Hitachi-High-Technologies Corporation

Hitachi-Science Systems, Ltd.

Toto Ltd.

Hitachi High-Tech Science Systems Corporation

Sukehiro Ito

Yusuke Ominami

Tomohisa Ohtaki

Junichi Katane

Takashi Ohshima

Shinichi Tomita

Michio Hatano

Mitsugu Sato

Shinsuke Kawanishi

Hideo Morishita

Mami Konomi

Wataru Kotake

Taku Sakazume

Masahiko Ajima

Shigeru Kawamata

Tetsuya Sawahata

Hiroyuki Ito

Akira Omachi

Atsushi Takane

Toshihide Agemura

Kenko Uchida

Souichi Katagiri

Mitsuru Onuma

Sadamitsu Aso

Toshihiro Aoshima

Yasuko Aoki

Takeshi Ogashiwa

Masami Katsuyama

Yuusuke Narita

Takeharu Shichiji

Yasuko Watanabe

Hiroyuki Honda

Yuta Ebine

Nagahide Ishida

Michio c/o Hitachi Ltd Int Prop Group Hatano

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the effort in placement and extraction of samples in observations using transmitted charged particles. A charged particle beam device () is characterized by having: a charged particle optical lens tube that irradiates a sample () with a primary charged particle beam; a sample stage on which a light emitting member () that emits light because of charged particles that have come by transmission internally in the sample () or scattering therefrom or a sample platform () having the light emitting member () is attachably and detachably disposed; and a detector () that detects the light emitted by the light emitting member.

Charged particle beam device, sample observation method, sample platform, observation system, and light emitting member

Provided is a charged particle beam device capable of observing the interior and the surface of a sample in a simple manner. This charged particle beam device operates in a transmitted charged particle image mode and a secondary charged particle image mode. In the transmitted charged particle image mode, a transmitted charged particle image is produced on the basis of a detection signal () associated with light emitted from a light-emitting member () that emits light upon being irradiated with transmitted charged particles transmitted through the interior of a sample (). In the secondary charged particle image mode, a secondary charged particle image is produced on the basis of a detection signal () caused by reflected charged particles or secondary charged particles () from the sample ().

Charged particle beam device, image generation method, observation system

A charged particle beam device capable of observing a sample in an air atmosphere or gas atmosphere has a thin film for separating the atmospheric pressure space from the decompressed space. A vacuum evacuation pump evacuates a first housing; and a detector detects a charged particle beam (obtained by irradiation of the sample) in the first housing. A thin film is provided to separate the inside of the first housing and the inside of a second housing at least along part of the interface between the first and second housings. An opening part is formed in the thin film so that its opening area on a charged particle irradiation unit's side is larger than its opening area on the sample side; and the thin film which covers the sample side of the opening part transmits or allows through the primary charged particle beam and the charged particle beam.

Charged particle beam device, method for adjusting charged particle beam device, and method for inspecting or observing sample

Provided is a charged particle beam device or charged particle microscope permitting observation of even a large-sized specimen in the air atmosphere or a gaseous atmosphere. A charged particle beam device that adopts a thin film which partitions a vacuum atmosphere and the air atmosphere (or gaseous atmosphere) includes a charged particle optical lens barrel in which a charged particle optical system is stored, a housing in which a route along which a primary charged particle beam emitted from the charged particle optical lens barrel reaches the thin film is sustained in the vacuum atmosphere, and a mechanism that bears the charged particle optical lens barrel and first housing against a device installation surface. As the bearing mechanism, a housing having an opening through which a large-sized specimen is carried in or a mechanism having a shape other than the shape of the housing, such as, a post is adopted.

Charged particle beam device

This charged particle beam device irradiates a primary charged particle beam generated from a charged particle microscope onto a sample arranged on a light-emitting member that makes up at least a part of a sample base, and, in addition to obtaining charged particle microscope images by the light-emitting member detecting charged particles transmitted through or scattered inside the sample, obtains optical microscope images by means of an optical microscope while the sample is still arranged on the sample platform.

Sample base, charged particle beam device and sample observation method

An electron microscope has a large depth of focus in comparison with an optical microscope. Thus, information is superimposed on one image in the direction of depth. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately specify the three-dimensional position and density of a structure in a specimen so as to observe the three-dimensional structure of the interior of the specimen by using the electron microscope. Furthermore, a specimen that is observed with the optical microscope on a slide glass is not put into a TEM device of the related art. Thus, performing three-dimensional internal structure observation with the electron microscope on a location that is observed with the optical microscope requires very cumbersome preparation of the specimen. By controlling a vector parameter that defines the interrelationship between a primary charged particle beam and the specimen and by irradiation with the primary charged particle beam with a plurality of different vector parameters, images of transmitted charged particles of the specimen that correspond to each of the vector parameters are obtained. Irradiation with the primary charged particle beam is performed on the specimen that is arranged either directly or through a predetermined member on a detector which detects charged particles transmitted through or scattered by the interior of the specimen.

Charged particle-beam device and specimen observation method

Ordinary charged particle beam apparatuses have each been an apparatus manufactured for dedicated use in making observations in a gas atmosphere at atmospheric pressure or at a pressure substantially equal thereto. There have existed no devices capable of simply making observations using an ordinary high-vacuum charged particle microscope in a gas atmosphere at atmospheric pressure or at a pressure approximately equal thereto. Furthermore, ordinary techniques have been incapable of observing the same spot of the sample in such an atmosphere using a charged particle beam and light simultaneously. This invention thus provides an apparatus including: a charged particle optical tube that irradiates a sample with a primary charged particle beam; a vacuum pump that evacuates the inside of the charged particle optical tube; a diaphragm arranged to separate a space in which the sample is placed from the charged particle optical tube, the diaphragm being detachable and allowing the primary charged particle beam to permeate or pass therethrough; and an optical microscope positioned on the opposite side of the charged particle optical tube across the diaphragm and the sample, the optical microscope having an optical axis thereof aligned with at least part of an extension of the optical axis of the charged particle optical tube.

Observation apparatus and optical axis adjustment method

A sample observation method includes irradiating a sample with a primary charged particle beam, detecting a secondary charged particle signal obtained by the irradiating, and observing the sample. The method is characterized by causing the primary charged particle beam generated in a charged particle optical lens barrel, which is maintained in a vacuum state, to be transmitted or passed through a separating film disposed to isolate a space in which the sample is placed from the charged particle optical lens barrel; and detecting a transmitted charged particle beam obtained by irradiating the sample, placed in an atmospheric pressure or a predetermined gas atmosphere of a slightly negative pressure state compared with the atmospheric pressure, with the primary charged particle beam.

Charged particle beam device and sample observation method

Provided is a charged particle beam device that is capable of suppressing an field-of-view deviation occurring when observing a tilted image or a left-right parallax-angle image acquired by irradiating a tilted beam on a sample while continuously compensating a focus. By means of an aligner for compensating field-of-view () installed between an objective lens () that focuses a primary charged particle beam on a surface of the sample (), and a deflector for controlling tilt angle () that tilts the primary charged particle beam, the field-of-view deviation occurring during tilting of the primary charged particle beam is suppressed based on an amount of compensation required by a tilt angle of the deflector for controlling tilt angle (), lens conditions, and a distance between the objective lens () and the sample (), in conjunction with a focus compensation of the objective lens ().

A charged particle beam device () includes a charged particle optical lens barrel (), a support housing () equipped with the charged particle optical lens barrel () thereon, and an insertion housing () inserted in the support housing (). A first aperture member () is disposed in the vicinity of the center of the magnetic field of an objective lens, and a second aperture member () is disposed so as to externally close an opening part provided at the upper side of the insertion housing (). Further, when a primary charged particle beam () is irradiated to a sample () arranged under the lower side of the second aperture member (), secondary charged particles thus emitted are detected by a detector ().

A sample observation method uses a charged particle beam apparatus comprising a charged particle optical column irradiating a charged particle beam, a vacuum chamber, and a sample chamber being capable of storing a sample. The method includes maintaining a pressure of the sample chamber higher than that of the vacuum chamber by a thin film which permits the charged particle beam to be transmitted, determining a relation between a height of a lower surface of the thin film and a height of a lower end of a lens barrel of an optical microscope, measuring a distance between the sample and the lens barrel, and setting a distance between the sample and thin film based on the relation and the distance.

Inspection or observation apparatus and sample inspection or observation method

Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus () to and from which a diaphragm () can be easily attached and detached, and in which a sample () can be arranged under vacuum and under high pressure. The charged particle beam apparatus includes: a lens barrel () holding a charged particle source () and an electron optical system (); a first housing () connected to the lens barrel (); a second housing () recessed to inside the first housing (); a first diaphragm () separating the space inside the lens barrel () and the space inside the first housing (), and through which the charged particle beam passes; a second diaphragm () separating the spaces inside and outside the recessed section () in the second housing (), and through which the charged particle beam passes; and a pipe () connected to a third housing () accommodating the charged particle source (). The first diaphragm () is attached to the pipe (), and the pipe () and the third housing () can be attached to and detached from the lens barrel () in the direction of the optical axis (). A space () surrounded by the first housing () and the second housing () is depressurized, and the sample () arranged inside the recessed section () is irradiated with a charged particle beam.

Charged particle beam apparatus

Disclosed is a charged particle radiation device having a charged particle source which generates a charged particle as a probe, a charged particle optical system, a sample stage, a vacuum discharge system, an aperture which restricts a probe, a conductive film, and a charged particle detector, wherein the conductive film is provided at a position excluding the optical axis of the optical system between the sample stage and the aperture; and the distance between the sensing surface of the surface of the charged particle detector and the sample stage is larger than the distance between the sample stage and the conductive film, so that the surface of the conductive film and the sensing surface of the detector are inclined.

Charged particle radiation device with bandpass detection

Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus or charged particle microscope capable of observing an observation target sample in an air atmosphere or a gas environment without making significant changes to the configuration of a conventional high vacuum charged particle microscope. In a charged particle beam apparatus configured such that a thin film () is used to separate a vacuum environment and an air atmosphere (or a gas environment), an attachment () capable of holding the thin film () and whose interior can be maintained at an air atmosphere or a gas environment is inserted into a vacuum chamber () of a high vacuum charged particle microscope. The attachment () is vacuum-sealed and fixed to a vacuum partition of the vacuum sample chamber. Image quality is further improved by replacing the atmosphere in the attachment with helium or a light-elemental gas that has a lower mass than atmospheric gases such as nitrogen or water vapor.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Sukehiro Ito