Abstract: A detector for a charged particle beam device includes a substrate, a number of first sensor devices provided on the substrate, wherein the first sensor devices are structured to be sensitive to and generate a first signal in response to electrons ejected by a specimen, and a number of second sensor devices provided on the substrate, wherein the second sensor devices are structured to be sensitive to and generate a second signal in response to photons emitted by the specimen. Also, a photon detector wherein each of the photon sensor devices is structured to be sensitive to and generate a signal in response to photons emitted by the specimen, and wherein each of the photon sensor devices comprises a MultiPixel Photon Counter device. Further, a method of imaging a specimen using a charged particle beam device uses beam blanking and determination of estimated a decay time constants.

Abstract: An X-ray detector includes a housing and an X-ray sensing device provided within the housing along the axis of the housing, wherein the housing is structured to be coupled to the electron column or sample chamber of a charged particle beam device. The X-ray detector also includes an electron detector structured to detect a plurality of electrons ejected from a sample in response to an electron beam impinging on the sample, the electron detector being coupled to the housing on or near the axis such that a first line of sight to the electron detector from a point at which the electron beam impinges on the sample is similar to a second line of sight to the X-ray sensing device from the point at which the electron beam impinges on the sample such that X-ray and Backscattered electron images will show similar parallax and shadowing effects.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device includes an electron source structured to generate an electron beam, the electron source being coupled to an electron column that at least partially houses a system structured to direct the electron beam toward a specimen positioned in a sample chamber to which the electron column is coupled, and an electron detector. The electron detector includes one or more assemblies positioned within the electron column or the sample chamber, each of the assemblies including an SiPM and a scintillator directly connected face-to-face to an active light sensing surface of the SiPM without a light transporting device being positioned in between the scintillator and the SiPM.

Abstract: An X-ray detector includes a housing and an X-ray sensing device provided within the housing along the axis of the housing, wherein the housing is structured to be coupled to the electron column or sample chamber of a charged particle beam device. The X-ray detector also includes an electron detector structured to detect a plurality of electrons ejected from a sample in response to an electron beam impinging on the sample, the electron detector being coupled to the housing on or near the axis such that a first line of sight to the electron detector from a point at which the electron beam impinges on the sample is similar to a second line of sight to the X-ray sensing device from the point at which the electron beam impinges on the sample such that X-ray and Backscattered electron images will show similar parallax and shadowing effects.

Abstract: An electron detector includes a plurality of assemblies, the plurality of assemblies including a first assembly having a first SiPM and a first scintillator made of a first scintillator material directly connected to an active light sensing surface of the first SiPM, and a second assembly having a second SiPM and a second scintillator made of a second scintillator material directly connected to an active light sensing surface of the second SiPM, wherein the first scintillator material and the second scintillator material are different than one another. Alternatively, an electron detector includes an assembly including an SiPM and a scintillator member having a front surface and a back surface, the scintillator member being a film of a scintillator material directly deposited on to an active light sensing surface of the SiPM.

Abstract: An electron detector includes a plurality of assemblies, the plurality of assemblies including a first assembly having a first SiPM and a first scintillator made of a first scintillator material directly connected to an active light sensing surface of the first SiPM, and a second assembly having a second SiPM and a second scintillator made of a second scintillator material directly connected to an active light sensing surface of the second SiPM, wherein the first scintillator material and the second scintillator material are different than one another. Alternatively, an electron detector includes an assembly including an SiPM and a scintillator member having a front surface and a back surface, the scintillator member being a film of a scintillator material directly deposited on to an active light sensing surface of the SiPM.

Abstract: A charged particle beam device includes an electron source structured to generate an electron beam, the electron source being coupled to an electron column that at least partially houses a system structured to direct the electron beam toward a specimen positioned in a sample chamber to which the electron column is coupled, and an electron detector. The electron detector includes one or more assemblies positioned within the electron column or the sample chamber, each of the assemblies including an SiPM and a scintillator directly connected face-to-face to an active light sensing surface of the SiPM without a light transporting device being positioned in between the scintillator and the SiPM.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a response of an energy measuring filter, such as an FIR filter, of a pulse processor based on a slope of a preamplifier signal having a plurality of step edges each corresponding to a respective photon is provided that includes receiving a digital version of the preamplifier signal comprising a plurality of successive digital samples each having a digital value, the preamplifier signal having a portion defined by a first one of the step edges and a second one of the step edges immediately following the first one of the step edges, using the digital values of each of the digital samples associated with the portion to determine an average slope of the portion normalized by a length of the portion, and using the average slope of the portion normalized by a length of the portion to correct the response of the energy measuring filter.

