Abstract: An active vibration absorber is provided for damping vibrations of a cantilevered portion of a support structure. The vibration absorber comprises a mass, a drive and a control device. The mass is coupled without using a spring and through the drive to a fastening means for fastening the drive to the support structure, so that upon a movement of the mass relative to the fastening means an inertial force caused by this movement is directly transmitted through the drive to the fastening means. The control device comprising a motion sensor is adapted to control the drive in function of a signal from the motion sensor. The active vibration absorber is designed to damp especially low-frequency vibrating structures including more than one mass-spring element so that the vibration amplitude thereof is significantly reduced.

Abstract: The invention relates to a stationary vibration isolation system and to a method for controlling such a system which comprises a damper effective in a horizontal direction which includes a fluid of variable viscosity.

Abstract: A vibration isolation system which comprises a support divided into a plurality of rigid sections on which a displaceable stage is arranged. The sections are arranged on pneumatic bearings, and the pneumatic bearings of the individual sections are controlled independently from each other and based on the position of the displaceable stage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vibration isolation system which comprises a support divided into a plurality of rigid sections on which a displaceable stage is arranged. The sections are arranged on pneumatic bearings, and the pneumatic bearings of the individual sections are controlled independently from each other and based on the position of the displaceable stage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a stationary vibration isolation system and to a method for controlling such a system which comprises a damper effective in a horizontal direction which includes a fluid of variable viscosity.

Abstract: An active vibration absorber is provided for damping vibrations of a cantilevered portion of a support structure. The vibration absorber comprises a mass, wherein the mass is coupled without using a spring and through a drive that is controlled by a control device of the vibration absorber to a fastening means for fastening the drive to a support structure to be damped, so that upon a movement of the mass relative to the fastening means an inertial force caused by this movement is directly transmitted through the drive to the fastening means, and wherein the control device comprises a motion sensor and the control device is adapted to control the drive in function of the signals from the motion sensor. The active vibration isolator has a purpose of damping especially low-frequency vibrating structures including more than one mass-spring element so that the vibration amplitude thereof is significantly reduced.

Abstract: An arrangement and a method for imaging, examining and processing a sample using electrons. The arrangement comprises an electron microscope for providing electrons, a chamber with a sample holder on which a sample is positionable such that it can be imaged, examined and processed using the electrons. A system for magnetic field compensation in at least one spatial direction, including a compensation coil, wherein a wall of the chamber has an accommodation area, in sections thereof, for a portion of the compensation coil. Generally, only the chamber in which the sample is arranged is considered as a compensation volume. It suffice to reduce the compensation volume to the sensitive region of the electron microscope, since it is in the chamber, shortly following a final focusing and filtering, where the electron beam is most sensitive in terms of image quality when subjected to external electromagnetic interference.

Abstract: An arrangement and a method for imaging, examining and processing a sample using electrons. The arrangement comprises an electron microscope for providing electrons, a chamber with a sample holder on which a sample is positionable such that it can be imaged, examined and processed using the electrons. A system for magnetic field compensation in at least one spatial direction, including a compensation coil, wherein a wall of the chamber has an accommodation area, in sections thereof, for a portion of the compensation coil. Generally, only the chamber in which the sample is arranged is considered as a compensation volume. It suffice to reduce the compensation volume to the sensitive region of the electron microscope, since it is in the chamber, shortly following a final focusing and filtering, where the electron beam is most sensitive in terms of image quality when subjected to external electromagnetic interference.

Abstract: Control of an active vibration isolation system with a digital controller, which includes an FPGA system (5) as the control unit. The FPGA system (5) is made up of freely programmable gate arrays with a sensor control matrix (51), which calculates axis signals in required degrees of freedom, with a control cascade block (53) for the axis signals containing several biquad filters (531, 532, 533, 534, 535), and with an output signal calculation block (55) for calculating digital actuator actuation signals. A digital signal processor (9) is connected in parallel with the FPGA system (5) in order to calculate controls with low phase loss requirements.