A system for performing surface analysis on a material, includes a pulsed electron source that forms a monochromatic beam of incident electrons; means for conveying the incident electrons to the surface of a sample of material, so as to form backscattered electrons, and the backscattered electrons to detecting means, the conveying means comprising at least one electron optical system; means for detecting the backscattered electrons; the pulsed electron source comprising: a source of atoms; a continuous-wave laser beam configured to form a laser excitation zone able to excite the atoms to Rydberg states; a pulsed electric field on either side of the laser excitation zone, the pulsed electric field being configured to ionize at least the excited atoms and to form a monochromatic beam of electrons.

A method of time-resolved pump-probe electron microscopy, comprises the steps of irradiating a sample (1) with a photonic pump pulse (2) being directed on a pump pulse path (3) from a photonic source to the sample (1), irradiating the sample (1) with an electron probe pulse (4) being directed on an electron pulse path (5) from an electron pulse source (10) to the sample (1), wherein the photonic pump pulse (2) and the electron probe pulse (4) arrive at the sample (1) with a predetermined temporal relationship relative to each other, and detecting a sample response to the electron probe pulse (4) irradiation with a detector device (20), wherein the photonic source comprises a photonic lattice structure (30) being arranged adjacent to the electron pulse path (5), and the photonic pump pulse (2) is created by an interaction of the electron probe pulse (4) with the photonic lattice structure (30). Furthermore, an electron microscopy apparatus, configured for time-resolved pump-probe electron microscopy, and a sample supply device (200) for an electron microscopy apparatus (100) are described.

A method for imaging a material to atomic scale by means of a field-ion microscope having a vacuum chamber configured to accommodate the material prepared in the form of a tip and an imaging gas, and an ion detector is provided. The method includes application of a DC electrical potential (VDC) and of a pulsed electrical potential, of which the maximum pulse value is denoted Vimp, so that the tip erodes for a potential value equal to VDC+Vimp; acquisition, by the detector between at least two pulses of the pulsed potential, of series of at least two ion images of the impacts of the ions repelled by the tip onto the detector; and calculation of a quantity characteristic of a trend of the erosion of the tip based on the series of ion images acquired and the adjustment, between each series of images, of the values of VDC and of Vimp such that the quantity characteristic of the trend and the ratio VDC/Vimp remain constant.

In APT systems and methods, a sample is analyzed by concurrently applying different types of energy to the tip of the sample, thereby causing atom evaporation from the end of the tip. Evaporated atoms are analyzed to determine chemical nature and original position information, which is used to generate a compositional profile. To ensure an accurate profile, the applied energy includes: a D.C. voltage, which lowers the critical energy level (Q) for atom evaporation; first laser pulses, which are applied to opposing first sides of the tip near the end to further lower Q and which are phase-shifted so resulting standing wave patterns of heat distribution have energy maxima that are offset and below a threshold to avoid damage to tip side surfaces; and second laser pulse(s), which is/are applied to second side(s) of the tip near the distal end to reach Q and cause atom evaporation from the end.

In APT systems and methods, a sample is analyzed by concurrently applying different types of energy to the tip of the sample, thereby causing atom evaporation from the end of the tip. Evaporated atoms are analyzed to determine chemical nature and original position information, which is used to generate a compositional profile. To ensure an accurate profile, the applied energy includes: a D.C. voltage, which lowers the critical energy level (Q) for atom evaporation; first laser pulses, which are applied to opposing first sides of the tip near the end to further lower Q and which are phase-shifted so resulting standing wave patterns of heat distribution have energy maxima that are offset and below a threshold to avoid damage to tip side surfaces; and second laser pulse(s), which is/are applied to second side(s) of the tip near the distal end to reach Q and cause atom evaporation from the end.

A method for imaging a material to atomic scale by means of a field-ion microscope having a vacuum chamber configured to accommodate the material prepared in the form of a tip and an imaging gas, and an ion detector is provided. The method includes application of a DC electrical potential (VDC) and of a pulsed electrical potential, of which the maximum pulse value is denoted Vimp, so that the tip erodes for a potential value equal to VDC+Vimp; acquisition, by the detector between at least two pulses of the pulsed potential, of series of at least two ion images of the impacts of the ions repelled by the tip onto the detector; and calculation of a quantity characteristic of a trend of the erosion of the tip based on the series of ion images acquired and the adjustment, between each series of images, of the values of VDC and of Vimp such that the quantity characteristic of the trend and the ratio VDC/Vimp remain constant.

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.

The present disclosure hereinafter proposes a charged particle beam device and a method for adjusting a charged particle beam device which aim to appropriately set device conditions independently of a state of a sample. The present disclosure proposes a method and a system for adjusting contrast and brightness of an image, comprising: adjusting offset (step 112) of a signal processing device of the charged particle beam device so that the brightness of a pattern in an image obtained by scanning with a first charged particle beam (first intermittent condition beam) becomes a predetermined value; and adjusting a gain (step 114) of the signal processing device so that the brightness of a pattern in an image obtained by scanning with a second charged particle beam, which is a pulse beam (second intermittent condition beam) different from the first charged particle beam in at least one of irradiation time, irradiation distance, interval time between irradiation points, and distance between irradiation points, becomes a predetermined value.

A spectroscopy device including: an electron source arranged to emit a flux of electrons towards a sample, a pulsed photon source emitting photon pulses towards the sample, at least one spectrometer for receiving a flux of electrons originating from the sample, at least one electron detector; and
at least one deflector, between the electron source and the at least one electron detector, synchronized with the pulsed photon source to allow or prevent the passage of electrons emitted by the electron source, towards the electron detector.

Techniques are disclosed for stabilizing soft specimen traditionally considered too fragile for APT instruments. These specimens include biological samples, polymers and other fragile materials. For this purpose, a protective structure is disclosed that surrounds the sides of the specimen by supporting walls while only exposing the very end or terminus of the specimen to the electrostatic field of the APT instrument. The protective structure may take the form of a nanoscale conical grinder which continually machines the specimen to regenerate the terminus of the specimen in-situ. Alternately, the protective structure may take the form of a nanopipette in which the specimen is first frozen before undergoing field evaporation together with the tip of the nanopipette. Heretofore only routinely possible for rigid and hard materials, the design thus extends APT analysis to produce three-dimensional atomic-scale maps of soft specimens.