A charged particle microscope and a method of operating a charged particle microscope are disclosed. The microscope employs a source for producing charged particles, and a source lens below the source to form a charged particle beam which is directed onto a specimen by a condenser system. A detector collects radiation emanating from the specimen in response to irradiation of the specimen by the beam. The source lens is a compound lens, focusing the beam within a vacuum enclosure using both a magnetic lens having permanent magnets outside the enclosure to produce a magnetic field at the beam, and a variable electrostatic lens within the enclosure.

Disclosed are methods and devices suitable for producing an electron beam.

A field emission enhanced handheld atmospheric pressure plasma generator includes: a main body having a positioning slot, a receiving slot and a gas inlet; a cathode body having a first part positioned in the positioning slot; an anode frame and a positioning member both accommodated within the receiving slot; and a cover having a plasma channel and covering the main body. One or each of two sidewalls of the anode frame and the cathode body facing each other has a nanocarbon material layer. A second part of the cathode body passes through the anode frame, is positioned and fixed by the positioning slot and is separated from the anode frame by a gap. The anode frame and the cathode body receive radio frequency power to make a gas, which enters the receiving slot from the gas inlet and passes through the gap, become plasma outputted from the plasma channel.

The present invention provides an emitter made of a hafnium carbide (HfC) single crystal that stably emits electrons with high efficiency, a method for manufacturing the emitter, and an electron gun and an electronic device using the emitter. An emitter according to an embodiment of the present invention is an emitter including a nanowire, in which the nanowire is made of the hafnium carbide (HfC) single crystal, at least an end of the nanowire through which electrons are to be emitted is coated with hafnium oxycarbide (HfC.sub.1-xO.sub.x: 0<x?0.5), and a field electron emission pattern of the end obtained by a field emission microscope (FEM) is a single spot.

An electron gun EG in which mixing of secondary electrons is suppressed is provided. The electron gun EG has an electron source 1, an extraction electrode 2 for extracting an electron beam E1 from the electron source 1, and an acceleration electrode for accelerating the extracted electron beam E1. The extraction electrode 2 includes a diaphragm 4 for allowing a part of the electron beam E1 to pass through, a shield 5 positioned above the diaphragm 4 apart from the diaphragm 4, and a shield 6 positioned below the diaphragm 4 apart from the diaphragm 4. The diaphragm 4 has an opening OP4 having an opening diameter D4, the shield 5 has an opening OP5 having an opening diameter D5 which is greater than the opening diameter D4, and the shield 6 has an opening OP6 having an opening diameter D6 which is greater than the opening diameter D4.

An electron beam apparatus which can stably achieve high spatial resolution also during low acceleration observation using CeB.sub.6 for the CFE electron source is provided. In an electron beam apparatus having a CFE electron source, the emitter of the electron beam of the CFE electron source is Ce hexaboride or a hexaboride of a lanthanoid metal heavier than Ce, the hexaboride emits the electron beam from the {310} plane, and the number of the atoms of the lanthanoid metal on the {310} plane is larger than the number of boron molecules comprising six boron atoms on the {310} plane.

A high voltage feedthrough assembly for providing an electric potential in a vacuum environment comprises a flange connector being adapted for a connection with a vacuum vessel, a vacuum-tight insulator tube having a longitudinal extension with a first end facing to the flange connector and a second end being adapted for projecting into the vacuum vessel, and an electrode device coupled to the second end of the insulator tube, wherein the electrode device has a front electrode, including a photocathode or a field emitter tip and facing to the vacuum vessel and a cable adapter for receiving a high-voltage cable, wherein a flexible tube connector is provided for a vacuum-tight coupling of the insulator tube with the flange connector, and a manipulator device is connected with the insulator tube for adjusting a geometrical arrangement of the insulator tube relative to the flange connector.

An electron source capable of suppressing consumption of an electron emission material is provide. The present invention provides an electron source including: an electron emission material; and, an electron emission-suppressing material covering a side surface of the electron emission material, wherein a work function of the electron emission-suppressing material is higher than that of the electron emission material, and a thermal emissivity of the electron emission-suppressing material is lower than that of the electron emission material.

A tunneling electro source, an array thereof and methods for making the same are provided. The tunneling electron source is a surface tunneling micro electron source having a planar multi-region structure. The tunneling electron source includes an insulating substrate, and two conductive regions and one insulating region arranged on a surface of the insulating substrate. The insulating region is arranged between the two conductive regions and abuts on the two conductive regions. Minimum spacing between the two conductive regions, which equals to a minimum width of the insulating region, is less than 100 nm.

Provided is a high-brightness, high-current electron source including a wire-like member. The wire-like member has an electron emission plane at the tip of the wire-like member. The electron emission plane has a projectingly curved surface. At least the surface of the electron emission plane is formed of an amorphous material.