Abstract: In an image noise prevention method in a composite system of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a focused ion beam apparatus (FIB), noise generated during a blanking period of the FIB is prevented from entering an image generated by the SEM by adjustment of scanning cycles of the FIB and the SEM.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope having a cantilever holder is provided which gives a cantilever great amplitude by a small-sized vibrator configurable in a limited space and is stably operated even in environments of high viscous drag such as a liquid. A cantilever base part of a cantilever is fixed to a fixing part of a scanning probe microscopy cantilever holder. A vibrator is mounted on the fixing part. When it is defined that the front side is the side close to a probe and the rear side is the side close to a supporting part of the fixing part along in the longitudinal direction of the cantilever, the vibrator displaces the front and rear sides of the fixing part of the cantilever holder to each other in the opposite directions within the plane orthogonal to the sample surface to vibrate the cantilever in a liquid.

Abstract: A composite system of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a focused ion beam apparatus (FIB) has an FIB lens barrel for irradiating a focused ion beam to an irradiating position on a sample surface and an SEM lens barrel for observing a machining state of the machined sample surface. The FIB lens barrel has an aperture defining at least one slit of a preselected pattern so that during irradiation of the sample surface with the focused ion beam, the aperture is irradiated by the focused ion beam with a width covering the slit to thereby machine the sample surface in the form of the preselected pattern of the slit.

Abstract: A radiation detector system having a heat pipe based cooling. The radiation detector system includes a radiation detector thermally coupled to a thermo electric cooler (TEC). The TEC cools down the radiation detector, whereby heat is generated by the TEC. A heat removal device dissipates the heat generated by the TEC to surrounding environment. A heat pipe has a first end thermally coupled to the TEC to receive the heat generated by the TEC, and a second end thermally coupled to the heat removal device. The heat pipe transfers the heat generated by the TEC from the first end to the second end to be removed by the heat removal device.

Abstract: There is provided a device in which a probe can be used for both of observation and correction, and which can, even if a next generation photomask of ultra minute structure is made an object, perform a desired processing without injuring a normal portion in a process of obtaining information of a position and a shape of a defect part, and without impairing the probe also at a processing time. It has been adapted such that, at an observation time, a contact pressure between a probe and a mask is reduced to 0.1 nN by applying a vibration of 1 kHz to 1 MHz to the probe. It has been adapted such that a cantilever used in the present invention is formed by a silicon material of 100–600 ?m in length and 5–50 ?m in thickness and, at the observation time, the probe contacts with the mask at the contact pressure of 0.1 nN and, at the processing time, a defect correction can be performed by causing the probe to contact with the mask at the contact pressure of 10 nN to 1 mN.

Abstract: In a thermomechanical measuring device and a thermogravimetry device, partition walls are provided in two sections such that two kinds of atmospheric gasses, which have passed a sample chamber and a detector chamber, respectively, do not flow back, and a thermally insulated gas mixing chamber is manufactured anew in the middle of the sample chamber and the detector chamber to make it possible to dilute a reactive gas and a water vapor gas having a high partial pressure. Consequently, it is possible to prevent moisture concentration to reduce an influence of water drops even in a high temperature and high humidity state at the time of humidity control and measurement.

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: A scanning probe microscopy system has a cantilever having a probe at a distal end thereof and a heating unit for heating the sample. A moving unit effects relative movement between the cantilever probe and the sample to bring the cantilever probe into contact with a surface of the sample for measuring a property of the sample. A shielding unit shields between the cantilever probe and the sample during heating of the sample by the heating unit.

Abstract: The problem of the present invention is to provide a TEM sample equipped with an identifying function for easily specifying a detailed TEM sample and to provide a system for handling the management of information relating to the TEM sample using the TEM when making observations that is constructed with the FIB device manufacturing the sample. The TEM sample of the present invention is written with a mark encoding information specifying the sample at a specified location of a peripheral part. Information relating to the sample filed taking sample specifying information as an index is supplied to a TEM as associated matter. The sample working FIB device and observation TEM device of the present invention are provided with a function enabling writing of information relating to the sample and images to the file during operation which is then read out and utilized on a display.

Abstract: There is provided a scanning probe microscope capable of simply and accurately confirming whether or not a sample shape satisfies specified conditions. A pseudo reference image Sref1 comprises a pair of reference line profiles Lref1 and Lref2 arranged apart form each other in parallel. An operator moves and rotates the position of the pseudo reference image Sref1 on a screen so that a sample shape line profile fits between the reference line profiles Lref1 and Lref2 of the pseudo reference image Sref1. If it is possible to fit the line profile of the sample shape between the reference line profiles Lref1 and Lref2, it is determined that the sample shape is in spec, while if it is not possible to fit the line profile of the sample shape between the reference line profiles Lref1 and Lref2, no matter how the pseudo reference image Sref1 is moved and rotated, it is determined that the sample shape is out of spec.

