IP Library Granted Patent US 7,482,603
Granted Patent B2
US 7,482,603 · App. 11/441,016 · Granted Jan 27, 2009

Apparatus and method for specimen fabrication

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,482,603
App. No.
11/441,016
Granted
Jan 27, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A specimen fabricating apparatus comprises: a specimen stage, on which a specimen is placed; a charged particle beam optical system to irradiate a charged particle beam on the specimen; an etchant material supplying source to supply an etchant material, which contains fluorine and carbon in molecules thereof, does not contain oxygen in molecules thereof, and is solid or liquid in a standard state; and a vacuum chamber to house therein the specimen stage. A specimen fabricating method comprises the steps of: processing a hole in the vicinity of a requested region of a specimen by means of irradiation of a charged particle beam; exposing the requested region by means of irradiation of the charged particle beam; supplying an etchant material, which contains fluorine and carbon in molecules thereof, does not contain oxygen in molecules thereof, and is solid or liquid in a standard state, to the requested region as exposed; and irradiating the charged particle beam on the requested region as exposed.

Claims (36)

1. A specimen fabricating apparatus comprising:

a specimen stage, on which a specimen is placed;

a charged particle beam optical system to irradiate a charged particle beam on the specimen;

an etchant material supplying source to supply an etchant material, which contains fluorine and carbon in molecules thereof, does not contain oxygen in molecules thereof, and is solid or liquid in a standard state; and

a vacuum chamber to house therein the specimen stage.

2. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 1 , wherein the etchant material is F(CF 2 ) 12 F.

3. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 1 , wherein the etchant material is (CF 2 ) 15 F 3 N.

4. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 1 , wherein the etchant material is I(CF 2 ) 8 I.

5. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 1 , wherein the etchant material supplying source has a cartridge type construction which enables exchange of the etchant material.

6. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 5 , further comprising a cartridge holder to fix the cartridge, and wherein the cartridge holder comprises means to heat the cartridge.

7. A specimen fabricating apparatus comprising:

a movable specimen stage, on which a specimen is placed;

a charged particle beam optical system to irradiate a charged particle beam on the specimen;

an etchant material supplying source to supply an etchant material, in molecules of which a ratio of fluorine to carbon in number is 2 or more and which is solid or liquid in a standard state, to the specimen; and

a vacuum chamber to house therein the specimen stage.

8. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 7 , wherein the etchant material is F(CF 2 ) 12 F.

9. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 7 , wherein the etchant material is (CF 2 ) 15 F 3 N.

10. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 7 , wherein the etchant material is I(CF 2 ) 8 I.

11. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 7 , wherein the etchant material supplying source has a cartridge type construction which enables exchange of the etchant material.

12. The specimen fabricating apparatus according to 11 , further comprising a cartridge holder to fix the cartridge, and wherein the cartridge holder comprises means to heat the cartridge.

13. A specimen fabricating method comprising the steps of:

processing a hole in the vicinity of a requested region of a specimen by means of irradiation of a charged particle beam;

exposing the requested region by means of irradiation of the charged particle beam;

supplying an etchant material, which contains fluorine and carbon in molecules thereof, does not contain oxygen in molecules thereof, and is solid or liquid in a standard state, to the requested region as exposed; and

irradiating the charged particle beam on the requested region as exposed.

14. The specimen fabricating method according to 13 , wherein the etchant material is composed of molecules, of which a ratio of fluorine to carbon in number is 2 or more, and is solid or liquid in a standard state.

15. The specimen fabricating method according to 14 , wherein the etchant material is F(CF 2 ) 12 F.

16. The specimen fabricating method according to 14 , wherein the etchant material is (CF 2 ) 15 F 3 N.

17. The specimen fabricating method according to 14 , wherein the etchant material is I(CF 2 ) 8 I.

18. The specimen fabricating method according to 13 , wherein the etchant material is F(CF 2 ) 12 F.

19. The specimen fabricating method according to 13 , wherein the etchant material is (CF 2 ) 15 F 3 N.

20. The specimen fabricating method according to 13 , wherein the etchant material is I(CF 2 ) 8 I.

21. A portable charging vessel used for a focused ion beam apparatus provided with an etch-assisting gas supplying source for supplying of an etch-assisting gas into a vacuum chamber, and storing therein the etch-assisting gas,

wherein the portable charging vessel comprises an opening, through which a gas is supplied to a pipe, a joint surface vacuum-sealed to the etch-assisting gas supplying source, and a seal member to hermetically seal the opening, and

wherein the etchant material contains fluorine and carbon in molecules thereof, does not contain oxygen in molecules thereof, and is solid or liquid in a standard state.

22. The portable charging vessel according to 21 , wherein the etchant material is F(CF 2 ) 12 F, (CF 2 ) 15 F 3 N, or I(CF 2 ) 8 I.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052259/0227 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SPELLING OF THE SECOND INVENTOR'S FIRST NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 018426 FRAME 0005. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION. Recorded Oct 16, 2008
From: TOMIMATSU, SATOSHI; TAKAHASHI, MIYUKI; SHICHI, HIROYASU; FUKUDA, MUNEYUKI
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021689/0037 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2006
From: TOMIMATSU, SATOSHI; TAKAHASHI, MIYUKE; SHICHI, HIROYASU; FUKUDA, MUNEYUKI
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018426/0005 →