Abstract: The method includes scanning a sample in at least one first scan line using a first charged particle beam probe; scanning the sample in at least one second scan line using a second charged particle beam probe, and scanning the sample in at least one third scan line using the first charged particle beam probe. The first or second charged particle beam probe is defocused by a control module of the imaging system through adjusting a condenser lens module, an objective lens module, a sample stage of the imaging system, or their combination. An image of the sample is selectively formed from the first, second and third scan lines. The first and the second charged particle beams induce a first charging condition and a second charging condition on the sample surface respectively. The second charging condition can enhance, mitigate, eliminate, reverse or have no effect on the first charging condition.

Abstract: Apparatuses and method are provided. For example, in one embodiment, a ring electrode includes a plurality of sub-rings adapted to provide an electric field inside a spectrometer. The sub-rings have an internal sub-ring radius. There is a ring insulator between adjacent sub-rings. Each said ring insulator has substantially the same internal radius as the sub-rings. In another embodiment, a method is provided for insertion of the ring electrode inside the spectrometer.

Abstract: A multipole mass filter having improved mass resolution. The multipole mass filer having a first electrode set coupled to at least a RF voltage source and a second electrode set interposed and parallel to the first electrode set. The second electrode set having a variable AC voltage coupled to two radially opposing electrodes of the second electrode set.

Abstract: A plurality of primary beams are formed from a single electron source, the surface charge of a sample is controlled by at least one primary beam, and at the same time, the inspection of the sample is conducted using a primary beam other than this. Also, for an exposure area of the primary beam for surface charge control and an exposure area of the primary beam for the inspection, the surface electric field strength is set individually. Also, the current of the primary beam for surface charge control and the interval between the primary beam for surface charge control and the primary beam for inspection are controlled.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for producing resist profiled elements. According to the invention, an electron beam lithography system is used to produce an electron beam, the axis of the beam being essentially perpendicular to a resist layer in which the resist profiled element is to be produced. The electron beam can be adjusted in terms of the electron surface dose in such a way that a non-orthogonal resist profiled element can be produced as a result of the irradiation by the electron beam.

Abstract: The analyst previously enters the mass of a fragment that desorbs in the first dissociation with other analysis conditions, as the precursor ion selection reference for the second dissociation through the input unit 25. When the automatic analysis is started, the controller unit 21 sequentially performs the MS1 analysis, MS2 analysis and MS3 analysis. In the course of these analyses, the data processing unit 23 determines the valence of each ion species corresponding to the peaks appearing in the mass spectrum obtained by the MS1 analysis. In addition, after the MS2 analysis, the data processing unit 23 searches for the ion species in conformity with the selection reference in consideration of the determined valence, among the ion species corresponding to the peaks appearing in the mass spectrum by the MS2 analysis. The selected ion is determined as the precursor ion for the second dissociation in the MS3 analysis.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a medium; a specimen; a method for preparing the specimen; a method for observing the specimen; a sample cell; and an electron microscope capable of easily solving the problem of charge-up and further capable of observing a real shape or the like of a sample with a SEM, a TEM or the like. For the purpose of achieving the above-described object, the present invention uses an electrical conductivity-imparting liquid medium, for use in a microscope, which includes an ionic liquid as an essential component thereof and is impregnated into the entirety of a SEM or TEM sample or applied to the observation surface of a SEM or TEM sample to impart electrical conductivity at least to the observation surface of the sample. According to the present invention, the charge built up on the sample surface can be released simply by impregnating or coating the sample with the ionic liquid, and hence the problem of charge-up can be easily solved.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for depositing solvent-free molecules on surfaces of samples, with particular application to imaging mass spectrometry. A vacuum chamber is configured to have controllable matrix translation apparatus for controlling the position of one or more solvent-free matrices within the chamber. Sublimation apparatus is used to sublimate molecules from the solid phase matrices. One or more samples are placed separately from the solvent-free matrices within the chamber. Condensation apparatus individually cools the samples to deposit sublimated molecules on the samples. Controllable sample translation apparatus is used to control the position of the samples within the chamber. Rotatable sample holding apparatus may be used to hold and move the samples to allow deposition of molecules on multiple samples at substantially the same time.

Abstract: Novel components reduce background noise caused by secondary ions generated by metastable entity bombardment in a mass spectrometric system. Layered structures for exit electrodes and deflector plates confine secondary ions in a local low-energy well, preventing them from entering the detector.

Abstract: An EUV illumination system, for example, for use in a photolithographic apparatus is configured to condition a radiation beam. A hydrogen radical source configured to supply gas containing hydrogen or hydrogen radicals into the illumination system. The hydrogen gas is effective to remove carbonaceous contamination from the surface of a mirror in the illumination system or to form a buffer against unwanted gases. In order to prevent damage by hydrogen that penetrates the mirror, the mirror comprises a layer made of metal non-metal compound adjacent a reflection surface of the mirror. A transition metal carbide, nitride, boride or silicide compound or mixture thereof may be used for example.

