# US 11,721,517 B2 · Focused ion beam processing apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,721,517 B2
- Document ID: US11721517B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/207,184
- Filed: 2021-03-19
- Published: 2021-09-23
- Granted: 2023-08-08
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-23
- Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation
- Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation
- Inventors: Hiroshi Oba; Yasuhiko Sugiyama; Yoshitomo Nakagawa; Koji Nagahara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11721517B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/12: electrostatic
- H01J 37/3007: {Electron or ion-optical systems}
- H01J 37/08: Ion sources; Ion guns
- H01J 37/09: Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields
- H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support
- H01J 37/21: Means for adjusting the focus
- H01J 37/3056: {for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components}
- H01J 37/3175: {Projection methods, i.e. transfer substantially complete pattern to substrate}
- H01J 2237/045: Diaphragms
- H01J 2237/30477: Beam diameter
- H01J 2237/31745: for preparing specimen to be viewed in microscopes or analyzed in microanalysers
- H01J 2237/31788: through mask
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

Provided is a focused ion beam processing apparatus including: an ion source; a sample stage a condenser lens; an aperture having a slit in a straight line shape; a projection lens and the sample stage, wherein, in a transfer mode, by Köhler illumination, with an applied voltage of the condenser lens when a focused ion beam is focused on a main surface of the projection lens scaled to be 100, the applied voltage is set to be less than 100 and greater than or equal to 80; a position of the aperture is set such that the focused ion beam is masked by the aperture with the one side of the aperture at a distance greater than 0 μm and equal to or less than 500 μm from a center of the focused ion beam; and the shape of the slit is transferred onto the sample.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A focused ion beam processing apparatus for processing a cross-section parallel to an irradiation direction of a focused ion beam with respect to a sample comprising:
an ion source;
a sample stage holding a sample;
a condenser lens focusing ions emitted from the ion source into a focused ion beam;
an aperture having a slit with at least one side in a straight line shape, the slit being used to mask a part of the focused ion beam focused by the condenser lens to process the sample into a desired shape;
a projection lens placed in a beam path between the aperture and the sample stage, and focusing the focused ion beam that passed through the aperture on a predetermined position on the sample; and
a computer as a control means configured to control elements of the focused ion beam processing apparatus,
wherein, in a transfer mode, the computer is configured to set:
an applied voltage of the condenser lens to be 80% or more and less than 100% relative to an initial applied voltage of the condenser lens, wherein the initial applied voltage is set when the focused ion beam is focused on a main surface of the projection lens by Köhler illumination;
a position of the aperture such that the focused ion beam is masked by the aperture with the at least one side of the aperture at a distance greater than 0 μm and equal to or less than 500 μm from a center of the focused ion beam; and
an applied voltage of the projection lens such that an image formed by the slit of the aperture is focused on a surface of the sample, and
wherein the surface of the sample is irradiated at once with the focused ion beam that is formed in a shape of the slit without scanning with the focused ion beam so that the shape of the slit is transferred onto the sample in the transfer mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The focused ion beam processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a beam size of the focused ion beam is adjustable by adjusting applied voltage of the projection lens.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The focused ion beam processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slit of the aperture is in a rectangular shape.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The focused ion beam processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the slit of the aperture is in a rectangular shape.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The focused ion beam processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ion source is a plasma ion source.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The focused ion beam processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ion source is a plasma ion source.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The focused ion beam processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the ion source is a plasma ion source.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The focused ion beam processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the ion source is a plasma ion source.