Abstract: A method of detecting edges of a preamplifier signal including identifying a first portion of the signal wherein each part thereof has an instantaneous slope having a first polarity, identifying a second portion immediately following the first portion wherein each part thereof has an instantaneous slope having a second opposite polarity, and identifying a third portion immediately following the second portion wherein each part thereof has an instantaneous slope having the first polarity. The method further includes determining a first difference between the magnitudes associated with an end point and a beginning point of the second segment, determining a second difference between the magnitude associated with an end point of the third segment and the magnitude associated with a beginning point of the first segment, and detecting an edge if: (i) the first difference exceeds a threshold, and (ii) the second difference exceeds a fraction of the threshold.

Abstract: A method of detecting a pileup in an energy-dispersive radiation spectrometry system, wherein a filter of the system generates a first pulse in response to a preamplifier signal, and wherein the system has one or more fast channels having an energy of full efficiency wherein substantially all photons received having at least the full efficiency energy are detected. The method includes measuring an above threshold time duration of the filter, determining that the fast channels have not made any detections while the first pulse is above the minimum detectable threshold energy of the filter, in response thereto, declaring a pileup if the above threshold time duration exceeds a longest expected pulse duration that is a duration of a second pulse that would be output by the filter in response to a single photon having an energy equal to the energy of full efficiency being received by the system.

Abstract: A method of detecting pileups includes testing an instantaneous slope of a preamplifier signal against a noise trigger value and, after the instantaneous slope has been determined to exceed the noise trigger value, identifying a first subsequent portion of the preamplifier signal wherein the instantaneous slope of the preamplifier signal increases to a maximum. The method further includes, following the first subsequent portion, identifying a second subsequent portion of the preamplifier signal wherein the instantaneous slope still exceeds the noise trigger level but has decreased by more than the noise trigger level from the maximum, and, following the second subsequent portion and before the instantaneous slope declines below the noise trigger level, identifying a third subsequent portion of the preamplifier signal wherein the instantaneous slope of the preamplifier output signal increases by more than the noise trigger value, and, in response thereto, determining that a pileup has occurred.

Abstract: A method of utilizing the output of a first pulse processor, such as processor designed for use with an SDD, to generate the input signal expected by the second pulse processor, such as an existing processor not designed for use with an SDD. In one embodiment, piled-up pulses which would not be detected as such by the second pulse processor are omitted from the generated input signal. The method generates an output (which then serves as the input signal for the second pulse processor) of the same general form as the ramp signal from a detector with a pulsed-reset preamplifier, but which does not have the same noise characteristics. In addition, the method may alter the timing between the reconstructed steps in the ramp to increase the maximum throughput of the second pulse processor beyond what is normally possible with a direct connection to the associated detector.

Abstract: A method of detecting a pileup in an energy-dispersive radiation spectrometry system, wherein a filter of the system generates a first pulse in response to a preamplifier signal, and wherein the system has one or more fast channels having an energy of full efficiency wherein substantially all photons received having at least the full efficiency energy are detected. The method includes measuring an above threshold time duration of the filter, determining that the fast channels have not made any detections while the first pulse is above the minimum detectable threshold energy of the filter, in response thereto, declaring a pileup if the above threshold time duration exceeds a longest expected pulse duration that is a duration of a second pulse that would be output by the filter in response to a single photon having an energy equal to the energy of full efficiency being received by the system.

