Abstract: A method of generating a data set defining a plurality of target points in a target volume in a body at which a particle beam is to be directed in a continuous or discontinuous process includes directing a particle beam to each of the target points so as to provide a spatial dose distribution in an area around the respective target point. The target points include a first target point having z-spacing, measured in a direction of the particle beam in a homogenous body equivalent to the body, from an adjacent second target point at a higher or lower particle energy. The method also includes defining the target points in the data set by at least one of the z-spacing and the spatial dose distribution in dependence upon a particle energy of the respective target point.

Abstract: A microscope including both an atomic force microscope and a near-field optical microscope and capable of performing electrochemical measurements and a cantilever for the microscope are disclosed. A pointed light transmitting material employed as the probe of an atomic force microscope is coated with a metal layer; the metal layer is further coated with an insulating layer; the insulating layer is removed only at the distal end to expose the metal layer; the slightly exposed metal layer is employed as a working electrode; and the probe can be employed not only as the probe of the atomic force microscope and the near-field optical microscope but also as the electrode of an electrochemical microscope. Consequently, the microscope can have the functions of an atomic force microscope, a near-field optical microscope and an electrochemical microscope.

Abstract: Described are techniques for tuning parameters of a system. For one or more values of a distance, mass spectral analysis of a liquid analyte stream is performed. A corresponding ion signal intensity of a selected ion is obtained. The distance is measured from a first end of a first tube to a second end of a second tube which surrounds said first tube. Using a computing device, a current value of the distance is automatically adjusted in accordance with corresponding ion signal intensities obtained for the selected ion. Using a computing device, a desired value for the distance is automatically determined using the corresponding ion signal intensities. The desired value results in an ion signal intensity for the selected ion which is any of more than a threshold intensity and a maximum of ion signal intensities obtained by performing mass spectral analysis using different values for the distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading a sample into a particle-optical instrument that includes a slider bearing having a base plate in contact with the vacuum chamber at one side, said base plate showing a first through-hole in contact with the vacuum chamber, and a second plate, one side of the second plate in contact with the base plate, said second plate also showing a through-hole, where the faces of the base plate and the second plate facing each other are sufficiently smooth to form a non-elastomeric vacuum seal and where the second plate is a flexible plate and the face of the flexible plate opposite to the base plate is equipped to seal against a cup equipped to hold a sample.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to multi-reflection electrostatic systems, and more particularly to improvements in and relating to the Orbitrap electrostatic ion trap. A method of operating an electrostatic ion trapping device having an array of electrodes operable to mimic a single electrode is proposed, the method comprising determining three or more different voltages that, when applied to respective electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, generate an electrostatic trapping field that approximates the field that would be generated by applying a voltage to the single electrode, and applying the three or more so determined voltages to the respective electrodes. Further improvements lie in measuring a plurality of features from peaks with different intensities from one or more collected mass spectra to derive characteristics, and using the measured characteristics to improve the voltages to be applied to the plurality of electrodes.

Abstract: A method of using a direct electron detector in a TEM, in which an image with a high intensity peak, such as a diffractogram or an EELS spectrum, is imaged on said detector. As known the high intensity peak may damage the detector. To avoid this damage, the center of the image is moved, as a result of which not one position of the detector is exposed to the high intensity, but the high intensity is smeared over the detector, displacing the high intensity peak before damage results.

Abstract: A plasma pinch extreme ultraviolet source using lithium vapor requires surrounding surfaces that are heated or cooled in order to evaporate the desired quantity of lithium, typically setting the vapor pressure of lithium at a pressure of a few torr. Two distinct surfaces within the whole set are designated as the electrodes that emit and receive the high current of the plasma pinch. A method is described whereby the temperature of these designated electrode surfaces is manipulated in order to condense lithium and provide a liquid metal protective layer to absorb both plasma and extreme ultraviolet heat thereby controlling electrode erosion. A further method is described that provides a protective flow of liquid lithium exactly on the axis of the pair of discharge electrodes.

Abstract: The objective is to eliminate the effect of the hysteresis of a scanning electromagnet so that, in the raster scanning or the hybrid scanning, there is obtained a particle beam irradiation apparatus that realizes high-accuracy beam irradiation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of reducing thermal energy accumulation during a plasma ion implantation process for forming patterns including magnetic and non-magnetic domains on a magnetically susceptible surface on a substrate. In one embodiment, a method of controlling a substrate temperature during a plasma ion implantation process includes (a) performing a first portion of a plasma ion implantation process on a substrate having a magnetically susceptible layer formed thereon in a processing chamber for a first time period, wherein a temperature of the substrate is maintained below about 150 degrees Celsius, (b) cooling the temperature of the substrate after the first portion of the plasma ion implantation process has been completed, and (c) performing a second portion of the plasma ion implantation process on the substrate, wherein the temperature of the substrate is maintained below 150 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: There is provided a technology which allows SEM observation in real time without deteriorating the processing efficiency in FIB processing. In the present invention, a composite charged-particle-beam apparatus having a FIB column and a SEM column includes an SE3 detector which detects secondary electrons (referred to as tertiary electrons in this specification) discharged when back-scattered electrons generated by irradiating a sample with an electron beam collide with structures in a sample chamber. With use of the tertiary electrons, a SEM image is generated, and based on the SEM image, an ion beam processing state can be observed.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an ultrasound system and a method of forming an elastic image, which are capable of preventing the distortion of the elastic image. The persistence of the previous frame and the present frame is performed after moving the boundary pixels set up in the previous interest frame to the boundary pixels in the present interest frame. This is so that the distortion of the elastic image may be reduced and the signal to noise ratio may be increased.

