Abstract: In a method for analyzing isoaspartic acid by dissociating precursor ions derived from a sample component and generating and analyzing product ions, the method includes: generating product ions by irradiating the precursor ions with hydrogen radicals or radicals having oxidizing ability to dissociate the precursor ions; separating and detecting the product ions according to a mass-to-charge ratio; and specifying product ions derived from isoaspartic acid based on a mass-to-charge ratio of the product ions.

Abstract: A method is provided for electrically examining electronic components of an integrated circuit including a target region to be examined in which electronic components with contact points are located and further including a remaining, non-target region. The method includes performing an examination with a combined SEM/AFM nanoprobe. The examination includes imaging at least a portion of the non-target region with the scanning electron microscope part of the SEM/AFM nanoprobe in a first step, imaging at least a portion of the target region only with the atomic force microscope part of the SEM/AFM nanoprobe in a subsequent step, and recording, in a further subsequent step, current/voltage curves as characteristic electrical curves at the contact points with the nanoprobe, or performing a conductive AFM technique.

Abstract: A sanitization apparatus includes an excimer lamp, a power converter configured to power the excimer lamp and a controller. The controller is configured to monitor an impedance of the excimer lamp and vary an output voltage waveform of the power converter based upon the impedance.

Abstract: A method for attaching a prepared sample to a carrier in a focused ion beam chamber. The method includes reducing a temperature within the chamber to substantially below room temperature followed by moving the prepared sample adjacent to a substrate carrier surface. The temperature can be lowered sufficiently to establish a cryogenic condition in the chamber. Attachment of the prepared sample to the substrate carrier is done by controlling the focused ion beam to raster a target area of the surface in the absence of a gas deposition precursor, to sputter material onto the base of the sample and the substrate carrier surface, thereby binding the prepared sample to the substrate carrier.

Abstract: A start-up routine for a mass spectrometer is performed automatically upon switching ON the mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer comprises a plurality of functional modules connected thereto, each module operable to perform a predetermined function of the mass spectrometer in use. The start-up routine comprises detecting which functional modules are present in the set of a plurality of functional modules connected to the mass spectrometer, and performing one or more steps of the start-up routine based upon the results of the detection.

Abstract: Methods and system for identifying and quantifying antibody fragments and identifying the site of fragmentation on an antibody are provided herein.

Abstract: A system for positioning a sample in a charged particle apparatus (CPA) or an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) system includes a sample carrier coupled to a stage inside the vacuum chamber of the CPA or XPS system. The system allows transferring of the sample carrier among multiple CPAs, XPS systems and glove boxes in inert gas or in vacuum. The sample carrier is releasably coupled with the stage in the vacuum chamber of the CPA or the XPS. Multiple electrodes in a sample area of the sample carrier are electrically connectable with the stage by multiple spring contacts between the sample carrier and the stage.

Abstract: Disclosed in some embodiments is a chamber component (such as an end effector body) coated with an ultrathin electrically-dissipative material to provide a dissipative path from the coating to the ground. The coating may be deposited via a chemical precursor deposition to provide a uniform, conformal, and porosity free coating in a cost effective manner. In an embodiment wherein the chamber component comprises an end effector body, the end effector body may further comprise replaceable contact pads for supporting a substrate and the contact surface of the contact pads head may also be coated with an electrically-dissipative material.

Abstract: Operating a gas feed device for a particle beam apparatus includes predetermining a flow rate of a precursor through an outlet of a precursor reservoir containing the precursor to be fed onto an object, loading a temperature of the precursor reservoir, the temperature being associated with the predetermined flow rate, from a database into a control unit, setting a temperature of the precursor reservoir to the temperature loaded from the database using a temperature setting unit, and determining at least one functional parameter of the precursor reservoir depending on the flow rate and the temperature, loaded from the database, using the control unit and informing a user of the gas feed device about the determined functional parameter. Informing the user of the gas feed device about the functional parameter may include displaying the functional parameter on a display unit, outputting an optical signal, or outputting an acoustic signal.

Abstract: Packed-tip electrospray ionization (ESI) emitters for mass spectrometry are described. In one aspect an ESI emitter stores a first type of particle. A liquid chromatography (LC) column is coupled with the emitter via a junction. The LC column stores a different type of particle than the ESI emitter to facilitate better chromatographic and ESI performance.

Abstract: An ion separation apparatus comprises: (a) first and second ion carpets, each comprising: a substrate having first and second faces; and a set of electrodes disposed on or beneath the first face, wherein a configuration of a first plurality of the set of electrodes defines at least one group of circle sectors; (b) an ion exit aperture passing through one ion carpet; and (c) one or more power supplies configured to provide radio frequency voltages to a first subset of the electrodes of each ion carpet, to provide electrical potential differences across electrodes of the first subset of electrodes of each ion carpet, and to provide time-varying voltages to the first plurality of electrodes of each ion carpet that migrate through the sectors as a traveling wave, wherein the ion carpets are disposed parallel to one another with a gap therebetween, the first faces facing one another across the gap.

