Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Other

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Research Development Corporation of Japan

Hitachi High-technologies Co.

Kazutoshi Kaji

Shigeto Isakozawa

Shohei Terada

Takashi Aoyama

Shunroku Taya

Hiroyuki Tanaka

Yoshifumi Taniguchi

Jong-bong Park

Tatsumi Hirano

Gyeong-su Park

Yoshihumi Taniguchi

Se-ahn Song

Tadashi Otaka

Toshihiko Sakuhara

Kingo Itaya

Yu Yamazawa

Koji Kimoto

Yasumitsu Ueki

Shueh Lin Yau

An object of the present invention relates to high-resolution observation on a light field STEM, a dark field image STEM, and an EELS, at a low acceleration voltage. The present invention relates to controlling on incorporation angles of a STEM detector and an electron energy loss spectroscopy by changing the disposition of a sample with respect to an optical axis direction of a primary electron beam in a scanning transmission microscopy including an electron energy loss spectroscopy. According to the present invention, it is possible to easily control an optimum scattering angle in each of a light field STEM, a dark field STEM, and an EELS while suppressing occurrence of chromatic aberration accompanying the controlling on the incorporation angle.

Transmission scanning microscopy including electron energy loss spectroscopy and observation method thereof

An object of the present invention relates to measurement of a quantitative element image with a high S/N ratio and measurement of an electron energy loss spectrum with high energy precision and energy resolution. The present invention relates to measurement of a characteristic X-ray spectrum obtained by correcting dead time due to excessive X rays and measurement of an electron energy loss spectrum obtained by correcting energy based on a zero loss peak in the case where the characteristic X-ray spectrum and the electron energy loss spectrum are measured by irradiating one irradiation position on a sample with an electron beam for a predetermined time while scanning the surface of the sample to observe a Z-contrast image. According to the present invention, it becomes possible to measure a quantitative element image with a high S/N ratio by a characteristic X ray, an element image with a high S/N ratio by an electron energy loss spectrum and a high energy resolution spectrum.

Electron microscope

A lens adjustment method and a lens adjustment system which adjust a plurality of multi-pole lenses of an electron spectrometer attached to a transmission electron microscope, optimum conditions of the multi-pole lenses are determined through simulation based on a parameter design method using exciting currents of the multi-pole lenses as parameters.

Electron microscope with electron spectrometer

An object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for observing inside structures and a specimen holder, wherein aging degradation of a good sample to a bad sample can be tracked in the same field of view, using the same specimen in order to determine the mechanism of failure. The present invention is a method for observing inside structures. The method comprises irradiating a specimen with a corpuscular beam generated from a corpuscular beam source, detecting transmitted particles transmitted by the specimen, applying a voltage to a portion of the specimen, and observing of a detection status of the transmitted particles in the voltage-applied portion as needed.

Method and apparatus for observing inside structures, and specimen holder

There is provided an element mapping unit, scanning transmission electron microscope, and element mapping method that enable to acquire an element mapping image very easily. On the scanning transmission electron microscope, the electron beam transmitted through an object to be analyzed enters into the element mapping unit. The electron beam is analyzed of its energy into spectrum by an electron spectrometer and an electron energy loss spectrum is acquired. Because the acceleration voltage data for each element and window data for 2-window method, 3-window method or contrast tuning method are already stored in a database and accordingly the spectrum measurement is carried out immediately even when an element to be analyzed is changed to another, the operator can confirm a two-dimensional element distribution map immediately. Besides, because every electron beam that enters into an energy filter passes through the object point, aberration strain in the electron spectrometer can be minimized and higher energy stability can be achieved. As a result, drift of the electron energy loss spectrum acquired by analyzing the electron beam into spectrum can be minimized and element distribution with higher accuracy can be acquired.

