Microscopy Image Shift Compensation for Interference Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Charged particle beam microscopy systems face resolution limitations due to external disturbances such as electromagnetic grid oscillations and mechanical vibrations, which current compensation methods address inefficiently with complex and energy-intensive hardware solutions.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that corrects external interference by dividing the sampling duration into time-windows, constructing intermediate images, detecting shifts, and using a compensation function to align and integrate these images, effectively compensating for periodic disturbances in real-time or quasi-real-time, improving image resolution and quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If dedicated hardware apparatus is used to generate compensating electric/magnetic fields, then external disturbances are compensated, but device complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation effectivenessVSAvoidapparatus complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex hardware compensation systems with a computational approach. Instead of using dedicated apparatus to generate compensating electric/magnetic fields, the invention uses a processing component to analyze raw data and apply correction algorithms, substituting physical compensation mechanisms with digital signal processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a digital model of the interference by analyzing shifts in intermediate images and generating correction data that mirrors the interference pattern. This digital copy of the interference is then subtracted from the raw data to achieve compensation without physical compensation apparatus

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If dedicated hardware apparatus is used to generate compensating fields, then external disturbances are compensated, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates energy-intensive hardware compensation systems by replacing them with computational corrections performed on raw data. The processing component applies algorithms to correct interference effects without requiring additional energy input to generate compensating fields

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If traditional compensation methods are used, then external disturbances are compensated, but imaging efficiency decreases due to additional time requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation effectivenessVSAvoidimaging efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs compensation corrections on raw data during the acquisition process itself, rather than as a separate post-processing step. By dividing the sampling duration into time windows and applying corrections to intermediate images as they are formed, the system achieves compensation without adding time to the overall imaging process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4261772A1Compensating interference in microscopy systems
Publication Date: 2023.10.18 FEI CO
  • EP4261772A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4261772A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4261772A1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method and a system for compensating interference in a charged particle beam microscopy system. A step of capturing data obtained from irradiation of a sample for a sampling duration can be implemented. In the system a respective data storage is provided for capturing and/or storing this data. Further steps of dividing at least representative parts of the sampling duration into time-windows and constructing, for each of the time-windows, an intermediate image, can be implemented. Detecting shift between the intermediate images and determining a compensation function for the shift between the intermediate images is realized as well. In a system the latter steps are automated by a respective processing component. The shift between intermediate images can be a two-dimensional shift and the compensation function represents a shift of the intermediate images in the two dimensions over time.