Coordinating optical type observing apparatus and laser marking method

Abstract

An optical observing apparatus has a sample stage for moving a sample to a desired location to be operated upon at a target position by a charged particle beam apparatus so that the target position can be visually observed, an optical observation system for magnifying the sample for visual observation of the target position, a marking system for moving the sample based on the visual observation and marking the sample at one or more locations from which the target position can be determined without the need for further visual observation so that the target position may be located by the charged particle beam apparatus even when the target position can not be visually observed by use of the charged particle beam apparatus, and a control system for storing the target position and the location of the one or more markings together with an optical observation image and corresponding stage coordinate. In a preferred embodiment, the marking system is a laser marking system for producing a plurality of laser beams on the same optical axis, each having a different wavelength, so that an appropriate laser beam may be selected based upon the nature of the sample. The sample has an underlying structure covered by a layer of transparent material, so that the underlying structure can be visually observed by means of the optical observation system but cannot be observed by use of the charged particle beam apparatus.