Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation

Sii Nanotechnology Inc.

Yo Yamamoto

Tatsuya Asahata

Atsushi Uemoto

Makoto Sato

Toshiaki Fujii

Kouji Iwasaki

Haruo Takahashi

Hidekazu Suzuki

Xin Man

Satoshi Tomimatsu

Takashi Ogawa

Yutaka Ikku

Hiroshi Matsumura

Keiichi Tanaka

Hiroyuki Suzuki

Junichi Tashiro

Masamichi Oi

Shota Torikawa

Mamoru Okabe

An automatic sample preparation apparatus that automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample and includes a focused ion beam irradiation optical system, an electron beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate an electron beam from a direction different from a direction of the focused ion beam, a sample piece transfer device configured to hold and transfer the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample, a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles emitted from an irradiation object, and a computer configured to recognize a position of the sample piece transfer device by image-recognition using an image data of the focused ion beam and the electron beam generated by irradiating the sample piece transfer device with the focused ion beam and the electron beam, and drive the sample piece transfer device, wherein the image data includes a reference mark.

Automatic sample preparation apparatus

An automatic sample preparation apparatus that automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample includes: a focused ion beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a focused ion beam; an electron beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate an electron beam from a direction different from a direction of the focused ion beam; a sample piece transfer device configured to hold and transfer the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles emitted from an irradiation object by irradiating the irradiation object with the focused ion beam and/or the electron beam; and a computer configured to recognize a position of the sample piece transfer device by image-recognition using an image data of the focused ion beam and the electron beam generated by irradiating the sample piece transfer device with the focused ion beam and the electron beam, and drive the transfer device.

Automatic sample preparation apparatus and automatic sample preparation method

According to one embodiment, an automatic sample preparation apparatus includes: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to perform irradiation with a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move with the sample placed thereon; a sample piece transfer device for holding and transferring the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a sample piece holder-fixing bed configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transferred; a gas supply portion configured to irradiate gas forming a deposition film with the charged particle beam; and a computer configured to control the charged particle beam irradiation optical system, the sample piece transfer device, and the gas supply portion to transfer and stop the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device with a gap between the sample piece holder and the sample piece, and connect the sample piece to the sample piece holder.

Disclosed are a charged particle beam apparatus wherein the charged particle beam apparatus can efficiently performs finish processing of a sample and acquisition of a high-precision SEM image of a processing surface of the sample in a short time, and a sample processing observation method using the same. The charged particle beam apparatus includes: a gallium ion beam column radiating a gallium ion beam toward a sample to form a cross-section of the sample; an electron beam column having a semi-in-lens type objective lens and radiating an electron beam toward the sample; a gas ion beam column radiating a gas ion beam toward the sample to perform finish processing of the cross-section of the sample, wherein the gas ion beam has a beam diameter larger than a maximum diameter of the cross-section of the sample.

Charged particle beam apparatus and sample processing observation method

A charged particle beam includes: a computer that controls a needle actuating mechanism so as to approach a needle to a sample piece using a template formed from an absorbed current image obtained by irradiating the needle with a charged particle beam and a tip coordinate of the needle acquired from a secondary electron image obtained by irradiating the needle with the charged particle beam.

Charged particle beam apparatus

A charged particle beam device () includes a computer () which controls multiple charged particle beam irradiation optical systems, the needle (), and a gas supply portion () to transfer a sample piece Q to a predetermined position of the sample piece holder P, based on at least images of a sample piece holder (P), a needle (), and the sample piece (Q) previously acquired by multiple charged particle beams.

A charged particle beam apparatus automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample and includes a charged particle beam irradiation optical system that irradiates a charged particle beam to a sample placed on a movable sample stage. A sample piece transferring unit holds and transfers a sample piece separated and extracted from the sample, and a holder support holds a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transferred. A computer controls a position of an object based on a template prepared from an image of the object acquired by irradition with the charged particle beam and position information acquired from the image of the object. The sample piece transferring unit includes a needle that transfers the sample piece separated and extrated from the sample, and a needle actuting mechanism that actuates the needle. The computer controls the needle actuating mechanism so as to approach the needle to the sample piece using the template formed from an absorbed current image acquired by irradiating the needle with the charged particle beam.

