Abstract: A photoelectron linear accelerator for producing a low emittance polarized electric beam. The accelerator includes a tube having an inner wall, the inner tube wall being coated by a getter material. A portable, or demountable, cathode plug is mounted within said tube, the surface of said cathode having a semiconductor material formed thereon.

Abstract: A hybrid mass spectrometer comprises an ion mobility (IMS) section and a mass analysis section that analyses ions based on mass-to-charge ratios. In the IMS section, a DC potential gradient is established and a drift gas provided, so as to separate ions based on varying ion mobilities. Additionally, at least a downstream portion of the IMS section includes a rod set focusing ions along the axis, this prevents loss of ions and gives good transfer of ions into-a-mass analysis section, which can be a time-of-flight mass analyzer or an analyzer including a quadrupole rod set. A collision cell and mass analyzer can be provided between the two sections for MS/MS analysis. The IMS section then provides better utilization of an available sample; as each group of ions is elected from the IMS section, one ion can be mass selected as a precursor, for subsequent fragmentation/reaction and subsequent mass analysis of the product ions.

Abstract: An article treatment system and method utilizing an air-cooled lamp and having reduced cooling requirement. A power supply responds to a sensor sensing the presence of an article at an article treating location by providing power to an air-cooled lamp, causing the lamp to project radiation onto the article at a radiation level sufficient to effectively treat the article. An air blower blows air onto the lamp, and a blower driver is responsive to the level of the power being provided to the lamp to drive the air blower at a speed blowing air onto the lamp with an air pressure having a non-linear relationship with the power level.

Abstract: A particle beam bending system having a geometry that applies active bending only beyond the chord of the orbit for any momentum component. Using this bending configuration, all momentum components emerge dispersed in position only; all trajectories are parallel by construction. Combining a pair of such bends with reflective symmetry produces a bend cell that is, by construction, achromatic to all orders. By the particular choice of 45° individual bends, a pair of such achromats can be used as the basis of a 180° recirculation arc. Other rational fractions of a full 180° bend serve equally well (e.g., 2 bends/cell×90°/bend×1 cell /arc; 2 bends/cell×30°/bend×3 cells/arc, etc), as do combinations of multiple bending numerologies (e.g., 2 bends/cell×22.5°/bend×2 cells+2 bends/cell×45°/bend×1 cell).

Abstract: An ion implanting apparatus includes an analyzer unit for analyzing ions to be implanted into a wafer from among those ions in a beam produced by an ionization, a vacuum unit for producing a vacuum in the analyzer unit, a vacuum gauge for measuring the pressure inside the analyzer unit, and a shield for preventing a magnetic field employed by the analyzer unit from affecting the vacuum gauge. The shield has a plurality of magnetic field shielding plates encircling the vacuum gauge and dielectric material inserted between the magnetic shielding plates. The shield prevents the vacuum gauge from being influenced by the magnetic field generated by the analyzer unit. Therefore, the vacuum level inside the analyzer unit can be precisely measured.

Abstract: In an ion trap device using an RF electric field to trap ions, when the amplitude of the RF voltage for generating the RF electric field is changed from a first value to a second value, it is changed according to the exponential function of time. And the time constant of the exponential function is set equal to or longer than the time constant of the resonant circuit for generating the RF voltage. Owing to this, the time necessary to change the RF voltage is shortened, and an overshoot, undershoot, or ringing of an actual RF voltage on the electrode or electrodes of an ion trap is avoided when the RF voltage setting value is changed, so that the movement of ions in the ion trap is not disturbed and the throughput of the ion trap device is improved.

Abstract: A system for obtaining an image of a cross-sectional surface of a workpiece includes a shaped beam ion projection column oriented along a first axis. The ion projection column projects an image of an aperture on the workpiece surface, thereby excavating a portion of the surface and exposing a cross-sectional surface. Because the ion beam is not focused on the surface, a low brightness ion source can be used. A focused particle beam column, typically a scanning electron microscope, is oriented along a second axis that intersects the first axis at a selected angle. This focused particle beam column generates a particle beam that is used to image the cross-sectional surface exposed by the ion projection column.

Abstract: An aberration corrector comprises four stages of electrostatic quadrupole elements, two stages of electrostatic quadrupole elements for superimposing a magnetic potential distribution analogous to the electric potential distribution created by the two central ones of the four stages of the electrostatic quadrupole elements on the electric potential distribution, an objective lens, a manual operation portion permitting a user to modify the accelerating voltage or the working distance, a power supply for supplying voltages to the four stages of electrostatic quadrupole elements, a power supply for exciting the two stages of magnetic quadrupole elements, a power supply for the objective lens, and a control portion for controlling the power supplies according to a manual operation or setting performed on the manual operation portion.

Abstract: A method of quickly and accurately inspecting the stitching accuracy at which regions of a lithographic pattern are stitched at boundaries. The numerous regions of the lithographic pattern are exposed or drawn, one at a time. Inspected regions are scanned with a charged-particle beam to detect secondary electrons. The obtained signal is stored as an inspected image in an image memory, together with positional data about the inspected regions. After completion of acceptance of image from all the inspected regions, the inspected image is compared with a separately prepared reference image by an image processing unit. Pattern elements in the inspected regions corresponding to the reference image are extracted. Deviations at field boundaries or the like can be detected from the relative positions of these pattern elements, if any.

