A sample preparation device for electron microscopy (EM) that is configured to eliminate user-to-user variations and environment contaminations, which are often present in the conventional method of sample preparation. The device not only provides a means for evenly and reproducibly delivering a fluid or sample to an EM grid, but also provides a means for sealing the EM grid in an air-tight chamber and delivering air-sensitive samples to the EM grid. The platform may comprise readily fabricated glass chips with features integrated to preserve the integrity of the sample grid and to facilitate its extraction. The methods may eliminate the element of user dependent variability and thus improve the throughput, reproducibility and translation of these methods.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for obtaining a microscope image that depicts a sample and a plurality of fiducial markers, identifying the plurality of fiducial markers in the image, and using the plurality of fiducial markers to register the image. Identifying the plurality of fiducial markers in the image includes comparing a spatial intensity distribution of a plurality of regions of the image to a reference distribution function.

A structure for grounding an extreme ultraviolet mask (EUV mask) is provided to discharge the EUV mask during the inspection by an electron beam inspection tool. The structure for grounding an EUV mask includes at least one grounding pin to contact conductive areas on the EUV mask, wherein the EUV mask may have further conductive layer on sidewalls or/and back side. The inspection quality of the EUV mask is enhanced by using the electron beam inspection system because the accumulated charging on the EUV mask is grounded. The reflective surface of the EUV mask on a continuously moving stage is scanned by using the electron beam simultaneously. The moving direction of the stage is perpendicular to the scanning direction of the electron beam.

Systems and methods for conducting charged particle beam modulation are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a charged particle beam apparatus generates a plurality of charged particle beams. A modulator may be configured to receive the plurality of charged particle beams and generate a plurality of modulated charged particle beams. A detector may be configured to receive the plurality of modulated charged particle beams.

An examination container includes a main body, a cover and a carrier stage. The main body has an accommodating trough for holding a sample. The cover is detachably connected to the main body to close the accommodating trough. The cover has a first through-hole penetrating through an outer surface and an inner surface of the cover, and includes a membrane arranging on the inner surface of the cover. The membrane has a second through-hole opposite to the first through-hole for passing an electron beam through the first through hole and the second through hole. The carrier stage is installed in a position corresponding to the second through-hole. The carrier stage is detachably arranged in the accommodating trough for a variety of examination purposes. An electron microscope using the abovementioned examination container is also disclosed.

A sample for microstructure diagnostics includes a sample body holder with accommodation structures to accommodate a sample body in a defined accommodation position; and at least one sample body produced separately from the sample body holder, the sample body having at least one solid handling portion and, adjoining the handling portion, a target portion thinner relative to the handling portion, the target portion being delimited at a narrow side by a sample body top side and, laterally, by side faces extending in a perpendicular or oblique manner in relation to the sample body top side, with the sample body being affixed to the accommodation structures in the accommodation position.

An automated grid handling apparatus for an electron microscope including a transport module having a multistage shuttle, the multistage shuttle having a first shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion for gross movement, a second shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion independent of the first stage for fine movement, an end effector connected to at least one of the first and second shuttle stages, the end effector being configured to hold a grid carrier and transport the grid carrier holding the grid into and out of an electron microscope through a transport interface that is communicably connected to a multi-axis positioning stage port of the electron microscope, the end effector having a range of motion, defined by a combination of the first and second stage degrees of freedom of motions and the multi-axis positioning stage internal to the electron microscope, and an automated loading module connected to the frame and being communicably connected to the transport module, the automated loading module including a load port module through which grids are loaded into the automated loading and transport modules.

An electron microscope system and a method of measuring an aberration of the electron microscope system are disclosed. A method of controlling an aberration of an electron microscope includes obtaining a dispersed energy distribution for electrons at a diffraction plane of the electron microscope and placing an aperture at a selected location of the dispersed energy distribution in the diffraction plane. The method measures displacement of an image of the aperture in an image plane of the electron microscope for the selected location of the aperture. The method determines an aberration coefficient of the electron microscope from the measured displacement and the selected location of the aperture and alters a parameter of an element of the electron microscope to control the aberration of the electron microscope based at least in part on the determined aberration coefficient.

A system includes a multi-beam particle microscope for imaging a 3D sample layer by layer, and a computer system with a multi-tier architecture is disclosed. The multi-tier architecture can allow for an optimized image processing by gradually reducing the amount of parallel processing speed when data exchange between different processing systems and/or of data originating from different detection channels takes place. A method images a 3D sample layer by layer. A computer program product includes a program code for carrying out the method.

The disclosure provides a method of generating a zoom sequence visualizing a portion of a sample. The method includes changing a zoom parameter representing a magnification of an image of a portion of a sample, and directing a charged particle beam to first locations of the portion based on the zoom parameter using a charged particle beam system. The method also includes detecting intensities representing amounts of particles incident onto a detection area, visualizing a representation of the portion based on the intensities, and directing an electron beam to second locations of the portion based on the zoom parameter using a scanning electron microscope. The method further includes detecting diffraction patterns, and determining crystallographic properties of a crystal structure of the portion based on the diffraction patterns.