Charged particle beam apparatus and contamination removal method therefor

A charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:

• a preparatory evacuation chamber into which the sample is conveyed, and which is preliminarily evacuated;
• an intermediate chamber into which the sample is conveyed before or/and after the conveyance of the sample into said preparatory evacuation chamber;
• an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in said intermediate chamber, and which irradiates a surface of the sample conveyed into said intermediate chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period;
• and
• a sample chamber into which the sample is conveyed from said preparatory evacuation chamber with a gate valve between said preparatory evacuation chamber and said sample chamber opened in the preliminarily evacuated state of said preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and from which the sample is conveyed into said preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation;
• wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in said intermediate chamber by said ultraviolet-irradiation unit is performed before the conveyance of the sample into said preparatory evacuation chamber, or/and after the conveyance thereof from said preparatory evacuation chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample.

A charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:

• a preparatory evacuation chamber into which the sample is conveyed, and which is preliminarily evacuated;
• a sample chamber into which the sample is conveyed from said preparatory evacuation chamber with a gate valve between said preparatory evacuation chamber and said sample chamber opened in the preliminarily evacuated state of said preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and from which the sample is conveyed into said preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation;
• and
• an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in said sample chamber, and which irradiates a surface of the sample conveyed into said sample chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period;
• wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in said sample chamber by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample.

A contamination removal method for a charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:

• a first step of conveying the sample into a preparatory evacuation chamber, and preliminarily evacuating the preparatory evacuation chamber;
• a second step of conveying the sample into a sample chamber in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and then conveying the sample from the sample chamber into the preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation;
• and
• a third step of irradiating a surface of the sample conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period by an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in the preparatory evacuation chamber;
• said third step being performed before the conveyance of the sample into the sample chamber, or/and after the conveyance thereof from the sample chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample.

A contamination removal method for a charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:

• a first step of conveying the sample into the preparatory evacuation chamber, and preliminarily evacuating the preparatory evacuation chamber;
• a second step of conveying the sample into an intermediate chamber before or/and after the conveyance of the sample into the preparatory evacuation chamber;
• a third step of conveying the sample into a sample chamber in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and then conveying the sample from the sample chamber into the preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation;
• and
• a fourth step of irradiating a surface of the sample conveyed into the intermediate chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period by an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in the intermediate chamber;
• said fourth step being performed before the conveyance of the sample into the preparatory evacuation chamber, or/and after the conveyance thereof from the preparatory evacuation chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample.

A contamination removal method for a charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:

• a first step of conveying the sample into a preparatory evacuation chamber, and preliminarily evacuating the preparatory evacuation chamber;
• a second step of conveying the sample into a sample chamber in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and then conveying the sample from the sample chamber into the preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation;
• and
• a third step of irradiating a surface of the sample conveyed into the sample chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period by an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in the sample chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample.