Electron Microscope Focus Mapping for Faster Montage Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electron microscopes, capturing montage images of multiple regions requires frequent auto focus adjustments, leading to a significant increase in time required for image acquisition.
Innovation Solution
An electron microscope and image generation method that calculates the distribution of specimen surface heights using curved surface approximation based on focus adjustments at multiple points, allowing images to be acquired without the need for auto focus adjustment at each acquisition point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If auto focus adjustment is executed every time when each image of a plurality of regions is acquired, then focus accuracy is improved, but the time required for montage image capturing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs focus adjustment in advance at a smaller number of measurement points before acquiring the montage image. The obtained focus information is then used to determine appropriate focus settings for each region during image acquisition, eliminating the need to perform focus adjustment at every single image capture point.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of performing focus adjustment at all possible measurement points (excessive action), the system performs focus adjustment only at a selected subset of measurement points (partial action). This reduced set of measurement points is sufficient to capture the focus characteristics needed for the entire montage region, thereby reducing time while maintaining adequate focus accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If the number of focus measurement points is increased to improve focus accuracy across the montage region, then focus coverage is improved, but the complexity of the measurement process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs focus adjustment in advance at a smaller number of measurement points before acquiring the montage image. The obtained focus information is then used to determine appropriate focus settings for each region during image acquisition, eliminating the need to perform focus adjustment at every single image capture point.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a focus map or focus information model from measurements at a limited number of points, then uses this copied focus information to guide focus settings across the entire montage region. This allows focus characteristics to be replicated from measurement points to non-measurement points without repeating the measurement process everywhere.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an electron microscope for generating a montage image by acquiring images of a plurality of regions in a montage image capturing region set on a specimen, and by connecting the acquired images. The electron microscope includes a specimen surface height calculating unit that calculates a distribution of specimen surface heights in the montage image capturing region by performing curved surface approximation based on the specimen surface heights determined by performing focus adjustment at a plurality of points set in a region including the montage image capturing region, and an image acquiring unit that acquires the images of the plurality of regions based on the calculated distribution of the specimen surface heights.