Patent ID: 8664598

Claim:
An electron microscope comprising: an electron beam column for irradiating a specimen with an electron beam; a specimen stage configured to support the specimen; a focused ion beam column for irradiating the specimen with a focused ion beam and forming a section of the specimen to be analyzed; and a scattered electron detector configured and positioned to detect backscattered electrons released in a spread between 65 degrees and 135 degrees with respect to the electron beam from the surface of the section by irradiation of the section with the electron beam, wherein the specimen stage is positioned spaced from the axis of the electron beam, wherein the scattered electron detector has a detection plane on which the backscattered electron are incident, and wherein the focused ion beam column is positioned such that a direction of the focused ion beam is substantially perpendicular to a direction normal to the detection plane, and the focused ion beam substantially perpendicularly intersects the electron beam.