A grid assembly for cryo-electron microscopy may be fabricated using standard nanofabrication processes. The grid assembly may comprise two support members, each support member comprising a silicon substrate coated with an electron-transparent silicon nitride layer. These two support members are positioned together with the silicon nitride layers facing each other with a rigid spacer layer disposed therebetween. The rigid spacer layer defines one or more chambers in which a biological sample may be provided and fast frozen with a high degree of control of the ice thickness.

Provided is an electron microscope with which a sample can be observed stably and with high accuracy. The electron microscope comprises: a sample stage; an electron optical system that scans an electron beam over a sample; a vacuum system that maintains the sample stage and the electron optical system in a vacuum; a secondary electron detector that detects secondary electrons emitted from the sample; transmitted electron detectors that detect transmitted electrons that have transmitted through the sample; and a control device that obtains a secondary electron image and a transmitted electron image on the basis of the secondary electrons and the transmitted electrons detected by the secondary electron detector and the transmitted electron detectors and stores the secondary electron image and the transmitted electron image. The sample stage is provided with cooling means for cooling the sample. The vacuum system is provided with a cold trap that sucks moisture from around the sample and a vacuum gauge that measures the degree of vacuum of the vacuum system.

An electron microscope includes a charged particle beam generator, a detector, a film and a bearing unit. The charged particle beam generator generates a first charged particle beam to bomb an object. The detector detects a second charged particle from the object to form an image. The film disposes on downstream of charged particle beam generator and has a first surface and a second surface. A space between charged particle beam generator and the first surface of film is a vacuum environment. The bearing unit disposes at a side of second surface of film and has a bearing surface and a back surface. The object disposes on the bearing surface of the bearing unit and a distance between an analyzed surface of the object and the film is less than a predetermined spacing. A liquid space exists between the analyzed surface and the film to be filled a liquid.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for inspecting a sample. The apparatus includes a sample holder for holding the sample, at least the sample holder comprises a cooling system which is configured for cooling at least the sample, preferably to cryogenic temperatures; a charged particle exposure system includes an assembly for projecting a focused beam of primary charged particles onto the sample held by the sample holder; and a light optical microscope. The sample holder includes a sheet of a scintillator material, and the sample holder is configured to position the sample in between the charged particle optical column and the sheet of the scintillator material. The light optical microscope includes a detection system configured for acquiring an optical image of at least a part of the sheet of the scintillator material.

Disclosed is a method with which it is possible to observe a biological sample in a living state, without significant restrictions due to the properties of the sample or due to a structural body accommodating the sample. To observe a target sample on a sample stage using a SEM including a radiation source for electron beam irradiation, the method includes: a step of bringing an insulating and electron-permeable thin film into contact with the target sample in such a way as to follow a surface on the radiation source side of the target sample, and sealing the target sample in a gap between the film and the sample stage; and a step of radiating an electron beam onto the target sample from the radiation source through the film.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for inspecting a sample. The apparatus includes a sample holder for holding the sample, at least the sample holder comprises a cooling system which is configured for cooling at least the sample, preferably to cryogenic temperatures; a charged particle exposure system includes an assembly for projecting a focused beam of primary charged particles onto the sample held by the sample holder; and a light optical microscope. The sample holder includes a sheet of a scintillator material, and the sample holder is configured to position the sample in between the charged particle optical column and the sheet of the scintillator material. The light optical microscope includes a detection system configured for acquiring an optical image of at least a part of the sheet of the scintillator material.

There is provided a charged particle beam system capable of determining the type of each cartridge precisely. An electron microscope that embodies the charged particle beam system includes a discriminator for determining the type of each cartridge based on the range or distance measured by a laser range finder. Plural cartridges are received in a magazine. The laser range finder measures the range to a selected one of the plural cartridges which is placed in a measurement position. A first cartridge of a first type included in the plural cartridges has a first measurement surface at a first distance to the laser range finder when placed in the measurement position. A second cartridge of a second type has a second measurement surface at a second range to the laser range finder when placed in the measurement position.

The invention relates to electron microscopy (EM) supports for in situ cryo-electron tomography, particularly to contactless and mask-free photo-micropatterning of EM grids for site-specific deposition of extracellular matrix-related proteins for micromachining by cryo-focused ion beam milling. The new EM supports allow for analysis of intracellular organization, permitting direct correlation of cell biology and biomechanics by 3D-structural characterization of the underlying molecular machinery in cellulo.

A system and method for imaging a biological sample using a freezable fluid cell system is disclosed. The freezable fluid cell comprises a top chip, a bottom chip, and a spacer to control the thickness of a vitrified biological sample. The spacer is positioned between the top chip and the bottom chip to define a channel that is in fluid communication with an inlet port and an exit port to the freezable fluid cell system. The channel can be filled with a biological sample, vitrified, and imaged to produce high-resolution electron microscopic image.

A tomographic atom probe includes an analysis chamber intended to analyze a sample of material in the form of a nanotip mounted on an anti-vibration support, the nanotip being brought to a temperature of between 0 kelvin and ambient temperature, the nanotip being biased at an adjustable voltage of between 1 kV and 15 kV, the analysis chamber comprising a position-sensitive and time of flight-sensitive ion detector. The atom probe comprises a generator for generating high-peak-intensity single-cycle ultrashort terahertz pulses, the analysis chamber comprising optical means for focusing the terahertz pulses, the focusing of the terahertz pulses causing the atoms of the nanotip to evaporate through the field effect without thermal effects. The terahertz pulses are generated by a femtosecond pulsed laser emitting very high-power ultrashort optical pulses at a high rate.