Hitachi-High-Technologies Corporation

Hitachi High-Tech Corporation

Shigeru Kawamata

Yoshinobu Hoshino

Hiroyuki Chiba

Masashi Watanabe

Masato Kamio

Sukehiro Ito

Akira Ikeuchi

Katsunori Hirano

Yuichi Sakurai

Hiromi Mise

Akira Sawaguchi

Miku Maehara

Junichi Katane

Asako Kaneko

Shinichi Tomita

Hirofumi Sato

Yaku Maeda

Wataru Kotake

Hiroyuki Komuro

Yuki Numata

Tatsuya Hirato

Eisaku Oho

Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus capable of more objectively and highly accurately calculating a feature of a cell from an observation image of a cell and evaluating a cell. The charged particle beam apparatus includes an image acquisition unitthat acquires an image of a cell, a contour extraction unitthat extracts a contour of the image, a feature calculation unitthat calculates a morphological feature of the contour based on the contour and calculates the feature of an internal structure such as a cytoplasm contained in an internal area of the contour, and a determination unitthat determines quality and/or functionality of the cell based on the feature, and can objectively and highly accurately evaluate the quality and/or the functionality of the cell included in the captured image.

Charged particle beam apparatus and cell evaluation method

To assist an operator in setting an observation conditions, so as to acquire an image with a desired image quality (such as contrast) in a charged particle beam device without falling into trial and error based on the experience of the operator. Therefore, the charged particle beam device includes a stageon which a sample is placed, a charged particle optical system configured to irradiate the sample with a charged particle beam, detectorsandconfigured to detect an electron generated by an interaction between the charged particle beam and the sample, a control unitconfigured to control the stage and the charged particle optical system according to an observation condition set by the operator and configured to form an image based on a detection signal from the detectors, and a displayconfigured to display an observation assist screen for setting the observation condition. The control unit displays, on the observation assist screen, informationrelated to an irradiation electron amount per pixel irradiated onto the sample by the charged particle optical system under the observation condition.

Charged particle beam device and method for setting condition in charged particle beam device

An object of the invention is to easily acquire images of a position corresponding among a plurality of sample sections in an imaging device that acquires images of the plurality of sample sections. The imaging device according to the invention generates a cursor for specifying a first observation region and a contour portion of a first sample section, and superimposes the cursor on a contour portion of a second sample section so as to calculate coordinates of a second observation region of the second sample section.

Imaging device

Provided is an image classification device that facilitates efficient creation of teacher data and comprehensive evaluation on a basis of knowledge and experience of the user. The image classification device includes: an image input unit that acquires an image; an image display unit that displays the image acquired by the image input unit; an image analysis unit that calculates a feature amount from the acquired image; a feature amount display unit that displays the calculated feature amount; an extraction and sorting condition input unit that specifies an extraction and sorting condition with regard to the feature amount; an extraction and sorting processing unit that performs extraction and sorting processing based on the condition; an extraction and sorting processing result display unit that displays a result; an user classification input unit that allows a user to input a classification destination with regard to the image; and a user classification result display unit that displays an classification input content.

Imaging device and morphological feature data display method

An object of the invention is to easily acquire an image of a position corresponding between each section in an imaging device that acquires an image of a plurality of sample sections. The imaging device according to the invention calculates, according to a correspondence relationship between a characteristic point and a first observation region in a first sample section, coordinates of a second observation region of a second sample section, and generates an observation image at the calculated coordinates (see FIG.B).

A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an optical system that irradiates a sample mounted on a sample stage with a charged particle beam; at least one detector that detects a signal generated from the sample; an imaging device that acquires an observation image; a mechanism for changing observation positions in the sample which has at least one of a stage that moves the sample stage and a deflector that changes the charged particle beam's irradiation position; a display unit that displays an operation screen provided with an observation image displaying portion that displays the observation image and an observation position displaying portion that displays an observation position of the observation image; and a controller that controls display processing of the operation screen. The controller superimposes and displays on the observation position displaying portion a plurality of observation position images at different magnifications, based on the observation images' magnifications and coordinates.

Charged particle beam apparatus, observation method using charged particle beam apparatus, and program

There is provided a charged particle beam device which includes a charged particle beam source, a charged particle beam optical system that irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam from the charged particle beam source, a detector that detects a secondary signal generated from the sample by irradiation with the charged particle beam, and an image processing unit that executes integration processing of image data obtained from the secondary signal and outputting an integrated image, and in which the image processing unit executes a normalization integration computation of outputting an integrated image in which a luminance value of the integrated image is always '1' in an integration process.

Charged particle beam device and image processing method in charged particle beam device

According to the present invention, in a charged particle beam device having a charged particle source, an objective lens for focusing a primary-charged particle beam emitted from the charged particle source, a scan deflector for scanning the primary-charged particle beam on a sample, and a detector for detecting signal particles generated from the sample under scanning of the primary-charged particle beam, whereby a sample image is obtained by using the signal particles of the detector, the charged particle beam device comprises a deflector for deflecting an angle of irradiation of the primary-charged particle beam onto the sample, first and second independent power supplies for passing currents to the deflector, and a switch for switching over voltages applied from the two power supplies in unit of one line or one frame of scanning of the primary-charged particle beam.

Charged particle beam device and image display method for stereoscopic observation and stereoscopic display

A signal processing unit () of a charged particle microscope calculates a degradation function (H (s)) of an image, on the basis of detection signals () obtained by scanning a charged particle beam () at two types of scanning speeds, a scanning speed within the bandwidths of a detector () and an amplifying circuit at a subsequent stage of the detector, and another scanning speed exceeding the upper limit of the bandwidths. Then, the signal processing unit creates a one-dimensional correction filter for recovering image quality, from an inverse function (H(s)) of the degradation function, and applies the one-dimensional correction filter to the detection signal recorded at the scanning speed exceeding the upper limit of the bandwidths of the detector and the amplifying circuit at a subsequent stage of the detector, or to a two-dimensional image based on the detection signal.

Charged particle beam apparatus

A control device () for a charged particle beam device () tilts the irradiation axis of a primary electron beam () to the left, straight, or to the right via tilting coils () each time the primary electron beam () scans the surface of a sample () over a single scanning line. When the irradiation axis is changed, the focal point of the primary electron beam () is adjusted by a focal point-adjusting coil () based on the tilt of the irradiation axis in order to take a left-tilted observation image, a non-tilted observation image or a right-tilted observation image of the surface of a sample () for each scanning line. The left-tilted observation images, non-tilted observation images and right-tilted observation images for the scanning lines obtained up to this point are simultaneously displayed on the same display device (). In this way, focused non-tilted observation images and focused tilted observation images can be taken and displayed nearly simultaneously.

Charged particle beam device and inclined observation image display method

An electron microscope according to the present invention includes: a backscattered electron detector provided with a backscattered electron detecting element (); a low-vacuum secondary electron detector provided with a bias electrode () and a specimen stage (); and a signal switch () that switches signals detected by the detectors. Optimal observation conditions are stored in an observation condition memory () for each of the detectors. A CPU () calls observation conditions stored in the observation condition memory () on the basis of the switching of the detectors, and sets conditions of the electron microscope to the called observation conditions. An image processing device () converts a plurality of the detected signals obtained on the basis of the switching of the detectors into two-dimensional image signals and evaluates the qualities of images of the two-dimensional image signals. In an image quality prioritized mode, the CPU () selects a detector causing an evaluated value to be highest on the basis of the results of the evaluation performed by the image processing device () and causes an image to be displayed. In the electron microscope that includes the plurality of detectors, a detector can easily be selected, and the optimal observation conditions for the detectors can easily be set.

Electron microscope

A charged particle beam device of the present invention has a signal processing function of acquiring a secondary signal obtained when a charged particle beam is caused to scan at a low speed not subjected to a band limitation of an electrical signal path, and a secondary signal obtained when a charged particle beam is caused to scan at a high speed subjected to the band limitation of the electrical signal path, calculating a degradation function (H(s)) between the plurality of secondary signals, and using an inverse function thereof as a correction filter; and a function of updating a parameter of the correction filter to an optimal value as needed or at given timing. Accordingly, the charged particle beam device can perform optimum image restoration even when a detector or an amplifier circuit that constitutes the electrical signal path degrades with time.

Charged particle beam device and method for correcting detected signal thereof

A charged particle beam impinging on a specimen is set to have left and right tilt angles corresponding to a parallactic angle. A control unit is provided which scans the beam over the specimen while giving a left tilt and a right tilt corresponding to the parallactic angle alternately to the beam on each scanning line. In this way, images are acquired. A three-dimensional image in which deterioration of the resolution is suppressed is displayed in real time by combining aberration cancellation means with the control of the beam according to the parallactic angle. The aberration cancellation means uses an optical system having plural stages of lenses to provide overall cancellation of aberrations by making use of the action of a lens to deflect the beam back to the optical axis.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Shigeru Kawamata