An electron microscope system and a method of measuring an aberration of the electron microscope system are disclosed. An aperture filters an electron beam at a diffraction plane of the electron microscope to pass through electrons having a selected energy and momentum. A displacement of an image of the passed electrons is measured at a detector in an image plane of the electron microscope. An aberration coefficient of the electron microscope is determined from the measured displacement and at least one of the energy and momentum of the passed electrons. The measured aberration can be used to alter a parameter of the electron microscope or an optical element of the electron microscope to thereby control the overall aberration of the electron microscope.

An observation carrier includes a bottom base, a lower cover, an upper cover, and a rotation cover. The bottom has at least one first positioning portion. The lower cover has at least one second positioning portion, and at least one third positioning portion. The lower cover is detachably disposed on the bottom base and positioned with the first positioning portion through the second positioning portion. The upper cover has at least one fourth positioning portion and is detachably disposed on the bottom base. The upper cover is positioned with the third positioning portion through the fourth positioning portion. An observation region is formed between the upper cover and the lower cover. The rotation cover is detachably disposed on the bottom base to limit the upper and lower covers on the bottom base. The rotation cover is adapted to rotate to be locked or released by the bottom base.

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 a charged particle 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.

An automated workpiece processing system including at least one workpiece processing unit, a workpiece holder configured to removably hold a batch of workpieces therein, each workpiece embodying workpiece identifying indicia where the workpiece identifying indicia is a physical representation of a sample held on a respective workpiece, and to interface with the at least one automated workpiece processing unit, and a controller including a memory having a data structure therein that effects, with the workpiece identifying indicia, batch process tracking of each workpiece in the batch of workpieces through the at least one automated workpiece processing unit in a predetermined batch workpiece processing sequence.

Surface modification of a cryogenic specimen can be obtained using a charged particle microscope. A specimen is situated in a vacuum chamber on a specimen holder and maintained at a cryogenic temperature. The vacuum chamber is evacuated and a charged-particle beam is directed to a portion of the specimen so as to modify a surface thereof. A thin film monitor is situated in the vacuum chamber and has at least a detection surface maintained at a cryogenic temperature. A precipitation rate of frozen condensate in the vacuum chamber is measured using the thin film monitor, and based on the measured precipitation rate, the surface modification is initiated when the precipitation rate is less than a first pre-defined threshold, or interrupted if the precipitation rate rises above a second pre-defined threshold.

An electron microscope system and a method of measuring an aberration of the electron microscope system are disclosed. An aperture filters an electron beam at a diffraction plane of the electron microscope to pass through electrons having a selected energy and momentum. A displacement of an image of the passed electrons is measured at a detector in an image plane of the electron microscope. An aberration coefficient of the electron microscope is determined from the measured displacement and at least one of the energy and momentum of the passed electrons. The measured aberration can be used to alter a parameter of the electron microscope or an optical element of the electron microscope to thereby control the overall aberration of the electron microscope.

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.

A structure for discharging 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 discharging 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 bottom. The inspection quality of the EUV mask is enhanced by using the electron beam inspection system because the accumulated charging on the EUU mask is grounded.

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.

The scanning electron microscope includes: an electron source; a first deflector for deflecting a primary electron beam emitted from the electron source; a second deflector for focusing the primary electron beam deflected by the first deflector and deflecting a second electron from a sample, which is generated the focused primary electron beam, to the outside of the optical axis; a voltage applying unit for applying a negative voltage to the sample to decelerate the primary electron beam; a spectrometer for dispersing the secondary electron; a detector for detecting the secondary electron passing through the spectrometer; an electrostatic lens provided between the second deflector and the spectrometer; and a voltage control unit that controls the voltage applied to the electrostatic lens based on the negative voltage applied to the sample. The electrostatic lens allows the deflecting action to be overlapped with the converging action.