Abstract: There is provided a transport device capable of reducing drifting of a sample. The transport device delivers a cartridge to a sample holder in a charged particle beam system. The transport device has a mounting portion to which the cartridge can be detachably mounted, a shaft portion providing support of the mounting portion, a resilient member connecting together the shaft portion and the mounting portion, and a drive mechanism for moving the mounting portion.

Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus that acquires an image by scanning a specimen with a charged particle beam, and includes a contrast adjustment circuit that adjusts contrast of the image; a brightness adjustment circuit that adjusts brightness of the image; and a control unit that controls the contrast adjustment circuit and the brightness adjustment circuit. The control unit acquires information on luminance of a reference image in a non-signal state, and information on an average value of luminance of each pixel of the reference image, controls the brightness adjustment circuit, based on the acquired information on luminance of the reference image in a non-signal state, acquires the image in a state where the brightness adjustment circuit is controlled, and adjusts the contrast of the acquired image by controlling the contrast adjustment circuit, based on the average value of luminance of each pixel of the reference image.

Abstract: An aberration correcting device includes a first multipole which generates a hexapole field; a second multipole which generates a hexapole field with a polarity opposite to a polarity of the hexapole filed generated by the first multipole; a third multipole which is disposed between the first multipole and the second multipole and generates an octupole field; a first transfer lens system disposed between the first multipole and the third multipole; and a second transfer lens system disposed between the third multipole and the second multipole. The first transfer lens system includes a plurality of fourth multipoles which generate a field in which an electromagnetic-field superposed quadrupole field and an octupole field are superposed; and the second transfer lens system includes a plurality of fifth multipoles which generate a field in which an electromagnetic-field superposed quadrupole field and an octupole field are superposed.

Abstract: A composition estimation target peak is selected from a mass spectrum of a sample, and a group of measured isotope peaks related to the composition estimation target peak is selected. A composition candidate for the sample is estimated based on the composition estimation target peak. A distribution of a theoretical isotope peak corresponding to the composition candidate is calculated. Presence or absence of an adduct ion or a desorbed ion in the sample is determined based on a first mass difference between isotopes in a distribution of the measured isotope peaks and a second mass difference between isotopes in the distribution of the theoretical isotope peak.

Abstract: An FIB system includes an ion source for producing the ion beam, a lens system which includes an objective lens and which is operative to focus the ion beam onto a sample such that secondary electrons are produced from the sample, a detector for detecting the secondary electrons, and a controller for controlling the lens system. The controller operates i) to provide control so that a focus of the ion beam is varied by directing the ion beam onto the sample, ii) to measure a signal intensity from the secondary electrons produced from the sample during the variation of the strength of the objective lens, iii) to adjust the focus of the ion beam, iv) to acquire a secondary electron image containing an image of a trace of a spot, and v) to correct the deviation of the field of view of the ion beam.

Abstract: Provided is a phosphonium compound represented by Formula (I): in Formula (I), R1, R2, and R3 are independently from each other, an alkyl group or an aryl group, the alkyl group is a substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic alkyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms, the aryl group is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms; X is a reactive group having a hydrazide group, a halide group, a pseudohalide group, or a thioester group; and Y? is an anion having a total charge of ?1, or Y? is absence.

Abstract: Provided is an electron microscope for generating a montage image by acquiring images of a plurality of regions in a montage image capturing region set on a specimen, and by connecting the acquired images. The electron microscope includes a specimen surface height calculating unit that calculates a distribution of specimen surface heights in the montage image capturing region by performing curved surface approximation based on the specimen surface heights determined by performing focus adjustment at a plurality of points set in a region including the montage image capturing region, and an image acquiring unit that acquires the images of the plurality of regions based on the calculated distribution of the specimen surface heights.

Abstract: An automatic analyzer includes a control unit that performs a process when a sample necessary to perform measurement for measurement content selected on an item selection screen is not arranged in a sample-container array unit. The process includes referring to the measurement content selected on the item selection screen and availability information that is information indicating whether each position in the sample-container array unit is available. A position in the sample-container array unit at which a container containing the sample necessary to perform measurement for the selected measurement content is to be arranged is specified in accordance with a specified arrangement rule, and information on the specified position in the sample-container array unit is displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: A sample milling apparatus includes an ion source, a swinging mechanism for swinging a sample, a positioning camera for bringing a target milling position on the sample into coincidence with the impact point of an ion beam, and a display section for displaying an image captured by the positioning camera. The adjustment method starts with observing the trace of the impinging ion beam left on the sample with the positioning camera while the position of the positioning camera is held relative to the swing axis of the swinging mechanism and capturing an observation image. Then, a display image to be displayed on the display section is extracted from the observation image based on the position of the trace, thus bringing the beam impact point and the position of the field of view of the display image into coincidence.

Abstract: There is provided a scanning electron microscope which has a sample chamber capable of being evacuated to a low vacuum. The scanning electron microscope includes an electron gun for emitting an electron beam, an objective lens for focusing the emitted beam onto a sample, and a sample chamber in which the sample is housed. The objective lens includes an inner polepiece, an outer polepiece disposed outside the inner polepiece and facing the sample chamber, at least one through-hole extending through the inner and outer polepieces, and at least one cover member that closes off the through-hole. An opening is formed between the inner polepiece and the outer polepiece. The objective lens causes leakage of magnetic field from the opening toward the sample. The sample chamber has a degree of vacuum lower than that in an inner space that forms an electron beam path inside the inner polepiece.

Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam system capable of preventing the data acquisition time from increasing. A control method for the system is also provided. The charged particle beam system includes: a beam blanker for blanking a charged particle beam; a sample stage on which a sample is tiltably held and thus can assume a tilt angle; a blanking controller for controlling the blanking of the charged particle beam and causing a pulsed beam having a duty ratio to be directed at the sample; and a tilt controller for controlling the tilt angle of the sample. The blanking controller sets the duty ratio of the pulsed beam based on the tilt angle of the sample.

Abstract: An electron beam is irradiated on a specimen in a state where a negative voltage is applied to the specimen. The specimen is rotated to establish an optimum orientation of a specimen surface shape relative to an orientation of a detector having two detection surfaces disposed at rotational symmetric positions with respect to an optical axis of the electron beam taken as an axis of rotation, and an image is generated based on a quantity of a signal from reflected electrons detected by the detector.

Abstract: A specimen pretreatment method for transferring a specimen supported by a first specimen supporting tool to a second specimen supporting tool, the specimen pretreatment method including: transferring a specimen supported by the first specimen supporting tool to a film; immersing the film and the specimen on the film in a liquid to dissolve the film; and recovering the specimen from the liquid and supporting the specimen with the second specimen supporting tool.

Abstract: Prior to execution of primary correction, a first centering process, an in-advance correction of a particular aberration, and a second centering process are executed stepwise. In the first centering process and the second centering process, a ronchigram center is identified based on a ronchigram variation image, and is matched with an imaging center. In the in-advance correction and the post correction of the particular aberration, a particular aberration value is estimated based on a ronchigram, and the particular aberration is corrected based on the particular aberration value.

Abstract: A stage apparatus includes a surface plate as well as a guide shaft fixedly secured to the surface plate, a drive member moving along the guide shaft, and a hydrostatic fluid bearing that forms fluid films in the gap portion between the guide shaft and the drive member. The apparatus further includes: a positional deviation detection section—for detecting a relative positional deviation which occurs between the guide shaft and the drive member and which affects the thickness dimensions of the fluid films; and a state decision section for making a decision on the condition of the apparatus itself based on the positional deviation detected by the detection section and outputting information responsive to the decision.

Abstract: A tri-axial magnetic field correction coil includes a first coil group and a second coil group with respect to an X-axis direction that passes through a clock transition space in which atoms are disposed. The first coil group is a Helmholtz-type coil composed in a point-symmetrical shape around the clock transition space. The second coil group is composed in a point-symmetrical shape around the clock transition space with respect to the X-axis direction, and is a non-Helmholtz-type coil that differs from the first coil group in terms of coil size, coil shape, or distance between coils.

Abstract: An amplifier circuit includes a constant current circuit for outputting a constant current signal at its output terminal, an operational amplifier for outputting an amplified control signal based on the first voltage signal, and an amplified voltage output circuit for outputting a second voltage signal based on both the constant current signal and the amplified control signal. The constant current circuit has a light-emitting device having one end supplied with the constant voltage signal and another end supplied with ground potential, a light responsive electricity generating device for outputting a drive signal in response to light emitted by the light-emitting device, a first transistor generating the constant current signal based on the amplified voltage signal applied thereto and to output the constant current signal; and a current control circuit for detecting the value of the constant current signal and controlling the supply of the drive signal based on the detection.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus acquires a scanned image by scanning a specimen with a charged particle beam, and detecting charged particles emitted from the specimen. The apparatus includes a charged particle beam source that emits the charged particle beam; an irradiation optical system that scans the specimen with the charged particle beam; a plurality of detection units that detects the charged particles emitted from the specimen; and an image processing unit that reconstructs a profile of a specimen surface of the specimen, based on a plurality of detection signals outputted from the plurality of detection units. The image processing unit: determines an inclination angle of the specimen surface, based on the plurality of detection signals; processing to determine a height of the specimen surface, based on the scanned image; and reconstructs the profile of the specimen surface, based on the inclination angle and the height.

Abstract: A contamination prevention irradiation device includes a generation unit and a mirror unit. The generation unit generates a laser beam. The mirror unit has a mirror surface for reflecting a laser beam. The laser beam reflected on the mirror surface is applied to a specimen disposed inside an objective lens. The laser beam is composed of a pulse train. Once a laser beam is applied to the specimen before observation of the specimen, deposition of contaminants on the specimen can be prevented for a predetermined subsequent period.

Abstract: There is provided a sample holder which is for use in a charged particle beam system and which can prevent damage to a sample stage during transportation of a cartridge. The sample holder includes: the cartridge having the sample stage for holding a sample therein; and a holder base having a mounting portion to which the cartridge can be mounted. The cartridge has: a tilt mechanism for tilting the sample stage; and a lock lever which, when the cartridge has been taken out from the mounting portion, makes contact with the sample stage and limits tilt of the stage.