IP Library Granted Patent US 8,703,247
Granted Patent B2
US 8,703,247 · App. 12/693,580 · Granted Apr 22, 2014

Cross section processing method and method of manufacturing cross section observation sample

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,703,247
App. No.
12/693,580
Granted
Apr 22, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cross section processing method to be performed on a sample by irradiating the sample having a layer or a structure of an organic substance on a surface at a cross section processing position thereof with a focused ion beam using a focused ion beam apparatus includes: a protective film forming step for forming a protective film on the surface of the layer or the structure of the organic substance by irradiating the surface of the sample including the cross section processing position with the focused ion beam under the existence of source gas as the protective film; and a cross section processing step for performing cross section processing by irradiating the cross section processing position formed with the protective film with the focused ion beam at a voltage higher than an accelerating voltage in the protective film forming step.

Claims (23)

1. A cross section processing method to be performed on a sample having a patterned surface feature comprising an organic substance on a surface by irradiating the sample at a cross section processing position thereof with a first and a second focused ion beam using a focused ion beam apparatus, the method comprising:

forming a protective film on the surface of the patterned surface feature by irradiating the surface of the sample with the first focused ion beam at a first accelerating voltage under the presence of a source gas to form the protective film,

wherein the first accelerating voltage has a maximum of value of 1 kV and does not deform the patterned surface feature; and

irradiating the cross section processing position with the second focused ion beam at a second accelerating voltage higher than the first accelerating voltage,

wherein ions of the second focused ion beam are different from ions of the first focused ion beam.

2. The cross section processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the sample further includes an alignment portion whose positional relationship with the cross section processing position is already known, and

before forming a protective film on the patterned surface feature, irradiating an area including the alignment portion but not including the cross section processing position with an electron beam or the second focused ion beam before forming the protective film, and then relatively moving the cross section processing position to an area to be irradiated with the second focused ion beam without emitting the electron beam or the focused ion beam on the basis of the known positional relationship.

3. The cross section processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the sample is irradiated with the first focused ion beam from at least two or more different directions arranged by rotating the sample on a plane when irradiating the sample to form the protective film.

4. The cross section processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the ions of the first focused ion beam, comprise ions including argon, helium, krypton, or neon, and the ions of the second focused ion beam comprise gallium ions.

5. The cross section processing method according to claim 1 comprising forming a thin section of the sample by processing at a position opposite from the cross section processing position and fabricating the thin section including the cross section processing position as a continuous parallel surface thereof.

6. The cross section processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming a second protective film on the sample by irradiating the patterned surface feature with the second focused ion beam at the second accelerating voltage.

7. A cross section processing method to be performed on a sample having a patterned surface feature comprising an organic substance on a surface by irradiating the sample at a cross section processing position thereof with a first and a second focused ion beam using a focused ion beam apparatus, the method comprising:

irradiating the patterned surface feature with the first focused ion beam at a first accelerating voltage and then irradiating the patterned surface feature with the second focused ion beam at a second accelerating voltage which is higher than the first accelerating voltage under the presence of a source gas to form a protective film,

wherein the first accelerating voltage has a maximum of value of 1 kV and does not deform the patterned surface feature; and

irradiating the cross section processing position with the second focused ion beam at a third accelerating voltage which is higher than the first accelerating voltage,

wherein ions of the second focused ion beam are different from ions of the first focused ion beam.

8. The cross section processing method according to claim 7 , wherein irradiating the patterned surface feature with the first focused ion beam at the first accelerating voltage forms the protective film, and wherein irradiating the patterned surface feature with the second focused ion beam at a second accelerating voltage forms a second protective film on the first protective film.

9. The cross section processing method according to claim 7 , wherein irradiating the cross section processing position with the second focused ion beam at the third accelerating voltage further comprises forming a thin section of the sample by processing at a position opposite from the cross section processing position and fabricating the thin section including the cross section processing position as a continuous surface thereof.

10. A method of manufacturing a cross section observation sample having a patterned surface feature comprising an organic substance on a surface thereof by irradiating the sample with a first and a second focused ion beam using a focused ion beam apparatus and performing the cross section processing at a cross section processing position thereof, the method comprising:

irradiating the patterned surface feature with the first focused ion beam at a first accelerating voltage having a maximum of value of 1 kV and under the presence of a source gas and forming a protective film on the surface of the patterned surface feature; and

irradiating the cross section processing position with the second focused ion beam at a second accelerating voltage higher than the first accelerating voltage,

wherein ions of the second focused ion beam are different from ions of the first focused ion beam.

11. The method of manufacturing the cross section observation sample according to claim 10 further comprising forming a thin section of the sample by processing at a position opposite from the cross section processing position and fabricating the thin section including the cross section processing position as a continuous parallel surface thereof.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072903/0543 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH ANALYSIS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072907/0356 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 30, 2014
From: SII NANOTECHNOLOGY USA INC.
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES SCIENCE AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 033868/0183 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 23, 2014
From: SII NANOTECHNOLOGY INC.
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033858/0577 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2010
From: SUZUKI, HIDEKAZU; FUJII, TOSHIAKI; HASSEL-SHEARER, MIKE
To: SII NANOTECHNOLOGY INC.; SII NANOTECHNOLOGY USA INC.
Reel/Frame 023849/0581 →