Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Hiroyasu Kaga

Kaoru Umemura

Yuichi Madokoro

Shigeru Izawa

Tohru Ishitani

Hiroyuki Suzuki

Yutaka Hojyo

Yoshimi Kawanami

Hiroyasu Shichi

Yoichi Ose

Norihide Saho

Tomihiro Hashizume

Mikio Ichihashi

Shinichi Matsubara

Shigeyuki Hosoki

Noriaki Arai

Hiroyuki Muto

Takeshi Tanaka

Masashi Sasaki

Keiji Takata

Junzo Azuma

Takanori Sato

Hironori Moritani

Motohide Ukiana

Kanehiro Nagao

Ryouzou Takeuchi

To provide a gas field ion source having a high angular current density, the gas field ion source is configured such that at least a base body of an emitter tip configuring the gas field ion source is a single crystal metal, such that the apex of the emitter tip is formed into a pyramid shape or a cone shape having a single atom at the top, and such that the extraction voltage in the case of ionizing helium gas by the single atom is set to 10 kV or more.

Gas field ion source and method for using same, ion beam device, and emitter tip and method for manufacturing same

A liquid metal ion gunincludes a liquid metal ion sourceand a beam limiting aperture. The liquid metal ion sourceincludes a reservoirand an emitter. The reservoiris made of tungsten (W) and holds liquid metal gallium (Ga). The emitteris made of W. The beam limiting apertureis formed with a liquid metal membermade of Ga placed on a basemade of W, has an openingthat enables an ion beamextracted from the liquid metal ion sourceto pass therethrough, and limits the diameter of the ion beam. The beam limiting aperturehas a groove structurethat causes the liquid metalto gather into a region located around the opening. The lifetime of the beam limiting aperture can be increased, and an emission can be maintained stable for a long time period and reproducibly restored to a stable state.

Liquid metal ion gun

A charged particle gun includes: a charged particle source; a first extracting electrode arranged in such a manner that a distance between the charged particle source and the first extracting electrode is fixed; a second extracting electrode located on the side opposite to the charged particle source with respect to the first extracting electrode, the electrode being arranged in such a manner that a distance between the first extracting electrode and the second extracting electrode is adjustable; and an earth electrode located on the side opposite to the first extracting electrode with respect to the second extracting electrode, the electrode being arranged in such a manner that a distance between the second extracting electrode and the earth electrode is fixed; wherein the first extracting electrode is equal in potential to the second extracting electrode.

Charged particle beam apparatus using an electrostatic lens gun

An object of the present invention is to provide a focused ion beam apparatus that is capable of obtaining a much larger beam current and forming a focused ion beam with smaller aberration than a conventional focused ion beam apparatus no matter whether the level of acceleration is high or low. The focused ion beam apparatus according to the present invention includes a liquid metal ion source, an extraction electrode for extracting an ion beam from the liquid metal ion source, an acceleration (ground) electrode for accelerating an ion beam, and an electrostatic lens for converging an ion beam. When the acceleration voltage applied to the liquid metal ion source is lower than an emission threshold voltage of the liquid metal ion source, the voltage of the extraction electrode is at a lower potential than the voltage of the acceleration (ground) electrode. The polarity of a voltage applied to the electrostatic lens changes in accordance with the polarity of a voltage applied to the extraction electrode. The present invention makes it possible to exercise a deceleration mode focusing method at a high acceleration voltage from the dielectric strength voltage of an electrostatic lens and exercise an acceleration mode focusing method at a low acceleration voltage with an electrostatic lens having the same focal length as for the deceleration mode focusing method.

Focused ion beam apparatus

An emitter of a Ga liquid metal ion source is constituted to include W12 of a base material and Ga9 of an ion source element covering a surface as construction materials. By making back-sputtered particles become elements (W and Ga) of the Ga liquid metal ion sour source, if back-sputtered particles attach to the Ga liquid metal ion source, contamination which may change physical characteristics of Ga9 does not occur. A W aperture is used as a beam limiting (GUN) aperture to place Ga of approx. 25 mg (of melting point of 30&#xb0; C.) on a surface of a portion included in a beam emission region (Ga store). When emitting ions to the beam limiting (GUN) aperture, Ga in the emission region melts and diffuses on a surface of the beam emission region of the W aperture.

