The present invention provides an apparatus of charged-particle beam e.g. an electron microscope comprising an in-column plasma generator for selectively cleaning BSE detector and BF/DF detector. The plasma generator is located between a lower pole piece of objective lens and the BF/DF detectors, but outside trajectory area of the charged-particles from the sample stage to the BF/DF detector.

A charged particle beam device including: a charged particle beam source which emits a charged particle beam; a blanking device which has an electrostatic deflector that deflects and blocks the charged particle beam; an irradiation optical system which irradiates a specimen with the charged particle beam; and a control unit which controls the electrostatic deflector, the control unit performing processing of: acquiring a target value of a dose of the charged particle beam for the specimen; setting a ratio A/B of a time A during which the charged particle beam is not blocked to a unit time B (where A≠B, A≠0), based on the target value; and operating the electrostatic deflector based on the ratio.

A method and system for acquiring data from a pixelated image sensor for detecting charged particles. The method includes reading a pixel voltage of one or more of the multiple pixels multiple times without resetting the image sensor and digitizing the pixel into a first number of bits. The camera outputs a digitized compressed pixel voltage in a second, less, number of bits. The maximum range of the digitized compressed pixel voltage is less than a maximum range of the pixel voltage.

The present invention provides an apparatus of charged-particle beam e.g. an electron microscope comprising an in-column plasma generator for selectively cleaning BSE detector and BF/DF detector. In various embodiments, the plasma generator is located between a lower pole piece of objective lens and the BF/DF detectors, but outside trajectory area of the charged-particles from the sample stage to the BF/DF detector. Cleaning decomposed biological samples or contaminants on the surface of the detectors frequently and selectively with in-situ generated plasma can prevent the detectors from performance deterioration such as losing resolution and contrast in imaging at high levels of magnification.

A method and system for acquiring data from a pixelated image sensor for detecting charged particles. The method includes reading a pixel voltage of one or more of the multiple pixels multiple times without resetting the image sensor and digitizing the pixel into a first number of bits. The camera outputs a digitized compressed pixel voltage in a second, less, number of bits. The maximum range of the digitized compressed pixel voltage is less than a maximum range of the pixel voltage.

The present invention refers to an apparatus (100) and a method for detecting characteristics of a probe. In an embodiment, the apparatus (100) comprises a vacuum chamber (104) and a beam generator (102) adapted to generate a beam of charged particles within the vacuum chamber (104). When the beam of charged particles falls onto the probe, interaction particles and/or interaction radiation are generated. The apparatus (100) further comprises an electromechanical unit (114) within the vacuum chamber (104) and a detector (110) comprising a plurality of detection units and being arranged on the electromechanical unit (114) allowing for the detector (110) to move from a first position (302) with respect to the beam generator (102) to a second position (304) with respect to the beam generator (102) and vice versa, upon a corresponding actuation of the electromechanical unit (114) performable from outside of the vacuum chamber (104).

A scintillator assembly including an entrance surface for receiving charged particles into the scintillator assembly, the charged particles including first charged particles at a first energy level and second charged particles at a second energy level. A first scintillator structure configured for receiving the first charged particles and generating a corresponding first signal formed of first photons with a first wavelength of λ1, a second scintillator structure configured for receiving the second charged particles and generating a corresponding second signal of second photons with a second wavelength of λ2, and an emitting surface for egress of a combined signal from the scintillator assembly, the combined signal including the first and second photons, and at least one beam splitter for receiving the combined signal and separating the combined signal to first and second photons.

A scintillator assembly including an entrance surface for receiving charged particles into the scintillator assembly, the charged particles including first charged particles at a first energy level and second charged particles at a second energy level. A first scintillator structure configured for receiving the first charged particles and generating a corresponding first signal formed of first photons with a first wavelength of λ1, a second scintillator structure configured for receiving the second charged particles and generating a corresponding second signal of second photons with a second wavelength of λ2, and an emitting surface for egress of a combined signal from the scintillator assembly, the combined signal including the first and second photons, and at least one beam splitter for receiving the combined signal and separating the combined signal to first and second photons.

A scanning electron microscope. The scanning electron microscope may include a sliding vacuum seal between the electron optical imaging system and the sample carrier with a first plate having a first aperture associated with the electron optical imaging system and resting against a second plate having a second aperture associated with the sample carrier. The first plate and/or the second plate includes a groove circumscribing the first and/or second aperture. The scanning electron microscope may include a detector movable relative to the electron beam. The scanning electron microscope may include a motion control unit for moving a sample carrier along a collision free path.

Techniques of using a Transmission Charged Particle Microscope for diffraction pattern detection are disclosed. An example method including irradiating at least a portion of a specimen with a charged particle beam, using an imaging system to collect charged particles that traverse the specimen during said irradiation, and to direct them onto a detector configured to operate in a particle counting mode, using said detector to record a diffraction pattern of said irradiated portion of the specimen, recording said diffraction pattern iteratively in a series of successive detection frames, and during recording of each frame, using a scanning assembly for causing relative motion of said diffraction pattern and said detector, so as to cause each local intensity maximum in said pattern to trace out a locus on said detector.