The dissertation thesis deals with optimization of the scintillation detector for efficient detection of low energy signal electrons in a specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscope. The solution was based on the study of signal electron energy loss mechanisms during their interaction with a conductive layer and a scintillator that can be studied using simulations based on the stochastics Monte Carlo methods. Based on test simulations and their comparison with experimental data, the ideal Monte Carlo software was chosen and used for the study of signal electron energy losses during their transport through the conductive layer as well as following interaction with scintillator, in dependency on the signal electron energy. Simulation results allowed to define criteria for the optimization of the conductive layer. According to these parameters, the optimized layers were deposited on the surface of different scintillators and experimentally tested in the scintillation detector of the scanning electron microscope. Experimental measurements allowed to verify accomplished simulations and provide new information about impact of materials and thicknesses of conductive layers in combination with materials of scintillators and light guides. The increase of the detection efficiency of the scintillation detector equipped with optimised conductive layers and its capability to detect low energy signal electrons were experimentally proved.

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá modelováním bodové rozptylové funkce (point spread function, PSF) u skenovacího transmisního elektronového mikroskopu (STEM). Nejprve je provedena teoretická rešerše, kde jsou popsány všechny důležitě aspekty, potřebné k následnému modelování. Je tedy proveden základní popis konstrukce přístroje a určeny jeho klíčové komponenty, které mají hlavní vliv na tvar výsledné PSF. Následně jsou popsány hlavní zobrazovací vady, které ovlivňují výslednou PSF. Ty jsou popsány z hlediska vlnové optiky. Na základě toho je pak navržen a zrealizován poměrně přesný model PSF u mikroskopu STEM. Poté je vytvořeno GUI, které umožňuje plné využití daného vytvořeného modelu. Na závěr je získaný model otestován na modelových a reálných datech, pomocí metody Lucy-Richardson.

In this master’s thesis, a mechanical design of an in-column secondary electrons (SE) detector is presented. It is an ultravacuum compatible fibre-scintillation detector designed for use in an ultrahigh vacuum scanning electron microscope (UHV SEM). The designed in-column SE detector was manufactured and tested upon overcoming R&D challenges. The first section of this thesis deals with theoretical basis needed for understanding of functional principles of UHV SEM system and means of SE’s detection. In the second section, mechanical design of the in-column SE detector is described. The last section describes functionality of the designed detector. Effectiveness of light shielding of the detector was tested and the detective quantum efficiency was measured. Finally, images created by the designed in-column detector and an in-chamber SE detector were evaluated and compared.

This thesis deals with the influence of process parameters on the contamination level of powder materials produced by mechanical alloying (MA) technology. For this purpose austenitic stainless steel 316 L and equiatomic CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) were prepared by high-energy ball milling. Both materials were milled in argon and nitrogen atmospheres from 5 to 30 hours. Spark plasma sintering method (SPS) was then used for consolidation of chosen powder samples. Chemical analysis of contamination within MA was carried out using combustion analysers for determination of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen contents after different lengths of milling. Also differences in chemical composition of powder and corresponding bulk samples were measured. The microstructure analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of both powder and bulk materials was executed with focus on oxide and carbide presence and dispersion. Increasing content of carbon with increasing milling time was observed across all measured samples. This contamination is attributed to using milling vial made of tool steel AISI D2 (containing 1,55 wt. % of carbon). Increase of carbon content within consolidation using SPS was also observed. Milling of specimens using N2 as milling atmosphere caused higher contamination level in both AISI 316 L and HEA compared to milling in argon.

This work deals with elemental analysis of inorganic materials, that are presented by blast furnace slag and geopolymeric material containing fly-ashes. In the theoretical part there are explained principles of elemental analysis of inorganic materials. Ways of dissolution of samples, optical emission spectroscopy and electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray analysis are commented. In experimental part the ICP analysis of oxide standards is described. The standards were used for estimation of EDS-correction factors. Then follow the preparation, proving and use of standards in analysis of blast furnace slag. The work is finished by exact analysis of concentration profiles of elements in interface of phases in geopolymeric material.

This master’s thesis deals with a design and optimization of an experimental scintillation secondary electron detector for the environmental scanning electron microscope and with a description of a detector operation principle. The experiment is founded on simulations of a gas flow in detector inner sections and on simulations of secondary electron trajectories in electrostatic fields of the detector. On the basis of the simulations, new solutions of the detector designs are proposed. For these designs, same simulations as previous are performed and designs that seem to be feasible for the secondary electron detection in environmental scanning electron microscope are selected.

This thesis deals with scanning electron microscope working at higher pressure in the specimen chamber. The main goal was to study the voltage contrast on the PN junction of the transistor under suitable working conditions for using environmental scanning microscope. The observation of sample was enabled by a scintillation detector designed for observation of high pressure.

This work describes briefly electron microscopy issue and physical model of fluid flow. Then presented diploma thesis will be describing analysis and evaluation of the impact of supersonic flow on the pressure and density in the path of the primary electron beam in the differential pumping chamber. For analysis, evaluation and examination of the issue will be used CAD and CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) programs. At the same time it will be developed a methodology of calculation applicable to supersonic flow in the low pressure system at ANSYS CFX.

Improving the quality of metal castings for serial production of automotive industry, leading to improvements in the properties of casts and their lower costs. This publication analyzes the non-metallic inclusions contained in casts of heads of internal combustion engines, molded of Nemak Czech Republic, Ltd. Tackling includes analysis of size, shape, chemical composition and hardness of the specific non-metallic inclusions. The thesis describes the purity metal holding furnaces and proposals to eliminate inclusions from metal.

This thesis deals with image analysis methods which can be exploited in exoscopic analysis of sedimentary grains, specifically for the purpose of distinguishing between geomorphologic geneses which influenced a form of sedimentary grains. The images of sedimentary grains were acquired by a scanning electron microscope. The main contribution is the proposal of multiple methods that can significantly automate the exoscopic analysis. These methods cover the automatic segmentation of grains in image, the automatic analysis of roundness of 2D grain projection and the classification of geomorphologic geneses according to the grain surface structure. In the section concerning the automatic segmentation, a segmentation method enabling an easy subsequent manual result correction was proposed. This method is based on the split-and-merge approach. The individual steps the procedure were designed to exploit specific properties of sedimentary grain images in order to obtain the best segmentation results. In the section concerning the automatic roundness analysis of 2D projection of sedimentary grains, an influence of pixel resolution on a result roundness value was evaluated. Further, a minimal number of grains, which is necessary to analyze in order to reliably compare a pair of geomorphological geneses, was investigated. For the determination of this number, a method was proposed and experimentally verified. In the section of automatic analysis of sedimentary grain surface structure, a method for classification of geomorphologic geneses was proposed. The method utilizes low-level texture features which describes individual images of sedimentary grains. A model of geomorphological genesis is constituted of a set of histograms representing occurrences of different configurations of low-level texture features. The methods proposed in the thesis were tested and evaluated based on a database, which consists of sedimentary grain samples from 4 different geomorphological geneses (eolic, glacial, slope and volcanic).