Element mapping unit, scanning transmission electron microscope, and element mapping method

To enable measurement of an elastically scattered electron image, a characteristic-X-ray-based element image and an electron-beam-energy-spectroscopy-based element image with a high S/N and high spatial resolution in an electronic microscope having a function to produce an element image. Measurement of a characteristic X-ray signal and electron beam energy loss spectra or measurement of a plurality of energy filter signals including a core loss of an observed element is performed simultaneously and continuously with detection of elastically scattered electrons transmitted through a specimen to be analyzed, and element images based on characteristic X-rays and electron beam energy spectroscopy are added up while correcting a positional misalignment with respect to elastically scattered electron images continuously observed (see FIG.).

Electronic microscope apparatus

A method for evaluating thin films comprises the steps of inputting measurement conditions, generating electron beams from an electron source to condense the electron beams to a specimen by a condenser lens, enlarging the electron beams transmitted by the specimen with imaging lenses to image an enlarged image of the specimen, acquiring elemental maps of the specimen with an element analyzer to display the acquired elemental maps, measuring a length of the elemental maps, and correcting the measurement conditions. Disclosed is an evaluating apparatus that implements the above evaluating method.

Method and apparatus for evaluating thin films

An electron beam detector detects a peak of a spectrum, and when a peak position is deviated from a reference position on the electron beam detector, a controller for controlling an electron beam position on the electron beam detector is used to correct a deviation. An electron energy loss spectrum is measured while controlling correction a deviation between an electron beam position on a specimen, and a peak position of the spectrum, and a spectrum measuring with the electron beam detector.

Energy spectrum measuring apparatus, electron energy loss spectrometer, electron microscope provided therewith, and electron energy loss spectrum measuring method

A standard sample for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) elemental mapping and a TEM elemental mapping method using the same are provided. The standard sample includes a substrate; a first crystalline thin film containing heavy atoms formed on the substrate; a first amorphous thin film having oxides or nitrides containing light atoms and having a thickness of 1&#x2013;5 nm or 6&#x2013;10 nm formed on the first crystalline thin film; a second crystalline thin film containing heavy atoms formed on the first amorphous thin film. The standard sample can be used to correct TEM, EDS and EELS mapping results of a multi-layered nanometer-sized thin film and to optimize mapping conditions.

Standard sample for transmission electron microscope (TEM) elemental mapping and TEM elemetal mapping method using the same

An electron microscope is provided, which enables an observation with high resolution. The electron microscope is able to detect the deviation of an electron beam relative to the opening of a slit quantitatively, thereby shifting the electron beam accurately to the center of the opening of slit so as to execute energy selection. The electron microscope has an energy filter control unit for adjusting a relative position between an electron beam and a slit by shifting the position of electron beam based on a signal delivered by an energy filter electron beam detector. Also a method for controlling an energy filter is provided, which includes the steps of shifting the position of an electron beam, determining the position of electron beam and letting the electron beam pass through the center of an opening of the slit by controlling the position of slit or position of electron beam.

The present invention provides an ultimate analyzer which displays an element distribution image of an object with high contrast and high accuracy. A scanning transmission electron microscope and a method of analyzing elements using the ultimate analyzer is also provided. The ultimate analyzer comprises a scattered electron beam detector for detecting an electron beam scattered by an object; an electron spectrometer for energy dispersing an electron beam transmitted through the object; an electron beam detector for detecting said dispersed electron beam; and a control unit for analyzing elements based on an output signal of the electron beam detected by the electron beam detector and an output signal of the electron beam detected by the scattered electron beam detector.

Ultimate analyzer, scanning transmission electron microscope and ultimate analysis method

A scanning transmission electron microscope has an electron beam energy analyzer (energy filter) to observe electron beam energy loss spectra and element distribution images. This electron microscope further includes a deflection coil provided on the upstream side of a magnetic sector to correct for the electron beam path in a plane normal to the optical axis and make the electron beam incident to the energy filter, a deflection coil for correcting for the electron beam path in the energy axis direction of an energy dispersion surface formed by the magnetic sector, and a control unit for controlling the exciting conditions of the deflection coils.

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Hitachi, Japan

Kazutoshi Kaji