FEI Company

A method, within a charged particle beam (CPB) microscope, of rapidly switching between a first imaging or data acquisition mode and a second imaging or data acquisition mode, comprises: activating a switchable electrostatic multipole of the CPB microscope to either cause or enable the CPB microscope to generate a first set of one or more images or data sets, the first set of one or more images or data sets comprising information relating to a sample in accordance with the first imaging or data acquisition mode; and de-activating the switchable electrostatic multipole to either cause or enable the CPB microscope to generate a second set of one or more images or data sets, the second set of one or more images or data sets comprising information relating to the sample in accordance with the second imaging or data acquisition mode.

Phase contrast images in a charged-particle beam system are obtained by directing a CPB as modulated by a sample to a phase plate to have a diffraction plane that is displaced from the phase plate. Based on interference fringes in the images, a transverse displacement of the CPB with respect to the phase plate can be estimated and adjusted.

Charged particle microscope systems including multipole optics are described. An ion-optical column can include an aberration correction system. The aberration correction system can be disposed on an axis and can include a multipole condenser. The multipole condenser can include one or more condenser quadrupole-generating elements. The aberration correction system can also include a multipole objective. The multipole objective can include a plurality of objective multipole elements. The ion-optical column can include an objective lens assembly, disposed on the axis. The ion-optical column can also include a deceleration element. The deceleration element can be disposed on the axis between at least a portion of the aberration correction system and a sample position external to the charged particle optical column.

CPB images, such as images obtained by using a pulsed electron beam in an electron microscope, are acquired with pulsed exposures of fields of view (FOVs) defined in a region of interest (202) of a sample (200). Multiple exposures are configured with a time interval greater than a phonon lifetime to reduce sample damage induced by the CPB exposure. FOVs can defined to be spaced apart to control effective irradiation dose based on a combination of direct exposure and evanescent exposure.

Systems/techniques are provided for facilitating large language model resolution of scientific instrument workflow interruptions. In various embodiments, a system can cause a scientific instrument (e.g., charged-particle microscope, chromatograph, mass-spectrometer) to perform a workflow on a specimen. In various aspects, the system can, in response to the scientific instrument generating an error message that interrupts the workflow, retrieve runtime data logged by the scientific instrument during the workflow. In various instances, the system can synthesize, via execution of a large language model on the error message and on the runtime data, first text that explains why the workflow was interrupted.

In an example, a method includes determining a characteristic displacement gradient (DG) tensor that characterizes a deformation characteristic. The method includes, in an iterative routine, calculating an objective function value associated with a trial DG tensor based, at least in part, on pixel values within a zone of consideration (ZOC) that is determined automatically based at least in part on the trial DG tensor. In another example, a method includes determining one or more rotational transformation components corresponding to a test image and determining a characteristic DG tensor based at least in part on the rotational transformation component(s). In another example, a system includes an electron optics assembly, a detector assembly, and a controller programmed to determine a characteristic DG tensor. In another example, a non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of determining a deformation characteristic.

Embodiments described herein relate to systems and/or methods for providing positional repeatability of closure of an opening of a scientific instrument and/or of alignment of samples relative to a coordinate system of the scientific instrument. A system can comprise a retaining member that receives a sample support cartridge, a first portion of a kinematic coupling that receives a second portion of a kinematic coupling, and the second portion of the kinematic coupling disposed at the retaining member, wherein at least the first portion of the kinematic coupling or the second portion of the kinematic coupling is disposed for joint movement with the sample support cartridge when coupled to the retaining member. A system can comprise a vacuum chamber body, a vacuum chamber door, and a kinematic coupling providing for adjustable alignment of a sample support cartridge at the vacuum chamber door relative to the vacuum chamber body.

Provided herein is a charged particle system 200, comprising a charged particle source system comprising a high voltage component 202, 204, 206 housed within a high voltage component volume defined by the charged particle source system, wherein the charged particle source system is configured to generate a charged particle beam, wherein an insulation gas occupies the high voltage component volume, and wherein the insulation gas comprises a mixture of a trifluoro gas and at least one other gas selected from the group consisting of atmospheric air, oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen (N2); a sample chamber 208 comprising a stage configured to support a sample; and a charged particle beam column 210 configured to direct the charged particle beam towards the sample. Further provided herein is a method of using an insulation gas in a high voltage component of an electron particle system.

Foil lens correctors, charged particle microscope systems including the same, and associated methods. In an example, a foil lens corrector is configured to generate an offsetting spherical aberration in a charged particle beam and includes a graphene foil. In an example, a CPM system includes a charged particle source and a foil lens corrector including a graphene foil. In an example, a method of operating a CPM system includes directing a charged particle beam to a specimen and operating a foil lens corrector to generate an offsetting spherical aberration in the charged particle beam. In an example, the charged particle beam is incident upon a foil of the foil lens corrector with a foil landing energy that is at least 5 keV and at most 80 keV and such that the charged particle beam is transmitted through the foil with a transmission ratio that is at least 20%.

A charged particle beam (CPB) imaging apparatus intermittently acquires dark frames while the CPB is blanked and updates a dark reference with the intermittently acquired dark frames. The dark reference is used to compensate additive noise components in acquired sample frames, especially additive noise that increases during multiple image acquisitions over extended time periods.