Cluster tool for microscopic processing of samples

1. An apparatus for microscopic processing of samples, including:

a base rotatable around a rotation axis;

multiple tools, including at least one charged particle beam tool that operates with the sample at less than atmospheric pressure, each tool including a working area, the working areas being positioned on a tool circle centered substantially on the rotation axis;

a plurality of recesses in the base for holding samples, the recesses positioned along a base circle centered on the rotation axis and equal in diameter to the tool circle such that the base is rotatable to position the multiple recesses within the working areas of the multiple tools; and,

a portion of the charged particle beam tool forming with the base a sliding vacuum seal such that a sample in a recess can rotate into a working area of the at least one charged particle beam tool and be maintained in a vacuum while the tool is operating.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the at least one charged particle beam tool includes a scanning electron microscope.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the at least one of charged particle beam tool includes a vacuum buffer cavity to facilitate providing a vacuum in the tool.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which at least one of the tools comprises a material handling tool.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a positioner for positioning the sample.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the positioner moves the base to position the sample.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the positioner moves only an individual sample to position the sample.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a positioner for positioning the rotating base at an angular displacement so that at least one of the plurality of recesses coincides with the working area of a tool.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which multiple ones of the recesses are spaced around the base circle such that multiple recesses are simultaneously positioned in the working area of multiple tools so that multiple tools can operate on multiple samples without rotating the base.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the multiple tools are configured to operate on the multiple samples simultaneously.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which at least one of the multiple tools is configured to process a sample outside of a vacuum chamber.

12. A method of using multiple tools to perform microscopic processing on a sample, the method comprising:

providing multiple tools, each tool having a working area, at least one of the tools requiring that the sample be positioned in a vacuum for operation;

providing a turntable having a plurality of sample recesses, the turntable rotating the sample recesses between working areas of the multiple tools, the turntable forming a vacuum seal with the tools requiring the sample to be positioned in a vacuum for operation;

placing a first sample in the sample holder;

rotating the first sample to the working area of a first one of the multiple tools;

processing the sample on the first one of the multiple tools;

placing a second sample in a second recess;

rotating the turntable to position the first sample under a second tool and the second sample under the first tool, at least one of the first and second samples being rotated into or out of a vacuum environment at the first or second tool; and

processing the first sample on the second tool and the second sample on the first tool.

13. The method of claim 12 in which processing the first or second sample on one of the multiple tools includes observing the sample using a scanning electron microscope.

14. The method of claim 12 in which processing the first or second sample on one of the multiple tools includes observing the sample using a scanning probe microscope.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising adjusting the position of the first or second sample under one of the multiple tools to align the sample with the working area of the tool processing the sample.

16. The method of claim 15 in which adjusting the position of the sample includes adjusting the position of the turntable.

17. The method of claim 12 in which at least two of the multiple tools are configured to operate on the multiple samples simultaneously, one of the at least two multiple tools configured to operate on the corresponding sample in a vacuum and the other of the at least two multiple tools configured to operate on the corresponding samples outside of a vacuum chamber.

18. The method of claim 12 in which processing the first sample on first tool and the second sample on the second tool includes processing the first sample and the second sample simultaneously.