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US 11,682,539 B2Granted
Charged particle beam apparatus and setting assisting method
AssigneeJEOL Ltd.
InventorsKazutaka Watakabe, Hirofumi Kuwahara, Takenori Miyahara, Takahide Sakata, Felix Timischl
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Abstract
An average mass, an average density, and an average atomic number for a plurality of elements which form a specimen are calculated. A characteristic X-ray generation depth is calculated based on the average values and a minimum excitation energy of an element of interest. When an illumination condition is set, a reference image including a figure indicating a characteristic X-ray generation range, a numerical value indicating the characteristic X-ray generation depth, or the like, is displayed.
Claims11
A charged particle beam apparatus comprising:
- a measurement unit comprising a charged particle beam source for a charged particle beam, and a specimen chamber for a specimen, the charged particle beam being illuminated onto the specimen in the specimen chamber;
- an element table database having a plurality of pieces of element information, each of which element information comprises a mass, a density, an atomic number, and a minimum excitation energy;
- a processor configured to:
- receive, from the element table database, a plurality of pieces of element information for a plurality of specimen elements which form the specimen, receive a plurality of concentrations of the plurality of specimen elements, and receive an illumination condition comprising an accelerating voltage of the charged particle beam and an inclination angle of the specimen;
- calculate an average mass, an average density, and an average atomic number for the plurality of specimen elements, based on the plurality of pieces of element information for the plurality of specimen elements and the plurality of concentrations;
- calculate a characteristic X-ray generation depth corresponding to a specimen element of interest selected from the plurality of specimen elements, based on the illumination condition of the charged particle beam, the average mass, the average density, the average atomic number, and a minimum excitation energy of the specimen element of interest;
- generate a reference image including a figure simulating a range of a physical phenomenon in the specimen and a numerical value indicating a size of the range of the physical phenomenon, based on the illumination condition of the charged particle beam, the plurality of pieces of element information for the plurality of specimen elements, and the plurality of concentrations, wherein the range of physical phenomenon comprises a characteristic X-ray generation range, wherein the characteristic X-ray generation range is a range of a characteristic X-ray signal emitted from the specimen, wherein the figure includes a figure simulating the characteristic X-ray generation range corresponding to the specimen element of interest, and wherein the numerical value includes the characteristic X-ray generation depth corresponding to the specimen element of interest;
- and
- a display configured to display the reference image when an actual illumination condition of the charged particle beam is set;
- wherein the processor is further configured to:
- control the measurement unit according to the actual illumination condition.
8 more elements
A charged particle beam apparatus comprising:
- a charged particle beam source for a charged particle beam,
- a specimen chamber for a specimen, the charged particle beam being illuminated onto the specimen in the specimen chamber;
- a characteristic X-ray spectrometer;
- an element table database having a plurality of pieces of element information, wherein the plurality of pieces of element information comprises a mass, a density, an atomic number, and a minimum excitation energy of each element of a plurality of elements;
- a display;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- receive, from the element table database, the plurality of pieces of element information for a plurality of specimen elements which form the specimen and a plurality of concentrations of the plurality of specimen elements;
- receive an illumination condition comprising an accelerating voltage of the charged particle beam and an inclination angle of the specimen;
- calculate an average mass, an average density, and an average atomic number for the plurality of specimen elements based on the plurality of pieces of element information for the plurality of specimen elements and the plurality of concentrations;
- calculate a characteristic X-ray generation depth corresponding to a specimen element of interest of the plurality of specimen elements, based on the illumination condition of the charged particle beam, the average mass, the average density, the average atomic number, and a minimum excitation energy of the specimen element of interest;
- generate a reference image comprising a figure simulating a range of a characteristic X-ray generation range in the specimen and a numerical value indicating a size of the range of the characteristic X-ray generation range based on the illumination condition of the charged particle beam, the plurality of pieces of element information for the plurality of specimen elements, and the plurality of concentrations, wherein the characteristic X-ray generation range is a range of a characteristic X-ray signal emitted from the specimen, and wherein the figure comprises a figure simulating the characteristic X-ray generation range corresponding to the specimen element of interest, and wherein the numerical value includes the characteristic X-ray generation depth corresponding to the specimen element of interest;
- cause a graphical interface image comprising the reference image to be displayed on the display based on the illumination condition of the charged particle beam;
- control the charged particle beam source according to the illumination condition;
- receive, from the characteristic X-ray spectrometer, a detection signal that comprises characteristic X-rays emitted by the specimen;
- and
- perform an analysis of the specimen based on the detection signal from the characteristic X-ray spectrometer, wherein the analysis comprises a qualitative analysis of the plurality of elements which form the specimen and a quantitative analysis of a concentration of each element of the plurality of elements which form the specimen based on the characteristic X-rays emitted by the specimen.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.