Automatic sample preparation apparatus

1. An automatic sample preparation apparatus which automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample, comprising:

a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to perform irradiation with a charged particle beam;

a sample stage configured to move with the sample placed thereon;

a sample piece transfer device for holding and transferring the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample;

a sample piece holder-fixing bed configure to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transferred;

a gas supply portion configured to irradiate gas forming a deposition film with the charged particle beam; and

a computer configured to control the charged particle beam irradiation optical system, the sample piece transfer device, and the gas supply portion to transfer the sample piece to the sample piece holder, based on at least an image which is previously acquired by the charged particle beam with respect to the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device.

2. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the computer is configured to extract an edge from the image of the sample piece holder acquired by the charged particle beam, and is configured to control a movement of the sample piece transfer device or the sample stage to transfer the sample piece to the sample piece holder, based on positional information which is obtained by template-matching using a template of the sample piece holder.

3. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the charged particle beam is a focused ion beam, and

the charged particle beam irradiation optical system is a focused ion beam irradiation optical system, and

wherein the images are previously acquired from different directions by the focused ion beam with respect to the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device.

4. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the computer is configured to prepare at least the template of the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device by extracting an edge from the image, and is configured to control a movement of the sample piece transfer device or the sample stage to transfer the sample piece to the sample piece holder based on positional information acquired by template-matching using the template.

5. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the computer acquires the image at least in a state where a structure does not exist on a background of the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device.

6. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein when the computer instructs the movement of the sample piece transfer device or the sample stage to be at least the state where a structure does not exist on the background of the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device, in a case of not being the state where a structure does not actually exist on the background, the computer moves at least the sample piece connected to the sample piece transfer device to an initial position.

7. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the computer acquires the image in a state where the sample piece transfer device rotates such that the sample piece has a predetermined posture.

8. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein the computer is configured to acquire the image again at least in a case where an edge cannot be extracted from the image with respect to a predetermined region of the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device.

9. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the computer acquires a distance between the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device and the sample piece holder based on the image, and

wherein the computer controls the movement of the sample piece transfer device or the sample stage to transfer the sample piece to a predetermined position of the sample piece holder based on the distance.

10. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the computer finally transfers the sample piece to a predetermined position of the sample piece holder by only a movement in a plane parallel to the sample stage.

11. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein the computer is configured to perform shape processing on the sample piece held by the sample piece transfer device before the template is prepared.

12. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 11 ,

wherein the computer is configured to set the position of the shape processing according to a distance from the sample piece transfer device.

13. The automatic sample preparation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the computer performs eccentricity correction when the sample piece transfer device holding the sample piece rotates to have a predetermined posture.