Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Yusuke Ominami

Shinsuke Kawanishi

Sukehiro Ito

Hiroyuki Suzuki

Tomohisa Ohtaki

Masahiko Ajima

Yasuhiro Gunji

Mami Konomi

Takashi Ohshima

Hiroshi Miyai

Mitsugu Sato

Taku Sakazume

Yoshiyuki Shichida

Maki Tanaka

Takashi Hiroi

Hiroyuki Ito

Mari Nozoe

Makoto Suzuki

Takuma Yamamoto

Kenko Uchida

Junichi Katane

Hideo Morishita

Kenji Nakahira

Toshie Yaguchi

Sadamitsu Aso

Masako Nishimura

Akiko Hisada

Akira Watabe

Masami Katsuyama

Kohtaro Hosoya

Masanari Furiki

Mitsuru Okamura

In order to observe a water-containing sample with excellent convenience under an air atmosphere or a gas atmosphere, or under a desired pressure, in the present invention, there is provided an observation support unit for observation by irradiating the sample disposed in a non-vacuum space separated by a diaphragm from an inner space of a charged particle optical lens barrel that generates a charged particle beam, with the charged particle beam. The observation support unit includes a main body portion for covering a hole portion that forms an observation region where the sample is observed, and the sample, and the observation support unit is directly mounted between the sample and the diaphragm, that is, on the sample.

Observation support unit for charged particle microscope and sample observation method using same

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

In a scanning electron microscope, an atmospheric pressure space having a specimen arranged therein and a vacuum space arranged on a charged particle optical system side are isolated from each other using an isolation film that transmits charged particle beams. The scanning electron microscope has an electron optical lens barrel, a chassis, and an isolation film. The electron optical lens barrel radiates a primary electron beam onto a specimen. The chassis is directly bonded to the inside of the electron optical lens barrel and has an inside that turns into a lower vacuum state than the inside of the electron optical lens barrel at least during the radiation of the primary electron beam. The isolation film isolates a space in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere having a specimen mounted therein and the inside of the chassis in a lower vacuum state, and transmits the primary charged particle beam.

Electron scanning microscope and image generation method

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

Disclosed is a charged particle beam apparatus wherein a partitioning film capable of transmitting a charged particle beam is provided between a charged particle optical system and a sample, said charged particle beam apparatus eliminating a contact between the sample and the partitioning film even in the cases where the sample has recesses and protrusions. On the basis of detection signals or an image generated on the basis of the detection signals, a distance between a sample and a partitioning film is monitored, said detection signals being outputted from a detector that detects secondary charged particles discharged from the sample due to irradiation of a primary charged particle beam.

Charged particle beam apparatus and sample image acquiring method

A charged-particle-beam device is provided with a data processing unit that removes, from a detector signal, the effect that scattering of a primary charged-particle beam before the primary charged-particle beam reaches a specimen has on the spot shape of the primary charged-particle beam. For example, when using an electron microscope to observe a specimen in a non-vacuum atmosphere, the effect that scattering of a primary charged-particle beam due to a barrier film or a gas present in a non-vacuum space has on the spot shape of the primary charged-particle beam is removed from a signal acquired by a detector. This makes it easy to obtain high-quality images.

Charged-particle-beam device, specimen-image acquisition method, and program recording medium

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

Conventional devices have been difficult to use due to insufficient consideration being given to factors such as the cost necessary for diaphragm replacement and the convenience of the work. In the present invention, a diaphragm mounting member installed in a charged particle beam device for radiating a primary charged particle beam through a diaphragm separating a vacuum space and an atmospheric pressure space onto a sample placed in the atmospheric pressure space is provided with a diaphragm installation portion to which a TEM membrane is mounted and a casing fixing portion mounted on a casing of the charged particle beam device. The diaphragm installation portion has a positioning structure for positioning a platform on which the diaphragm is held.

Diaphragm mounting member and charged particle beam device

A sample storage container of the present invention includes: a storage container () that stores a sample () under an atmosphere different from an atmosphere of an outside; a diaphragm () through which a charged particle beam passes through or transmits; a sample stage () that is arranged inside the storage container () and that is capable of moving a relative position of the sample () to the diaphragm () in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction under an atmospheric state where the atmospheric states inside the storage container and outside the storage container are different each other; and an operating section () that moves the sample stage () from an outside of the storage container (), wherein the sample storage container is set in a state where the sample () is stored in a vacuum chamber of a charged particle beam apparatus.

Sample storage container, charged particle beam apparatus, and image acquiring method

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

A charged particle beam device provided with: a charged particle optical lens column generating a primary charged particle beam; a housing which has its inside evacuated by a vacuum pump; a first diaphragm that forms a part of the housing and able to keep an airtight state of the interior space of the housing; and a second diaphragm disposed between the first diaphragm and the sample, wherein a primary charged particle beam generated by the charged particle optical lens column is transmitted by or passes through the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm, and then is irradiated, on the sample that is in contact with the second diaphragm.

Charged particle beam device, sample stage unit, 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.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yusuke Ominami