Abstract: The invention relates to a trajectory correction method for a charged particle beam, and provides a low-cost, high accuracy and high-resolution converging optical system for use with a charged particle beam to solve problems with conventional aberration correction systems. To this end, the present invention uses a configuration which forms electromagnetic field which is concentrated towards a center of a beam trajectory axis, causes oblique of the beam to make use of lens effects and bend the trajectory, and consequently, cancels out large external side non-linear effects such a spherical aberration of the electron lens. Specifically, the configuration generates an electric field concentration in a simple manner by providing electrodes above the axis and applying voltages to the electrodes. Further, the above configuration can be realized trough operations using lenses and deflectors with incident axes and image formation positions that are normal.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for reducing particle contamination of a surface of an object such as a reticle used in an EUV lithography system. An exemplary apparatus includes a thermophoresis device and an electrophoresis device. The thermophoresis device is situated relative to and spaced from the surface, and is configured to produce a thermophoretic force, in a gas flowing past and contacting the surface, sufficient to inhibit particles in the gas from contacting the surface. The electrophoresis device is situated relative to a region of the surface contacted by the gas and is configured to deflect particles, having an electrostatic charge, in the gas away from the region as the gas flows past the region.

Abstract: Microscope, in particular a scanning probe microscope, comprising a programmable logic device.

Abstract: The invention provides a standard component for calibration that enables a calibration position to be easily specified in order to calibrate accurately a scale factor in the electron-beam system, and provides an electron-beam system using it. The standard component for calibration is one that calibrates a scale factor of an electron-beam system based on a signal of secondary charged particles detected by irradiation of a primary electron beam on a substrate having a cross section of a superlattice of a multi-layer structure in which different materials are deposited alternately. The substrate has linear patterns on the substrate surface parallel to the multi-layers and are arranged at a fixed interval in a direction crossing the cross section of the superlattice pattern, and the cross sections of the linear patterns are on substantially the same plane of the superlattice cross section, so that the linear patterns enable a position of the superlattice pattern to be identified.

Abstract: When the second harmonic of a YAG laser is irradiated onto semiconductor films, concentric-circle patterns are observed on some of the semiconductor films. This phenomenon is due to the non-uniformity of the properties of the semiconductor films. If such semiconductor films are used to fabricate TFTs, the electrical characteristics of the TFTs will be adversely influenced. A concentric-circle pattern is formed by the interference between a reflected beam 1 reflected at a surface of a semiconductor film and a reflected beam 2 reflected at the back surface of a substrate. If the reflected beam 1 and the reflected beam 2 do not overlap each other, such interference does not occur. For this reason, a laser beam is obliquely irradiated onto the semiconductor film to solve the interference. The properties of a crystalline silicon film formed by this method are uniform, and TFTs which are fabricated by using such crystalline silicon film have good electrical characteristics.

Abstract: To realize to adapt to a shape of a surface, shorten a measurement time period and promote a measurement accuracy by setting a sampling interval in accordance with a slope of the shape of the surface and controlling a stylus in accordance with the interval, there is provided a scanning probe microscope, in which in scanning the stylus, an observation data immediately therebefore is stored as a history, the sampling interval in X or Y direction is set at each time based on a shape of the observation data, and the stylus is scanned to a successive sampling position.

Abstract: Devices are disclosed herein which may comprise an EUV reflective optic having a surface of revolution that defines a rotation axis and a circular periphery. The optic may be positioned to incline the axis at a nonzero angle relative to a horizontal plane, and to establish a vertical projection of the periphery in the horizontal plane with the periphery projection bounding a region in the horizontal plane. The device may further comprise a system delivering target material, the system having a target material release point that is located in the horizontal plane and outside the region, bounded by the periphery projection and a system generating a laser beam for irradiating the target material to generate an EUV emission.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for extracting a charged particle beam from a charged particle source. A set of electrodes is provided at the output of the source. The potentials applied to the electrodes produce a low-emittance growth beam with substantially zero electric field at the output of the electrodes.

Abstract: In a charged-particle beam apparatus having a high-accuracy and high-resolution focusing optical system for charged-particle beam, a group of coils are arranged along a beam emission axis to extend through the contour of radial planes each radiating from the beam emission axis representing a rotary axis and each having a circular arc which subtends a divisional angle resulting from division of a circumferential plane by a natural number larger than 2 so that a superposed magnetic field may be generated on the incident axis of the charged-particle beam and the trajectory of the charged-particle beam may be controlled by the superposed magnetic field.

Abstract: An electron beam production and control assembly includes a vacuum chamber, a beam source, and a target. The target has an active section and an inactive section. The active section is adapted to generate x-rays when the beam impinges on the x-ray producing section. The electron beam production and control assembly also includes a focusing unit positioned along the chamber at a location intermediate the rearward end and the forward end. The focusing unit directs the beam towards the target in a converging manner to impinge on the target. The focusing unit sweeps the beam along a scanning path over the active section of the target. The focusing unit moves the beam to a retrace path on the inactive section of the target between sweeps of the scanning path to maintain ion accumulation in the beam between sweeps over the active section.