Abstract: An automated analyzer makes light from a light source incident on a liquid mixture consisting of a sample and a reagent in a reactor vessel and, by ascertaining with a photodetector the quantity of light transmitted or scattered and the change in the wavelength, performs quantitative and qualitative analysis of an object component. When light other than from the light source such as light from outside is incident on the photodetector, since it is no longer possible to accurately measure the quantity of light and the change in the wavelength, it is also no longer possible to accurately measure the analysis of the object component. In particular, in the constitution of an analysis unit provided with a plurality of analysis ports, during analysis at one analysis port, due to various mechanisms accessing other analysis ports, disturbance light such as light reflected on this mechanism would enter the analysis port under analysis and sometimes have an effect on the measurement result.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide: an additive for electrochemical elements, which is capable of improving the service life characteristics of a battery, while having high physical stability; an electrolyte solution for electrochemical elements, which uses this additive for electrochemical elements; an electrochemical element; an electrolyte solution for lithium ion secondary batteries; a lithium ion secondary battery; and a method for producing an additive for electrochemical elements. An additive for electrochemical elements according to the present invention is characterized by being represented by general formula [(BO)3(OR)3]m(H2O)n (wherein each of m and n represents an integer of 1 or more; and each R independently represents an organic group having 1 or more carbon atoms). A method for producing an additive for electrochemical elements according to the present invention is characterized by a synthesis by means of dehydration condensation of boric acid and an alcohol.

Abstract: There is provided a method of analyzing data obtained from an etching apparatus for micromachining a wafer using plasma. This method includes the following steps: acquiring the plasma light-emission data indicating light-emission intensities at a plurality of different wavelengths and times, the plasma light-emission data being measured under a plurality of different etching processing conditions, and being obtained at the time of the etching processing, evaluating the relationship between changes in the etching processing conditions and changes in the light-emission intensities at the plurality of different wavelengths and times with respect to the wavelengths and times of the plasma light-emission data, and identifying the wavelength and the time of the plasma light-emission data based on the evaluation result, the wavelength and the time being to be used for the adjustment of the etching processing condition.

Abstract: A method for etching a titanium nitride film includes a first process of supplying reactive species, which include hydrogen and fluorine, to a base material including a titanium nitride film on at least a part of a surface, and a second process of vacuum-heating the base material to remove the surface reaction layer that is generated on the surface of the titanium nitride film in the first process.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes a light irradiation unit irradiating a sample placed on a table unit with illumination light, a detection optical system forming a scattered light image from the sample and detecting the generated scattered light image through an image sensor, a processing unit receiving a signal from the image sensor of the detection optical system that detects the scattered light image, generating an image of the scattered light, and detecting a defect of the sample by processing the generated image, an output unit outputting the defect image processed by the image processing unit, and a control unit controlling the stable unit, the light irradiation unit, the detection optical system, and the image processing unit. The image processing unit includes an image generation unit that receives the signal and generates the image, a correction unit that corrects lightness discontinuity and a defect detection unit for image processing.

Abstract: To provide a sample for measuring particles enabling the three-dimensional particulate shape to be measured and the particulate species to be evaluated, the sample for measuring particles includes a substrate; isolated nanoparticles to be measured which are disposed on the substrate; and isolated standard nanoparticles which are disposed on the substrate in the vicinity of the isolated nanoparticles to be measured.

Abstract: Provided is a multifunctional charged particle beam device capable of inclining a beam with little aberration. The aberration is corrected by forming a local divergent field with a multipole, parallel current lines, or the like, matching the beam axis with the local divergent field via a conventional rotationally symmetric lens, deflector or astigmatism corrector, and counteracting an aberration occurring from another rotationally symmetric convex lens field.

Abstract: A dimension measuring apparatus for measuring a dimension between a first data contour which is an evaluation reference of a pattern to be evaluated and a second data contour which is the pattern to be evaluated generates first correspondence information between a point on the first data contour and a point on the second data contour, determines consistency of a correspondence included in the first correspondence information, corrects an inconsistent correspondence, and generates second correspondence information, when associating a point on the first contour data and a point on the second contour data with each other.

Abstract: When the degree of matching between patterns decreases due to a pattern fluctuation or an appearance fluctuation that has occurred during manufacturing steps, a heavy work burden would be placed on an operator. A data processing unit of a pattern matching apparatus calculates a threshold for determination of matching between a first template image and a partial region of a search target image obtained by capturing an image of the surface of a sample, on the basis of a result of evaluation of a similarity between the search target image and a second template image, the second template image having been captured in a wider range than the first template image.

Abstract: The invention provides a small-sized automatic analyzer being compact, enabling a large number of analysis items to be carried out, and having a high processing speed. The automatic analyzer is particularly suitably applied to a medical analyzer used for qualitative/quantitative analysis of living body samples, such as urine and blood. A plurality of sample dispensing mechanism s capable of being operated independently of each other are provided to suck a sample from any one of a plurality of sample suction positions and to discharge the sucked sample to any one of a plurality of positions on a reaction disk. The automatic analyzer having a high processing capability can be thus realized without increasing the system size.