In view of the fact that in line processing, when processing is performed to a certain depth, the processing does not advance with the passage of a further processing time, a processing apparatus is provided which can appropriately control the depth of grooves in linear groove processing and perform the processing at high speed. A line width and line depth are calculated so as to minimize a processing time of processing on a line to a required depth and processing is performed using the width and line depth as set values of processing. Furthermore, processing is performed with the area in which the beam is actually irradiated superimposed on the scanned image of a focused ion beam and displayed on a screen. In the case of an ion beam inclined with respect to the sample surface, processing is also performed by displaying the area where the beam is actually irradiated by taking the inclination of the sample with respect to the beam into consideration.

Charged particle beam processing apparatus

It is an object of the present invention to provide a focused ion beam apparatus capable of prolonging a service life of an aperture, preventing contaminants from increasing when a column valve is closed, and being quickly restarted. A high-voltage power supply controller lowers an extraction voltage applied to an extraction electrode or lowers a control voltage applied to a control electrode to set an emission to 0 &#x3bc;A when a column valve is closed. The high-voltage power supply controller returns the extraction voltage applied to the extraction electrode to an original extraction voltage or returns the control voltage applied to the control electrode to an original control voltage when a column valve is opened.

Focused ION beam apparatus

The present invention provides a highly reliable charged beam gun designed in consideration for environmental protection, which prevents faulty insulation in a high-voltage connection. An insulating liquid is present in a gap formed between a connecting bushing and a receiving-side flange placed in a vacuum container, and the connecting bushing includes first piping and valve that provide communication between the gap and atmospheric air, and second piping and valve that provide communication between the gap and the atmospheric air, whereby the gap is cut off from the atmospheric air.

Charged beam gun

A gradient charged particle beam apparatus capable of moving highly accurately to a specific position by eliminating influences of warp inside a wafer surface is provided. A portionhaving a markfor aligning visual field alignment positioned in advance to the same horizontal and the same height as a stage plane as a reference point is arranged on a wafer holder. A height of an observation point on a sample is adjusted to the height of the markand the visual field of a gradient column is brought into conformity with the visual field of a vertical column by use of a known offset between the gradient column and the vertical column at that time.

Wafer alignment method for dual beam system

In an aperture for use in an ion beam optical system having its surface coated with a liquid metal, instability of an ion source attributable to sputtering and re-deposition of an aperture base material is prevented. A focused ion beam apparatus using a liquid metal ion source has an aperture for limiting an ion beam diameter. The aperture has a vessel formed with a recess having, at its surface lowermost point, an aperture hole through which the ion beam passes and a liquid metal mounted on the recess, the liquid metal being used for the liquid metal ion source. Preferably, the aperture may be minimized in area of aperture entrance hole inner surface which exposes the base material by tapering an aperture hole portion, by which the ion beam passes, on the downstream side.

Focused ion beam apparatus and liquid metal ion source

Focused ion beam apparatus and aperture

An emitter of a Ga liquid metal ion source is constituted to include W12 of a base material and Ga9 of an ion source element covering a surface as construction materials. By making back-sputtered particles become elements (W and Ga) of the Ga liquid metal ion source, if back-sputtered particles attach to the Ga liquid metal ion source, contamination which may change physical characteristics of Ga9 does not occur. A W aperture is used as a beam limiting (GUN) aperture to place Ga of approx. 25 mg (of melting point of 30&#xb0; C.) on a surface of a portion included in a beam emission region (Ga store). When emitting ions to the beam limiting (GUN) aperture, Ga in the emission region melts and diffuses on a surface of the beam emission region of the W aperture.

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Mito, Japan

Hiroyasu Kaga