Patent · US Active

Charged particle source

US8519355B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

2References

20Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH · DE

Inventors

Wolfram Buhler · Hermaringen, DE
Matthias Langer · Heubach, DE
Xiong Liu · Singapore, SG

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 5, 2012
Grant date	Aug 27, 2013
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 5, 2032

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH01J27/26
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A charged particle source comprises at least one gas inlet configured to supply gas particles, at least one tip having a tip apex being biased to provide an electrical field for generating charged particles, and at least one ionization area to which gas particles are supplied. The gas particles are ionized in the ionization area due to the electrical field. Additionally, the charged particle source comprises at least one first electrode configured to accelerate charged particles and at least one light emitting device providing a light beam. The light beam is focused to a focus point in the ionization area, specifically, to a focus volume such that the ionization area is at least partly positioned in the focus volume. The ionization area is arranged between the tip apex and the first electrode. The distance between the ionization area and the tip apex may be from 0.1 nm to 1 nm.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.