US 9,543,111 B2 · Charged particle beam device

Abstract

Provided is a charged particle beam device or charged particle microscope permitting observation of even a large-sized specimen in the air atmosphere or a gaseous atmosphere. A charged particle beam device that adopts a thin film which partitions a vacuum atmosphere and the air atmosphere (or gaseous atmosphere) includes a charged particle optical lens barrel in which a charged particle optical system is stored, a housing in which a route along which a primary charged particle beam emitted from the charged particle optical lens barrel reaches the thin film is sustained in the vacuum atmosphere, and a mechanism that bears the charged particle optical lens barrel and first housing against a device installation surface. As the bearing mechanism, a housing having an opening through which a large-sized specimen is carried in or a mechanism having a shape other than the shape of the housing, such as, a post is adopted.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A charged particle beam device comprising:

a charged particle optical system that sweeps a primary charged particle beam, which is emitted from a charged particle source, over a specimen;
a charged particle optical lens barrel in which the charged particle optical system is stored;
a detector that detects reflected electrons or secondary electrons resulting from the sweeping;
at least one or more exhaust pumps;
a thin film that transmits or passes the primary charged particle beam, and a thin-film support member that retains the thin film;
a second housing in which the specimen is stored and whose interior is always opened to the air during observation of the specimen through the opening formed on the lateral side;
a stage configured to support the specimen during observation, the stage disposed within the second housing and extending through the opening;
and
a first housing which is disposed over the top of the second housing and whose interior is evacuated, wherein
the detector detects secondary electrons or reflected electrons that pass through the thin film and reach above the thin film.

7 more elements

A microscopy method for sweeping a primary charged particle beam, which is emitted from the end of a charged particle optical lens barrel, over a specimen, and imaging reflected electrons or secondary electrons resulting from the sweeping so as to observe the specimen, wherein:

the interior of a second housing, in which the specimen is stored and which bears the entire charged particle beam device against a device installation surface, is always opened to the air during observation of the specimen through an opening of the second housing;
a first route of the primary charged particle beam that exists inside a first housing which is disposed over the top of the second housing and which bears the charged particle optical lens barrel, and that exists between a thin film, which transmits or passes the primary charged particle beam and is disposed away from the end of the charged particle optical lens barrel, and the end is sustained in a vacuum state;
a gas whose mass is lighter than that of the air is fed to a second route of the primary charged particle beam existent between the thin film and specimen;
and
secondary electrons or reflected electrons, which return to the charged particle optical lens barrel side after being transmitted or passed by the thin film, out of the secondary electrons or reflected electrons resulting from the sweeping are detected in order to observe the specimen.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Charged particle beam device

Life of this patent

Charged particle beam device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23