Systems and methods for automated sample alignment for microscopy are described herein. In one aspect a method can include: rotating the sample along a first axis by each of a plurality of rotation angles; imaging, with a charged particle beam, the sample for each rotation angle; and determining a first rotation angle based on the image for each rotation angle, wherein the first rotation angle aligns the sample to the charged particle beam in relation to the first axis; and determining a second rotation angle based on the first rotation angle, where the second rotation angle aligns the sample to the charged particle beam in relation to a second axis, and where the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis

An electron microscope analysis system includes a detector that captures an electron microscope image formed on a detection plane by an electron beam that irradiates a specimen to be observed and transmits through the specimen. Electrons each having a de Broglie wave motion are integrated to be a linear rotor that is a collection of the electrons each having the de Broglie wave motion, so that each electron can be recognized, the principle of conservation of electric charge can be satisfied, and interaction with the specimen can be calculated. The electron is represented as a detection point on the detection plane, for comparison with actual measurement data when the number of electrons is small, to reduce damage of the specimen by the electron beam, and to obtain information of the specimen when an amount of irradiation is small.

An electron microscope analysis system includes a detector that captures an electron microscope image formed on a detection plane by an electron beam that irradiates a specimen to be observed and transmits through the specimen. Electrons each having a de Broglie wave motion are integrated to be a linear rotor that is a collection of the electrons each having the de Broglie wave motion, so that each electron can be recognized, the principle of conservation of electric charge can be satisfied, and interaction with the specimen can be calculated. The electron is represented as a detection point on the detection plane, for comparison with actual measurement data when the number of electrons is small, to reduce damage of the specimen by the electron beam, and to obtain information of the specimen when an amount of irradiation is small.

A segmented detector device with backside illumination. The detector is able to collect and differentiate between secondary electrons and backscatter electrons. The detector includes a through-hole for passage of a primary electron beam. After hitting a sample, the reflected secondary and backscatter electrons are collected via a vertical structure having a P+/P−/N+ or an N+/N−/P+ composition for full depletion through the thickness of the device. The active area of the device is segmented using field isolation insulators located on the front side of the device.

A segmented detector device with backside illumination. The detector is able to collect and differentiate between secondary electrons and backscatter electrons. The detector includes a through-hole for passage of a primary electron beam. After hitting a sample, the reflected secondary and backscatter electrons are collected via a vertical structure having a P+/P−/N+ or an N+/N−/P+ composition for full depletion through the thickness of the device. The active area of the device is segmented using field isolation insulators located on the front side of the device.

The invention relates to a device (100) for reducing ice contamination of a sample (S) in a chamber (210) of a focused ion beam milling apparatus (200), wherein the device (100) comprises a body (110) configured to be cooled to cryogenic temperatures, wherein the body (110) comprises an aperture (111), which is configured such that an ion beam (I) generated by an ion source (220) can pass from the ion source (220) through the aperture (111) to the sample (S), wherein the body (110) comprises a recess (112), wherein said aperture (111) is arranged in the recess (112).

The invention further relates to a focused ion beam milling apparatus (200) and a method for focused ion beam milling of a sample (S).

The invention relates to a device (100) for reducing ice contamination of a sample (S) in a chamber (210) of a focused ion beam milling apparatus (200), wherein the device (100) comprises a body (110) configured to be cooled to cryogenic temperatures, wherein the body (110) comprises an aperture (111), which is configured such that an ion beam (I) generated by an ion source (220) can pass from the ion source (220) through the aperture (111) to the sample (S), wherein the body (110) comprises a recess (112), wherein said aperture (111) is arranged in the recess (112).

The invention further relates to a focused ion beam milling apparatus (200) and a method for focused ion beam milling of a sample (S).

The present invention relates to a method for acquiring tomographic images of a sample in a microscopy system, wherein the sample comprises a defined region, and wherein the method comprises determining a location in three-dimensional space of the defined region, wherein the method further comprises capturing an image of at least a part of the sample, and wherein the determination of the location in three-dimensional space of the defined region is based, at least in part, on the image of the part of the sample. The present invention also relates to a corresponding microscopy system and a computer program product to perform the method according to the present invention.

An observation apparatus and method that avoids drawbacks of a Lorentz method and observes a weak scatterer or a phase object with in-focus, high resolution, and no azimuth dependency, by a Foucault method observation using a hollow-cone illumination that orbits and illuminates an incident electron beam having a predetermined inclination angle, an electron wave is converged at a position (height) of an aperture plate downstream of a sample, and a bright field condition in which a direct transmitted electron wave of the sample passes through the aperture plate, a dark field condition in which the transmitted electron wave is shielded, and a Schlieren condition in which approximately half of the transmitted wave is shielded as a boundary condition of both of the above conditions are controlled, and a spatial resolution of the observation image is controlled by selecting multiple diameters and shapes of the opening of the aperture plate.

Method and system for generating a diffraction image comprises acquiring multiple frames from a direct-detection detector responsive to irradiating a sample with an electron beam. Multiple diffraction peaks in the multiple frames are identified. A first dose rate of at least one diffraction peak in the identified diffraction peaks is estimated in the counting mode. If the first dose rate is not greater than a threshold dose rate, a diffraction image including the diffraction peak is generated by counting electron detection events. Values of pixels belonging to the diffraction peak are determined with a first set of counting parameter values corresponding to a first coincidence area. Values of pixels not belonging to any of the multiple diffraction peaks are determined using a second, set of counting parameter values corresponding to a second, different, coincidence area.