# US 10,872,742 B2 · Charged particle beam device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,742 B2 - Document ID: US10872742B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/337,791 - Filed: 2016-11-24 - Published: 2020-01-02 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-24 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Takafumi Miwa; Seiichiro Kanno; Go Miya - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872742B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/09: Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields - H01J 37/026: {Means for avoiding or neutralising unwanted electrical charges on tube components} - H01J 37/153: Electron-optical or ion-optical arrangements for the correction of image defects, e.g. stigmators - H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support - H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} - H01J 2237/0041: Neutralising arrangements - H01J 2237/022: Avoiding or removing foreign or contaminating particles, debris or deposits on sample or tube - H01J 2237/28: Scanning microscopes - H01J 2237/2809: characterised by the imaging problems involved - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A charged particle beam device capable of removing a foreign matter adhered to an electric field-correcting electrode arranged in an outer peripheral portion of a measurement sample is provided. The invention is directed to a charged particle beam device including a sample stage provided with the measurement sample and an electric field-correcting electrode correcting an electric field in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the measurement sample and in which the measurement sample is measured by being irradiated with a charged particle beam, wherein a foreign-matter removal control unit controls a power source connected to the electric field-correcting electrode such that an absolute value of a voltage to be applied to the electric field-correcting electrode is equal to or more than an absolute value of a voltage to be applied to the electric field-correcting electrode when the measurement sample is measured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A charged particle beam device which includes a sample stage provided with a measurement sample and an electric field-correcting electrode which corrects an electric field in a vicinity of an outer peripheral portion of the measurement sample, and in which the measurement sample is measured by irradiating the measurement sample with a charged particle beam, the device comprising: a memory; an input/output device; and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the input/output device, wherein the processor is configured to: performs control such that when a dummy sample is provided in the sample stage or both the measurement sample and the dummy sample are not provided in the sample stage, a first voltage is applied to the electric field-correcting electrode and/or a second voltage is applied to a neighboring electrode arranged near the electric field-correcting electrode to remove a foreign matter adhering to the electric field-correcting electrode, and control a power source connected to the electric field-correcting electrode and/or a power source connected to the neighboring electrode such that in the voltage to be applied to the electric field-correcting electrode, the first voltage and/or the second voltage have periodicity, or an absolute value of the first voltage and/or an absolute value of the second voltage is equal to or more than an absolute value of the voltage applied when the measurement sample is measured. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam device according to claim 1, wherein the neighboring electrode is at least one of the dummy sample, an objective lens for the charged particle beam which is included in a charged particle beam optical system, a shield electrode which suppresses distortion of the electric field in the entire surface of the measurement sample, and an electrostatic chuck electrode which is arranged in the sample stage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam device according to claim 1, wherein the electric field-correcting electrode is arranged in an outer peripheral portion of the sample stage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam device according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the electric field-correcting electrode is a mirrored surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam device according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the power source connected to the electric field-correcting electrode and the power source connected to the neighboring electrode such that a change of the first voltage to be applied to the electric field-correcting electrode is changed synchronously with a change of the second voltage to be applied to the neighboring electrode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The charged particle beam device according to claim 5, wherein the processor controls the power source connected to the electric field-correcting electrode and/or the power source connected to the neighboring electrode such that a potential gradient of the electric field-correcting electrode and the neighboring electrode during foreign matter removal is larger than a potential gradient of the electric field-correcting electrode and the neighboring electrode during sample measurement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam device according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls a power source connected to the objective lens such that the second voltage is applied to the objective lens which is one of the neighboring electrodes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The charged particle beam device according to claim 1 further comprising: a static eliminator for eliminating static electricity on the foreign matter adhering to the electric field-correcting electrode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The charged particle beam device according to claim 8, wherein the static eliminator is auxiliary to the processor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The charged particle beam device according to claim 8, wherein the static eliminator is an optical irradiation static eliminator. ### Claim 11 A charged particle beam device comprising: a charged particle gun; a sample stage which is provided with a measurement sample to be irradiated with a charged particle beam including a charged particle emitted from the charged particle gun; an electric field-correcting electrode which is arranged in a periphery of the sample stage and corrects an electric field in a vicinity of an outer peripheral portion of the measurement sample; a charged particle beam optical system for the charged particle beam which includes an objective lens; a processor which controls each component; and a display which is connected to the processor, wherein the display displays a time change of a voltage having periodicity or a time change of an absolute value of a voltage which is equal to or more than an absolute value of a voltage to be applied when the measurement sample is measured, and to be applied to the electric field-correcting electrode when the foreign matter adhering to the electric field-correcting electrode is removed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The charged particle beam device according to claim 11, wherein the display displays the time change of the voltage having periodicity and the absolute value of the voltage is equal to or more than the absolute value of the voltage to be applied when the measurement sample is measured, and to be applied to an electrode in the vicinity of the electric field-correcting electrode when the foreign matter adhering to the electric field-correcting electrode is removed. ### Claim 13 A charged particle beam device comprising: a charged particle gun; a sample stage which is provided with a measurement sample to be irradiated with a charged particle beam including a charged particle emitted from the charged particle gun; an electric field-correcting electrode which is arranged in a periphery of the sample stage; a charged particle beam optical system for the charged particle beam which includes an objective lens; a processor which controls each component; and a display which is connected to the processor, wherein the display displays a time change of a voltage having periodicity or a time change of an absolute value of a voltage which is equal to or more than an absolute value of a voltage to be applied when the measurement sample is measured, and to be applied to an electrode in the vicinity of the electric field-correcting electrode when the foreign matter adhering to the electric field-correcting electrode is removed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The charged particle beam device according to claim 13, wherein the display displays the time change of the voltage having periodicity and the absolute value of the voltage is equal to or more than the absolute value of the voltage to be applied when the measurement sample is measured, and to be applied to an electrode in the vicinity of the electric field-correcting electrode when the foreign matter adhering to the electric field-correcting electrode is removed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The charged particle beam device according to claim 13, wherein the charged particle beam optical system includes a shield electrode which suppresses distortion of an electric field in the entire surface of the measurement sample, the sample stage includes an installed dummy sample and an electrostatic chuck electrode for sucking the dummy sample, and the electrode in the vicinity of the electric field-correcting electrode is at least one of the dummy sample, the objective lens, a shield electrode, and the electrostatic chuck electrode.