Patents by Inventor Sorin Lazar
Sorin Lazar has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20230005733Abstract: An energy spectrometer with dynamic focus for a transmission electron microscope (TEM) is disclosed herein. An example energy spectrometer and TEM at least includes a charged particle column including a projection system arranged after a sample plane, the projection system is operated in a first configuration; an energy spectrometer coupled to the charged particle column to acquire one or more energy loss spectra. The energy spectrometer including a dispersive element, a bias tube, optics for magnifying the energy loss spectrum and for correcting aberrations, and a detector arranged conjugate to a spectrum plane of the energy spectrometer, wherein the energy spectrometer further includes an optical element electrically biased to refocus at least a portion of a spectrum onto the detector, and wherein the value of the electrical bias is at least partially based on the first configuration of the charged particle column.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2021Publication date: January 5, 2023Applicant: FEI CompanyInventors: Arthur Reinout HARTONG, Alexander HENSTRA, Sorin LAZAR, Peter Christiaan TIEMEIJER
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Patent number: 10832901Abstract: A method of performing Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) in an electron microscope, comprising: Producing a beam of electrons from a source; Using an illuminator to direct said beam so as to irradiate the specimen; Using an imaging system to receive a flux of electrons transmitted through the specimen and direct it onto a spectroscopic apparatus comprising: A dispersion device, for dispersing said flux in a dispersion direction so as to form an EELS spectrum; and A detector, comprising a detection surface that is sub-divided into a plurality of detection zones, specifically comprising: Using at least a first detection zone, a second detection zone and a third detection zone to register a plurality of EELS spectral entities; and Reading out said first and said second detection zones whilst said third detection zone is registering one of said plurality of EELS spectral entities.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2019Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Bert Henning Freitag, Sorin Lazar, Stephan Kujawa, Maarten Kuijper, Gerard Nicolaas Anne van Veen, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Jamie McCormack
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Publication number: 20190341243Abstract: A method of performing Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) in an electron microscope, comprising: Producing a beam of electrons from a source; Using an illuminator to direct said beam so as to irradiate the specimen; Using an imaging system to receive a flux of electrons transmitted through the specimen and direct it onto a spectroscopic apparatus comprising: A dispersion device, for dispersing said flux in a dispersion direction so as to form an EELS spectrum; and A detector, comprising a detection surface that is sub-divided into a plurality of detection zones, specifically comprising: Using at least a first detection zone, a second detection zone and a third detection zone to register a plurality of EELS spectral entities; and Reading out said first and said second detection zones whilst said third detection zone is registering one of said plurality of EELS spectral entities.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2019Publication date: November 7, 2019Applicant: FEI CompanyInventors: Bert Henning Freitag, Sorin Lazar, Stephan Kujawa, Maarten Kuijper, Gerard Nicolaas Anne van Veen, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Jamie McCormack
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Patent number: 9991087Abstract: An imaging system for directing a flux of charged particles transmitted through a specimen onto a spectroscopic apparatus, wherein the flux is dispersed by a dispersing device into an energy-resolved array of spectral sub-beams propagating substantially parallel to a propagation axis. An adjustable aperture device defines an aperture in a path of the array so as to select a subset of the array to be admitted to a detector, which aperture is delimited in a dispersion direction perpendicular to the propagation axis to allow independent adjustment of both of: a width of the aperture parallel to the dispersion direction; and a position of a center of the aperture relative to the propagation axis.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2015Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Erwin Fernand de Jong, Sorin Lazar, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Rudolf Geurink
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Patent number: 9524851Abstract: A method of performing spectroscopy in a Transmission Charged-Particle Microscope comprising: a specimen holder; a source, for producing a beam of charged particles; an illuminator, for directing said beam so as to irradiate the specimen; an imaging system, for directing a flux of charged particles transmitted through the specimen onto a spectroscopic apparatus comprising a dispersing device for dispersing said flux into an energy-resolved array of spectral sub-beams, the method comprising: using an adjustable aperture device to admit a first portion of said array to a detector, while blocking a second portion of said array; providing; using a radiation sensor in said flux upstream of said aperture device to perform localized radiation sensing in a selected region of said second portion of the array, simultaneous with detection of said first portion by said detector; using a sensing result from said sensor to adjust a detection result from said detector.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2015Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: FEI COMPANYInventors: Erwin Fernand de Jong, Sorin Lazar, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Rudolf Geurink
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Patent number: 9312098Abstract: Examining a sample in a charged-particle microscope of a scanning transmission type includes: Providing a beam of charged particles that is directed from a source through an illuminator so as to irradiate the sample; Providing a detector for detecting a flux of charged particles traversing the sample; Causing said beam to scan across a surface of the sample, and recording an output of the detector as a function of scan position, resulting in accumulation of a charged-particle image of the sample, Embodying the detector to comprise a plurality of detection segments; Combining signals from different segments of the detector so as to produce a vector output from the detector at each scan position, and compiling this data to yield a vector field; and Mathematically processing said vector field by subjecting it to a two-dimensional integration operation, thereby producing an integrated vector field image.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2015Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Ivan Lazic, Eric Gerardus Theodoor Bosch, Faysal Boughorbel, Bart Buijsse, Kasim Sader, Sorin Lazar
