Microscopic examination of an object using a sequence of optical microscopy and particle beam microscopy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581799-B2
Application number	US-201013320208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2010
Priority date	May 11, 2009
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

For the microscopy of an object using a combination of optical microscopy and particle beam microscopy, a microscope slide system comprises an electrically conductive holder, wherein at least one window is configured in the holder, and wherein the holder has the dimensions of a standard glass microscope slide for the optical microscopy; a microscope slide element, which is designed to carry the object for the microscopy and which is designed such that the element can be placed over the window; and a fastening device, which is designed to fix the microscope slide element over the window. By means of said microscope slide system, the object can be analyzed using separate microscopes, without having to relocate the object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slide system for microscopic examination of an object using a combination of optical microscopy with an optical microscope and particle beam microscopy with a particle beam microscope, wherein the system comprises:
an electrically conductive holder, wherein at least one window is formed in the electrically conductive holder and wherein the electrically conductive holder is structurally separate from the optical microscope and from the particle beam microscope and is configured to be successively inserted into the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope,
a slide element, which is configured to carry the object for microscopic examination and which is configured to be positioned at the window, and
a fastening device, which is configured for positioning the slide element at the window.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holder has a recess, the window is formed in the recess and the slide element can be inserted into the recess, with the result that the slide element positioned at the window is located closer to a bottom of the holder than to a top of the holder.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one alignment mark provided at the holder which can be detected with optical microscopy and also with particle beam microscopy.

4. The system according to claim 3 , comprising at least three alignment marks for establishing a coordinates system for the holder are provided at the holder.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein each alignment mark is formed as a double mark adapted for two different microscopic magnifications.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening device comprises at least one clamping device connected to the holder proximate the window for fixing the slide element at the window.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the slide element is formed as a conductive grid.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the slide element is formed as a cover glass.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the fastening device comprises rails extending alongside the window, into which rails the cover glass can be inserted and thus placed at the window.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the system comprises a transparent film, having a first refractive index which is matched to a second refractive index of the cover glass and which protects the cover glass against immersion fluid used for optical microscopy, with the result that the immersion fluid used can be removed by lifting off the film.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the film has an adhesive layer on one side, which remains adhering exclusively to the film when the film is lifted off from the cover glass.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the film is larger in area than the window.

13. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the system comprises a ring, which ring has a rubber lip on a bottom thereof, wherein an inside of the ring is smaller than the cover glass, with the result that the ring can be laid on the cover glass and that immersion fluid applied to the cover glass for optical microscopy can be removed from the cover glass by the rubber lip.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein an adapter is provided which has a fitting device configured to secure the adapter to a reception device of a particle beam microscope and on which a support surface is formed which support surface comprises a retaining device for fixing the holder on the support surface.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the adapter has, below the support surface and above the fitting device, a recess for introducing a particle beam detector.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holder has a mechanical aligner which is configured to align the holder in the optical microscope the particle beam microscope or both.

17. A method for the microscopy of an object, comprising:
providing a slide element;
providing an electrically conductive holder, wherein at least one window is formed in the electrically conductive holder and wherein the electrically conductive holder is structurally separate from an optical microscope and from an particle beam microscope and configured to be successively inserted into the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope;
placing an object for viewing on the slide element;
placing the slide element at a window in the electrically conductive holder;
fixing the slide element in place at the window with a fastening device;
inserting the electrically conductive holder with the slide element and object into one of the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope; and
removing the electrically conductive holder with the slide element and the object from one of the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope and inserting it into the other.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising selecting the electrically conductive holder to be dimensioned according to standard ISO 8037/1.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising moving the electrically conductive holder in each of the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope with respective mechanical alignment mechanisms.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising:
selecting the electrically conductive holder with an alignment mark thereon that is detectable with each of the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope:
defining an object area and determining a relative positioning of the object area and the alignment mark, with one of the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope,
imaging the object area and the alignment mark,
imaging the alignment mark with the other of the optical microscope and the particle beam microscope and approaching the object area from the alignment mark by actuating the respective mechanical alignment mechanism while referring to the relative positioning of the object area and the alignment mark.

21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising determining the positions of the alignment mark with respect to each of the respective optical microscope and particle beam microscope, and storing the positions of object areas relative to the alignment mark.

22. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holder is dimensioned according to standard ISO 8037/1.

Assignees

• Thomas Christian
• Sievers Torsten
• Thesen Alexander
• Zeiss Carl Ag

Inventors

• Thomas Christian
• Sievers Torsten
• Thesen Alexander

Classifications

• H01J2237/2007

  Holding mechanisms · CPC title

• H01J37/20

  Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support · CPC title

• G02B21/34 Primary

  Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides · CPC title

• H01J37/26

  Electron or ion microscopes; Electron or ion diffraction tubes · CPC title

• G02B21/33

  Immersion oils {, or microscope systems or objectives for use with immersion fluids} · CPC title