IP Library Granted Patent US 12,586,751
Granted Patent B2
US 12,586,751 · App. 17/917,973 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Transfer device and analysis system

Inventors: Naofumi Kobayashi (Tokyo, JP); Kenichi Nishinaka (Tokyo, JP); Tsunenori Nomaguchi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
H01J37/20H01J37/222H01J37/244
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,586,751
App. No.
17/917,973
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a technique capable of shortening observation throughput of a sample. A transfer device 2 includes a holder 24 configured to hold a mesh MS on which a sample to be analyzed using a charged particle beam device 3 is mounted, a position information acquisition function configured to acquire first information about a positional relationship between the mesh MS and the holder 24 , and a position information output function configured to output the first information to the charged particle beam device 3.

Claims (65)

1 . A transfer device comprising:

a holder configured to hold a mesh on which a sample is mounted;

a manipulator configured to fix the mesh to the holder via a mesh presser; and

an integrated control unit configured to acquire first information about a positional shift of a reference area of the mesh relative to the holder due to fixing the mesh to the holder and output the first information to a charged particle beam device that is configured to analyze the sample.

2 . The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first information includes second information and third information,

the second information is information about a positional relationship between the reference area and the holder in a state in which the mesh is disposed on the holder, and

the third information is information about a positional relationship between the reference area and the holder in a state in which the mesh is fixed to the holder by the mesh presser.

3 . The transfer device according to claim 2 , wherein

the second information includes first image data obtained by imaging a state in which the mesh is disposed on the holder, and

the third information includes second image data obtained by imaging a state in which the mesh is fixed to the holder by the mesh presser.

4 . The transfer device according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a camera configured to image the holder, wherein

the first image data and the second image data are image data obtained by the camera.

5 . The transfer device according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a camera configured to image the holder, wherein

the second image data is image data obtained by the camera, and

the first image data is image data obtained in advance inside or outside the transfer device.

6 . The transfer device according to claim 3 , wherein

the integrated control unit is configured to calculate a shift amount indicating how much a position of the mesh in the second image data is shifted from a position of the mesh in the first image data, and

the first information also includes the shift amount.

7 . The transfer device according to claim 6 , wherein

the reference area is formed on a part of the mesh, and

the shift amount is calculated by measuring how much a position of the reference area in the second image data is shifted from a position of the reference area in the first image data.

8 . The transfer device according to claim 6 , wherein

the integrated control unit has a screen matching technique, and

the shift amount is calculated by comparing a shape of the mesh in the second image data and a shape of the mesh in the first image data using the screen matching technique.

9 . The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first information is based on second information and third information,

the second information is information about a positional relationship between the reference area and the holder in a state in which the mesh is disposed on the holder, and

the third information is information about a positional relationship between the reference area and the holder in a state in which the mesh is fixed to the holder by the mesh presser.

10 . An analysis system comprising:

a transfer device configured to transfer a mesh that has a reference area and on which a sample is mounted; and

a charged particle beam device configured to analyze the sample, wherein

the transfer device includes

a holder configured to hold the mesh;

a manipulator configured to fix the mesh to the holder via a mesh presser, and

an integrated control unit configured to acquire first information about a positional shift of the reference area relative to the holder due to fixing the mesh to the holder,

the charged particle beam device includes

an electron gun configured to irradiate the sample with an electron beam,

a stage used for fixing the holder, and

a stage control unit electrically connected to the integrated control unit and configured to control the stage,

the transfer device is configured to transfer the holder to the charged particle beam device;

the integrated control unit is configured to output the first information to the stage control unit;

the stage control unit is configured to set coordinates of the stage based on the first information; and

the electron gun is configured to irradiate the sample with the electron beam.

11 . The analysis system according to claim 10 , wherein

the integrated control unit acquires second information about a positional relationship between the mesh and the holder in a state in which the mesh is disposed on the holder,

the integrated control unit acquires third information about a positional relationship between the mesh and the holder in a state in which the mesh is fixed to the holder by the mesh presser, and

the first information includes the second information and the third information.

12 . The analysis system according to claim 11 , wherein

the transfer device further includes a camera configured to image the holder,

the second information includes first image data obtained by imaging a state in which the mesh is disposed on the holder,

the third information includes second image data obtained by imaging a state in which the mesh is fixed to the holder by the mesh presser,

the second image data is image data obtained by the camera, and

the first image data is image data obtained by the camera or image data obtained in advance inside or outside the transfer device.

13 . The analysis system according to claim 12 , wherein

the integrated control unit is configured to compare the first image data with the second image data and calculate a shift amount indicating how much a position of the mesh in the second image data is shifted from a position of the mesh in the first image data, wherein

the first information also includes the shift amount.

14 . The analysis system according to claim 13 , wherein

the integrated control unit is provided outside the transfer device and outside the charged particle beam device.

15 . The analysis system according to claim 10 , wherein

the integrated control unit acquires second information about a positional relationship between the reference area and the holder in a state in which the mesh is provided on the holder,

the integrated control unit acquires third information about a positional relationship between the reference area and the holder in a state in which the mesh is fixed to the holder by the mesh presser, and

the first information is based on the second information and the third information.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Jan 10, 2024
From: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
To: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), U.S. DEPT. OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS), U.S. GOVERNMENT
Reel/Frame 066254/0563 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2022
From: KOBAYASHI, NAOFUMI; NISHINAKA, KENICHI; NOMAGUCHI, TSUNENORI
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061364/0219 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230126577A1 · Apr 27, 2023
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