Analytical electron microscope and a method of operating such an electron microscope

An analytical electron microscope, comprising:

• means for generating an electron beam and for causing the electron beam to be incident on a sample in said analytical electron microscope;
• means for detecting the effect of the sample on the electron beam, thereby to detect detected objects in said sample;
• and
• analysis means for carrying out automatic determination of:
• i) object shape,
• ii) change of thickness, and
• iii) change of element for each of said detected objects and for classifying said detected objects into a plurality of classes on the basis of said automatic determination.

An analytical electron microscope, comprising:

• means for generating a electron beam and for causing said electron beam to be incident on a sample;
• means for detecting the effect of said sample on said electron beam, thereby to detect at least one detected object in said sample;
• and
• analysis means for carrying out automatic determination of:
• i) object shape,
• ii) change of thickness, and
• iii) change of element for said at least one detected object, and for identifying said at least one detected object on the basis of said automatic determination.

An analytical electron microscope, comprising:

• means for specifying a desired object of a sample to be detected;
• means for detecting detected objects in said sample on the basis of the interaction of an electron beam of said analytical electron microscope with said sample
• first analysis means for identifying automatically which of said detected objects corresponds to said desired object;
• and
• second analysis means for automatically investigating at least one of said detected objects which corresponds to said desired object.

An analytical electron microscope, comprising:

• means for generating an electron beam and for causing the electron beam to be incident on a sample;
• in said analytical detection microscope;
• means for detecting the effect of the sample on the electron beam, thereby to detect detected objects in said sample;
• first analysis means for automatically classifying each of said detected objects into one of a plurality of classes;
• and
• second analysis means for automatically investigating at least one of said detected objects of at least one of said plurality of classes.

A method of operating an electron microscope, comprising:

• specifying a desired object of a sample to be detected by said analytical electron microscope;
• causing an electron beam of said electron microscope to be incident on said sample;
• detecting the effect of said sample on said electron beam, and thereby detecting detected objects in said sample;
• identifying automatically at least one of:
• i) object shape
• ii) change of thickness
• iii) change of element for each of said detected objects, and
• determining which of said detected objects corresponds to said desired object on the basis of the automatic identification.

A method of operating an electron microscope comprising:

• causing an electron beam of said electron microscope to be incident on said sample;
• detecting the effect of said sample on said electron beam, and thereby detecting detected objects in said sample;
• carrying out automatic determination of:
• i) object shape,
• ii) change of thickness, and
• iii) change of element for each of said detected objects;
• and
• classifying said detected objects into a plurality of classes on the basis of said automatic determination.

A method of operating an electron microscope, comprising:

• causing an electron beam of said electron microscope to be incident on said sample;
• detecting the effect of said sample on said electron beam, and thereby detecting detected objects in said sample;
• carrying out automatic determination of:
• i) object shape,
• ii) change of thickness, and
• iii) change of element for said at least one detected object;
• and
• identifying said at least one detected object on the basis of said automatic determination.

A method of operating an analytical electron microscope, comprising:

• specifying a desired object of a sample to be detected;
• detecting detected objects in said sample on the basis of the interaction of an electron beam of said analytical electron microscope with said sample;
• identifying automatically which of said detected objects corresponds to said desired object;
• and
• automatically investigating at least one of said detected objects which corresponds to said desired object.

A method of operating an analytical electron microscope, comprising:

• causing an electron beam of said analytical electron microscope to be incident on a sample;
• detecting detected objects in said sample on the basis of the interaction of an electron beam of said analytical electron microscope with said sample;
• identifying automatically which of said detected objects corresponds to a desired object;
• and
• automatically investigating at least one of said detected objects which corresponds to said desired object.