Abstract: This sample piece relocating device (10) includes an optical interferometry device (11), a sample piece carrying device (13), and a control device (21). The control device (21) controls the sample piece carrying device (13) based on information relating to processing in which a charged-particle beam device is used to irradiate a sample (S) with a charged-particle beam, thereby preparing a sample piece. The sample piece carrying device (13) controlled by the control device (21) separates and extracts the sample piece from the sample (S) and holds and carries the sample piece to a sample piece holder.

Abstract: An automatic sample preparation apparatus that automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample and includes a focused ion beam irradiation optical system, an electron beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate an electron beam from a direction different from a direction of the focused ion beam, a sample piece transfer device configured to hold and transfer the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample, a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles emitted from an irradiation object, and a computer configured to recognize a position of the sample piece transfer device by image-recognition using an image data of the focused ion beam and the electron beam generated by irradiating the sample piece transfer device with the focused ion beam and the electron beam, and drive the sample piece transfer device, wherein the image data includes a reference mark.

Abstract: A liquid metal ion source (50) includes: a reservoir (10) configured to hold an ion material (M) forming a liquid metal; a needle electrode (20); an extraction electrode (22) configured to cause an ion of the ion material to be emitted from a distal end of the needle electrode; a beam diaphragm (24), which is arranged on a downstream side of the extraction electrode, and is configured to limit a beam diameter of the ion; and a vacuum chamber (30) configured to accommodate and hold the reservoir, the needle electrode, the extraction electrode, and the beam diaphragm in vacuum, wherein the liquid metal ion source further includes an oxidizing gas introducing portion (40), and wherein the oxidizing gas introducing portion communicates to the vacuum chamber, and is configured to introduce an oxidizing gas into a periphery of the needle electrode.

Abstract: Automated processing is provided. A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an image identity degree determination unit determining whether an identity degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the identity degree indicating a degree of identity between a processing cross-section image that is an SEM image obtained through observation of a cross section of the sample by a scanning electron microscope, and a criterion image that is the processing cross-section image previously registered; and a post-determination processing unit performing a predetermined processing operation according to a result of the determination by the image identity degree determination unit.

Abstract: The focused ion beam apparatus includes: an electron beam column; a focused ion beam column; a sample stage; a coordinate acquisition unit configured to acquire, when a plurality of irradiation positions to which the focused ion beam is to be applied are designated on a sample, plane coordinates of each of the irradiation positions; a movement amount calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the plane coordinates, a movement amount by which the sample stage is to be moved to a eucentric height so that the eucentric height matches an intersection position at which the electron beam and the focused ion beam match each other at each of the irradiation positions; and a sample stage movement control unit configured to move, based on the movement amount, the sample stage to the eucentric height at each of the irradiation positions.

Abstract: The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus includes: a focused ion beam column; an electron beam column; an electron detector; an image forming unit configured to form an observation image based on a signal output from the electron detector; and a control unit configured to repeatedly perform exposure control in which the focused ion beam column is controlled to expose a cross section of a multilayered sample toward a stacking direction with the focused ion beam, the control unit being configured to perform, every time exposure of an observation target layer at a cross section of the multilayered sample is detected in a process of repeatedly performing the exposure control, observation control in which the electron beam column is controlled to radiate the electron beam, and the image forming unit is controlled to form an observation image of the cross section of the multilayered sample.

Abstract: To accomplish fast automated micro-sampling, provided is a charged particle beam apparatus, which is configured to automatically fabricate a sample piece from a sample, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to radiate a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move the sample that is placed on the sample stage; a sample piece transportation unit configured to hold and convey the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a holder fixing base configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transported; and a computer configured to perform position control with respect to a second target, based on a machine learning model in which first information including a first image of a first target is learned, and on second information including a second image, which is obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beam.

Abstract: The particle beam irradiation apparatus includes: an irradiation unit configured to radiate a particle beam; a first detection unit configured to detect first particles; a second detection unit configured to detect second particles; an image forming unit configured to form an observation image based on a first signal obtained by the detection of the first particles, which is performed by the first detection unit, and to form an observation image based on a second signal obtained by the detection of the second particles, which is performed by the second detection unit; and a control unit configured to calculate a brightness of a first region in the formed first observation image and perform a brightness adjustment of the first detection unit based on a first target brightness as a first brightness adjustment when the brightness of the first region is different from the first target brightness.

Abstract: Disclosed are a charged particle beam apparatus and a sample processing observation method, the method including: a sample piece formation process in which a sample is irradiated with a focused ion beam such that a sample piece is cut out from the sample; a cross-section processing process in which the sample piece support holds the sample piece and a cross section thereof is irradiated with the ion beam to process the cross section; a sample piece approach movement process in which the sample piece support holds the sample piece and the sample piece is moved to a position that is closer to an electron beam column than an intersection point of beam optical axes of the ion beam and an electron beam is; and a SEM image acquisition process in which the cross section is irradiated with the electron beam to acquire the SEM image of the cross section.

Abstract: Automated processing is provided. A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an image identity degree determination unit determining whether an identity degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the identity degree indicating a degree of identity between a processing cross-section image that is an SEM image obtained through observation of a cross section of the sample by a scanning electron microscope, and a criterion image that is the processing cross-section image previously registered; and a post-determination processing unit performing a predetermined processing operation according to a result of the determination by the image identity degree determination unit.

