A phase contrast transmission electron microscope apparatus has a long-life phase modulator, enabling changes in quantity of phase modulation, barely absorbing the electron beams, and not being influenced by irradiation of the electron beams. An electron microscope comprises an electron gun, a first laser beam irradiating process, being positioned between the electron source and an object lens, for irradiating laser beams onto the electron beams radiated from the electron gun, a second laser beam irradiating process, being positioned on a focal plane behind the object lens, for focusing and irradiating the laser beams upon the focus of the electron beams penetrating through a specimen, and a screen or a 2D electron sensor for detecting a specimen image in the form of distribution of intensity of the electron beams by an optical system.

A phase contrast transmission electron microscope apparatus has a long-life phase modulator, enabling changes in quantity of phase modulation, barely absorbing the electron beams, and not being influenced by irradiation of the electron beams. An electron microscope comprises an electron gun, a first laser beam irradiating process, being positioned between the electron source and an object lens, for irradiating laser beams onto the electron beams radiated from the electron gun, a second laser beam irradiating process, being positioned on a focal plane behind the object lens, for focusing and irradiating the laser beams upon the focus of the electron beams penetrating through a specimen, and a screen or a 2D electron sensor for detecting a specimen image in the form of distribution of intensity of the electron beams by an optical system.

Systems and method for the preparation and delivery of biological samples for charged particle analysis are disclosed herein. An example system at least includes an ion filter coupled to select a sample ion from an ionized sample supply, the ion filter including a quadrupole filter to select the sample ion from the sample supply, an energy reduction cell coupled to receive the selected sample ion and reduce a kinetic energy of the sample ion, a validation unit coupled to receive the sample ion and determine whether the sample ion is a target sample ion, a substrate coupled to receive the sample, wherein the substrate is electron transparent, an ion transport module coupled to receive the sample ion from the ion filter and transport the sample ion to the substrate, and an imaging system arranged to image, with a low energy charged particle beam, the sample located on the substrate, wherein the substrate is arranged in an analysis location. The imaging system including a charge particle emitter coupled to direct coherent charged particles toward the sample; and a detector arranged to detect interference patterns formed from interaction of the coherent charged particles and the sample.

Systems and method for the preparation and delivery of biological samples for charged particle analysis are disclosed herein. An example system at least includes an ion filter coupled to select a sample ion from an ionized sample supply, the ion filter including a quadrupole filter to select the sample ion from the sample supply, an energy reduction cell coupled to receive the selected sample ion and reduce a kinetic energy of the sample ion, a validation unit coupled to receive the sample ion and determine whether the sample ion is a target sample ion, a substrate coupled to receive the sample, wherein the substrate is electron transparent, an ion transport module coupled to receive the sample ion from the ion filter and transport the sample ion to the substrate, and an imaging system arranged to image, with a low energy charged particle beam, the sample located on the substrate, wherein the substrate is arranged in an analysis location. The imaging system including a charge particle emitter coupled to direct coherent charged particles toward the sample; and a detector arranged to detect interference patterns formed from interaction of the coherent charged particles and the sample.

The invention relates to a method of determining the thickness of a sample. According to this method, a diffraction pattern image of a sample of a first material is obtained. Said diffraction pattern image comprises at least image values representative for the diffraction pattern obtained for said sample. A slope of said image values is then determined. The slope is compared to a relation between the thickness of said first material and the slope of image value of a corresponding diffraction pattern image of said first material. The determined slope and said relation are used to determine the thickness of said sample.

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.

A charged particle beam device wherein a transmission image corresponding to an arbitrary diffraction spot or a diffraction pattern corresponding to a partial range in the transmission image are easily and automatically captured. A charged particle beam device having: an image-capturing unit for forming an image of a sample; a diaphragm disposed in the image-capturing unit, a plurality of openings having different sizes for transmitting an electron beam from the sample being formed in the diaphragm; a movement unit for varying the position of the diaphragm; and a display unit for displaying the formed image, wherein when the operator selects, e.g., a diffraction spot (A) on the display unit, the movement unit moves the diaphragm from the positional relationship between the diaphragm and the image in accordance with the position of the diffraction spot (A).

A charged particle beam device wherein a transmission image corresponding to an arbitrary diffraction spot or a diffraction pattern corresponding to a partial range in the transmission image are easily and automatically captured. A charged particle beam device having: an image-capturing unit for forming an image of a sample; a diaphragm disposed in the image-capturing unit, a plurality of openings having different sizes for transmitting an electron beam from the sample being formed in the diaphragm; a movement unit for varying the position of the diaphragm; and a display unit for displaying the formed image, wherein when the operator selects, e.g., a diffraction spot (A) on the display unit, the movement unit moves the diaphragm from the positional relationship between the diaphragm and the image in accordance with the position of the diffraction spot (A).

A scanning transmission electron microscope is adapted to acquire high quality precession electron diffraction (PED) patterns by means of separated scanning deflectors and precession deflectors. Magnetic or electrostatic deflectors may be used for scanning and for precession. This enables independent optimization of parameters for each deflection system to achieve a broad operating range simultaneously for both deflection systems.

An electron microscope that measures electromagnetic field information separates an electric field distribution and a magnetic field distribution of a specimen with high precision to measure the electromagnetic field information. The electron microscope is configured with an electron source 1, an electron gun deflection coil 3, converging lenses 4a and 4b, an irradiation system astigmatic compensation coil 5, irradiation system deflection coils 6a and 6b, a magnetic field application coil 8, an objective lens 11, an imaging system astigmatic compensation coil 12, imaging system deflection coils 13a and 13b, a magnifying lens 17, an electron detector 18, a control analysis apparatus 20, and the like, and the control analysis apparatus 20 repeats a plurality of times measurement of first electromagnetic field information with an output signal from the electron detector by exercising first electron beam control after a first magnetic field is applied to the specimen 10 and then measurement of second electromagnetic field information similarly by exercising second electron beam control after a second magnetic field is applied to the specimen, and separates and measures an electric field distribution and a magnetic field distribution with high precision from the obtained first and second electromagnetic field information.