Disclosed is a spectrometry method including: for at least one ionizing-radiation energy E.sub.i, obtaining, for each energy E.sub.i, a curve of the number of photons detected, during a measurement interval, as a function of time, by spectrometer; b) for each curve, computing a ratio of the number of photons detected defined and separate time periods to obtain, for each ionizing-radiation energy E.sub.i, a number a.sub.i, or for each curve, acquiring one or more fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i by making a fit to the corresponding curve with a fitting function; and comparing each number a.sub.i or each fitting parameter or set of fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i with reference constants a.sub.i or, respectively, with reference fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i associated with reference energies E.sub.i to determine, for each number a.sub.i or each fitting parameter or set of fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i, reference energy E.sub.i of the ionizing radiation for which the corresponding curve was measured.

Disclosed is a spectrometry method including: for at least one ionizing-radiation energy E.sub.i, obtaining, for each energy E.sub.i, a curve of the number of photons detected, during a measurement interval, as a function of time, by spectrometer; b) for each curve, computing a ratio of the number of photons detected defined and separate time periods to obtain, for each ionizing-radiation energy E.sub.i, a number a.sub.i, or for each curve, acquiring one or more fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i by making a fit to the corresponding curve with a fitting function; and comparing each number a.sub.i or each fitting parameter or set of fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i with reference constants a.sub.i or, respectively, with reference fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i associated with reference energies E.sub.i to determine, for each number a.sub.i or each fitting parameter or set of fitting parameters PAJ.sub.i, reference energy E.sub.i of the ionizing radiation for which the corresponding curve was measured.

The present invention relates to a hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) system comprising an X-ray tube, an X-ray monochromator, and a sample. The X-ray tube provides a beam of photons, which via the X-ray monochromator is directed through the system so as to excite electrons from the illuminated sample. The X-ray tube is connected to a monochromator vacuum chamber in which the X-ray monochromator is configured to monochromatize and focus the beam onto the sample. The monochromator vacuum chamber is connected to an analysis vacuum chamber, the illuminated sample being mounted inside the analysis vacuum chamber and the analysis vacuum chamber being connected to an electron energy analyser. The electron energy analyser is mounted onto the analysis vacuum chamber.

Further, the beam of photons provided from the X-ray tube is divergent and has an energy above 6 keV. The X-ray monochromator also comprises a curved optical element arranged to both monochromatize and focus the diverging beam of photons.

The present invention relates to a hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) system comprising an X-ray tube, an X-ray monochromator, and a sample. The X-ray tube provides a beam of photons, which via the X-ray monochromator is directed through the system so as to excite electrons from the illuminated sample. The X-ray tube is connected to a monochromator vacuum chamber in which the X-ray monochromator is configured to monochromatize and focus the beam onto the sample. The monochromator vacuum chamber is connected to an analysis vacuum chamber, the illuminated sample being mounted inside the analysis vacuum chamber and the analysis vacuum chamber being connected to an electron energy analyser. The electron energy analyser is mounted onto the analysis vacuum chamber.

Further, the beam of photons provided from the X-ray tube is divergent and has an energy above 6 keV. The X-ray monochromator also comprises a curved optical element arranged to both monochromatize and focus the diverging beam of photons.

A method of performing Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) in an electron microscope, comprising: Producing a beam of electrons from a source; Using an illuminator to direct said beam so as to irradiate the specimen; Using an imaging system to receive a flux of electrons transmitted through the specimen and direct it onto a spectroscopic apparatus comprising: A dispersion device, for dispersing said flux in a dispersion direction so as to form an EELS spectrum; and A detector, comprising a detection surface that is sub-divided into a plurality of detection zones, specifically comprising: Using at least a first detection zone, a second detection zone and a third detection zone to register a plurality of EELS spectral entities; and Reading out said first and said second detection zones whilst said third detection zone is registering one of said plurality of EELS spectral entities.

A method of performing Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) in an electron microscope, comprising: Producing a beam of electrons from a source; Using an illuminator to direct said beam so as to irradiate the specimen; Using an imaging system to receive a flux of electrons transmitted through the specimen and direct it onto a spectroscopic apparatus comprising: A dispersion device, for dispersing said flux in a dispersion direction so as to form an EELS spectrum; and A detector, comprising a detection surface that is sub-divided into a plurality of detection zones, specifically comprising: Using at least a first detection zone, a second detection zone and a third detection zone to register a plurality of EELS spectral entities; and Reading out said first and said second detection zones whilst said third detection zone is registering one of said plurality of EELS spectral entities.

An ion mobility spectrometer includes a drift tube responsive to application of at least a first voltage to establish a first electric field therein configured to cause ions within the drift tube to move along and about the drift tube while separating from one another as a function of ion mobility, and a transition region coupled to opposed ends of the first drift tube such that the drift tube and the transition region together define a closed path. The transition region is responsive to application of at least a second voltage to cause the ions to move along and about the closed path, to application of at least a third voltage to selectively pass ions into the drift tube and to application of at least a fourth voltage to selectively pass ions out of the drift tube.

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.

The present disclosure discloses a method and a system for determining an energy spectrum of an incident electron beam. The method includes obtaining a plurality of deflection currents of a beam deflection device; for each of the plurality of deflection currents, determining an energy range of an ejected electron beam, and determining a target current of a target generated by the ejected electron beam irradiating the target, wherein the ejected electron beam is emitted from an output of the beam deflection device after the incident electron beam enters the beam deflection device. The method also includes determining the energy spectrum of the incident electron beam based on the energy ranges of the plurality of ejected electron beams and the corresponding target currents.

Provided is a compact device which captures, over a large solid angle range, electrically charged particles emitted from a point source and parallelizes the trajectories of said charged particles. The present invention is configured from: an electrostatic lens comprising a plurality of axisymmetric electrodes (10-14) and an axisymmetric aspherical mesh (2) which has a surface that is concave away from the point source; and a flat collimator plate (3) positioned coaxially with the electrostatic lens. The acceptance angle for the electrically charged particles generated from a point source (7) is 30 or greater. The shape of the aspherical mesh (2), and the potentials and the positions of a ground electrode (10) and application electrodes (11-15) are adjusted so that the trajectories of the electrically charged particles are substantially parallelized by the electrostatic lens. The electrostatic lens and the flat collimator plate are positioned on a common axis.