Abstract: To stabilize automated MS, provided is a charged particle beam apparatus, which is configured to automatically fabricate a sample piece from a sample, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to radiate a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move the sample that is placed on the sample stage; a sample piece transportation unit configured to hold and convey the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a holder fixing base configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transported; and a computer configured to perform control of a position with respect to a target, based on: a result of second determination about the position, which is executed depending on a result of first determination about the position; and information including an image that is obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beam.

Abstract: Automated processing is provided. A charged particle beam apparatus includes: an image identity degree determination unit determining whether an identity degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the identity degree indicating a degree of identity between a processing cross-section image that is an SEM image obtained through observation of a cross section of the sample by a scanning electron microscope, and a criterion image that is the processing cross-section image previously registered; and a post-determination processing unit performing a predetermined processing operation according to a result of the determination by the image identity degree determination unit.

Abstract: An automatic sample preparation apparatus that automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample and includes a focused ion beam irradiation optical system, an electron beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate an electron beam from a direction different from a direction of the focused ion beam, a sample piece transfer device configured to hold and transfer the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample, a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles emitted from an irradiation object, and a computer configured to recognize a position of the sample piece transfer device by image-recognition using an image data of the focused ion beam and the electron beam generated by irradiating the sample piece transfer device with the focused ion beam and the electron beam, and drive the sample piece transfer device, wherein the image data includes a reference mark.

Abstract: A method for observing a biological tissue sample includes: forming a sample block; cutting up the sample block into a plurality of sample pieces and fixing each of the sample pieces to a sample piece placement member to form a plurality of observation samples; specifying an observation target area for performing precise observation; specifying and registering a coordinate of the observation target area on the sample piece for each of the observation samples; milling including irradiating the observation target area of the sample piece with an ion beam using gas as an ion source or a neutral particle beam with reference to the coordinate and exposing an observation surface inside the sample piece; and obtaining a SEM image of the observation surface with a scanning electron microscope.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing and observing a cross-section includes: a sample bed holding a sample; a focused ion beam column radiating a focused ion beam to the sample; an electron beam column radiating an electron beam to the sample, perpendicularly to the focused ion beam; an electron detector detecting secondary electrons or reflection electrons generated from the sample; a irradiation position controller controlling irradiation positions of the focused ion beam and the electron beam based on target irradiation position information showing target irradiation positions of beams on the sample; a process controller controlling a cross-section-exposing process that exposes a cross-section of the sample by radiating the focused ion beam to the sample and a cross-section image-obtaining process that obtains a cross-section image of the cross-section by radiating the electron beam to the cross-section; and an image quality corrector correcting image quality of the cross-section image obtained.

Abstract: An automatic sample preparation apparatus that automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample includes: a focused ion beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a focused ion beam; an electron beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate an electron beam from a direction different from a direction of the focused ion beam; a sample piece transfer device configured to hold and transfer the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles emitted from an irradiation object by irradiating the irradiation object with the focused ion beam and/or the electron beam; and a computer configured to recognize a position of the sample piece transfer device by image-recognition using an image data of the focused ion beam and the electron beam generated by irradiating the sample piece transfer device with the focused ion beam and the electron beam, and drive the transfer device.

Abstract: The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus includes: a focused ion beam column; an electron beam column; an electron detector; an image forming unit configured to form an observation image based on a signal output from the electron detector; and a control unit configured to repeatedly perform exposure control in which the focused ion beam column is controlled to expose a cross section of a multilayered sample toward a stacking direction with the focused ion beam, the control unit being configured to perform, every time exposure of an observation target layer at a cross section of the multilayered sample is detected in a process of repeatedly performing the exposure control, observation control in which the electron beam column is controlled to radiate the electron beam, and the image forming unit is controlled to form an observation image of the cross section of the multilayered sample.

Abstract: To stabilize automated MS, provided is a charged particle beam apparatus, which is configured to automatically fabricate a sample piece from a sample, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to radiate a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move the sample that is placed on the sample stage; a sample piece transportation unit configured to hold and convey the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a holder fixing base configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transported; and a computer configured to perform control of a position with respect to a target, based on: a result of second determination about the position, which is executed depending on a result of first determination about the position; and information including an image that is obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beam.

Abstract: To accomplish fast automated micro-sampling, provided is a charged particle beam apparatus, which is configured to automatically fabricate a sample piece from a sample, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to radiate a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move the sample that is placed on the sample stage; a sample piece transportation unit configured to hold and convey the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a holder fixing base configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transported; and a computer configured to perform position control with respect to a second target, based on a machine learning model in which first information including a first image of a first target is learned, and on second information including a second image, which is obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beam.

Abstract: The focused ion beam apparatus includes: an electron beam column; a focused ion beam column; a sample stage; a coordinate acquisition unit configured to acquire, when a plurality of irradiation positions to which the focused ion beam is to be applied are designated on a sample, plane coordinates of each of the irradiation positions; a movement amount calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the plane coordinates, a movement amount by which the sample stage is to be moved to a eucentric height so that the eucentric height matches an intersection position at which the electron beam and the focused ion beam match each other at each of the irradiation positions; and a sample stage movement control unit configured to move, based on the movement amount, the sample stage to the eucentric height at each of the irradiation positions.