Various methods and systems are provided for acquiring electron backscatter diffraction patterns. In one example, a first scan is performed by directing a charged particle beam towards multiple impact points within a ROI and detecting particles scattered from the multiple impact points. A signal quality of each impact point of the multiple impact points is calculated based on the detected particles. A signal quality of the ROI is calculated based on the signal quality of each impact point. Responsive to the signal quality of the ROI lower than a threshold signal quality, a second scan of the ROI is performed. A structural image of the sample may be formed based on detected particles from both the first scan and the second scan.

Continuous and automatic acquisition of electron beam holograms is made possible by using a sample holding mechanism that includes a sample end region that has a linear shape that is suited for electron beam holography, separates a thin-film rectangular window with an extreme-thin support film that supports a sample being disposed and a rectangular hole that has a linear-shaped edge and through which a reference wave is transmitted from each other, and configures a part of a layer that is thicker than the support film.

There is provided a tilting parameters calculating device for use in a charged particle beam device for making a charged particle beam irradiated to a surface of a sample mounted on a sample stage, the tilting parameters calculating device being configured to calculate tilting parameters, the tilting parameters being input parameters to control a tilting direction and a tilting value of the sample and/or the charged particle beam, the input parameters being necessary to change an incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample, the tilting parameters calculating device including a tilting parameters calculating unit for calculating the tilting parameters based on information that indicates the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal lying at a selected position on the surface in a state where the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample is in a predetermined incident direction, the information being designated on a crystal orientation figure, which is a diagram illustrating the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal coordinate system of the crystal.

There is provided a crystal orientation figure creating device for use in a charged particle beam device for making a charged particle beam irradiated to a surface of a sample, the crystal orientation figure creating device being configured to create a crystal orientation figure, which is a figure representing a crystal coordinate system of a crystal at a position selected on the surface with respect to an incident direction of the charged particle beam, the crystal orientation figure creating device including: an orientation information acquiring unit configured to acquire crystal orientation information with respect to the incident direction at the selected position; an incident direction information acquiring unit configured to acquire information relating to an incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample; and a crystal orientation figure creating unit configured to create a crystal orientation figure in a changed incident direction at the selected position, based on the crystal orientation information acquired by the orientation information acquiring unit, and the information relating to the incident direction at the time when the crystal orientation information is acquired and the information relating to the changed incident direction, acquired by the incident direction information acquiring unit.

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.

The invention relates to a method 3D defect characterization of crystalline samples in a scanning type electron microscope. The method comprises Irradiating a sample provided on a stage, selecting one set of crystal lattice planes of the sample and orienting said set to a first Bragg condition with respect to a primary electron beam impinging on said sample, and obtaining Electron Channeling Contrast Image for an area of interest on the sample. The method is characterized by performing, at least once, the steps of orienting said selected set of crystal lattice planes to a further Bragg condition by at least tilting the sample stage with the sample by a user-selected angle about a first tilt axis, and obtaining by Electron Channeling Contrast Image for a further area of interest.

Techniques for high throughput electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) by varying electron beam energy are provided. In one aspect, a method for ECCI of a crystalline wafer includes: placing the crystalline wafer under an electron microscope having an angle of less than 90 relative to a surface of the crystalline wafer; generating an electron beam, by the electron microscope, incident on the crystalline wafer; varying an accelerating voltage of the electron microscope to access a channeling condition of the crystalline wafer; and obtaining an image of the crystalline wafer. A system for ECCI is also provided.

Apparatus include a reflector positioned adjacent to a sample location that is situated to receive a charged particle beam (CPB) along a CPB axis from a CPB focusing assembly so that the reflector is situated to receive light emitted from a sample at the sample location based on a CPB-sample interaction or a photon-sample interaction and to direct the light to a photodetector, and a steering electrode situated adjacent to the reflector so as to direct secondary charged particles emitted from the sample based on the CPB-sample interaction away from the reflector and CPB axis. Methods and systems are also disclosed.

A method is provided for performing electron diffraction pattern analysis upon a sample in a vacuum chamber of a microscope. Firstly a sample is isolated from part of a specimen using a focused particle beam. A manipulator end effector is then attached to the sample so as to effect a predetermined orientation between the end effector and the sample. With the sample detached, the manipulator end effector is rotated about a rotation axis to bring the sample into a predetermined geometry with respect to an electron beam and diffraction pattern imaging apparatus so as to enable an electron diffraction pattern to be obtained from the sample while the sample is still fixed to the manipulator end effector. An electron beam is caused to impinge upon the sample attached to the manipulator end effector so as to obtain an electron diffraction pattern.

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.