Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A phase contrast electron microscope comprising:an objective lens defining a back focal plane;a telescope system;said objective lens forming a component of said telescope system;said telescope system being operated to generate an image of said back focal plane in a diffraction intermediate image plane;a phase plate arranged in said diffraction intermediate image plane; and,a further lens having a principal plane disposed in said diffraction intermediate image plane. 2. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 1, further comprising:an electron source; and,a condenser system having electron lenses for forming an electron beam from the electrons emanating from said electron source. 3. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 2, wherein said condenser system illuminates an object plane of said objective lens. 4. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 1, wherein said objective lens defines an entrance image plane and images said entrance image plane into an intermediate image plane; said further lens images said intermediate image plane into a second intermediate image plane; and, said phase contrast electron microscope further comprises a projective system downstream of said second intermediate image plane and said projective system is operable to image said second intermediate image plane magnified into a final image plane.