Abstract: A system to characterize a film layer within a measurement box is disclosed. The system obtains a first mixing fraction corresponding to a first X-ray beam, the mixing fraction represents a fraction of the first X-ray beam inside a measurement box of a wafer sample, the measurement box represents a bore structure disposed over a substrate and having a film layer disposed inside the bore structure. The system obtains a contribution value for the measurement box corresponding to the first X-ray beam, the contribution value representing a species signal outside the measurement box that contributes to a same species signal inside the measurement box. The system obtains a first measurement detection signal corresponding to a measurement of the measurement box using the first X-ray beam. The system determines a measurement value of the film layer based on the first measurement detection signal, the contribution value, and the first mixing fraction.

Abstract: A method of operating an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry apparatus for analyzing an analyte sample, the mass spectrometry apparatus including a plasma ion source, a mass analyzer and an interface arrangement positioned between the plasma ion source and the mass analyzer of the mass spectrometer, the interface arrangement at least including an interface structure, including a sampling or skimmer cone, and at least one passage with an inlet and an outlet into a reaction zone, the method including: generating a plasma using the plasma ion source and forming a plasma flux to flow towards the mass analyzer; supplying the analyte sample into the reaction zone via the passage such that the analyte sample interacts with the plasma flux; and analyzing the analyte sample using the mass analyzer.

Abstract: A method for measuring the concentration of fluorine gas (F2) contained in a halogen fluoride-containing gas using an analysis apparatus having a halogen fluoride-containing gas supply source, a fluorine-containing gas supply source, a tube, a capillary, and a mass spectrometer, the method including, before measuring the concentration of fluorine gas, performing passivation treatment on the tube and the capillary using a passivation gas containing a fluorine-containing gas supplied from the fluorine-containing gas supply source.

Abstract: Techniques for adapting an adaptive specimen image acquisition system using an artificial neural network (ANN) are disclosed. An adaptive specimen image acquisition system is configurable to scan a specimen to produce images of varying qualities. An adaptive specimen image acquisition system first scans a specimen to produce a low-quality image. An ANN identifies objects of interest within the specimen image. A scan mask indicates regions of the image corresponding to the objects of interest. The adaptive specimen image acquisition system scans only the regions of the image corresponding to the objects of interest, as indicated by the scan mask, to produce a high-quality image. The low-quality image and the high-quality image are merged in a final image. The final image shows the objects of interest at a higher quality, and the rest of the specimen at a lower quality.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of administering [18F]-FACBC. The present disclosure also relates to use of [18F]-FACBC in methods for imaging, diagnosing and monitoring metastasis or recurrence of cancer.

Abstract: A detection device for detecting charges particles. The active area of the detector extends along a principal direction over several centimeters and up to 1 meter or more. This allows for its use as a focal plane detector for a mass spectrometer device, allowing to record all mass-to-charge ratios provided by the spectrometer in parallel and within a reduced acquisition time.

Abstract: A component of an ion optical device is manufactured. The component comprises aligned first and second electrode sets. A first material is machined to provide a part-machined first electrode set that comprises the first electrode set attached to a frame part of the first material. A second material is machined to provide a part-machined second electrode set that comprises the second electrode set attached to a frame part of the second material. The component of the ion optical device is assembled by aligning the part-machined first and second electrode sets. Subsequent to aligning the part-machined first and second electrode sets, the part-machined first electrode set is further machined to separate the first electrode set from the frame part of the first material and the part-machined second electrode set is further machined to separate the second electrode set from the frame part of the second material.

Abstract: There is provided systems and methods for determining variability of cryo-EM protein structures from a set of cryo-electron microscope images. The method includes: performing iterative optimization, each optimization iteration including: determining the updated variability coordinates for individual images from the set of images using a current value of the variability components; determining the updated variability components for multiple images of the set of images, using the updated value of the variability coordinates, by solving a set of linear equations, the linear equations comprising a sum of weighted compositions of projection and back-projection operators, the equations are solved by arranging the equations into a block-diagonal matrix form.

Abstract: An electron gun EG in which mixing of secondary electrons is suppressed is provided. The electron gun EG has an electron source 1, an extraction electrode 2 for extracting an electron beam E1 from the electron source 1, and an acceleration electrode for accelerating the extracted electron beam E1. The extraction electrode 2 includes a diaphragm 4 for allowing a part of the electron beam E1 to pass through, a shield 5 positioned above the diaphragm 4 apart from the diaphragm 4, and a shield 6 positioned below the diaphragm 4 apart from the diaphragm 4. The diaphragm 4 has an opening OP4 having an opening diameter D4, the shield 5 has an opening OP5 having an opening diameter D5 which is greater than the opening diameter D4, and the shield 6 has an opening OP6 having an opening diameter D6 which is greater than the opening diameter D4.