Abstract: A structure for discharging an extreme ultraviolet mask (EUV mask) is provided to discharge the EUV mask during the inspection by an electron beam inspection tool. The structure for discharging an EUV mask includes at least one grounding pin to contact conductive areas on the EUV mask, wherein the EUV mask may have further conductive layer on sidewalls or/and bottom. The inspection quality of the EUV mask is enhanced by using the electron beam inspection system because the accumulated charging on the EUU mask is grounded.

Abstract: An atom probe includes a detector which registers the time of flight of ions evaporated from a specimen, as well as the positions on the detector at which the ions impact and the kinetic energies of the ions. The detected position allows the original locations of the ions on the specimen to be mapped, and the times of flight and kinetic energies can be spectrally analyzed (e.g., binned into sets of like values) to determine the elemental identities of the ions. The use of kinetic energy data as well as time of flight data can allow more accurate identification of composition than where time of flight data are used alone, as in traditional atom probes.

Abstract: When the IMRT technology for a radiation therapy system utilizing an X-ray or the like is applied as it is to a particle beam therapy system having a conventional wobbler system, there is posed the problem that it is required to utilize two or more boluses. The objective of the present invention is to solve the problem of excess irradiation in IMRT by a particle beam therapy system. More specifically, the problem of excess irradiation in IMRT by a particle beam therapy system is solved by raising the irradiation flexibility in the depth direction, without utilizing a bolus.

Abstract: A gantry for administering proton beam therapy with improvements which reduce the size, weight, costs and radiation beam loss associated with proton beam therapy systems currently commercially available. The gantry utilizes achromatic superconducting multi-function electromagnet systems wherein the magnets can include dipoles and quadrupoles. The achromatic properties of the rampable magnet systems allow for ease of transmission of the beam whose energy is rapidly changed through a large range of different energies without changing of the strength of the magnetic fields or dipole settings. The magnets may be made with either low or high temperature superconductors. The gantry design further integrates beam scanning but keeps the gantry isocentric. A much greater fraction of the beam can be transmitted through the gantry than with current art, thereby reducing radiation shielding requirements and the demand put on the accelerator to produce large quantities of proton beam.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a structure of a substance of interest uses triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (TQ-MS), and allows for acquisition of MSn information from data resulting from the TQ-MS measurement. The method includes (a) performing a measurement of triple quadrupole mass spectrometry with respect to the substance of interest while varying a value of CID energy; (b) at given values of CID energy, calculating percentages of precursor ion contents to a total ion content, and percentages of product ion contents to the total ion content; (c) extracting values of the percentages of product ion contents to the total ion content, wherein said values are values of the percentages of product ion contents at the respective values of CID energy; and (d) calculating sums of all combinations of the values of the percentages of product ion contents to the total ion content extracted in step (c).

Abstract: A double tilt sample holder for in-situ measuring mechanical and electrical properties of microstructures in transmission electron microscope (TEM) is provided. The sample holder includes a home-made hollow sample holder body, a sensor for measuring mechanical/electrical properties, a pressing piece, a sample holder head, a sensor carrier. The sensor for measuring mechanical/electrical properties is fixed on the sensor carrier on the sample holder head by the pressing piece, while the sensor carrier is connected to the sample holder head through a pair of supporting shafts located on sides of the sample holder head. The sensor carrier can tilt within the plane perpendicular to the ample holder head by revolving around the supporting shafts (i.e. tilting along Y axis at an angle of ±30°). The sample holder also allows obtaining mechanical/electrical parameters concurrently.

Abstract: A charged particle apparatus is equipped with a third stigmator positioned between the objective lens and a detector system, as a result of which a third degree of freedom is created for reducing the linear distortion. Further, a method of using said three stigmators, comprises exciting the first stigmator to reduce astigmatism when imaging the sample, exciting the second stigmator to reduce astigmatism when imaging the diffraction plane, and exciting the third stigmator to reduce the linear distortion.

Abstract: A beam line system includes a hollow tube and a plurality of protruding structures. The hollow tube has an inlet and an outlet. An ion beam emitted by the ion implanter is introduced into the hollow tube through the inlet and exited from the hollow tube through the outlet. The protruding structures are formed on an inner wall of the hollow tube. Each of the protruding structures has a reflective surface for reflecting a portion of the ion beam.

Abstract: A focused charged particle beam apparatus including an aberration corrector, capable of finding the absolute value of the aberration coefficient at high speed, and capable of making high-accuracy adjustments at high speed. A deflection coil tilts the input beam relative to the object point, and measures the defocus data and aberration quantity at high speed while the beam is tilted from one image, and perform least squares fitting on these results to find the absolute value of the aberration coefficient prior to tilting the beam, and to adjust the aberration corrector.