# US 12,340,972 B2 · Method for operating a particle beam microscope, particle beam microscope and computer program product

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,340,972 B2
- Document ID: US12340972B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/810,783
- Filed: 2022-07-05
- Published: 2023-01-12
- Granted: 2025-06-24
- Earliest claimed: 2021-07-07
- Assignees: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
- Applicants: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
- Inventors: Martin Ross-Messemer; Ivo Ihrke; Arian Kriesch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12340972B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor
- H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)}
- H01J 2237/24415: X-ray
- H01J 2237/2445: Photon detectors for X-rays, light, e.g. photomultipliers
- H01J 2237/2446: Position sensitive detectors
- H01J 2237/24475: Scattered electron detectors
- H01J 2237/24578: Spatial variables, e.g. position, distance
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A method for operating a particle beam microscope comprises scanning an object using a particle beam and detecting electrons and x-ray radiation when scanning an object using a particle beam. Improved x-ray radiation information can be generated by combining weighted x-ray radiation information items according to the formula S e ( r → "\[Rule]" i ) = ∑ j w ⁡ ( i , j ) · S ⁡ ( r → "\[Rule]" j ) , wherein S({right arrow over (r)}i) is the detected x-ray radiation intensity assigned to a location {right arrow over (r)}i. The following holds true for the weights, for example: w ⁡ ( i , j ) = e - ( r → "\[Rule]" i - r → "\[Rule]" j ) 2 / σ f 2 · e - ( I ⁡ ( r → "\[Rule]" i ) - I ⁡ ( r → "\[Rule]" j ) ) 2 / σ g 2 , wherein I({right arrow over (r)}) represents the intensity of the detected electrons that is assigned to the location {right arrow over (r)}, and σf and σg are constants.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a particle beam microscope, the method comprising:
directing a particle beam onto a multiplicity of locations of an object;
for each given location of the multiplicity of locations:
storing location information representing the given location onto which the particle beam is directed;
detecting electrons generated by the particle beam directed onto the given location;
storing electron radiation information representing an intensity of the detected electrons in association with the location information;
detecting x-ray radiation generated by the particle beam directed onto the given location; and
storing x-ray radiation information representing an intensity of the detected x-ray radiation in association with the location information; and
for a plurality of given locations of the multiplicity of locations:
generating improved x-ray radiation information; and
storing the improved x-ray radiation information in association with the location information representing the given location,
wherein generating the improved x-ray radiation information comprises combining a plurality of weighted pieces of x-ray radiation information, and
wherein the following holds true for each weight of weights of the x-ray radiation information used in the combining:
the weight decreases with increasing distance between the given location and a location represented by the location information associated with the weighted x-ray radiation information; and
the weight decreases with increasing absolute value of a difference between the intensity represented by the electron radiation information associated with the location information representing the given location and the intensity represented by the electron radiation information associated with the location information which is also associated with the weighted x-ray radiation information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a representation of the improved pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with the multiplicity of locations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising classifying the improved pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with the multiplicity of locations into a plurality of groups,
wherein:
pairs of pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with a same group are more similar to one another in accordance with a predetermined similarity criterion than pairs of pieces of x-ray radiation information assigned to different groups;
pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with a same group are each represented, in the same representation, with a same representation feature; and
pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with different groups are represented, in the representation, with different representation features.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the representation features comprise a brightness, a colour and/or a colour saturation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the x-ray radiation information associated with the location information represents an energy spectrum.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein detecting the x-ray radiation comprises reading an energy-dispersive x-ray detector.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the electrons comprises reading an electron detector.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the electron detector is a backscattered electron detector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein combining the plurality of weighted pieces of x-ray radiation information comprises adding weighted intensity values of detected x-ray radiation intensities.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the improved x-ray radiation information is determined according to the following equation:
S
e
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
i
)
=
∑
j
w
⁡
(
i
,
j
)
·
S
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
j
)
;
Se({right arrow over (r)}i) represents the improved x-ray radiation intensity associated with a given location {right arrow over (r)}i;
S({right arrow over (r)}j) represents the x-ray radiation intensity associated with a location {right arrow over (r)}j; and
w(i,j) represents the weight.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
w(i,j)=f(|{right arrow over (r)}i−{right arrow over (r)}j|)·g(|I({right arrow over (r)}i)−I({right arrow over (r)}j)|);
I({right arrow over (r)}) represents the intensity of the detected electrons associated with the location {right arrow over (r)};
f(|{right arrow over (r)}i−{right arrow over (r)}j|) is a function which decreases with increasing distance between the locations {right arrow over (r)}i and {right arrow over (r)}j; and
g(|I({right arrow over (r)}i)−I({right arrow over (r)}j)|) is a function which decreases with increasing absolute value of the difference between intensities of detected electrons.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein
f
⁡
(
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
r
→
"\[Rule]"
i
-
r
→
"\[Rule]"
j
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
)
=
1
C
f
⁢
e
-
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
i
-
r
→
"\[Rule]"
j
)
2
/
σ
f
2
,
and wherein Cf and σf are parameters.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein
g
⁡
(
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
i
)
-
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
j
)
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
)
=
1
C
g
⁢
e
-
(
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
i
)
-
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
j
)
)
2
/
σ
g
2
,
and wherein Cg and σg are parameters.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a representation of the improved pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with the multiplicity of locations.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising classifying the improved pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with the multiplicity of locations into a plurality of groups,
wherein:
pairs of pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with a same group are more similar to one another in accordance with a predetermined similarity criterion than pairs of pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with different groups;
pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with a same group are each represented, in the representation, with a same representation feature; and
pieces of x-ray radiation information associated with different groups are represented, in the representation, with different representation features.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the representation features comprise a brightness, a colour and/or a colour saturation.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein
g
⁡
(
❘
"\[LeftBracketingBar]"
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
i
)
-
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
j
)
❘
"\[RightBracketingBar]"
)
=
1
C
g
⁢
e
-
(
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
i
)
-
I
⁡
(
r
→
"\[Rule]"
j
)
)
2
/
σ
g
2
,
and Cg and wherein σg are parameters.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

One or more machine-readable hardware storage devices comprising instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising the method of claim 1.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A system comprising:
one or more processing devices; and
one or more machine-readable hardware storage devices comprising instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising the method of claim 1.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising:
a particle source configured to generate a particle beam;
an electron detector; and
an x-ray radiation detector.