US 11,742,175 B2
Defective pixel management in charged particle microscopy
Erik Michiel Franken, Eindhoven (NL); and Bart Jozef Janssen, Eindhoven (NL)
Assigned to FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR (US)
Filed by FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/364,802.
Prior Publication US 2023/0005702 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H01J 37/22 (2006.01); H01J 37/244 (2006.01); H01J 37/20 (2006.01); H01J 37/26 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/20 (2013.01) [H01J 37/222 (2013.01); H01J 37/244 (2013.01); H01J 37/265 (2013.01); H01J 2237/226 (2013.01); H01J 2237/244 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A charged particle microscope support apparatus, comprising:
first logic to identify a defective pixel region of a charged particle camera, wherein the charged particle camera cannot detect charged particle events in the defective pixel region;
second logic to generate a first charged particle event indicator that identifies a first time and a first location of a first charged particle event outside the defective pixel region, wherein the first charged particle event is detected by the charged particle camera;
third logic to generate a second charged particle event indicator that identifies a second time and a second location in the defective pixel region, wherein the third logic is to generate the second charged particle event indicator probabilistically based at least in part on the first charge particle event; and
fourth logic to output data representative of the charged particle event indicators.