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Publication number: 20160086762Abstract: A Transmission Charged-Particle Microscope includes an imaging system, for directing a flux of charged particles transmitted through the specimen onto a spectroscopic apparatus including: a dispersing device, for dispersing said flux into an energy-resolved array of spectral sub-beams propagating substantially parallel to a propagation axis; a detector; an adjustable aperture device for defining an aperture in a path of said array, so as to select a subset of said array to be admitted to the detector, which aperture is delimited in a dispersion direction perpendicular to said propagation axis by first and second opposed edges, each of which edges is independently positionable relative to said propagation axis, thereby allowing independent adjustment of both of: a width of said aperture parallel to said dispersion direction; and a position of a center of said aperture relative to said propagation axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2015Publication date: March 24, 2016Applicant: FEI CompanyInventors: Erwin Fernand de Jong, Sorin Lazar, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Rudolf Geurink
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Publication number: 20160071689Abstract: A method of performing spectroscopy in a Transmission Charged-Particle Microscope comprising: a specimen holder; a source, for producing a beam of charged particles; an illuminator, for directing said beam so as to irradiate the specimen; an imaging system, for directing a flux of charged particles transmitted through the specimen onto a spectroscopic apparatus comprising a dispersing device for dispersing said flux into an energy-resolved array of spectral sub-beams, the method comprising: using an adjustable aperture device to admit a first portion of said array to a detector, while blocking a second portion of said array; providing; using a radiation sensor in said flux upstream of said aperture device to perform localized radiation sensing in a selected region of said second portion of the array, simultaneous with detection of said first portion by said detector; using a sensing result from said sensor to adjust a detection result from said detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Applicant: FEI CompanyInventors: Erwin Fernand de Jong, Sorin Lazar, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Rudolf Geurink
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Publication number: 20150243474Abstract: Examining a sample in a charged-particle microscope of a scanning transmission type includes: Providing a beam of charged particles that is directed from a source through an illuminator so as to irradiate the sample; Providing a detector for detecting a flux of charged particles traversing the sample; Causing said beam to scan across a surface of the sample, and recording an output of the detector as a function of scan position, resulting in accumulation of a charged-particle image of the sample, Embodying the detector to comprise a plurality of detection segments; Combining signals from different segments of the detector so as to produce a vector output from the detector at each scan position, and compiling this data to yield a vector field; and Mathematically processing said vector field by subjecting it to a two-dimensional integration operation, thereby producing an integrated vector field image.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2015Publication date: August 27, 2015Applicant: FEI CompanyInventors: Ivan Lazic, Eric Gerardus Theodoor Bosch, Faysal Boughorbel, Bart Buijsse, Kasim Sader, Sorin Lazar
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Patent number: 8859966Abstract: The invention provides multiple detectors that detect electrons that have passed through a sample. The detectors preferably detect electrons after the electrons have been passed through a prism that separates electrons according to their energies. Electrons in different energy ranges are then detected by different detectors, with preferably at least one of the detectors measuring the energy lost by the electrons as they pass through the sample. One embodiment of the invention provides EELS on core-loss electrons while simultaneously providing a bright-field STEM signal from low-loss electrons.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Bert Henning Freitag, Sorin Lazar
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Patent number: 8405027Abstract: A scanning confocal transmission electron microscope includes a descan deflector and a corrector below the sample. The microscope uses a detector that is preferably significantly larger than the resolution of the microscope and is positioned in the real image plane, which provides improved contrast, particularly for light elements.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2011Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Fei CompanyInventors: Sorin Lazar, Bert Henning Freitag, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer
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Publication number: 20120012747Abstract: A scanning confocal transmission electron microscope includes a descan deflector and a corrector below the sample. The microscope uses a detector that is preferably significantly larger than the resolution of the microscope and is positioned in the real image plane, which provides improved contrast, particularly for light elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2011Publication date: January 19, 2012Applicant: FEI COMPANYInventors: Sorin Lazar, Bert Henning Freitag, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer
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Publication number: 20110278451Abstract: The invention provides multiple detectors that detect electrons that have passed through a sample. The detectors preferably detect electrons after the electrons have been passed through a prism that separates electrons according to their energies. Electrons in different energy ranges are then detected by different detectors, with preferably at least one of the detectors measuring the energy lost by the electrons as they pass through the sample. One embodiment of the invention provides EELS on core-loss electrons while simultaneously providing a bright-field STEM signal from low-loss electrons.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2011Publication date: November 17, 2011Applicant: FEI CompanyInventors: Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Bert Henning Freitag, Sorin Lazar