Focused ion beam apparatus and sample section forming and thin-piece sample preparing methods

1. A method of forming a sample section containing at least two different materials with respect to a direction parallel with a sample surface by use of a focused ion beam apparatus, the sample section forming method using a focused ion beam apparatus comprising the steps of:

detecting secondary charged particles generated by irradiating the focused ion beam while performing etching on a desired region of a sample by scan-irradiating a focused ion beam to form a section vertically to the sample surface; and

detecting changing amounts of signals based on the detected secondary charged particles and terminating the etching depending upon the changing amounts.

2. A sample section forming method using a focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the desired region is established to have one side nearly parallel with one side of the desired section in the sample surface, to perform etching in a manner forming a section including the parallel one side, followed by performing etching on the working region with scan-irradiating the focused ion beam while forming a section of the working region toward the desired section and in a direction broadening, so that a signal amount change at each sectional position is detected based on a signal of secondary charge particles generated at this time, depending upon a change amount of which the etching is terminated.

3. A sample section forming method using a focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the step of terminating the etching by detecting a signal amount change with the detected secondary charged particle signal includes

cumulating with respect to the sub-scanning direction a secondary charged particle signal detected in the etching in a main scanning direction at each sub-scanning position provided that a direction nearly parallel with one side of the desired section is taken as the main scanning direction and a direction vertical to the main direction as the sub-scanning direction, detecting a change of the cumulated signal amount, and terminating the etching depending upon a change amount thereof.

4. A thin-piece sample preparing method using a focused ion beam apparatus comprising:

a step of forming a sample section by using a sample section forming method using a focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

a step of forming similarly a section oppositely to the formed sample section with respect to a desired thin-piece sample region, to form a thin-piece sample region.

5. A focused ion beam apparatus comprising:

an ion generation source for generating ions;

an ion optical system that restricts the ions into a focused ion beam and irradiating, while scanning, the focused ion beam to the sample surface;

a sample table for supporting a sample;

a sample-table control mechanism for moving the sample table;

a secondary charged particle detector that detects a secondary charged particle generated by irradiating the focused ion beam; and

an end-point detecting mechanism that detects an end point from the change amount of a secondary charged particle signal amount detected at the secondary charged particle detector when proceeding an etching on a section formed vertically to the sample surface by scan-irradiating the focused ion beam.

6. A method of forming a section in a sample surface by san-irradiating a focused ion beam in a direction parallel with an axis of a lens barrel of a focused ion beam apparatus and forming a sample section in a desired region of a sample while etching the section, the sample section forming method using a focused ion beam apparatus characterized by including:

a step of detecting a secondary charged particle generated by irradiating the focused ion beam; and a step of detecting a signal amount change of a detected signal of the secondary charged particle and terminating the etching depending upon the change amount when there is a change of signal amount.