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US 2026/0011525 A1Published application
Sample preparation
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsBas Hendriksen, Jolet de Ruiter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to methods for determining a property of a sample before imaging in a charged particle microscope and samples prepared by such methods.
Claims20
A method of determining a property of a sample before imaging in a charged particle microscope, the method comprising:
- (i) providing a sample embedded in a matrix on a sample holder;
- (ii) submerging the sample in a coolant;
- (iii) removing the sample from the coolant;
- (a) directing a beam of light towards the sample;
- (b) detecting light reflected, transmitted, or emitted from the sample in response to the beam of light;
- and
- (c) determining a property of the sample based on the detected light using a controller.
4 more elements
A charged particle microscope for examining a sample, comprising:
- an optics column, including a charged particle source, a final probe forming lens and a scanner, for focusing a beam of charged particles emitted from said charged particle source onto a sample;
- a sample stage positioned downstream of said final probe forming lens and arranged for holding the sample;
- a first detector for detecting emissions of a first type originating from the sample in response to charged particles emitted from the charged particle source onto the sample;
- and
- a control unit and a processing device connected to said first detector, wherein the control unit and processor are operable to determine a property of the sample based on light reflected, transmitted and/or emitted from the sample, wherein the sample is a vitrified sample and the determined property of the sample is presence of vitreous ice or crystalline ice.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.