Patents by Inventor Stephanus Hubertus Leonardus van den Boom

Stephanus Hubertus Leonardus van den Boom 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).

  • Patent number: 8757873
    Abstract: A method of determining the temperature of a sample carrier in a charged particle-optical apparatus, characterized in that the method comprises the observation of the sample carrier with a beam of charged particles, the observation giving information about the temperature of the sample carrier. The invention is based on the insight that a charged particle optical apparatus, such as a TEM, STEM, SEM or FIB, can be used to observe temperature related changes of a sample carrier. The changes may be mechanical changes (e.g. of a bimetal), crystallographic changes (e.g. of a perovskite), and luminescent changes (in intensity or decay time). In a preferred embodiment the sample carrier shows two bimetals, showing metals with different thermal expansion coefficients, bending in opposite directions. The distance between the two bimetals is used as a thermometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Stephanus Hubertus Leonardus van den Boom, Pleun Dona, Laurens Franz Taemsz Kwakman, Uwe Luecken, Hervé-William Rémigy, Hendrik Nicolaas Slingerland, Martin Verheijen, Gerbert Jeroen van de Water
  • Patent number: 8573600
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved O-ring seal for use as a high vacuum seal. A limitation of standard O-ring seals is the permeation of water through the O-ring. Especially for instruments in which parts are kept at a cryogenic temperature, such as a cryogenic electron microscope, the presence of water in the vacuum is a problem, as this results in ice growth on the cryogenic parts. As a solution often a double O-ring seal is used, or a metal seal. Both of these solutions have severe draw-backs. The invention proposes to place the O-ring in a channel in which dry gas, such as dry nitrogen, is blown. In this way no water can permeate through the O-ring, resulting in a reduced base pressure and highly reduced ice growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Stephanus Hubertus Leonardus van den Boom, Roland Wilhelmus Pieter Jonkers, Henricus Fransiscus Maria van den Boom, Rients Jan de Groot, Pieter Hendrik Trudo Johannes Uland
  • Publication number: 20120128028
    Abstract: A method of determining the temperature of a sample carrier in a charged particle-optical apparatus, characterized in that the method comprises the observation of the sample carrier with a beam of charged particles, the observation giving information about the temperature of the sample carrier. The invention is based on the insight that a charged particle optical apparatus, such as a TEM, STEM, SEM or FIB, can be used to observe temperature related changes of a sample carrier. The changes may be mechanical changes (e.g. of a bimetal), crystallographic changes (e.g. of a perovskite), and luminescent changes (in intensity or decay time). In a preferred embodiment the sample carrier shows two bimetals, showing metals with different thermal expansion coefficients, bending in opposite directions. The distance between the two bimetals is used as a thermometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: FEI Company
    Inventors: Stephanus Hubertus Leonardus van den Boom, Pleun Dona, Laurens Franz Taemsz Kwakman, Uwe Luecken, Hervé-William Rémigy, Hendrik Nicolaas Slingerland, Martin Verheijen, Gerbert Jeroen van der Water
  • Publication number: 20110057393
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved O-ring seal for use as a high vacuum seal. A limitation of standard O-rig seals is the permeation of water through the O-ring. Especially for instruments in which parts are kept at a cryogenic temperature, such as a cryogenic electron microscope, the presence of water in the vacuum is a problem, as this results in ice growth on the cryogenic parts. As a solution often a double O-ring seal is used, or a metal seal. Both of these solutions have severe draw-backs. The invention proposes to place the O-ring in a channel in which dry gas, such as dry nitrogen, is blown. In this way no water can permeate through the O-ring, resulting in a reduced base pressure and highly reduced ice growth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: FEI Company
    Inventors: Stephanus Hubertus Leonardus van den Boom, Roland Wilhelmus Pieter Jonkers, Henricus Fransiscus Maria van den Boom, Pieter Hendrik Trudo Johannes Uland, Rients Jan de Groot