Beam as well as method and equipment for specimen fabrication

An equipment for specimen fabrication, comprising:

• a stage for mounting a specimen thereon;
• a microscope for monitoring a position where a minute micro-sample is to be cut out from the specimen and for monitoring operations of cutout of the minute micro-sample from the specimen;
• a sample hold system having an electrically conductive beam, at a top of which a plurality of branch beams having an electric conductivity are formed;
• and
• a control system for controlling the position and rotation of said beam;
• wherein said branch beams are separated from each other by a distance which is smaller than a thickness of the minute micro-sample to be held between said branch beams when said beam is moved in the direction of the minute micro-sample, and said branch beams being forcibly spread by the minute micro-sample so that the minute micro-sample is held by a resiliency force of said branch beams.

An equipment for specimen fabrication, comprising:

• a stage for mounting a specimen thereon;
• a microscope for monitoring a position where a minute micro-sample is to be cut out from the specimen and for monitoring operations of cutout of the minute micro-sample from the specimen;
• a sample hold system having an electrically conductive beam, at a top of which a plurality of branch beams having an electric conductivity are formed;
• a detector for detecting that the top of said branch beams has come into contact with the minute micro-sample which is cut out from the specimen;
• and
• a driver for moving the beam in the direction of the stage in a predetermined amount based on the signal from the detector according to the detection of contact of the top of said branch beams and the minute micro-sample;
• wherein said branch beams are separated from each other by a distance which is smaller than a thickness of the minute micro-sample to be held between said branch beams when said beam is moved in the direction of the minute micro-samples and said branch beams being forcibly spread by the mnute micro-sample so that the minute micro-sample is held by a resiliency force of said branch beams.

A method for specimen fabrication, comprising:

• mounting a specimen on a stage;
• cutting a minute micro-sample from said specimen;
• contacting a top of electric conductivity branch beams which are formed at a top of an electrically conductive beam to a part of the minute micro-sample cutout from the specimen;
• detecting that the top of said branch beams has come into contact with the minute micro-sample;
• moving the beam in the direction of the stage in a predetermined amount after detection of contact of the top of said branch beams and the minute micro-sample;
• and
• moving the beam in the reverse direction to the stage after the minute micro-sample is held by a resiliency force of said branch beams;
• wherein said branch beams are separated from each other by a distance which is smaller than a thickness of the minute micro-sample to be held between said branch beams when said beam is moved in the direction of the minute micro-sample and said branch beams being forcibly spread by the minute micro-sample so that the minute micro-sample is held by the resiliency force of said branch beams.

A method for specimen fabrication, comprising:

• mounting a specimen substrate on a stage;
• cuffing a minute micro-sample from said specimen substrate;
• holding the minute micro-sample at the top of electric conductivity branch beams which are formed at a top of an electrically conductive beam;
• extracting the minute micro-sample held by a restoring force of said branch beams from the specimen substrate;
• processing an extracted minute micro-sample by an irradiation with a charged beam;
• and
• storing a processed minute micro-sample on a mounting holder on the stage.