A charged particle beam apparatus includes: a charged particle beam column; a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles; an image processor; a display device; a needle arranged in an irradiation area of charged particle beam; a needle actuator; a user interface; and a controller configured to control the needle actuator to actuate the needle in accordance with a target position that is set by the user interface. The controller controls the needle actuator to move the needle to track a change of the target position that is set by the user interface.

Charged particle beam apparatus having needle probe that tracks target position changes

A charged particle beam apparatus includes: a charged particle beam column configured to irradiate an irradiation target with a charged particle beam; a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles emitted from the irradiation target by the irradiation of the charged particle beam; a needle arranged in an irradiation area of the charged particle beam; a needle actuator configured to actuate the needle; and a controller configured to control the needle actuator to actuate the needle along a movement route that is configured by a preset target position and preset way points. The controller controls the needle actuator to set an actuating direction of the needle for each of the way points.

Charged particle beam apparatus having improved needle movement control

A composite charged particle beam apparatus comprises an FIB column having an ion beam irradiation axis and an SEM column having an electron beam irradiation axis, the FIB and SEM columns being arranged relative to one another so that the beam irradition axes intersect with each other substantially at a right angle. A sample stage is provided for mounting a sample, and a detector detects secondary particles generated from the sample when irradiated with the ion beam or the electron beam. An observation image formation portion forms an FIB image and an SEM image based on a detection signal of the detector. A display portion displays the FIB image and the SEM image in which a horizontal direction of the sample in the FIB image and said horizontal direction of the sample in the SEM image are the same thereby making it possible for an operator to easily comprehend the positional relationship of the observation image of the sample.

Composite charged particle beam apparatus

A composite charged particle beam apparatus comprises an FIB column and an SEM column arranged so that the ion and the electron beam irradition axes intersect with each other substantially at a right angle. A sample stage mounts a sample, and a detector detects secondary particles generated from the sample when irradiated with the ion beam or the electron beam. An observation image formation portion forms an FIB image and an SEM image based on a detection signal of the detector. An optical microscope observes the sample, and a display portion displays the FIB image, the SEM image and an optical microscope image. A stage control portion changes the coordinate system of the sample stage to any selected one of the coordinate systems of the FIB image, the SEM image and the optical microscope image.

A charged particle beam apparatus which is able to adjust charged particle optics easily in a short time with a high degree of accuracy and a method of adjusting charged particle optics are provided. A charged particle beam apparatusincludes a charged particle source, charged particle opticsconfigured to set the ion beam I to a bean characteristic value corresponding to an input value to cause a sample to be irradiated therewith, scanning meansconfigured to be able to move the irradiation point of the charged particle beam I relatively with each other, observing meansbeing capable of obtaining an image, and a control unit, and the control unitincludes spot pattern forming meansconfigured to set the input value to different values and cause the sample to be irradiated with the charged particle beam I by a plurality of times at different positions to form a plurality of spot patterns and spot pattern analyzing meansconfigured to select a spot pattern having a smallest characteristic value, and sets the input values of the charged particle opticsto a value equal to the input value corresponding to the selected spot pattern.

Charged particle beam apparatus and method of adjusting charged particle optics

Provided is a composite charged particle beam apparatus, including: an electron beam column for irradiating a sample with an electron beam; an ion beam column for irradiating the sample with an ion beam to perform etching processing; a sample stage drive portion for moving a sample stage in an irradiation axis direction of the electron beam; and a column adjusting portion for moving the ion beam column relatively to a sample chamber such that the sample is irradiated with the ion beam at a position irradiated with the electron beam.

There is provided a sample processing and observing method including irradiating a focused ion beam to a sample to form an observed surface, irradiating an electron beam to the observed surface to form an observed image, removing the surface opposite to the observed surface of the sample, forming a lamella including the observed surface and obtaining a transmission observed image for the lamella.

Sample processing and observing method

A charged particle beam apparatus includes a charged particle source, an aperture, an object lens, an observing unit, an aperture driving portion, and a control portion. The control portion includes a spot pattern forming portion that forms a plurality of spot patterns on a surface of a sample by irradiating a charged particle beam, an analyzing portion that calculates a position of a spot center of the spot pattern and a geometrical center position of a halo, and an adjusting position determining portion that calculates an adjusting position based on a position of intersecting lines connecting the positions of the spot centers of the respective spot patterns and the center position of the halo. In this manner, the position of the aperture can be easily and accurately adjusted in a short period of time by moving the center axis of the aperture to the adjusting position.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Yo Yamamoto