Electron emitters and methods of fabricating the electron emitters are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, an electron emitter includes a tip with a planar region having a diameter in a range of approximately (0.05-10) micrometers. The electron emitter tip is configured to release field emission electrons. The electron emitter further includes a work-function-lowering material coated on the tip.

Provided is a tip capable of repeatedly regenerating a single-atom termination structure in which a distal end is formed of only one atom. A tip (1) having a single-atom termination structure includes: a thin line member (2) made of a first metal material; a protruding portion (4) made of a second metal material, which is formed at least in a distal end portion (2a) of the thin line member (2), and has a distal end terminated with only one atom; and a supply portion (5) made of the second metal material to be supplied to the protruding portion (4), which is formed in the vicinity of the distal end portion (2a) of the thin line member (2).

The purpose of the present invention is to be able to acquire high-resolution images in a scanning electron microscope using a combination of a cold cathode (CFE) electron source and a boosting process, even at low accelerating voltage enhancing the current stability of the CFE electron source. A configuration in which a CFE electron source (101), an anode electrode (103) at positive (+) potential, and an insulator (104) for isolating the anode electrode (103) from ground potential are accommodated within a single vacuum chamber (105), and an ion pump (106) and a non-evaporable getter (NEG) pump (107) are connected to the vacuum chamber (105), is employed.

A cold cathode field-emission electron gun includes: an emitter; an extraction electrode which extracts electrons from the emitter; and a biased electrode which is disposed closer to the emitter than the extraction electrode. A voltage applied to the biased electrode is variable.

An electron emission tube includes a housing in which an internal space is provided and which keeps the internal space in vacuum, an electron source that is arranged on a first end side in one direction of the housing and that generates an electron, a gate valve that is arranged on a second end side in the one direction of the housing and that can switch the second end side between an open state and a blocked state, and a partition part that is placed between the electron source and the gate valve and that divides the internal space into a first region including the electron source and a second region including the gate valve. The partition part includes an electron-permeable membrane that transmits an electron.

There is provided an electron microscope capable of producing good images by reducing contrast nonuniformity. The electron microscope (1) includes: an electron beam source (11) for producing an electron beam; a noise cancelling aperture (12) and an amplifier (42) for detecting a part of the electron beam; an effective value computing circuit (44) and a low frequency cut-off circuit (46) for extracting a DC component of an effective value of a detection signal emanating from the amplifier (42); an image detector (15) for detecting a signal produced in response to impingement of the beam on a sample (A); a preamplifier circuit (20) and an amplifier circuit (30); a divider circuit (54) for performing a division of the output signal (X) from the amplifier circuit (30) by the output signal (Y) from the amplifier circuit (42) and producing a quotient signal indicative of the result of the decision (X/Y); and a multiplier circuit (58) for multiplying the quotient signal by a signal (Z) extracted by the low frequency cut-off circuit (46).

In order to provide a stable hexaboride single-crystal field emission electron source capable of heat-flashing, this field emission electron source is provided with a metal filament, a metal tube joined thereto, a hexaboride tip that emits electrons, and graphite sheets that are independent of the metal tube and the hexaboride tip. The hexaboride tip is arranged so as not to be in structural contact with the metal tube due to the graphite sheets. The hexaboride tip, the graphite sheets, and the metal tube are configured so as to be mechanically and electrically in contact with one another.

A probe assembly for analyzing a test device that includes a housing with an electron source disposed therein for emitting primary electrons. A photon source is positioned to emit photons that strike the electron source such that when the photons strike the electron source, the electron source emits the primary electrons. Detection circuitry is provided that is configured to detect secondary electrons emitted from a test device of a test assembly and to form an excitation waveform.

An emitter with a protective cap layer on an exterior surface of the emitter is disclosed. The emitter can have a diameter of 100 nm or less. The protective cap layer includes ruthenium. Ruthenium is resistant to oxidation and carbon growth. The protective cap layer also can have relatively low sputter yields to withstand erosion by ions. The emitter may be part of a system with an electron beam source. An electric field can be applied to the emitter and an electron beam can be generated from the emitter. The protective cap layer may be applied to the emitter by sputter deposition, atomic layer deposition (ALD), or ion sputtering.

The present invention relates to an electron gun for facilitating position adjustment, and an electron microscope including the same, the electron gun improving a vacuum structure so as to easily move a filament block or an electron tip of an electron gun without having bellows for maintaining a vacuum when the center axis of the filament block or the electron tip of the electron gun is mechanically misaligned with the center axis of a anode and a focusing lens.