System and method for compressive scanning electron microscopy

1. A scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) system, comprising:

an electron beam scanning system configured to generate a plurality of electron beam scans over substantially an entire sample, with each said scan varying in electron-illumination intensity over a course of the scan;

a signal acquisition system for obtaining an image from the scans, the image representing only information from at least one of a select subplurality or linear combination of all pixels comprising the image, and producing a dataset therefrom; and

a subsystem for mathematically analyzing the dataset to predict actual information that would have been produced by each pixel in a conventional STEM acquisition.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsystem is configured to perform mathematical reconstruction of the dataset using a mathematical method associated with compressive sensing.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electron-illumination intensity is varied randomly over the course of each said scan.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electron beam scanning system is configured to generate the variation in electron-illumination intensity by varying power applied to an electron gun of the system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electron beam scanning system is configured to generate the variation in electron-illumination intensity by varying at least one of a speed and/or a pattern of each said scan.

6. A scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) system, comprising:

an electron beam scanning system for generating a sequence of electron beam scans directed at a sample, each said electron beam scan having a spatially varying electron-illumination intensity over a course of the scan that creates a mask;

a signal acquisition subsystem for obtaining an image representing information from at least one of a subplurality or linear combination of all available pixels of the image, and producing a data set from the information; and

a computer configured to mathematically analyze the data set to predict actual information that would have been obtained from each individual pixel in the image.

7. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the signal acquisition subsystem comprises a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) camera.

8. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the signal acquisition subsystem comprises an electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS).

9. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the signal acquisition subsystem comprises an energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometer (EDX spectrometer).

10. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the electron beam scanning system is controlled such that a power output applied to an electron gun of the system is varied over the course of each said scan, to thus provide the variation in electron-illumination intensity.

11. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the electron beam scanning system is controlled so that at least one of a speed or a pattern of each said scan is varied over the course of the scan, to thus provide the variation in electron-illumination intensity.

12. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the beam modulator subsystem comprises a high speed beam modulator subsystem for varying at least one of a current output or a voltage output to an electron gun, to help produce the variation in electron-illumination intensity.

13. The STEM system of claim 7 , wherein the TEM camera obtains a diffraction pattern produced by each said mask.

14. The STEM system of claim 8 , wherein the EELS provides a loss spectrum.

15. The STEM system of claim 9 , wherein the EDX spectrometer provides an x-ray emission spectrum.

16. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the electron beam scanning system further comprises a probe-forming lens and a plurality of scanning coils for focusing and controlling movement of each of the electron beam scans.

17. The STEM system of claim 6 , wherein the computer is configured to mathematically analyze the data set by performing reconstruction using a mathematical technique associated with compressive sensing.

18. A method for performing scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), comprising:

performing a plurality of electron beam scans over substantially an entire sample, with each said scan varying in electron-illumination intensity over a course of the scan;

obtaining an image of information from the scans that pertains to only at least one of a select subplurality or a linear combination of all available pixels that comprise the image, and producing a dataset from the information; and

mathematically analyzing the dataset to predict actual information that would have been produced by each pixel of the image.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said varying the electron-illumination intensity over a course of the scan is accomplished by varying a power output of a power supply which powers an electron gun producing the electron beam scans.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said varying the electron-illumination intensity over a course of the scan comprises varying at least one of a speed or a pattern of each electron beam scan over the course of the scan, to thus provide the variation in electron-illumination intensity.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the electron-illumination intensity is varied randomly over the course of each said scan.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein said mathematically analyzing the dataset comprises performing reconstruction using a mathematical technique associated with compressive sensing on the dataset.