Patent ID: 9618460
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: G01N,G06T,H01J

Claim:
1. A method of performing tomographic imaging of a sample in a charged-particle microscope, comprising: providing a beam of charged particles; providing the sample on a sample holder that can be tilted relative to said beam; directing the beam through the sample and so as to form an image of the sample at an image detector; repeating this procedure at each of a first series of sample tilts so as to acquire a corresponding set of images, wherein the set of images contains contrast information from various depths within the sample that is convoluted with respect to depth; using a spectral detector to accrue a spectral map of said sample for each tilt of a second series of sample tilts, thus acquiring a collection of spectral maps; using a processing apparatus to: analyze said spectral maps to derive compositional data pertaining to the sample; deconvolve the set of images by mathematically deconvolving the contrast information with respect to depth using the compositional data; and construct a depth-resolved composite image of the sample from the deconvoluted set of images, wherein using the compositional data reduces the overall time required to perform the tomographic imaging by reducing a mathematical processing time required to construct the depth-resolved composite image, the mathematical processing time being the time required for the processing apparatus to carry out the mathematical deconvolution of the contrast information.