Ion microscope

1 . An ion microscope comprising:

a nano-aperture ion source; and

a focusing system;

wherein the focusing system is configured for selectively coaxially focusing an ion beam generated from an electron beam ionizing an ionizing gas in the nano-aperture ion source and the electron beam such that the electron beam and the ion beam follow the same path through the ion microscope.

2 . The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the focusing system comprises one or more electrostatic lenses.

3 . The microscope of claim 2 , wherein the focusing system comprises two or more cylinder lenses, or two or more quadrupole lenses, and optionally, wherein the focusing system comprises an Einzel lens.

4 . The microscope of claim 1 , comprising an electron injector for generating the electron beam, or comprising an electrostatic extractor/acceleration section for extracting/accelerating the ion beam from the nano-aperture ion source.

5 . The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the nano-aperture ion source is configured for selectively containing the ionizing gas when the ion beam is being focused by the focusing system, and to be free of the ionizing gas when the electron beam is being focused by the focusing system, or wherein the nano-aperture ion source is configured for selectively moving into a first position relative to the focusing system when the ion beam is being focused by the focusing system, and into a second position relative to the focusing system when the electron beam is being focused by the focusing system, wherein in the first position the electron beam enters an ionization chamber of the nano-aperture ion source for ionizing the ionizing gas, and wherein in the second position, the electron beam by-passes the ionization chamber of the nano-aperture ion source.

6 . The microscope of claim 1 , comprising a detection system configured to detect one or more of a group consisting of electron or ion induced charges, electron or ion induced secondary electrons, backscattered ions, and ion or electron induced luminescence.

7 . The microscope of claim 1 , comprising a shielding structure for shielding external/stray magnetic fields.

8 . A method of constructing an ion microscope comprising the steps of:

providing a nano-aperture ion source; and

providing a focusing system;

wherein the focusing system is configured for selectively coaxially focusing an ion beam generated from an electron beam ionizing an ionizing gas in the nano-aperture ion source and the electron beam such that the electron beam and the ion beam follow the same path through the ion microscope.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the focusing system comprises one or more electrostatic lenses.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the focusing system comprises two or more cylinder lenses, or two or more quadrupole lenses, and optionally wherein the focusing system comprises an Einzel lens.

11 . The method of claim 8 , comprising providing an electron injector for generating the electron beam, or comprising providing an electrostatic extractor/acceleration section for extracting/accelerating the ion beam from the nano-aperture ion source.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the nano-aperture ion source is configured for selectively containing the ionizing gas when the ion beam is being focused by the focusing system, and to be free of the ionizing gas when the electron beam is being focused by the focusing system, or wherein the nano-aperture ion source is configured for selectively moving into a first position relative to the focusing system when the ion beam is being focused by the focusing system, and into a second position relative to the focusing system when the electron beam is being focused by the focusing system, wherein in the first position the electron beam enters an ionization chamber of the nano-aperture ion source for ionizing the ionizing gas, and wherein in the second position, the electron beam by-passes the ionization chamber of the nano-aperture ion source.

13 . The method of claim 8 , comprising providing a detection system, and optionally wherein the detection system is configured to detect one or more of a group consisting of electron or ion induced charges, electron or ion induced secondary electrons, backscattered ions, and ion or electron induced luminescence.

14 . The method of claim 8 , comprising shielding external/stray magnetic fields.

15 . A method of aligning an ion beam in an ion microscope comprising the steps of:

providing a nano-aperture ion source; and

providing a focusing system; and

selectively coaxially focusing the ion beam generated from an electron beam ionizing an ionizing gas in the nano-aperture ion source and the electron beam such that the electron beam and the ion beam follow the same path through the ion microscope.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the focusing system comprises one or more electrostatic lenses.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the focusing system comprises two or more cylinder lenses, or two or more quadrupole lenses, and optionally wherein the focusing system comprises an Einzel lens.

18 . The method of claim 15 , comprising providing an electron injector for generating the electron beam, or comprising using an electrostatic extractor/acceleration section for extracting/accelerating the ion beam from the nano-aperture ion source.

19 . The method of claim 15 , comprising selectively providing the ionizing gas in the nano-aperture ion source when the ion beam is being focused by the focusing system, and to be free of the ionizing gas when the electron beam is being focused by the focusing system, or comprising selectively moving the nano-aperture ion source into a first position relative to the focusing system when the ion beam is being focused by the focusing system, and into a second position relative to the focusing system when the electron beam is being focused by the focusing system, wherein in the first position the electron beam enters an ionization chamber of the nano-aperture ion source for ionizing the ionizing gas, and wherein in the second position, the electron beam by-passes the ionization chamber of the nano-aperture ion source.

20 . The method of claim 15 , comprising using a detection system to detect one or more of a group consisting of electron or ion beam induced charges, electron or ion induced secondary electrons, backscattered ions, and ion or electron induced luminescence, or comprising shielding external/stray magnetic fields.