Abstract: The nozzle cleaning method includes the following steps: a first cleaning step in which a pre-pressurization liquid is discharged from a dispensing nozzle in a first cleaning position so as to clean the inside wall thereof and a first cleaning liquid is applied to the outside wall of the dispensing nozzle so as to clean said outside wall; a second cleaning step in which a second cleaning liquid is suctioned into the dispensing nozzle in a second cleaning position so as to clean the inside wall thereof; and a third cleaning step in which the second cleaning liquid is discharged from the dispensing nozzle in a third cleaning position so as to clean the inside wall thereof and a third cleaning liquid is applied to the outside wall of the dispensing nozzle so as to clean said outside wall.

Abstract: The present invention shortens the time spent in a search for a visual field by a user in a charged particle beam apparatus in which an observation range on a sample is set by using a captured image of the sample. When the contour of a sample table is circularly configured, for example, the central position of a sample table image on an optical image is quickly, easily, and accurately obtained by calculating, from the coordinates of the respective vertices of a triangle circumscribed about the contour created on the optical image by the user, the incenter of the triangle without direct recognition by automatic image analysis, which is complex and time-consuming, of the contour of the sample table image on the optical image.

Abstract: In this invention, vibrations generated by a freezer from a cooling mechanism for cooling an ion source emitter tip are prevented from being transmitted to the emitter tip as much as possible, while the cooling capability of the cooling mechanism is improved widely. The ion beam device (10) is equipped with: an ion source housing (22) provided with an emitter tip (45) and defining an ion source chamber (27) supplied with an ionization gas or gas molecules; a gas pot (51) provided in the ion source chamber (27) so as to be thermally connected to the emitter tip (45) and accommodated so as to have no direct physical contact with a cooling stage (57) of a freezer (52); and a spacer (59) provided on the peripheral surface of the cooling stage (57) housed by the gas pot (51) and maintaining a given interval or greater between the peripheral surface of the cooling stage (57) and the internal peripheral surface of the gas pot (52).

Abstract: To provide an ion gun of a penning discharge type capable of achieving a milling rate which is remarkably higher than that in the related art, an ion milling device including the same, and an ion milling method. An ion generation unit includes a cathode that emits electrons, an anode that is provided within the ion generation unit and has an inner diameter of 5.2 mm or less, and magnetic-field generation means using a permanent magnet of which a maximum energy product ranges from 110 kJ/m3 to 191 kJ/m3.

Abstract: A purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device that suppresses an off-axis amount when a field of view moves, said move causing an aberration, and allows large field of view moves to be carried out. In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, this charged particle beam device is provided with an objective lens and deflectors for field of view moves, said deflectors deflecting a charged particle beam, and is further provided with an accelerating tube positioned between the objective lens and the deflectors for field of view moves, a power source that applies a voltage to the accelerating tube, and a control device that controls the voltage to be applied to the power source in response to the deflection conditions of the deflectors for field of view moves.

Abstract: In this charged particle beam device, when a sample chamber is to be placed in a high-vacuum state, a charged particle gun chamber and the sample chamber are evacuated via a main intake of a turbo molecular pump, and when the sample chamber is to be placed in a low-vacuum state, the sample chamber is evacuated via an intermediate intake of the turbo molecular pump while the charged particle gun chamber is evacuated via the main intake. An oil rotation pump for performing back pressure exhausting of the turbo molecular pump does not directly evacuate the charged particle gun chamber or the sample chamber. It is thereby possible to minimize contamination of the device interior in both high-vacuum and low-vacuum states, which makes it possible to prevent contamination of the observed sample and reduce deterioration over time in the ultimate vacuum.

Abstract: In a case where a sample container 15 has a rubber-made lid 35, if a sample nozzle descends and comes into contact with the lid, the sample nozzle is relatively moved inside an arm as far as a lid detection distance, and a detector detects a detection plate. A fact that the sample nozzle comes into contact with the lid is stored together with position information of the sample nozzle, into an operation commanding unit. The sample nozzle further continues to descend, and a suction operation of a sample is performed at a predetermined position. In a case where the sample nozzle collides with a frame portion of the lid and external force is applied thereto, the detector detects that the detection plate is relatively moved as far as the detection distance.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to be able to acquire high-resolution images in a scanning electron microscope using a combination of a cold cathode (CFE) electron source and a boosting process, even at low accelerating voltage enhancing the current stability of the CFE electron source. A configuration in which a CFE electron source (101), an anode electrode (103) at positive (+) potential, and an insulator (104) for isolating the anode electrode (103) from ground potential are accommodated within a single vacuum chamber (105), and an ion pump (106) and a non-evaporable getter (NEG) pump (107) are connected to the vacuum chamber (105), is employed.