Patent Document ID: 9406482
Application ID: 14326341
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of examining a sample using a combined charged-particle microscope and Raman spectroscope, whereby: said microscope irradiates a sample with a beam of charged particles so as to image a region of the sample; said spectroscope employs a light spot of width D to radiatively stimulate and spectroscopically analyze a portion of the sample, which method comprises the following steps: using the charged-particle microscope to identify a feature of interest in said region; choosing said portion that is analyzed by the Raman spectroscope to comprise this feature, wherein: said feature has at least one lateral dimension smaller than D; Prior to analysis of said feature using the Raman spectroscope, an in situ surface modification technique is used to cause positive discrimination of an expected Raman signal from said feature relative to an expected Raman signal from said portion other than feature.