An x-ray shield for improved vacuum conductivity is disclosed herein. An example x-ray shield includes at least one elongate member formed from high atomic weight material shaped into a twist with at least 180 of twist.

A vacuum apparatus equipped with an automatic transport mechanism for transporting a specimen and a sensor for detecting a state of the vacuum apparatus includes: a determining unit which determines whether a recoverable error has occurred based on a signal from the sensor; and a display control unit which causes, when it is determined that a recoverable error has occurred, a display unit to display a procedure of a recovery operation in a wizard format. The display control unit determines whether the recovery operation has been performed according to the procedure displayed on the display unit based on a signal from the sensor, and causes the display unit to display a next procedure of the recovery operation when it is determined that the recovery operation has been performed according to the procedure.

There is described a device for generating electromagnetic field oscillation in a RF device or cavity. The device generally has a photo-diode configured for receiving a laser pulse train and emitting a first electrical signal based thereon, the first electrical signal having a plurality of frequencies; and a harmonics selector configured to output a second electrical signal having one or more frequency of the first electrical signal, the one or more frequency being selected in a manner for the output to generate the electromagnetic field oscillation in the RF device or cavity.

A system includes thermally protective, narrow reverse-action tweezers with a self-aligning clamp for frictionless positioning with secure connection to a sample preparation system plunger for cryogenic transmission electron

An electron microscope specimen includes a first electron-transport layer, a second electron-transport layer, a spacer layer, and a carrier layer. The second electron-transport layer has a first opening, a second opening, and a viewing area, wherein the viewing area is between the first opening and the second opening. The spacer layer is sandwiched between the first electron-transport layer and the second electron-transport layer, and the spacer layer has an accommodating space communicating with the first opening and the second opening. The carrier layer is disposed on the second electron-transport layer, and has a viewing window, a first injection hole, and a second injection hole, wherein the viewing window is substantially aligned with the viewing area and the accommodating space, and the first injection hole and the second injection hole respectively communicate with the first opening and the second opening.

A sample holder, a member mounting device, and a charged particle beam apparatus are able to secure a compatible configuration for the transfer of a sample between different-type charged particle beam apparatuses without an increase in equipment costs. The charged particle beam apparatus includes a holder unit for removably fastening a sample holder for receiving a sample, and a sample stage unit for loading the holder unit in a sample chamber. The sample holder includes a sample holding member for receiving a sample, a support section for supporting the sample holding member, and a clip disposed on the support section at a position where the sample holding member is disposed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a charged particle beam image acquisition apparatus includes a rectangular parallelepiped chamber where a target object is disposed; a primary electron optical column placed on an upper surface of the chamber so that a point of intersection between two diagonal lines on the upper surface of the chamber is located at a center of a horizontal section of the primary electron optical column, a primary charged particle beam optics irradiating the target object with a primary charged particle beam being disposed in the primary electron optical column; and a secondary electron optical column connected to a lower portion of the primary electron optical column, a secondary charged particle beam optics being disposed in the secondary electron optical column and a secondary charged particle beam passing through the secondary charged particle beam optics.

An electromagnetic mechanical pulser implements a transverse wave metallic comb stripline TWMCS kicker having inwardly opposing teeth structured to retard a phase velocity of an RF traveling wave propagated therethrough to match the kinetic velocity of a continuous electron beam simultaneously propagated therethrough. The kicker imposes transverse oscillations onto the beam, which is subsequently chopped into pulses by an aperture. The RF phase velocity is substantially independent of RF frequency and amplitude, thereby enabling independent tuning of the electron pulse widths and repetition rate. The exterior surface of the kicker is conductive, thereby avoiding electron charging. In embodiments, various elements of the kicker and/or aperture can be mechanically varied to provide further tuning of the pulsed electron beam. A divergence suppression section can include a mirror TWMCS and/or magnetic quadrupoles. RF can be applied to a down-selecting TWMCS downstream of the aperture to reduce the pulse repetition rate.

A sample holder capable of limiting X-rays accepted into an X-ray detector is provided. The sample holder is for use in an electron microscope equipped with a polepiece assembly and a semiconductor detector. The sample holder includes: a sample stage on which a sample is held; and a shield plate. When the sample stage has been introduced in the sample chamber of the electron microscope, the shield plate is located between the polepiece assembly and the semiconductor detector.

A device for applying a constant magnetic field to a volume of interest (VOI) has been developed. At least one magnetic field source and a permeable yoke, which guides the magnetic flux generated by this magnetic field source into the volume of interest (VOI). The yoke is guided through at least one closed conductor loop, which can be switched to the superconducting state so that, in the superconducting state of the conductor loop, a change in the flux through the yoke effects a current counteracting this change along the conductor loop. It has been identified that, in this way, the stabilizer for the magnetic field can be spaced so far apart from the volume of interest (VOI) that the field distribution in this volume is virtually no longer influenced. At the same time, the quality of the stabilization is also improved, since the conductor loop is no longer exposed to the entire magnetic field prevailing in the volume of interest (VOI). The entire critical current that the conductor loop can carry is available as a control range for compensating for fluctuations in the flux. In comparison with the prior art, the invention first accepts the apparent disadvantage that, in general, additional means are required for switching the conductor loop back and forth between the superconducting state and the normal-conducting state. However, this disadvantage is more than compensated for.