflect the electrons 2 in an exit plane of the electron imaging apparatus 100 in a deflection direction perpendicular to the electron-optical axis OA. An electron spectrometer apparatus, an electron transfer method and an electron spectrometry method are also described.

An X-ray analyzer includes: an X-ray detector that detects an X-ray emitted from a specimen and outputs a signal having a step that has a height corresponding to energy of the X-ray; a pulse generation circuit that converts the signal output from the X-ray detector into a first pulse signal; a pulse-width setting circuit that sets a pulse width; a pulse-width conversion circuit that converts a pulse width of the first pulse signal into the pulse width set by the pulse-width setting circuit to form a second pulse signal; a pulse-height discriminator that discriminates the second pulse signal according to a pulse height of the second pulse signal; a counting circuit that calculates a counting rate of the discriminated second pulse signal; and a counting-loss correction processing unit that corrects the counting rate. The counting-loss correction processing unit corrects the counting rate based on the pulse width.

An X-ray analyzer includes: an X-ray detector that detects an X-ray emitted from a specimen and outputs a signal having a step that has a height corresponding to energy of the X-ray; a pulse generation circuit that converts the signal output from the X-ray detector into a first pulse signal; a pulse-width setting circuit that sets a pulse width; a pulse-width conversion circuit that converts a pulse width of the first pulse signal into the pulse width set by the pulse-width setting circuit to form a second pulse signal; a pulse-height discriminator that discriminates the second pulse signal according to a pulse height of the second pulse signal; a counting circuit that calculates a counting rate of the discriminated second pulse signal; and a counting-loss correction processing unit that corrects the counting rate. The counting-loss correction processing unit corrects the counting rate based on the pulse width.

An electron microscope includes: a display control unit which sequentially acquires electron microscope images of a sample and causes a display unit to display the electron microscope images as a live image; an analysis area setting unit which sets an analysis area on the sample based on a designated position on the live image designated by pointing means; and an analysis control unit which performs control for executing elemental analysis of the set analysis area. The analysis area setting unit sets, as the analysis area, an area on the sample which corresponds to a continuous area including the designated position and having brightness comparable to brightness of the designated position.

An electron microscope includes: a display control unit which sequentially acquires electron microscope images of a sample and causes a display unit to display the electron microscope images as a live image; an analysis area setting unit which sets an analysis area on the sample based on a designated position on the live image designated by pointing means; and an analysis control unit which performs control for executing elemental analysis of the set analysis area. The analysis area setting unit sets, as the analysis area, an area on the sample which corresponds to a continuous area including the designated position and having brightness comparable to brightness of the designated position.

The present invention relates to a handheld material analyser comprising an air-tight chamber having an analysis aperture; an electron beam generation system adapted to direct a beam of electrons through the analysis aperture; an Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy system having a detector located in the chamber; the chamber being adapted to operate at internal pressures between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum of the order of 1 Pa; and a gas inlet adapted to receive an inert gas for generating a plasma in the region of the photocathode. In this way, the plasma can clean the photocathode.

The present invention relates to a handheld material analyser comprising an air-tight chamber having an analysis aperture; an electron beam generation system adapted to direct a beam of electrons through the analysis aperture; an Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy system having a detector located in the chamber; the chamber being adapted to operate at internal pressures between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum of the order of 1 Pa; and a gas inlet adapted to receive an inert gas for generating a plasma in the region of the photocathode. In this way, the plasma can clean the photocathode.

The present invention provides apparatus for an imaging system comprising a multitude of chemical emitting elements upon a substrate. In some embodiments the substrate may be approximately round with a radius of approximately one inch. Various methods relating to using and producing an imaging system of chemical emitters are disclosed.