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.

Provided among other things are a scanning electron microscope, scanning transmission electron microscope, focused ion beam microscope, ion beam micromachining device, or scanning probe nanofabrication device, wherein the microscope or device is configured to move a substrate and a scanning modality relative to one another with an enclosed sinusoidal trajectory, and methods of operation.

The invention provides systems or apparatuses for dispensing aqueous materials for electron microscopy (EM). The systems allow dispensing of aqueous materials onto an EM sample grid at individual specimen locations in an ordered array of specimen locations, with each individual specimen location in the array of locations. The systems contain a holder for reversibly receiving an EM sample grid, and a dispenser containing one or more dispensing elements that are configured to discretely dispense one or more aqueous solutions from the dispensing elements onto a plurality of individual specimen locations. The dispenser is able to provide an ordered array of discrete specimen locations discontinuous with one another. In the systems, at least one dispensing element is configured to dispense picoliter volumes of one or more of the aqueous solutions. Additionally, the systems contain a drive mechanism to position the EM sample grid relative to the one or more dispensing elements, as well as one or more reservoirs operably linked to the dispenser for holding the one or more aqueous solutions to be discretely dispensed onto each individual specimen location in the array of locations.

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 invention is directed to a sample support design and sample cooling devices for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy that simplify sample preparation and handling, dramatically reduce errors and improve outcome reproducibility, and dramatically reduce overall costs. A system includes a grid based sample support system, grid handling tools, grid blotting tools, a plunge cooling system, and jet cooling systems.

An electron source that includes (a) an electron emitter that has an emitter tip; (b) a support element that is connected to the emitter tip; and (c) a vibration suppressor that (i) comprises an coupling portion, and (ii) is in mechanical communication with the electron emitter, wherein the vibration suppressor is configured to stabilize the emitter tip by absorbing vibrational energy of the emitter tip.

Sample support designs and sample cooling devices may be sued for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. At least some of these sample support design and sample cooling devices help to simplify sample preparation and handling, to dramatically reduce errors and improve outcome reproducibility, and to dramatically reduce overall costs. A cryo-EM system includes, singly and in combination, a grid-based sample support system, grid handling tools, grid blotting tools, a plunge cooling system, and jet cooling systems.

An optical probe system and a microscope system. The optical probe system includes an optical probe with an optical probe shaft configured to extend at least partially into a vacuum chamber of a charged particle beam microscope. A first and second optical channel can extend through the optical probe shaft. The first optical channel accommodates a portion of a segmented optical axis, and the second optical channel accommodates an unsegmented optical axis. The segmented optical axis includes at least a first segment that substantially parallel to the unsegmented optical axis and at least a second segment that is not substantially parallel to the unsegmented optical axis, and the first segment of the segmented optical axis and the unsegmented optical axis are positioned within the optical probe shaft to permit the first optical channel and the second optical channel to simultaneously address a sample within the vacuum chamber.