Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of generating a phase contrast image comprising:providing an electron microscope having an objective lens defining a back focal plane and an object plane;imaging the back focal plane into a diffraction intermediate image plane, wherein said imaging also causes an intermediate image of the object plane to be formed;providing a phase shifting element in or near said diffraction intermediate image plane; and,imaging the intermediate image plane with a lens having no significant influence on a further imaging of the diffraction intermediate image plane. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging of the back focal plane into the diffraction intermediate image plane is enlarged. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a lateral position of an image of the back focal plane in the diffraction intermediate image plane relative to the phase shifting element. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein imaging the intermediate image plane further comprises imaging the intermediate image plane into an entry image plane of a projection system. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing an electron beam and illuminating the object plane with the electron beam. 6. A phase contrast electron microscope comprising:an objective lens defining a back focal plane;a lens system forming an image of said back focal plane in a diffraction intermediate image plane;said lens system further comprising a lens having a principle plane disposed in the vicinity of said diffraction intermediate image plane; and,a phase shifting element arranged in or near said diffraction intermediate image plane. 7. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 6, wherein a diffraction plane of the objective lens is imaged magnified into the diffraction intermediate image plane. 8. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 7, wherein the diffraction plane of the objective lens is imaged into the diffraction intermediate image plane with a magnification factor between two times and ten times. 9. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 6, wherein said objective lens defines an entrance image plane, further comprising a projection system downstream of said lens system, said projection system generating a final image of said entrance image plane. 10. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 6, further comprising a beam deflection system for adjusting the lateral position of the image of the back focal plane relative to the phase shifting element. 11. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 10, wherein the deflection system is a double deflection system which deflects an electron beam in two mutually perpendicular directions. 12. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 6, further comprising:an electron source; and,a condenser system having electron lenses for forming an electron beam from electrons emanating from said electron source. 13. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 12, wherein said condenser system illuminates an object plane of said objective lens by said electron beam. 14. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 6, wherein said objective lens defines an entrance image plane, further comprising:a projection system downstream of said lens system generating a final image of said entrance image plane;an electron source;a condenser system having electron lenses for forming an electron beam from electrons emanating from said electron source; and,wherein said condenser system illuminates an object plane of said objective lens with said electron beam. 15. The phase contrast electron microscope of claim 14, wherein a diffraction plane of the objective lens is imaged magnified into the diffraction intermediate image plane.