Electron beam device and electron beam application device using the same

1. An electron beam apparatus comprising a Schottky emission electron source, the electron source including a single-crystal tungsten metal needle as an electron emission source; a zirconium-oxygen (Zr—O) diffusion source; a heater; and a suppressor electrode,

wherein the electron beam apparatus provides an extraction electrode applying an extraction voltage for extracting an electron from the Schottky emission electron source,

wherein the single-crystal tungsten metal needle is shaped to have a cylindrical portion; a constricted portion arranged on and extending from the top of the cylindrical portion and having a tapered shape; and an approximately conical portion extending from the constricted portion,

wherein, when the tip of the conical portion which emits electrons is assumed to be a semi-sphere having a radius of curvature of r, the radius r of curvature of the tip is more than 0.5 μm and less than 1 μm,

wherein the conical portion has a cone angle of α of more than 5° and less than (8/r)°, wherein the cone angle is an opening angle of a cone constituting the conical portion, and wherein r is indicated in units of micrometers (μm)), and

wherein the extraction voltage is from 2.5 kV to 3 kV when a voltage applied to the suppressor electrode is set to be −0.3 kV to −0.7 kV.

2. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the single-crystal tungsten metal needle has a length of Ln from the tip of the conical portion to the boundary between the cylindrical portion and the constricted portion, and wherein the length Ln is less than 200 μm.

3. An electron beam application apparatus comprising:

an electron source that emits electron beams;

a deflector that deflects the emitted electron beams;

an irradiator that irradiates a sample with the electron beams; and

at least one of an electron detector and an X-ray detector, where the electron detector detects electrons emitted from the sample, and the X-ray detector detects X-rays emitted from the sample,

wherein the electron source comprises the electron beam apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. The electron beam application apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the electron beam application apparatus comprises both the electron detector and the X-ray detector, and

wherein the X-ray detector has the function of classifying emitted electron beams by the wavelength or energy.

5. An electron beam apparatus comprising a Schottky emission electron source including a single-crystal tungsten metal needle as an electron emission source; a zirconium-oxygen (Zr—O) diffusion source; a heater; and a suppressor electrode,

wherein the single-crystal tungsten metal needle is shaped to have a cylindrical portion; a constricted portion arranged on and extending from the top of the cylindrical portion and having a tapered shape; and an approximately conical portion extending from the constricted portion,

wherein, when the tip of the conical portion which emits electrons is assumed to be a semi-sphere having a radius of curvature of r, the radius of r curvature of the tip is more than 0.5 μm and less than 1 μm,

wherein the conical portion has a cone angle of α of more than 5° and less than (8/r)°, wherein the cone angle is an opening angle of a cone constituting the conical portion, and wherein r is indicated in units of micrometers (μm), and

wherein the tip has a radius r of curvature of 0.55 μm or more and 0.7 μm or less, and wherein the conical portion has a cone angle α of 8° or more and 12° or less.

6. An electron beam apparatus comprising a Schottky emission electron source, the electron source including a single-crystal tungsten metal needle as an electron emission source; a barium (Ba) diffusion means; and a heater,

wherein the barium diffusion means comprises a porous sintered metal; and a barium diffusion source containing Ba—O.

7. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a suppressor electrode which suppresses the barium diffusion means from emitting thermal electrons.

8. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the barium diffusion means comprises a sintered metal impregnated with a barium diffusion source containing barium oxide.

9. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the barium diffusion means comprises the barium diffusion source; and a sintered metal arranged outside the barium diffusion source.

10. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the barium diffusion means is a composite member comprising the barium diffusion source; the sintered metal arranged on the barium diffusion source; and the single-crystal tungsten metal needle bound to the sintered metal.

11. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sintered metal is a sintered body of a powder mainly containing tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), and/or iron (Fe) and having a grain size of from 0.1 to 10 μm.

12. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the barium diffusion source is an oxide containing Ba—O, and wherein the oxide contains BaO alone or contains BaO in combination with CaO, SrO or a carbonate of Ba, Ca, or Sr.

13. The electron beam apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the barium diffusion source comprises barium chromate (BaCrO 4 ), barium manganate (BaMnO 4 ), or a mixture thereof; and particles of an alloy mainly containing Zr and/or Ti.

14. A method processing an electron source providing a single-crystal tungsten metal needle being shaped to have a cylindrical portion; a constricted portion arranged on and extending from the top of the cylindrical portion and having a tapered shape; and an approximately conical portion extending from the constricted portion, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) processing a cone angle of the conical portion by electrolytically etching with a direct current so as to be more than 5° and less than (8/r)°, wherein the cone angle is an opening angle of a cone constituting the conical portion, and wherein r is a radius of curvature and is indicated in units of micrometers (μm);

(2) removing the tip of the conical portion by etching; and

(3) processing the radius r of curvature of the tip to be more than 0.5 μm and less than 1 μm by heating at a temperature of more than 1800K when the tip of the conical portion is assumed to be a semi-sphere having the radius r of curvature.