Combined conditions analysis

[Philipp Poeml]

Ok, I understand. Then still, even for the kV, the nA for documentation or necessary: If I open the dialog, and I set a column string AND nA, why wouldn't it remember the two? It is much more convenient that in remembers what you change.

Would it be possible to change this behaviour?

[John Donovan]

Ok, I understand. Then still, even for the kV, the nA for documentation or necessary: If I open the dialog, and I set a column string AND nA, why wouldn't it remember the two? It is much more convenient that in remembers what you change.

Would it be possible to change this behaviour?

I think so, let me look at it.
john

[John Donovan]

Hi Philipp,
I may not be understanding you properly, but it appears that the software does exactly want you want it to do...

That is, when you click the Apply Conditions To Selected Elements, it saves all conditions and the column condition file as you suggest...



Maybe you forgot to click this button?

[Philipp Poeml]

Strange. I swear, I programmed today 48 lines and it did not work. What I did: I opened the dialogue, I changed the beam current to 250, then I clicked "browse", I selected my file, I pressed "apply" and it applied the file, but not the nA. I will try again tomorrow. Did you try without setting kV? Otherwise the dialogue looks exactly like mine.

Another question: Is the image shift saved in the pcc file? Or do I have to set it in the same dialogue, or both?

And the red text warns about "beam current" as well, that's why I tried to set it.

Thanks for looking into this!

[John Donovan]

Strange. I swear, I programmed today 48 lines and it did not work. What I did: I opened the dialogue, I changed the beam current to 250, then I clicked "browse", I selected my file, I pressed "apply" and it applied the file, but not the nA. I will try again tomorrow. Did you try without setting kV? Otherwise the dialogue looks exactly like mine.

Another question: Is the image shift saved in the pcc file? Or do I have to set it in the same dialogue, or both?

And the red text warns about "beam current" as well, that's why I tried to set it.

Ok, I see the confusion. Yes, just selecting the column condition file does not load the beam current automatically. You have to enter the keV, beam current, beam size yourself manually, but, it will save everything you specified.

The confusion was caused by me mentioning that I have some code which *tries* to load these analytical parameters from the column condition file, but it was originally designed to handle a situation (Cameca SX50), where the column condition file is in the instrument memory and can't be read and parsed easily. It gets more complicated, but that is the general issue.

Yes, image shift is saved to the column condition files, that is one of the main uses for this feature.  I also think you can specify different image shifts for different keVs in the Automate! Conditions button for use with the Digitized Conditions automation basis.

[Philipp Poeml]

Hi John, I think I did not express myself correctly. I should be more clear in what I am saying. Sorry. I try again:

What I did: I opened the dialogue, I typed in the beam current 250 into the Beam Current field , then I clicked "browse", I selected my file, I pressed "apply" and it remembered the file , but the beam current was given in the channel list as 20 nA. I opened the channel again, and the beam current in the field was written 20 nA, so not remembered. I typed in 250 into the Beam Current Field, selected "apply" and now I saw in the channel list (and also when reopening the channel) that it had saved 250. So I had to edit the channel twice to get both settings saved. Does that make more sense?

Do I understand correctly: On the right is a dialogue about "Select beam mode and..." where I can set the image shift. In your example this is set to 0 and 0. Is this overridden then by loading the column string?

Is it correct that the SX50 is not supported any more by the V10 of PfE? Maybe then it would be better to change the wording "column string" into "column conditions file" or something? Or is it still valid for the Jeol?

[John Donovan]

Hi John, I think I did not express myself correctly. I should be more clear in what I am saying. Sorry. I try again:

What I did: I opened the dialogue, I typed in the beam current 250 into the Beam Current field , then I clicked "browse", I selected my file, I pressed "apply" and it remembered the file , but the beam current was given in the channel list as 20 nA. I opened the channel again, and the beam current in the field was written 20 nA, so not remembered. I typed in 250 into the Beam Current Field, selected "apply" and now I saw in the channel list (and also when reopening the channel) that it had saved 250. So I had to edit the channel twice to get both settings saved. Does that make more sense?

Do I understand correctly: On the right is a dialogue about "Select beam mode and..." where I can set the image shift. In your example this is set to 0 and 0. Is this overridden then by loading the column string?

Is it correct that the SX50 is not supported any more by the V10 of PfE? Maybe then it would be better to change the wording "column string" into "column conditions file" or something? Or is it still valid for the Jeol?

