Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Shigeru Izawa

Kaoru Umemura

Yuichi Madokoro

Hiroyasu Kaga

Tohru Ishitani

Yasuhiko Nara

Tsutomu Saito

Katsunori Nakajima

Masanori Gunji

A probe storage container can supply a probe in a prober apparatus without being exposed to an atmospheric air. Preferably, the probe is stored in the probe storage container by removing an oxide film in a leading end portion of the probe in accordance with a dry treatment using an ion source, for example, without being exposed to the atmospheric air. It is thus possible to replace and attach the probe with respect to the prober apparatus without being exposed to the atmospheric air, avoiding formation of an oxide film on a surface of the probe. Further, a worker attaching the probe to the prober apparatus can work without being directly in contact with the probe, and it is possible to prevent the leading end portion of the probe from being broken. Accordingly, it is possible to stably measure an electric characteristic of a semiconductor device or the like on the wafer.

Probe storage container, prober apparatus, probe arranging method and manufacturing method of probe storage container

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.

Liquid metal ion gun

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

Shigeru Izawa