Abstract: A goniometer for performing scanning probe microscopy on a substrate surface is disclosed. The goniometer has a cantilever, having a cantilevered end and a supported end and a tip disposed at the cantilevered end of the cantilever. The goniometer also has a block disposed at the supported end of the cantilever. The block has at least one pair of piezoelectric layers, a pair of electrodes disposed about each individual piezoelectric layer such that varying a potential difference applied between the individual electrodes of a pair of electrodes causes the corresponding piezoelectric layer to deform, and a first insulating material disposed between the individual electrodes for insulating the individual electrodes from each other. The individual piezoelectric layers are deformed at different rates resulting in a deformity of the block and tilting of the cantilever and tip connected therewith.

Abstract: A torsion type probe for scanning probe microscopes, especially for atomic force microscopes, includes a supporting block, a torsion beam device arranged on the supporting block, a thin-film plane plate rotatably supported by the torsion beam means, and a tip formed on the thin-film plane plate. The torsion beam device include a piezoresistor, which is preferably formed in the surface or lateral walls of the torsion beam device, to detect torsion of the torsion beam device as the probe scans the surface of a sample.

Abstract: An interface for an in-line chromatograph mass spectrometer includes a mixing tee having a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet with the first inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the chromatograph; a back pressure regulator having an inlet and an outlet with the inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the mixing tee; a coaxial splitter having an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet, wherein the inlet of the coaxial splitter is in fluid communication with the outlet of the pressure regulator; a mass spectrometer having an inlet in fluid communication with the first outlet of the coaxial splitter. The interface regulates the flow into the spectrometer without undesirably increasing any back pressure to the chromatograph.

Abstract: There is disclosed a highly isochromatic electron spectroscopic imaging filter providing good energy resolution even in a microscope image having a wide field of view. To reduce the difference in energy between the vicinity of the center of the image on the pupil plane and peripheral portions, the relation LL/L.sub.5 > is satisfied, where LL is the distance from the pupil plane to the slit plane S and L.sub.5 is the distance from the exit end surface of the filter to the slit plane S.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of writing at least a first pattern on a first region of a resist by a variable shaped electron beam exposure. The resist has at least a second region on which at least a second pattern is written by one-shot electron beam exposure. The second region is bounded by a boundary line with the first region so that the fist and second patterns are bounded by the boundary line with each other. The method comprises the steps of: setting a re-size amount; re-sizing a calibrated size of a variable shaped electron beam by a first amount which is smaller than the re-size amount; and shifting an origin for a shot of the variable shaped electron beam by a second amount which is substantially equal to a subtraction of the first amount from the re-size amount before a variable shaped electron beam shot is made.

Abstract: A rough pattern exceeding the resolution limit of light exposure is formed by light resolution. A fine pattern not exceeding the resolution limit of light exposure is formed by charge-beam exposure. Combining the rough pattern and the fine pattern produces a desired pattern. The sharing of the work between light exposure and charge-beam exposure exhibits the high throughput of light exposure and the excellent resolving power of charge-beam exposure.

Abstract: An ion collector includes a Faraday collector having a conductive surface disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from the axis of an entering particle beam containing charged and uncharged particles. A grounded plate disposed in the path of the particle beam allows incoming uncharged particles to impinge thereupon. Preferably, the application of a suitable potential to the conductive plate manipulates incoming charged ions to impinge upon either the electron multiplier or the Faraday collector. The ion collector can further include an electron multiplier used in conjunction with the Faraday collector to allow separate modes of operation. Application of a suitable first potential to the electron multiplier can cause charged particles to be deflected directly to the Faraday collector in one mode, and application of a second potential can cause deflection of charged particles to the electron multiplier, with the effects of the uncharged particles on the output of the detector being minimized.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inspecting a surface of a sample, particularly but not limited to a semiconductor device, using an electron beam is presented. The technique is called Secondary Electron Emission Microscopy (SEEM), and has significant advantages over both Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM) techniques. In particular, the SEEM technique utilizes a beam of relatively high-energy primary electrons having a beam width appropriate for parallel, multi-pixel imaging. The electron energy is near a charge-stable condition to achieve faster imaging than was previously attainable with SEM, and charge neutrality unattainable with LEEM. The emitted electrons may be detected using a time delay integration detector.

Abstract: Ions generated under an atmospheric pressure pass through vacuum chambers partitioned through first, second and third fine holes. The ions are led to an MS part where the ions are mass-analyzed. A first vacuum chamber adjacent to an atmospheric pressure part has not vacuum pump for independently pumping this chamber. The first vacuum chamber is evacuated by a common pump together with a second vacuum chamber via a bypass hole formed in the wall having the second aperture. A pressure of the first vacuum chamber can be set to several 100 Pa, while a pressure of the second vacuum chamber can be set to several 10 Pa. Sufficient desolvation has been attained by an ion acceleration voltage of approximately 100 V in the first vacuum chamber, while a speed spread can be restrained. The ions are accelerated by approximately 10 V in the second vacuum chamber, and the speed can be restrained as low as possible.

Abstract: A synchrotron type accelerator including a deflecting electromagnet arranged on a circulating orbit of a charged particle beam, four-pole divergence electromagnets and four-pole convergence electromagnets arranged on said circulating orbit. A high frequency applying unit arranged on the circulating orbit for applying a high frequency electromagnetic field to the charged particle beam circulating and for increasing an amplitude of betatron oscillation of the particle beam to a level above a stability limit of resonance. A first deflector for beam ejection arranged on the circulating orbit for deflecting the charged particle beam excited above the stability limit of the resonance by the high frequency applying unit and a second deflector for beam ejection arranged on the circulating orbit used in pairs with the first deflector for beam ejection for introducing the charged particle beam deflected by the first deflector for beam ejection into an ejected beam transporting system.

