IP Library Granted Patent US 8,642,980
Granted Patent B2
US 8,642,980 · App. 13/840,311 · Granted Feb 4, 2014

Composite charged particle beam apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,642,980
App. No.
13/840,311
Granted
Feb 4, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a composite charged particle beam apparatus, including: an electron beam column for irradiating a sample with an electron beam; an ion beam column for irradiating the sample with an ion beam to perform etching processing; a sample stage drive portion for moving a sample stage in an irradiation axis direction of the electron beam; and a column adjusting portion for moving the ion beam column relatively to a sample chamber such that the sample is irradiated with the ion beam at a position irradiated with the electron beam.

Claims (23)

1. A composite charged particle beam apparatus, comprising:

a sample chamber;

a sample stage configured to hold a sample;

an electron beam column configured to irradiate the sample with an electron beam;

an ion beam column configured to irradiate the sample with an ion beam to perform etching processing;

a detector configured to detect a charged particle generated from the sample;

an image forming portion configured to form a charged particle image based on a detection signal of the detector;

a sample stage drive portion configured to move the sample stage in an irradiation axis direction of the electron beam; and

a column adjusting portion configured to move the ion beam column relatively to the sample chamber such that the sample is irradiated with the ion beam at a position irradiated with the electron beam.

2. The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sample chamber comprises a port having a diameter larger than a diameter of the ion beam column, and

wherein the column adjusting portion is configured to move the ion beam column within a range of the diameter of the port.

3. The composite charged particle beam according to claim 2 ,

wherein the ion beam column comprises a contact portion having a diameter larger than the diameter of the port and configured to contact a wall surface of the sample chamber to maintain a vacuum state of the sample chamber.

4. The composite charged particle beam according to claim 3 ,

wherein the column adjusting portion is configured to translate the contact portion 2 a to move the ion beam column while maintaining a contact state between the contact portion and the wall surface.

5. The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the ion beam column has an irradiation axis orthogonal to an irradiation axis of the electron beam column on the sample, and

wherein the column adjusting portion is configured to move the ion beam column in a direction parallel to an irradiation direction of the electron beam.

6. The composite charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a control portion configured to:

control the column adjusting portion to move the ion beam column; and

move the sample stage by the same amount as a movement amount of the ion beam column.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH ANALYSIS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072903/0636 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072909/0223 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2013
From: MAN, XIN; YAMAMOTO, YO; UEMOTO, ATSUSHI; ASAHATA, TATSUYA
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030081/0812 →