The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 19, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 04, 1997
Toshiaki Fujii, Chiba, JP;
Toshio Doi, Chiba, JP;
Munenori Tasai, Chiba, JP;
Yasuhiko Sugiyama, Chiba, JP;
Seiko Instruments Inc., Chiba, JP;
Abstract
To provide a focused ion beam optical axis alignment method and a focused ion beam apparatus which make axis alignment work of for example when replacing an ion source of a focused ion beam apparatus easy. A method for adjusting the optical axis of a focused ion beam apparatus having an ion source part 3 made up of an ion source 1 for producing an ion beam and a pullout electrode 2, a monitoring aperture 5 which passes a central part having a high energy density of the ion beam and measures the electric current thereof, a charged particle optical system 9 including a condenser lens 6, an aperture 7 and an objective lens 8, and a deflecting electrode 16 which scans the focused ion beam, wherein while moving the ion source 1 in a direction intersecting orthogonally with the optical axis of the ion beam the current measured by the monitoring aperture 5 and the overall ion beam quantity produced from the ion source are monitored and a voltage impressed on the pullout electrode is controlled so that this current becomes constant and the position of the ion source 1 is adjusted so that the overall ion beam quantity becomes a minimum.