Abstract: A charged-particle-beam pattern-transfer apparatus is provided wherein a CPB is emitted from the CPB source, is focused by first and second condenser lenses, and is illuminated onto a mask. A deflector deflects the CPB to a selected subfield of the mask. The CPB transmitted by subfield is projected by a first projection lens toward a back-focal-plane aperture. The portion of the CPB that passes through the back-focal-plane aperture is projected by a second projection lens onto a wafer. Coulomb-effect-induced shifts in focal-point position, and changes in image magnification, projected-image rotation, and astigmatic blur and astigmatic distortions of the image are each corrected by application of electric current to respective components of a correction system, the correction system preferably comprising a set of correction lenses and two stigmators.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for projecting a mask pattern, divided into multiple mask subfields, onto a substrate at high resolution using a charged-particle beam (CPB). At least some of the mask subfields comprise "minimum-linewidth regions". To expose each mask subfield, a CPB (e.g., electron beam) is directed onto the mask subfield. The image of the mask subfield is projected by lens systems onto a respective transfer subfield on the substrate. Deflectors deflect the CPB to the selected mask subfield and to the corresponding transfer subfield on the substrate. A memory stores data concerning the locations of minimum-linewidth regions in the selected mask subfields and the corresponding amount of deflection of the beam for each corresponding mask subfield.

Abstract: A charged particle beam irradiation system includes a beam spreading device, a ridge filter, a range shifter, a collimator, and a bolus. Further, on a supporting plate in the ridge filter, a plurality of ridge components are arranged, and shielding elements are attached at the top parts of a part of the plurality of the ridge components.

Abstract: A mass selector is disclosed for separating particles in a particle beam according to mass. The selector has a pair of first eletrodes (12, 14) defining an elongate first path (16) for the passage of a focused particle beam. A pair of second electrodes (24, 26) are spaced from the pair of first electrodes (12, 14) and define an elongate second path (28) for separated particles. The first and second paths (16, 28) are mutually parallel. A first voltage pulse is applied across the first electrodes (12, 14) so that the particles in a portion of the beam which is in the first path (16) are accelerated transversely of their direction of movement along said first path toward said second path. A second voltage pulse is applied across the second electrodes (24, 26) so that particles which have been accelerated by said first voltage pulse and which have entered said second path (28) are decelerated transversely of their direction of movement along said second path.

Abstract: A probe scanning apparatus for use in a device for measuring the shape of a surface or the physical properties of a sample comprises a probe and voice coil motors for generating a moving force for moving the probe in each of three directions x, y and z upon activation of the voice coil motors. A probe supporting mechanism is mounted for movement in the three directions x, y and z by the moving forces generated by the voice coil motors upon activation thereof to effect coarse/fine movement of the probe in the direction z and to scan the probe in the directions x and y.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer in which, in order to reduce noise due to other particles (large charge droplets, neutral particles, photons, or the like), the orbit of ions and the orbit of other particles are separated from each other in the inside of a mass analysis region so as to make it possible to prevent the other particles from reaching an ion detection region without using any deflector.

Abstract: A method of performing a high sensitivity mass analysis is described wherein a plurality of linear quadrupole radio frequency electrodes are aligned, and operated as a mass filter or an ion trap mass analyzer. A background ion removal filter having a linear quadrupole electrode structure may also be connected in cascade to this mass analyzer if necessary. The background ion removal filter powerfully removes background ions so as to improve analytical sensitivity. This mass spectrometer also makes it possible to prevent losses of minute amounts of sample ions in the ion trap, prevent destruction of minute amounts of ions and reduce contamination of the ion trap electrodes.

Abstract: The invention provides a sample analyzing apparatus to identify a particle accurately, securely and rapidly. After a wafer is pre-aligned and its wafer number is read, a recipe is read. The wafer is carried to an XY stage and aligned. A wafer map is read and displayed. An operator specifies a particle desired to be analyzed of particles on the wafer and moves a stage so that that particle is just below an electron beam. A scanning electron beam is irradiated over the specified particle so as to form an SEM image. The SEM image is compared to a corresponding reference SEM image and a precision positioning of the specified particle is carried out. The electron beam is irradiated to the specified particle and an emitting characteristic X-ray is detected. Its spectrum is displayed. The spectrum is compared to the reference spectrum and then reference spectrums estimated to be the same are listed up.

Abstract: A device exposing a wafer to charged-particle beams in an exposure process generates a plurality of micro beams and controls deflection of each of the micro beams, relative to whether or not the micro beams reach the wafer, in accordance with control data. A data processing unit inserts data-position-adjustment data into the control data for each exposure. A first data-storage unit stores the control data, inserted with the data-position-adjustment data, and outputs the control data at a time of the exposure process. Storage positions of the control data in the first data-storage unit are adjusted by the data-position-adjustment data so that the control data can be continuously read from the first data-storage unit for maintaining a continuous exposure process.

Abstract: Resolution of a symmetric magnetic doublet charged particle beam projection lens is improved by applying a non-uniform electrostatic field having the same symmetry conditions as the lens through the magnetic doublet which provides a maximum particle velocity at the plane of symmetry of the magnetic doublet. Since the same symmetry conditions are used for both the electrostatic and magnetic fields, the performance of the magnetic doublet is not compromised. Electrode configurations which provide more intense fields provide further reduction in aberrations for a given potential superimposed on the accelerating voltage.