Abstract: Methods and systems for assessing membrane potential are provided. In some embodiments, the methods and systems, described herein, may allow spatial patterns of membrane potential to be facilely obtained. For instance, a method may comprise transferring a population of cells from a tissue to a substrate. The transfer process may substantially maintain the viability of and/or the spatial relationship between the cells. The cells on the membrane may be exposed to a voltage sensitive dye. The dye may allow the membrane potential of individual cells on the substrate to be imaged or otherwise detected. The individual cell membrane potentials when imaged together on the substrate may form a spatial membrane potential pattern. The spatial membrane potential pattern may be used to assess one or more physiological characteristics of the cells. The methods and systems may be used for a wide variety of applications, including the assessment of biopsies.

Abstract: A charge particle optical column capable of being used in a high throughput, mutli-column, multi-beam electron beam lithography system is disclosed herein. The column has the following properties: purely electrostatic components; small column footprint (20 mm square); multiple, individually focused charge particle beams; telecentric scanning of all beams simultaneously on a wafer for increased depth of field; and conjugate blanking of the charged particle beams for reduced beam blur. An electron gun is disclosed that uses microfabricated, field emission sources and a microfabricated aperture-deflector assembly. The aperture-deflector assembly acts as a perfect lens in focusing, steering and blanking a multipicity of electron beams through the back focal plane of an immersion lens located at the bottom of the column. Beam blanking can be performed using a gating signal to decrease beam blur during writing on the wafer.

Abstract: An electron source including a non-orthogonal row-column matrix of two dimensional arrays of electron emitters positioned in groups of arrays, common control electrodes mounted adjacent associated groups, and electrical connections to the arrays in each group connecting the emitters in each array in parallel and connecting each array in each group to a similar array in each other group so as to form rows of groups equal in number to the number of arrays in each group. The groups are positioned along a first axial direction and arranged with the arrays in each group spaced apart in a second direction, at an angle to the first direction, so that the arrays are evenly spaced in the first direction. In one embodiment dummy control electrodes are used at each end of the structure and in another embodiment a field compensating electrode is provided on opposite sides of each control electrode and a surrounding electrode extends between adjacent field compensating electrodes.