I would click the column condition file first, then edit the analytical condition fields if necessary. Then click Apply.... why?  Because the browse/selection of the column condition file might update the analytical condition fields, if they have been specified before and therefore they might need to be updated manually.  Remember, in combined conditions mode each element can have a separate set of conditions.

Yes, the image shifts are overwritten by the column condition file and are there for "documentation" purposes just like the beam current, etc. when running in column condition mode.

Yes, the SX50 is no longer supported in v 10 of the software, and yes, I will be moving more in that direction to clean up remnants from older instruments ASAP.

[Philipp Poeml]

Ok, so, it works, if I choose the file first, and then type the 250 nA.
When I type 250 nA first, then choose a file, it sets the field back to 20 nA.
So the order of doing things matter.

Thanks for looking into this!

[Ben Buse]

Hi,

I think what would be useful for combined conditions - is within the combined conditions to have a button to read and apply column conditions.

When you finish an analysis - say it does 20nA and then 100nA. It is an 100nA an the end, you want to use the SEM to find the next point - it be good to be apply to go into combined conditions and apply 20nA (i.e. the first condition) back onto the column.

What do you think?

Thanks

Ben

[John Donovan]

I think what would be useful for combined conditions - is within the combined conditions to have a button to read and apply column conditions.

When you finish an analysis - say it does 20nA and then 100nA. It is an 100nA an the end, you want to use the SEM to find the next point - it be good to be apply to go into combined conditions and apply 20nA (i.e. the first condition) back onto the column.

What do you think?

Isn't PFE re-setting the first condition again after it finishes the combined condition acquisition?  It should, unless you have something turned off in Acquisition Options...

[Ben Buse]

Right so I guess its because I had "return to on peaks after acquisition" unchecked (oops!)

On a related note - I'm not sure its necessary - But is it possible to 'use column condition string' to have a different focus for the two beam conditions - ensuring both are in focus & also to shift beam to correct for 1-2um shift from 20 to 100 nA?

Thanks again

Ben

[John Donovan]

Right so I guess its because I had "return to on peaks after acquisition" unchecked (oops!)

Hi Ben,
Don't worry about it.  I had to think about myself.

On a related note - I'm not sure its necessary - But is it possible to 'use column condition string' to have a different focus for the two beam conditions - ensuring both are in focus & also to shift beam to correct for 1-2um shift from 20 to 100 nA?

So, this is the issue. JEOL (in their infinite wisdom) has forced me to go through their EIKS interface for the 8230/8530 column control rather than direct calls to the instrument. This means that I am limited to what they expose in their EIKS interface. Currently these are the column parameters that JEOL needs to add to their EIKS interface:

ObjectiveLens
AstigmationX
AstigmationY
ScanRotation

For beam focus this is the objective lens setting.

So we (as a community- and I'm thinking specially of those buying a new instrument where one has some leverage), either have to get JEOL to add these functions to the EIKS interface or we need figure out how to make a direct call to the instrument as we have with a number of other parameters.

However, I do have many other column parameters including getting and setting the image shift.  So if you run at very high magnification in scan mode and utilize the image shift parameters that are contained in the probe column condition files (.PCC), yes, you can adjust the beam position for different keVs or beam currents.
john

[Ben Buse]

Hi John,

That's very interesting.

So I guess we currently have limited control on focusing by changing the beam size i.e. if at 10nA its 1um beam size, it might be possible to recover some of the defocusing at 100nA by setting the beam size to 0um.

Regarding PCC files how would I go about creating them - can I get them from the Jeol software, or are there examples of what they should look like - I guessing there text files essentially.

Thanks

Ben

[John Donovan]

So I guess we currently have limited control on focusing by changing the beam size i.e. if at 10nA its 1um beam size, it might be possible to recover some of the defocusing at 100nA by setting the beam size to 0um.

Hi Ben,
If the beam size control on the JEOL is anything like the Cameca, it's just an offset from the last time the beam was manually focused, so not sure if that will help.

Regarding PCC files how would I go about creating them - can I get them from the Jeol software, or are there examples of what they should look like - I guessing there text files essentially.

They can be saved and loaded from the Window menu in PFE.  And they can be selected from the Analytical Conditions button in Acquire! or the Conditions button in Automate!
john

[John Donovan]

Regarding PCC files how would I go about creating them - can I get them from the Jeol software, or are there examples of what they should look like - I guessing there text files essentially.

Hi Ben,
Just FYI, now that we have the firmware call to set the beam current on the 8230/8530, I will add that call to the PCC load condition code.

Right now the code saves/loads the condenser lens values, but I don't think that will turn on the beam current regulation. Adding the firmware call for set beam current should fix that.
john