Abstract: A method of detecting edges of a preamplifier signal including identifying a first portion of the signal wherein each part thereof has an instantaneous slope having a first polarity, identifying a second portion immediately following the first portion wherein each part thereof has an instantaneous slope having a second opposite polarity, and identifying a third portion immediately following the second portion wherein each part thereof has an instantaneous slope having the first polarity. The method further includes determining a first difference between the magnitudes associated with an end point and a beginning point of the second segment, determining a second difference between the magnitude associated with an end point of the third segment and the magnitude associated with a beginning point of the first segment, and detecting an edge if. (i) the first difference exceeds a threshold, and (ii) the second difference exceeds a fraction of the threshold.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a response of an energy measuring filter, such as an FIR filter, of a pulse processor based on a slope of a preamplifier signal having a plurality of step edges each corresponding to a respective photon is provided that includes receiving a digital version of the preamplifier signal comprising a plurality of successive digital samples each having a digital value, the preamplifier signal having a portion defined by a first one of the step edges and a second one of the step edges immediately following the first one of the step edges, using the digital values of each of the digital samples associated with the portion to determine an average slope of the portion normalized by a length of the portion, and using the average slope of the portion normalized by a length of the portion to correct the response of the energy measuring filter.

Abstract: A method of detecting pileups includes testing an instantaneous slope of a preamplifier signal against a noise trigger value and, after the instantaneous slope has been determined to exceed the noise trigger value, identifying a first subsequent portion of the preamplifier signal wherein the instantaneous slope of the preamplifier signal increases to a maximum. The method further includes, following the first subsequent portion, identifying a second subsequent portion of the preamplifier signal wherein the instantaneous slope still exceeds the noise trigger level but has decreased by more than the noise trigger level from the maximum, and, following the second subsequent portion and before the instantaneous slope declines below the noise trigger level, identifying a third subsequent portion of the preamplifier signal wherein the instantaneous slope of the preamplifier output signal increases by more than the noise trigger value, and, in response thereto, determining that a pileup has occurred.

Abstract: A method of utilizing the output of a first pulse processor, such as processor designed for use with an SDD, to generate the input signal expected by the second pulse processor, such as an existing processor not designed for use with an SDD. In one embodiment, piled-up pulses which would not be detected as such by the second pulse processor are omitted from the generated input signal. The method generates an output (which then serves as the input signal for the second pulse processor) of the same general form as the ramp signal from a detector with a pulsed-reset preamplifier, but which does not have the same noise characteristics. In addition, the method may alter the timing between the reconstructed steps in the ramp to increase the maximum throughput of the second pulse processor beyond what is normally possible with a direct connection to the associated detector.

Abstract: A method of processing signals relating to a plurality of X-rays received in an X-ray spectrometry system that includes a pulse processor having a main channel and zero or more fast channels includes steps of receiving a main channel dead time signal and zero or more fast channel dead time signals generated by the pulse processor, detecting an occurrence of a plurality of piled-up X-rays in an X-ray pile-up sequence using one or more of the main channel dead time signal and the zero or more fast channel dead time signals, counting the X-rays in said pile-up sequence, and if one or more fast channels are present, classifying an energy band of each of the piled-up X-rays using one or more of the main channel dead time signal and the one or more fast channel dead time signals.

Abstract: A method of processing signals relating to a plurality of X-rays received in an X-ray spectrometry system that includes a pulse processor having a main channel and zero or more fast channels includes steps of receiving a main channel dead time signal and zero or more fast channel dead time signals generated by the pulse processor, detecting an occurrence of a plurality of piled-up X-rays in an X-ray pile-up sequence using one or more of the main channel dead time signal and the zero or more fast channel dead time signals, counting the X-rays in said pile-up sequence, and if one or more fast channels are present, classifying an energy band of each of the piled-up X-rays using one or more of the main channel dead time signal and the one or more fast channel dead time signals.

Abstract: A nuclear spectrometer employs asymmetrical weighting functions to optimize energy resolution and throughput. Photons striking a semi-conductor detector generate current which is amplified, converted to a voltage step, and fed to a fast analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for pile-up rejection and a slow ADC whose output is examined for low-energy pile-up, slope corrected, and buffered for photon energy measurement. Pile-up is detected with a unique pair of leading and trailing weighting functions whose outputs have sharp rising and falling edges respectively, nearly independent of photon energy. Digital triangular shaping is used to locate the step in the buffer. Asymmetry of the triangular response is used to reject very low-energy pile-up. The step is also rejected if the average noise nearby exceeds a threshold.