Patent · US Active

Phase shift method for a TEM

US9006652B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
11References
14Claims
0Family size

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Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 7, 2014
Grant dateApr 14, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 7, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/2802
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of electron microcopy passes an electron beam through a phase plate, specifically a Zernike type phase plate, comprising a central hole, and a thin film causing a phase shift of the electrons passing through said film. This phase shift causes the Contrast Transfer Function (CTF) to change from a sine-like function to a cosine-like function. The phase plate is equipped with a film in the form of an annulus, carried by a much thinner film. As a result only in a small spatial frequency range (for low frequencies) the phase is changed (and thus the CTF), and for other spatial frequencies the phase shift is negligible, and thus the CTF remains unchanged. Due to the much smaller thickness of the carrier film the scattering of electrons is negligible as well.

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