# US 10,312,051 B2 · Composite charged particle beam apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,051 B2 - Document ID: US10312051B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/868,526 - Filed: 2015-09-29 - Published: 2016-03-31 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-30 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation - Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki; Shinya Kitayama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312051B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support - H01J 2237/20207: Tilt - H01J 2237/20214: Rotation - H01J 2237/31745: for preparing specimen to be viewed in microscopes or analyzed in microanalysers - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A composite charged particle beam apparatus includes a first charged particle beam column that irradiates a thin sample with a first charged particle beam, a second charged particle beam column that irradiates an irradiation position of the first charged particle beam of the thin sample with a second charged particle beam, a sample holder that fixes the thin sample, and a sample stage on which the sample holder is mounted. The sample holder is able to rotate the thin sample within a surface parallel to an observation surface of the thin sample around a first rotational axis on the sample stage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A composite charged particle beam apparatus comprising: a first charged particle beam column configured to irradiate a thin sample with a first charged particle beam; a second charged particle beam column configured to irradiate an irradiation position of the first charged particle beam of the thin sample with a second charged particle beam; a sample holder configured to hold the thin sample; and a sample stage on which the sample holder is mounted, wherein the sample holder is configured to oscillate the thin sample on the sample stage along a circular locus having a first rotational axis and within a surface which is parallel to an observation surface of the thin sample, and through which an irradiation axis of the first charged particle beam column passes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample stage is tiltable about a tilt axis, and wherein eucentric positions of the tilt axis and the first rotational axis coincide with each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sample holder is configured to rotate the thin sample within a surface perpendicular to the observation surface of the thin sample around a second rotational axis on the sample stage, the second rotational axis being substantially orthogonal to the first rotational axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sample holder comprises: a base stage disposed on the sample stage; a holder shaft rotatably attached to the base stage; a second rotation device configured to be rotated in accordance with rotation of the holder shaft; and a first rotation device accommodated in a concave section of the second rotation device, the first rotation device being rotatable independently of the second rotation device and being configured to hold the thin sample, wherein the thin sample rotates around the first rotational axis by rotation of the first rotation device, and wherein the thin sample rotates around the second rotational axis by rotation of the second rotation device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 4, wherein eucentric positions of the tilt axis and the second rotational axis coincide with each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the eucentric positions of the tilt axis and the first rotational axis, which coincide with each other, correspond to the irradiation positions of the first charged particle beam and the second charged particle beam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample holder comprises: a first rotation device comprising a guide groove; a second rotation device comprising a roller rotatable around a roller axis and slidable in the guide groove, wherein the first rotational axis is parallel to the roller axis, and wherein the first rotation device is swingable around a swing axis, which coincides with the roller axis, by receiving the rotation of the roller, so as to rotate the thin sample around the first rotational axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sample holder further comprises: a base stage disposed on the sample stage; and a holder shaft attached to the base stage and rotatable around a shaft axis, and wherein the second rotation device is coupled to the holder shaft and is configured to rotate around a second rotational axis, which coincides with the shaft axis of the holder, shaft, so as to rotate the thin sample around the second rotational axis. ### Claim 9 A composite charged particle beam apparatus comprising: a first charged particle beam column configured to irradiate a thin sample with a first charged particle beam; a second charged particle beam column configured to irradiate an irradiation position of the first charged particle beam of the thin sample with a second charged particle beam; a third charged particle beam column, which is tilted with respect to an irradiation axis of the first charged particle beam column, and which is configured to irradiate an irradiation position of the first charged particle beam on the thin sample with a third charged particle beam; a sample holder configured to hold the thin sample; and a sample stage on which the sample holder is mounted, wherein the sample holder is configured to oscillate the thin sample on the sample stage along a circular locus having a first rotational axis and within a surface which is parallel to an observation surface of the thin sample, and through which an irradiation axis of the third charged particle beam column passes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sample stage is tiltable about a tilt axis, and wherein eucentric positions of the tilt axis and the first rotational axis coincide with each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sample holder is configured to rotate the thin sample within a surface perpendicular to the observation surface of the thin sample around a second rotational axis on the sample stage, the second rotational axis being substantially orthogonal to the first rotational axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sample holder comprises: a base stage disposed on the sample stage; a holder shaft rotatably attached to the base stage; a second rotation device configured to be rotated in accordance with rotation of the holder shaft; and a first rotation device accommodated in a concave section of the second rotation device, the first rotation device being rotatable independently of the second rotation device and being configured to hold the thin sample, wherein the thin sample rotates around the first rotational axis by rotation of the first rotation device, and wherein the thin sample rotates around the second rotational axis by rotation of the second rotation device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 12, wherein eucentric positions of the tilt axis and the second rotational axis coincide with each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the eucentric positions of the tilt axis and the first rotational axis, which coincide with each other, correspond to the irradiation positions of the first charged particle beam and the second charged particle beam. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sample holder comprises: a first rotation device comprising a guide groove; a second rotation device comprising a roller rotatable around a roller axis and slidable in the guide groove, wherein the first rotational axis is parallel to the roller axis, and wherein the first rotation device is swingable around a swing axis, which coincides with the roller axis, by receiving the rotation of the roller, so as to rotate the thin sample around the first rotational axis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sample holder further comprises: a base stage disposed on the sample stage; and a holder shaft attached to the base stage and rotatable around a shaft axis, and wherein the second rotation device is coupled to the holder shaft and is configured to rotate around a second rotational axis, which coincides with the shaft axis of the holder shaft, so as to rotate the thin sample around the second rotational axis.