Abstract: A composite focused ion beam device includes a first ion beam irradiation system 10 including a liquid metal ion source for generating a first ion, and a second ion beam irradiation system 20 including a gas field ion source for generating a second ion, and a beam diameter of the second ion beam 20A emitted from the second ion beam irradiation system 20 is less than that of the first ion beam 10A emitted from the first ion beam irradiation system 10.

Abstract: When scanning by an ion beam in advance an area 24 including a reference hole 23 formed at a position other than the area to be processed 25 of a light-shielding film 21 on a glass substrate 22, a secondary ion signal of the same atom as the incident ions injected into the substrate is detected instead of detecting the secondary ion signal of the atoms included in the base film, and the position 23 of the hole is stored. Then, the area 24 including the hole formed during the processing is scanned and the secondary ion signal of the same atom as the incident ions is detected to determine the current position 26 of the hole, the position of the hole obtained by the previous detection and the current position of the hole are compared, and the amount of shift of the position of the hole is determined. This shifted amount is regarded as the drift amount.

Abstract: Noted portions of an image, such as a pin point hole in an isolated area or a pattern contour that forms a continuous boundary area, are clearly displayed by first erasing background noise by acquiring information regarding differences between an image detection signal (pixel) of each scanned position (dot) in matrix form and image detection signals of the surrounding scanned positions, and secondly, by adopting a value that is either a largest or smallest value greater than or equal to zero among a plurality of sets of information on value differences as new image information for the scanned position.

Abstract: When scanning by an ion beam in advance an area 24 including a reference hole 23 formed at a position other than the area to be processed 25 of a light-shielding film 21 on a glass substrate 22, a secondary ion signal of the same atom as the incident ions injected into the substrate is detected instead of detecting the secondary ion signal of the atoms included in the base film, and the position 23 of the hole is stored. Then, the area 24 including the hole formed during the processing is scanned and the secondary ion signal of the same atom as the incident ions is detected to determine the current position 26 of the hole, the position of the hole obtained by the previous detection and the current position of the hole are compared, and the amount of shift of the position of the hole is determined. This shifte amount is regarded as the drift amount.

Abstract: There are provided a plurality of light sources for applying light beams of red, green, and blue to a document surface. An optical system condenses light that is reflected from the document surface. A plurality of sensors are provided in the image formation section of the optical system, and read an image of the document. A reading device scans the sensors at a predetermined cycle in synchronism of lighting of the light sources. The wavelengths of the light sources are preferably 480 nm, 545 nm, and 640 nm or their vicinities. Information of the image is read out as serial electrical signals corresponding to the respective wavelengths.

Abstract: In order to enable the correction of clear defects, opaque defects, and Levenson mask glass projection defects using one species of gas, by changing gas pressure and probe current and scanning conditions of the ion beam 2, the diacetone acrylamide is capable of forming a light-blocking film 17 correcting clear defects on a glass substrate 16 and a chrome pattern 15, is capable of removing chrome and glass at a high etching rate, and is capable of eliminating opaque defect regions 18 and eliminating glass projection defect regions 19. It is therefore possible to carry out correction by changing gas supplying conditions and ion beam irradiation conditions according to whether the correction is clear defect correction, opaque defect correction, or Levenson mask glass projection defect correction.

Abstract: The present invention achieves the quick and precise neutralization operation for wide area charge up and limited area charge up, both existing in a sample in a mixed manner at the same time, by having charge neutralizers separately provided for wide area charge up and limited area charge up respectively, or by having a charge neutralizer with a scanning function, so that a beam can be scanned or stopped at the perceived area by a deflector, or having a charge neutralizer with an iris having a central opening and openings in the periphery of the central opening within the optical system, so that a quick and precise neutralization operation can be achieved with respect to wide area charge up and limited area charge up both existing in a sample in a mixed manner at the same time.

Abstract: In the present invention, a dot matrix taking a spot of an ion beam at a processing surface as one dot is set at the processing surface, the presence or absence of secondary charged particles, indicating the presence of a black defect, discharged from a plurality of dots including a noted dot and associated peripheral dots is detected while eliminating black defects by irradiating each dot of a processing region with an ion beam for a fixed time, calculating a physical quantity corresponding to this presence based on this detection information, and determining completion of processing of this noted dot when this value is less than or equal to a reference value.

