Abstract: The microwave plasma source of this invention comprises a vacuum room which forms a discharging space with discharge gas introduced therein, a means for conducting the microwave to the discharging space so that the microwave electric field is provided in the discharging space, and a means for providing the magnetic field in the discharging space located on the microwave propagating path and made up of a permanent magnet which virtually propagates the microwave.

Abstract: A plurality of band-shaped regions on a specimen are successively scanned by an electron beam having a ribbon-shaped rectangular cross-section. This scanning is effected by deflecting the electron beam electrostatically in the direction of the shorter side of the beam cross-section and electromagnetically in the direction of the longer side of the beam cross-section.

Abstract: An electron beam emitted from an electron beam source is applied to a sample and when it produces an magnified image of the sample on a fluorescent plate, the amount of the electron beam is detected. When the accumulation of the electron beam radiation reaches a predetermined value with lapse of the time, the beam density on the surface of the sample is so controlled as to be reduced to zero or below a certain preset level, whereby the sample is prevented from damage due to excessive exposure to the electron beam.

Abstract: A specimen chamber is which a specimen to be irradiated by an electron beam is arranged is evacuated by an evacuation device. The evacuation device includes a nonvaporative bulk getter vacuum pump and an oil rotary pump. The oil rotary pump is used for evacuating the specimen chamber from the atmospheric pressure to 10.sup.-1 - 10.sup.-2 Torr, while the nonvaporative bulk getter vacuum pump is used for continuously evacuating the specimen chamber to 10.sup.-5 - 10.sup.-6 Torr. The steady vacuum of 10.sup.-5 - 10.sup.-6 Torr is maintained by only the nonvaporative bulk getter vacuum pump.

Abstract: An electron beam from an electron gun is made to focus on a first position by a focussing lens system. The focussed beam is then magnified and projected on a screen through a magnification lens system having an objective lens, an intermediate lens and a projection lens.The excitation is so variable that the electron beam may be focussed also on a second position behind the projection lens.A specimen is positioned at the first position for normal electron microscope analysis, while, for a scanning electron microscope analysis, another specimen is put at the second position.