Abstract: A micro-sample pick-up apparatus has a probe for picking up a micro sample, a probe holder for holding the probe, an XYZ driver mechanism for moving the probe holder in the three-dimensional directions of X, Y and Z, and an observation mechanism for observing the sample and the probe. A low-vibration rotary mechanism disposed in the probe holder for rotating the probe about an axis of the probe.

Abstract: A method of correcting a defective portion of an exposure window in a lithography mask, such as an EPL mask, includes a first step of irradiating a defective portion of the exposure window using a charge particle beam to perform correction processing, and a second step of irradiating another portion of the exposure window with the charged particle beam to eliminate attached matter therefrom, the attached matter consisting of particles ejected from the defective portion of the exposure window as a result of irradiation with the charged particle beam during the first step. The first step and the second step are sequentially repeated N times, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, to thereby reduce the time needed for eliminating the attached matter.

Abstract: An object is to reduce the influence of chlorine in plastics when the metal concentrations in the plastics are analyzed. In an X-ray analyzer including an X-ray generating part for irradiating primary X-rays onto a sample and an X-ray detector for detecting an X-ray from the sample, primary X-rays is irradiated onto a plastic sample from the X-ray generating part, the X-ray intensity of chlorine is obtained from the plastic sample by the X-ray detector, and the scattered X-ray intensity where the primary X-ray has been scattered by the plastic sample is obtained by the X-ray detector. A chlorine X-ray intensity ratio calculating means for dividing the X-ray intensity of chlorine by the scattered X-ray intensity to calculate a chlorine X-ray intensity ratio is provided. The calculated chlorine X-ray intensity ratio and the chlorine concentration in the plastic sample have positive correlation each other.

Abstract: A method of measuring a pattern by using a display microscope image comprises a step of setting an edge detection reference line by designating a range of detecting an edge and a number of edge points with regard to a respective side portion of the pattern in the microscope image, a step of sampling the edge point constituting a point of changing a brightness from image information by searching the edge point from a direction orthogonal to the set edge detection reference line, a step of providing a line approximating the respective side portion of the pattern based on position information of a plurality of the edge points and a step of specifying a shape of the pattern by an intersecting point of two pieces of lines, a specified point provided by a plurality of intersecting points, an angle made by two pieces of straight lines and a distance between two specified points from information of the approximated line approximating the respective side portion of the pattern.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope has a scanner and a mounting unit for supporting the scanner. An identifying mark is disposed on a part of the scanner for representing preselected information corresponding to the scanner. The mounting unit has an interpreting device for interpreting the preselected information represented by the identifying mark. A setting device sets in a controller, for controlling the scanning probe microscope, parameter information corresponding to the scanner probe microscope, parameter information corresponding interpreted by the interpreting device.

Abstract: In order to provide a radiation detector capable of implementing measurements with a good energy resolution and a high detection efficiency over a broad energy range using a single detector, in the present invention, a radiation detecting element composed of Si semiconductor and the radiation detecting element composed of CdZnTe or CdTe semiconductor are lined up as two layers longitudinally. The radiation detecting element composed of Si semiconductor is taken as a first layer at the side of incidence of the radiation and the radiation detecting element composed of CdZnTe or CdTe semiconductor is taken as a second layer.

Abstract: A network system has a first LAN, a second LAN, and a storage device for storing data accessible from the first LAN and the second LAN. A control apparatus controls accessibility of the data stored in the storage device from the first LAN and the second LAN. The control apparatus includes an access prevention device for preventing access from the first LAN to the second LAN and from the second LAN to the first LAN and a device for overriding a setting of the access prevention device to allow accessibility of the second LAN from the first LAN.

Abstract: A microscopic projection or a characteristic pattern are formed in the vicinity of a region to be processed before processing using electron beam CVD, during processing an image of a region containing the projection or pattern formed by electron beam CVD is captured to obtain a current position of the projection or pattern, a difference between the position before staring and the current position is treated as a drift amount and processing is restarted at a region that has been subjected to microscopic adjustment of the electron irradiation region.

Abstract: A thin specimen producing method acquires a work amount in a 1-line scan by an FIB under a predetermined condition, measures a remaining work width of a thin film on an upper surface of a specimen by a microscopic length-measuring function, determines a required number of scan lines of work to reach a predetermined width by calculation, and executes a work to obtain a set thickness. The work amount in a one-line scan by the FIB under the predetermined condition is determined by working the specimen in scans of plural lines, measuring the etched dimension by the microscopic length-measuring function, and calculating an average work amount per one-line scan.

Abstract: A radiation detector comprises an energy/electricity converter having a detection area for detecting incident radiation, and electrodes connecting the converter to an external driving circuit for driving the converter to convert energy of the incident radiation detected by the detection area of the converter into an electric signal. A collimator is integrally connected to the converter and has an opening for transmitting radiation to irradiate the detection area of the converter and portions for preventing radiation from irradiating a part of the converter other than the detection area. A spacer is integrally connected to the collimator and the converter for maintaining a preselected distance between the collimator and the detection area of the converter.