Abstract: A secondary ion detector 130 senses defects on a photomask and outputs image information. The CPU 140 then displays this image information at a monitor 150. An operator then selects a pattern corresponding to a displayed defect from defect patterns recorded in a memory 120 using an input unit 160, designates a correction region, and designates coordinates for deciding a boundary line for a normal region and a defect. The CPU 140 then automatically determines the defect region using this inputted information and sends the determination results to the focussed ion beam apparatus 110. The focussed ion beam apparatus 110 then corrects the photomask by performing etching or deposition processing on the region indicated by the determination results.

Abstract: With the defect repairing of the present invention, gallium ions are irradiated/injected at a specified position for a glass substrate corresponding to a defect remaining after digging of a trench into a Levenson mask using a focused ion beam apparatus, the glass substrate into which the gallium ions have been injected then being soaked in an alkaline solution so that portions impregnated with gallium ions are removed by dissolving in a localized manner.

Abstract: The present invention achieves the quick and precise neutralization operation for wide area charge up and limited area charge up, both existing in a sample in a mixed manner at the same time, by having charge neutralizers separately provided for wide area charge up and limited area charge up respectively, or by having a charge neutralizer with a scanning function, so that a beam can be scanned or stopped at the perceived area by a deflector, or having a charge neutralizer with an iris having a central opening and openings in the periphery of the central opening within the optical system, so that a quick and precise neutralization operation can be achieved with respect to wide area charge up and limited area charge up both existing in a sample in a mixed manner at the same time.

Abstract: A pattern film forming method comprises the steps of introducing a film forming gas on a sample, scanning a focused ion beam over a preselected area of the sample to form a pattern film on the sample, and reducing the scanning area of the focused ion beam while forming the pattern film on the sample.

Abstract: In a charged particle beam apparatus comprising an ion optical system 3 for focusing ions, a secondary charged particle detector 7 for detecting secondary charged particles produced by beam irradiation of scanning a focused ion beam 2 focused by the ion optical system 3 to a predetermined region of a sample 5, a display unit 9 for displaying an image of the sample surface 5 based on a signal of the secondary charged particle detector, and a gas injector 4 for blowing a gas to the sample surface 5, a focused ion beam processing apparatus is characterized by conducting processing by cooling a gas trap provided between a reservoir 13 or cylinder 18 and a valve 12 to control an assist gas having a high vapor pressure and blowing it through the gas injector 4 simultaneously with irradiating a focused ion beam.

Abstract: A method for obtaining an image of a sample surface using a charged particle beam apparatus without damaging the sample surface is performed by scanning a focused ion beam onto an observation region of the sample surface, detecting secondary charged particles emanating from the sample surface, and producing an image in response thereto. The sample is placed in a water vapor atmosphere while being scanned by the focused ion beam so that a water vapor absorption layer is formed in the observation region of the sample surface. A SIM image is obtained by placing the periphery of the portion to be processed into a water vapor atmosphere and then irradiating and scanning across the sample surface with the focused ion beam in order to prevent damage to the sample surface. In one embodiment, a focused ion beam instrument is used to observe and repair a photomask without damaging the underlying substrate or to the photomask pattern during observation.

Abstract: To carry out machining by a focused ion beam using an assist gas including steam gas. In a machining operation by a focused ion beam by using an assist gas including steam gas, as a method of supplying steam gas, the steam gas is supplied from salt hydrate and the pressure of steam is controlled by controlling the temperature of the salt hydrate. As a method for supplying steam gas, when the steam gas is introduced into a vacuum chamber, the flow rate needs to be controlled by a control valve since the vapor pressure of water is very high, which amounts to a complicated gas supply system and which amounts to an expensive device. However, steam vapor having a low pressure is supplied by using salt hydrate, the introduction of gas to a vacuum chamber is made feasible only by passing the gas through a friction pipe and the amount of introducing a gas can be controlled by a simple system where only the temperature of the salt hydrate is controlled by an inexpensive temperature controller.

Abstract: Patterned film portions are removed from a surface of a flat substrate by irradiation with a focused ion beam without created undesired scars or processing grooves in the substrate surface. This is achieved by applying a masking substance only onto the substrate surface where it is not covered by the patterned film portions, and then using the focused ion beam to etch away the patterned film portions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the shape of a wire or like article is provided in which a plurality of image pickup means are provided that view the wire through coaxial optical systems having their focal planes positioned differently from each other, the wire images imaged on the respective image pickup means are processed to determine the contrast and size of the images, and the results are used to determine the shape of the spatially disposed wire or the like.