IP Library Granted Patent US 11,257,655
Granted Patent B2
US 11,257,655 · App. 17/072,691 · Granted Feb 22, 2022

Focused ion beam apparatus, and control method for focused ion beam apparatus

Inventors: Yasuhiko Sugiyama (Tokyo, JP); Naoko Hirose (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
H01J37/12H01J37/08H01J37/1477H01J37/153H01J37/28H01J2237/24564H01J2237/31749
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,257,655
App. No.
17/072,691
Granted
Feb 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The focused ion beam apparatus includes: an ion source configured to generate ions; a first electrostatic lens configured to accelerate and focus the ions to form an ion beam; a beam booster electrode configured to accelerate the ion beam to a higher level; one or a plurality of electrodes, which are placed in the beam booster electrode, and are configured to electrostatically deflect the ion beam; a second electrostatic lens, which is provided between the one or plurality of electrodes and a sample table, and is configured to focus the ion beam applied with a voltage; and a processing unit configured to obtain a measurement condition, and set at least one of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes or a voltage to be applied to each of the first electrostatic lens and the second electrostatic lens, based on the obtained measurement condition.

Claims (42)

1. A focused ion beam apparatus, comprising:

an ion source configured to generate ions;

a first electrostatic lens configured to accelerate and focus the ions to form an ion beam;

a beam booster electrode configured to accelerate the ion beam to a higher level;

one or a plurality of electrodes, which are placed in the beam booster electrode, and are configured to electrostatically deflect the ion beam;

a second electrostatic lens, which is provided between the one or plurality of electrodes and a sample table, and is configured to focus the ion beam applied with a voltage; and

a processing unit configured to obtain a measurement condition, and set at least one of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes or a voltage to be applied to each of the first electrostatic lens and the second electrostatic lens, based on the obtained measurement condition.

2. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to:

obtain, from application voltage information in which measurement conditions are associated with information that specifies at least one voltage out of pieces of information that specify voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes and information that specifies a voltage to be applied to each of the first electrostatic lens and the second electrostatic lens, information that specifies at least one voltage, which corresponds to the obtained measurement condition, out of pieces of information that specify voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes and information that specifies a voltage to be applied to each of the first electrostatic lens and the second electrostatic lens; and

set at least one voltage out of the voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes and the voltage to be applied to each of the first electrostatic lens and the second electrostatic lens, based on the obtained information that specifies at least one voltage.

3. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or plurality of electrodes include:

an alignment electrode, which is placed in the beam booster electrode, and is configured to correct a deviation of an optical axis of the ion beam;

an astigmatism correction electrode, which is placed in the beam booster electrode, and is configured to correct circularity of a sectional shape of the ion beam;

a blanking electrode, which is placed in the beam booster electrode, and is configured to deflect the ion beam; and

a first scanning electrode and a second scanning electrode, which are placed in the beam booster electrode, and are configured to scan the ion beam on a sample.

4. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the measurement condition includes information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage.

5. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

6. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

7. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the measurement condition includes information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage.

8. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

9. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

10. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or plurality of electrodes include:

an alignment electrode, which is placed in the beam booster electrode, and is configured to correct a deviation of an optical axis of the ion beam;

an astigmatism correction electrode, which is placed in the beam booster electrode, and is configured to correct circularity of a sectional shape of the ion beam;

a blanking electrode, which is placed in the beam booster electrode, and is configured to deflect the ion beam; and

a first scanning electrode and a second scanning electrode, which are placed in the beam booster electrode, and are configured to scan the ion beam on a sample.

11. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the measurement condition includes information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage.

12. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

13. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

14. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement condition includes information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage.

15. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

16. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain, from information that specifies an acceleration voltage and information that specifies a beam booster voltage, a sum of the acceleration voltage and the beam booster voltage, and set at least one voltage out of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes, based on the obtained sum.

17. A control method for a focused ion beam apparatus,

the focused ion beam apparatus including:

an ion source configured to generate ions;

a first electrostatic lens configured to accelerate and focus the ions to form an ion beam;

a beam booster electrode configured to accelerate the ion beam to a higher level;

one or a plurality of electrodes, which are placed in the beam booster electrode, and are configured to electrostatically deflect the ion beam; and

a second electrostatic lens, which is provided between the one or plurality of electrodes and a sample table, and is configured to focus the ion beam applied with a voltage,

the control method comprising:

obtaining a measurement condition; and

setting at least one of voltages to be applied to the one or plurality of electrodes or a voltage to be applied to each of the first electrostatic lens and the second electrostatic lens, based on the obtained measurement condition.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072903/0593 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH ANALYSIS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072913/0104 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2022
From: SUGIYAMA, YASUHIKO; HIROSE, NAOKO
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058588/0585 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-191371 · Oct 18, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210118642A1 · Apr 22, 2021