A method for manufacturing an electron source includes steps of sandwiching a welding object in which a tip of an electron emission material and a tungsten filament overlap in direct contact between a pair of welding electrodes, and welding the tip and the tungsten filament by causing a current to flow while pressing forces are applied to the welding object by the pair of welding electrodes. A thickness of the welding object is within a range of 50 to 500 ?m.

A cathode device includes an emitter tip for generating electrons. An elongate heater is included having proximal and distal ends. The emitter tip can be located at the distal end of the heater. Two spaced apart legs can extend away from the distal end of the heater, terminating at the proximal end and forming an elongate slot therebetween. Two electrical contacts can compressively engage respective opposite outer surfaces of the two legs at the proximal end of the heater to mechanically secure and electrically connect the two legs of the heater to respective electrical contacts at a junction that is at a location spaced away from the emitter tip to keep the junction cooler.

A cathode device includes an emitter tip for generating electrons. An elongate heater is included having proximal and distal ends. The emitter tip can be located at the distal end of the heater. Two spaced apart legs can extend away from the distal end of the heater, terminating at the proximal end and forming an elongate slot therebetween. Two electrical contacts can compressively engage respective opposite outer surfaces of the two legs at the proximal end of the heater to mechanically secure and electrically connect the two legs of the heater to respective electrical contacts at a junction that is at a location spaced away from the emitter tip to keep the junction cooler.

An arrangement for damping vibrations during microscopic examinations of inorganic and organic material specimens in an evacuated measuring at low temperatures that are cooled by an electromechanical cryocooler suppresses transfer of vibrations from the cryocooler onto the specimen, the microscope table and the instrument table. The arrangement includes a cryocooler unit and a microscopy unit combined with a damping unit preferably located on a common longitudinal axis. The damping unit has a series arrangement of inter-coupled evacuable compensation chambers arranged along the longitudinal axis, the series arrangement being combined with damper groups, two of which act at least diametrically. A clamping unit is operationally connected to the damping unit at at least two points on the series arrangement. A tension force of the damping unit is adjustable.

According to one embodiment, an X-ray tube includes a cathode including a filament, an anode target, and an envelope. The cathode includes a metal lead wire supporter which is exposed outside the envelope, which is configured as a part of the envelope, and to which a lead wire as a power supplier to the filament is attached such that the lead wire passes both inside and outside of the envelope, and a metal filament supporter fixed on the lead wire supporter, being in contact with the lead wire supporter, and supporting the filament.

According to one embodiment, an X-ray tube includes a cathode including a filament, an anode target, and an envelope. The cathode includes a metal lead wire supporter which is exposed outside the envelope, which is configured as a part of the envelope, and to which a lead wire as a power supplier to the filament is attached such that the lead wire passes both inside and outside of the envelope, and a metal filament supporter fixed on the lead wire supporter, being in contact with the lead wire supporter, and supporting the filament.

There is proposed a column supporting structure that includes a viscoelastic sheet, a supporting plate which holds the viscoelastic sheet, and a fixation portion which connects the supporting plate to each lens barrel. The viscoelastic sheet is disposed to extend in a plane perpendicular to one lens barrel or the other lens barrel.

Apparatuses and systems for stabilizing electron sources in charged particle beam inspection systems are provided. In some embodiments, a system may include an electron source comprising an emitting tip electrically connected to two electrodes and configured to emit an electron; and a base coupled to the emitting tip, wherein the base is configured to stabilize the emitting tip via the coupling.

A cathode for an X-ray tube, an X-ray tube, a system for X-ray imaging, and a method for an assembly of a cathode for an X-ray tube include a filament, a support structure, a body structure, and a filament frame structure. The filament is provided to emit electrons towards an anode in an electron emitting direction, and the filament at least partially includes a helical structure. Further, the filament is held by the support structure which is fixedly connected to the body structure. The filament frame structure is provided for electron-optical focusing of the emitted electrons, and the filament frame structure is provided adjacent to the outer boundaries of the filament. The filament frame structure includes frame surface portions arranged transverse to the emitting direction, and the filament frame structure is held by the support structure.

A cathode for an X-ray tube, an X-ray tube, a system for X-ray imaging, and a method for an assembly of a cathode for an X-ray tube include a filament, a support structure, a body structure, and a filament frame structure. The filament is provided to emit electrons towards an anode in an electron emitting direction, and the filament at least partially includes a helical structure. Further, the filament is held by the support structure which is fixedly connected to the body structure. The filament frame structure is provided for electron-optical focusing of the emitted electrons, and the filament frame structure is provided adjacent to the outer boundaries of the filament. The filament frame structure includes frame surface portions arranged transverse to the emitting direction, and the filament frame structure is held by the support structure.