Abstract: A method of examining a cryogenic specimen in a Charged Particle Microscope, comprising: Providing the specimen in a cryogenic cell on a specimen holder; Directing a charged particle beam from a source and along an axis through an evacuated beam conduit of an illuminator system so as to irradiate at least a portion of the specimen therewith; Using a detector to detect radiation emanating from the specimen in response to said irradiation, further comprising: Configuring said cell to comprise an elongate tube that extends within said beam conduit into said illuminator system and encloses said axis; Maintaining said tube at a cryogenic temperature at least during said irradiation.

Abstract: A method of examining a cryogenic specimen in a Charged Particle Microscope, comprising: Providing the specimen in a cryogenic cell on a specimen holder; Directing a charged particle beam from a source and along an axis through an evacuated beam conduit of an illuminator system so as to irradiate at least a portion of the specimen therewith; Using a detector to detect radiation emanating from the specimen in response to said irradiation, further comprising: Configuring said cell to comprise an elongate tube that extends within said beam conduit into said illuminator system and encloses said axis; Maintaining said tube at a cryogenic temperature at least during said irradiation.

Abstract: When preparing a Hole-Free Phase Plates (HFPP) a preferably featureless thin film should be placed with high accuracy in the diffraction plane of the TEM, or a plane conjugate to it. Two methods for accurately placing the thin film in said plane are described. One method uses a Ronchigram of the thin film while the TEM is in imaging mode, and the magnification of the Ronchigram is tuned so that the magnification in the middle of the Ronchigram is infinite. The second method uses electrons scattered by the thin film while the TEM is in diffraction mode. When the thin film does not coincide with the diffraction plane, electrons scattered by the thin film seem to originate from another location than the cross-over of the zero beam. This is observed as a halo. The absence of the halo is proof that the thin film coincides with the diffraction plane.

Abstract: When preparing a Hole-Free Phase Plates (HFPP) a preferably featureless thin film should be placed with high accuracy in the diffraction plane of the TEM, or a plane conjugate to it. Two methods for accurately placing the thin film in said plane are described. One method uses a Ronchigram of the thin film while the TEM is in imaging mode, and the magnification of the Ronchigram is tuned so that the magnification in the middle of the Ronchigram is infinite. The second method uses electrons scattered by the thin film while the TEM is in diffraction mode. When the thin film does not coincide with the diffraction plane, electrons scattered by the thin film seem to originate from another location than the cross-over of the zero beam. This is observed as a halo. The absence of the halo is proof that the thin film coincides with the diffraction plane.

Abstract: A method of investigating a wavefront of a charged-particle beam that is directed from a source through an illuminator so as to traverse a sample plane and land upon a detector, an output of the detector being used in combination with a mathematical reconstruction technique so as to calculate at least one of phase information and amplitude information for the wavefront at a pre-defined location along its path to the detector, in which method: Said beam is caused to traverse a particle-optical lens system disposed between said sample plane and said detector; At a selected location in the path from said source to said detector, a modulator is used to locally produce a given modulation of the wavefront; In a series of measurement sessions, different such modulations are employed, and the associated detector outputs are collectively used in said mathematical reconstruction.

Abstract: A system of investigating aberrations in a charged particle lens system, wherein a charged particle beam is directed from a multitude of directions through a pivot point on a sample stage. An image figure is recorded for each of multiple focus settings at each beam direction setting, creating a set of registered images. This set of images is compared to reference images to derive aberrations present in the lens system without the use of an amorphous sample present.

Abstract: A method of investigating a wavefront of a charged-particle beam that is directed from a source through an illuminator so as to traverse a sample plane and land upon a detector, an output of the detector being used in combination with a mathematical reconstruction technique so as to calculate at least one of phase information and amplitude information for the wavefront at a pre-defined location along its path to the detector, in which method: Said beam is caused to traverse a particle-optical lens system disposed between said sample plane and said detector; At a selected location in the path from said source to said detector, a modulator is used to locally produce a given modulation of the wavefront; In a series of measurement sessions, different such modulations are employed, and the associated detector outputs are collectively used in said mathematical reconstruction.

Abstract: A system of investigating aberrations in a charged-particle lens system, which lens system has an object space comprising an object plane and an image space comprising an image plane, includes: Selecting a fixed pivot point on said object plane; Directing a charged-particle beam through said pivot point, entrance pupil and lens system and onto said image plane, said beam having a relatively small cross-sectional area relative to the area of the entrance pupil; Changing the orientation of said beam through said pivot point, so as to trace out an entrance figure on said entrance pupil and a corresponding image figure on said image plane; Registering said image figure; Repeating this procedure at a series of different focus settings of the lens system, thus acquiring a set of registered image figures at different focus settings; Analyzing said set so as to derive lens aberrations therefrom.