Abstract: A beam direct-writing apparatus for writing a pattern on a semiconductor substrate is provided with a head part for emitting an electron beam for direct writing and a computer for performing a computation. A program is installed in the computer in advance to obtain a path passing through a plurality of writing points on the substrate. The program divides a region (6) dotted with writing points (60) into a plurality of divided regions on the basis of the density of the points contained therein and sets a passing order among a plurality of divided regions by using an algorithm for generating the Hilbert Curve. Subsequently, the program sets a path in each of the divided regions by using a path setting algorithm and subsequently connects the path in one divided region to the path in another divided region according to the passing order, to obtain a final path (74). This allows an efficient beam direct-writing on a substrate (9).

Abstract: An accelerator comprises a plurality of accelerating cells arranged to convey a beam, adjacent cells being linked by a coupling cell, the coupling cells being arranged to dictate the ratio of electric field in the respective adjacent accelerating cells, at least one coupling cell being switchable between a positive ratio and a negative ratio. Such an accelerator in effect inserts a phase change into the E field by imposing a negative ratio, meaning that the beam will meet a reversed electric field in subsequent cells and will in fact be decelerated. As a result, the beam can be developed and bunched in early cells while accelerating to and/or at relativistic energies, and then bled of energy in later cells to bring the beam energy down to (say) between 100 and 300 KeV. Energies of this magnitude are comparable to diagnostic X-rays, where much higher contrast of bony structures exists. Hence the accelerator can be used to take kilovoltage portal images.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wafer inspection technique capable of detecting a defect in a wafer on which a pattern having a large step such as a contact hole being subjected to a semiconductor manufacturing process is formed and obtaining information such as the position and kind of a defect such as a hole with open contact failure caused in dry etching process at high speed. A wafer on which a pattern having a large step being subjected to a semiconductor manufacturing process is formed is scanned and irradiated with an electron beam having irradiation energy which is in a range from 100 eV to 1,000 eV, and a defect is detected at high speed from an image of secondary electrons generated. Before the secondary electron image is captured, the wafer is irradiated with an electron beam at high speed while being moved to thereby charge the surface of the wafer with a desired charging voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing an electron beam, containing a vacuum chamber, a source of electron beams within the vacuum chamber, and a device for focusing the electrons beams. An electron transparent window is formed at the end of the vacuum chamber; and the vacuum chamber has a volume of less than about 1 cubic millimeter and a pressure of less than 10−7 Torr. In one embodiment, the focusing device is located outside of the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: An ion beam irradiation apparatus is provided with a plasma production device 30 which produces a plasma 12 through the radio frequency discharge and supplies the produced plasma in the vicinity of the substrate 4. The plasma production device 30 includes a plasma producing chamber 32 being elongated along an axis 33 extending in scanning directions X in which the ion beam is moved; a plasma emission hole 34 being provided in a side thereof and elongated along the axis 33 of the plasma producing chamber; and a magnet 36 provided outside the plasma producing chamber 32 for producing a magnetic field having a direction along the axis 33. The magnetic field developed by the magnet 36 contains a magnetic field which has a direction along the axis and bends to the substrate ions contained in the plasma 12 emitted from a plasma emission hole 34.

Abstract: A semiconductor calibration wafer that has no charge effect is disclosed. The calibration wafer has a substrate layer and a conductive metal layer. The conductive metal layer completely covers the substrate layer, and has a critical dimension (CD) bar corresponding to a desired CD. The substrate layer may be an oxide layer or another type of substrate layer, whereas the conductive metal layer may be an aluminum layer, a copper layer, or another type of conductive metal layer. Where the calibration wafer is used in conjunction with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to monitor the CD, the electrons ejected by the SEM do not remain on the semiconductor calibration wafer, but instead are carried away via the conductive metal layer. The calibration wafer is thus not vulnerable to the charge effect.

Abstract: A reliable and cost-effective method and composition is provided for inspecting manufactured components and detecting defects therein. In particularly, a method is provided for optically detecting defects in manufactured components during the manufacturing process by the incorporation of a fluorescent dye into a manufacturing fluid.

Abstract: Phase manipulation is used to produce a high contrast electron microscope image. A phase plate is placed at the back focal plane of an objective lens and used to form a differential contrast image.

Abstract: A turbine-boosted ultraviolet-radiation sterilizing fluid processor, comprising a quartz sleeve installed inside a tube unit, inside the quartz sleeve being installed an ultraviolet-radiation lamp, at the upper and lower end of the tube unit being respectively a fluid inlet tube and a fluid outlet tube; the invention is characterized in that: at the top of the tube unit and at the lower part of the fluid inlet tube is installed a diversion mechanism to form a fluid pressurizing chamber. When the fluid flows through the fluid inlet tube, into the diversion mechanism for pressurizing, a whirlpool spinning at a high speed is created so that the fluid with sterilizing function is blended properly. The fluid spinning at high speed also flushes the wall of the quartz sleeve thus increases the sterilizing effects and reduces the frequency for maintenance.

Abstract: Scanning probe apparatus, including a tip-electrode which is coupled to be held at a substantially ground potential, a counter-electrode which is positioned in proximity to the tip-electrode, a voltage source, coupled to maintain the counter-electrode at a non-ground potential, and positioning-instrumentation, which is adapted to maintain the tip-electrode at a suitable position relative to a surface of a ferroelectric sample located in a space between the tip-electrode and the counter-electrode. The apparatus generates an electric field in the ferroelectric sample greater than a coercive field of the sample.

Abstract: A measurement technique for determining the width of a structure on a mask is described. During a focus sweep, the width of the structure on a photomask, and an edge slope thereof or the structure contrast thereof are measured on a scanning electron microscope by controlling a current through a flow in a magnetic lens by a control unit. To determine the best focus, a function is fitted to the measured values for the contrast and the angle of edge inclination and the focus is read off at the extreme value thereof. A further function is adapted to the values, measured in each case as a function of the focus for the structural width, and the functional value relating to the previously determined best focus is determined.