A vacuum condition processing apparatus is provided, the top of which is connected to an external charged particle beam generating device, and the apparatus includes: a suction cup in contact with the specimen to be observed or the stage holding the specimen, a first gas controlling device connected to an external gas supplying system, and a second gas controlling device connected to an external pumping system; a window is deployed at the top of the apparatus, through which the particle beam can go into the apparatus; the first gas controlling device is arranged to connect the gas supplying system and the suction cup; the second gas controlling device is arranged to connect the gas pumping system and the suction cup. Also disclosed is a specimen observation system and method.

The present invention relates to a handheld material analyser comprising an air-tight chamber having an analysis aperture; an electron beam generation system adapted to direct a beam of electrons through the analysis aperture; an Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy system having a detector located in the chamber; the chamber being adapted to operate at internal pressures between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum of the order of 1 Pa; and a gas inlet adapted to receive an inert gas for generating a plasma in the region of the photocathode. In this way, the plasma can clean the photocathode.

A vacuum condition controlling apparatus, the top of which is connected with an electron beam generating instrument. The apparatus is rotationally symmetric, comprises the following parts deployed outward from the central axis: the central channel, the first pumping channel, the gas supplying chamber and the at least one pumping chamber. A pressure limiting aperture is deployed near the outlet of the central channel, for keeping the pressure difference between the central channel and the outside environment, and allow the electron beam to go through the central channel; the first pumping channel is connected to the central channel to pump the central channel; the top of the gas supplying chamber is connected to the gas supplying channel to supply gas to the area between the specimen and the apparatus; the top of the second pumping channel is connected to the second pumping channel, to pump the area.

Techniques of using a Transmission Charged Particle Microscope for diffraction pattern detection are disclosed. An example method including irradiating at least a portion of a specimen with a charged particle beam, using an imaging system to collect charged particles that traverse the specimen during said irradiation, and to direct them onto a detector configured to operate in a particle counting mode, using said detector to record a diffraction pattern of said irradiated portion of the specimen, recording said diffraction pattern iteratively in a series of successive detection frames, and during recording of each frame, using a scanning assembly for causing relative motion of said diffraction pattern and said detector, so as to cause each local intensity maximum in said pattern to trace out a locus on said detector.

Techniques of using a Transmission Charged Particle Microscope for diffraction pattern detection are disclosed. An example method including irradiating at least a portion of a specimen with a charged particle beam, using an imaging system to collect charged particles that traverse the specimen during said irradiation, and to direct them onto a detector configured to operate in a particle counting mode, using said detector to record a diffraction pattern of said irradiated portion of the specimen, recording said diffraction pattern iteratively in a series of successive detection frames, and during recording of each frame, using a scanning assembly for causing relative motion of said diffraction pattern and said detector, so as to cause each local intensity maximum in said pattern to trace out a locus on said detector.

The present invention relates to a handheld material analyser comprising an air-tight chamber having an analysis aperture; an electron beam generation system adapted to direct a beam of electrons through the analysis aperture; an Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy system having a detector located in the chamber; the chamber being adapted to operate at internal pressures between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum of the order of 1 Pa; and a gas inlet adapted to receive an inert gas for generating a plasma in the region of the photocathode. In this way, the plasma can clean the photocathode.

A vacuum condition controlling apparatus, the top of which is connected with an electron beam generating instrument. The apparatus is rotationally symmetric, comprises the following parts deployed outward from the central axis: the central channel, the first pumping channel, the gas supplying chamber and the at least one pumping chamber. A pressure limiting aperture is deployed near the outlet of the central channel, for keeping the pressure difference between the central channel and the outside environment, and allow the electron beam to go through the central channel; the first pumping channel is connected to the central channel to pump the central channel; the top of the gas supplying chamber is connected to the gas supplying channel to supply gas to the area between the specimen and the apparatus; the top of the second pumping channel is connected to the second pumping channel, to pump the area.

A vacuum condition processing apparatus is provided, the top of which is connected to an external charged particle beam generating device, and the apparatus includes: a suction cup in contact with the specimen to be observed or the stage holding the specimen, a first gas controlling device connected to an external gas supplying system, and a second gas controlling device connected to an external pumping system; a window is deployed at the top of the apparatus, through which the particle beam can go into the apparatus; the first gas controlling device is arranged to connect the gas supplying system and the suction cup; the second gas controlling device is arranged to connect the gas pumping system and the suction cup. Also disclosed is a specimen observation system and method.

An aperture device (31) is described, which is attachable to a lens system (13). The lens system (13) is arranged to form a particle beam of charged particles, emitted from a sample surface (Ss). The aperture device (31) comprises an end surface (S) which is to be arranged facing the sample surface (Ss), at least one aperture (38) arranged in the end surface (S), a length axis (32) which extends through the centre of said at least one aperture (38), and at least one gas outlet (10), which is arranged at a transverse distance (T) perpendicular from the length axis (32), and is arranged to direct gas into a volume between at least one aperture (38) and the sample surface (Ss). The end surface (S) within a distance, equal to ? of the transverse distance (T), perpendicular from the length axis (32) has a variation along the length axis (32) being smaller than ? of the transverse distance (T).

Atmospheric scanning electron microscope achieves a wide field of view at low magnifications in a broad range of gaseous pressure, acceleration voltage and image resolution. This is based on the use of a reduced size pressure limiting aperture together with a scanning beam pivot point located at the small aperture at the end of electron optics column. A second aperture is located at the principal plane of the objective lens. Double deflection elements scan and rock the beam at a pivot point first at or near the principal plane of the lens while post-lens deflection means scan and rock the beam at a second pivot point at or near aperture at the end of the optics column. The aperture at the first pivot may act also as beam limiting aperture. In the alternative, with no beam limiting aperture at the principal plane, maximum amount of beam rays passes through the lens and with no post-lens deflection means, the beam is formed (limited) by a very small aperture at or near-and-below the final lens while the aperture skims a shifting portion of the wide beam, which is physically rocked with a pivot on the principal plane but with an apparent pivot point close and above the aperture, all of which result in a wide field of view on the examined specimen.