User interface for an electron microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9865427-B2
Application number	US-201514704453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	Jun 7, 2006
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A user interface for operation of a scanning electron microscope device that combines lower magnification reference images and higher magnification images on the same screen to make it easier for a user who is not used to the high magnification of electron microscopes to readily determine where on the sample an image is being obtained and to understand the relationship between that image and the rest of the sample. Additionally, other screens, such as, for example, an archive screen and a settings screen allow the user to compare saved images and adjust the settings of the system, respectively.

First claim

We claim as follows:

1. A method of operating an electron microscope, comprising:
moving a sample in a sample holder into a field of view of an optical camera;
obtaining and storing an optical image of a portion of the sample outside of a vacuum;
moving the sample into an electron microscope;
obtaining an electron image of the sample, the electron image having a magnification greater than that of the stored optical image;
simultaneously displaying on a display screen:
a field of view of the electron image in a first window,
the stored optical image in a second window, and
a perimeter indicator superimposed on the stored optical image in the second window, the perimeter indicator indicating on the stored optical image the position of the electron image and the area of the field of view on the sample; and

changing the field of view of the electron image to obtain a different electron image of the sample, by inputting directions from a user through a touch screen; and
automatically adjusting the perimeter indicator in the second window to indicate the position of the different electron image and the area of the new field of view on the stored optical image.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an electron overview image of the sample, the electron overview image being formed by the electron microscope and having a magnification greater than that of the stored optical image and less than that of the electron image.

3. The method of claim 1 in which changing the field of view of the electron microscope includes changing the magnification.

4. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining and storing the optical image of the portion of the sample includes obtaining multiple images of adjacent regions of the sample and juxtaposing the multiple images to provide an image of a region of the sample larger than the field of view of the optical camera.

5. The method of claim 1 in which obtaining the electron image of the sample includes moving the sample into contact with a vacuum region to remove air from around the sample before the sample is positioned under an objective lens for imaging.

6. The method of claim 5 in which obtaining the electron image of the sample occurs within thirty seconds of moving the sample from an atmosphere environment into the electron microscope.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically focusing the electron microscope to a focal plane determined by a focal adjustment of the optical camera to focus on the sample.

8. An electron microscope system, comprising:
a sample holder for holding a sample;
an optical camera for recording an optical image at a first magnification of a first region of the sample, the sample positioned in the sample holder outside of a vacuum region while the optical image is recorded;
an electron microscope for forming an electron image at a second magnification of a second region of the sample while the sample is positioned in the sample holder, the second magnification being greater than the first magnification and the second region being a subset of the first region; and
a display comprising a touch screen, the display:
configured to simultaneously display the electron image, the optical image, and a perimeter indicator superimposed on the optical image, the perimeter indicator indicating the position of the electron image and the area of the second region on the optical image so that a user can determine the position of the second region on the sample, and
configured such that touching a position of the electron image on the display changes the field of view of the electron image shown by the display by centering the electron image on the position touched, and

wherein the perimeter indicator is automatically adjusted on the optical image to indicate the position and area of the electron image in the first region after the change in the field of view.

9. The electron microscope system of claim 8 in which the first region comprises a juxtaposition of multiple optical images.

10. The electron microscope system of claim 8 further comprising a removable memory media for storing images.

11. The electron microscope system of claim 10 in which the removable memory media for storing images comprises a USB flash drive, a CD or a DVD.

12. The electron microscope system of claim 10 in which all of the images are stored in the removable memory media.

13. The electron microscope system of claim 12 further comprising a rotary input device for user input.

14. The electron microscope system of claim 8 further comprising an objective lens and at least one vacuum buffer region to remove air from around the sample before the sample is positioned under the objective lens for imaging.

15. The electron microscope system of claim 8 in which the electron beam energy is not adjustable by the user.

16. The electron microscope system of claim 8 in which the electron microscope is automatically focused to a focal plane determined by a focal adjustment of the optical camera to focus on the sample.

Assignees

• Fei Co

Inventors

• Bierhoff Martinus Petrus Maria
• Buijsse Bart
• Kooijman Cornelis Sander
• Van Leeuwen Hugo
• Tappel Hendrik Gezinus
• Sanford Colin August
• Stoks Sander Richard Marie
• Berger Steven
• Bormans Ben Jacobus Marie
• Driessen Koen Arnoldus Wilhelmus
• Persoon Johannes Antonius Hendricus W G

Classifications

• H01J2237/188

  Differential pressure · CPC title

• H01J37/185

  Means for transferring objects between different enclosures of different pressure or atmosphere · CPC title

• H01J37/28

  with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01J2237/1825

  Evacuating means · CPC title

• H01J37/226

  Optical arrangements for illuminating the object; optical arrangements for collecting light from the object · CPC title