Ion photon emission microscope
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorBarney L. Doyle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ion beam analysis system that creates microscopic multidimensional image maps of the effects of high energy ions from an unfocussed source upon a sample by correlating the exact entry point of an ion into a sample by projection imaging of the ion-induced photons emitted at that point with a signal from a detector that measures the interaction of that ion within the sample. The emitted photons are collected in the lens system of a conventional optical microscope, and projected on the image plane of a high resolution single photon position sensitive detector. Position signals from this photon detector are then correlated in time with electrical effects, including the malfunction of digital circuits, detected within the sample that were caused by the individual ion that created these photons initially.
Claims30
An apparatus for correlating, from the interaction of a high energy ion with a sample, a position signal and a signal representing a sample characteristic property, comprising:
- an unfocussed source of high energy ions directed at a surface of a sample;
- said sample coated with a thin phosphor from which ion-induced photons are emitted in response to impacts from high energy ions;
- a photon projection system to refocus and project individual ion-induced photons produced on the sample by said high energy ions, said photon projection system having an image plane;
- a photon position sensitive detector placed at the image plane of the photon projection system, said detector producing a first signal by which the impact point (X,Y) of each ion is determined;
- a sensor means associated with the sample to detect a characteristic property of the sample caused by the impact of a high energy ion from the unfocussed ion source, said sensor means producing a second signal S representing said sample characteristic property;
- and
- a correlator means to correlate and store said first signal with said second signal by means of coincidence.
A method to correlate, from the interaction of a high energy ion with a sample, a position signal and a signal representing a sample characteristic property, comprising:
- directing an unfocussed source of high energy ions at a surface of a sample, wherein photons are emitted in response to impacts from said high energy ions;
- projecting said photons onto an image plane of a photon projection system, said photon projection system comprising a photon position sensitive detector placed at the image plane wherein said detector produces a first signal representing the (X,Y) position of said photon;
- measuring a characteristic property of said sample, said characteristic property resulting from the impact of the high energy ions at the surface of said sample, wherein said characteristic property is represented by a second signal S;
- and
- correlating said first signal with said second signal by means of coincidence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.