Abstract: The invention relates to a radiotherapy assembly comprising a particle emitter (2) with an exit window (4) for a fixed particle stream (6) and a patient support device (16) comprising a patient couch (18A, 18B), which can be brought into an irradiation position that is suitable for irradiating a patient (22) in front of the exit window (4). An X-ray diagnostic device (8) determines or verifies the position of a tumour that is to be irradiated, said device (8) comprising an X-ray source (12) and a detector (14), which can be displaced in the area around the patient couch (18A, 18B) that has been placed in the irradiation position. The assembly permits the location of a tumour to be verified in the irradiation position, thus rendering a relocation of the patient unnecessary.

Abstract: A surface analysis apparatus includes a unit configured to bombard a sample surface with at least two types of ions having different sizes; a measurement device for measuring, with a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer, a mass spectrum of ions emitted from the sample surface; and an information processor outputting a difference between two mass spectra measured by bombardment of different types of ions.

Abstract: An apparatus and/or method for controlling an ion beam may be provided, and/or a method for preparing an extraction electrode for the same may be provided. In the apparatus, a plurality of extraction electrodes may be disposed in a path of an ion beam. At least one extraction electrode may include a plurality of sub-grids.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a radiation system constructed to provide a beam of radiation from radiation emitted by a radiation source. The radiation system includes a contaminant trap configured to trap material emanating from the radiation source. The contaminant trap includes a contaminant engaging surface arranged in the path of the radiation beam that receives the material emanating from the radiation source during propagation of the radiation beam in the radiation system. The radiation system also includes a liquid tin cooling system constructed to cooling the contaminant trap with liquid tin. The apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition the radiation beam, a support constructed to support a patterning device configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate.

Abstract: In a particle beam irradiation method and a particle beam irradiation apparatus in which depth direction irradiation field spread and lateral direction irradiation field spread are performed, an irradiation dose in each of the irradiation layers of an irradiation target is made substantially constant, the control is simplified, and the irradiation error by the displacement of the irradiation target is reduced. The depth direction irradiation field spread is an active irradiation field spread to superimpose plural irradiation layers having different ranges in the irradiation direction of the particle beam. A bolus having a shape along a deepest part of the irradiation target in the depth direction is disposed to cross the particle beam. At least one irradiation layer selected from the plural irradiation layers is re-irradiated one or more times with the particle beam.

Abstract: A focused ion beam apparatus includes a sample base for mounting a sample, a three axis stage capable of moving the sample base in three directions: along two axes on a horizontal face and a vertical axis, and a first focused ion beam barrel and a second focused ion beam barrel for irradiating the sample with focused ion beams, the first focused ion beam barrel and the second focused ion beam barrel being arranged such that directions of the focused ion beams are substantially opposed to each other in a plane view thereof and are inclined in substantial line symmetry with regard to the vertical axis in a side view thereof.

Abstract: A focused ion source based on a Hall thruster with closed loop electron drift and a narrow acceleration zone is disclosed. The ion source of the invention has an ion focusing system consisting of two parts. The first part is a ballistic focusing system in which the aperture through which the beam exits the discharge channel is tilted. The second is a magnetic focusing system which focuses the ion beam exiting the discharge channel by canceling a divergent magnetic field present at the aperture through which the beam exits the discharge channel. The ion source of the invention also has an in-line hollow cathode capable of forming a self-sustaining discharge. The invention further reduces substrate contamination, while increasing the processing rate. Further the configuration disclosed allows the ion source to operate at lower operational gas pressures.

Abstract: An EUV radiation source device with a chamber that is divided into a discharge space and a collector mirror space provided with EUV collector optics. Between them, an aperture component with an opening which is cooled is provided. First and second discharge electrodes are rotated. Sn or Li is irradiated with a laser. Pulsed power is applied between the first and second discharge electrodes to form a high density and high temperature plasma between the two electrodes so that EUV radiation with a wavelength of 13.5 nm is emitted, is focused by the EUV collector optics and is guided into the irradiation optical system of an exposure tool. There are a first pumping device and a second pumping device for pumping the discharge space and the collector mirror space. The discharge space is kept at a few Pa, and the collector mirror space is kept at a few 100 Pa.

Abstract: When an accelerating voltage and operating distance are changed, an excitation current and a pole voltage of an aberration corrector must also be changed. Moreover, different multipole voltages or currents must be added individually for each pole in order to superpose multipoles.

Abstract: A multi-purpose multifunction electron microscope specimen box has a box body, a sliding transparent lid fitting over the box body, and an array of piece holes formed on the top surface of the box body. At least one piece hole has a tweezer trough connected to the at least one piece hole. A material recording card is mounted in sliding connection underneath the box body. The grid hole is diamond shaped and the tweezer trough is rectangular to make a spade shaped hole. The grid hole has a pitch, wherein a trough side is higher than a lower side. The box body top surface has a transparent plastic cover piece that has at least two holes in offset orientation. The grid hole is diamond shaped and the tweezer trough is elliptical to make a spade shaped hole. The multifunction electron microscope specimen box also optionally has a specimen block store cavity and a specimen block store cavity having a symmetrical bulge for storing semi-thin sections.

Abstract: A high power laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) probe is provided for desorbing neutral molecules from a sample analyte on a target into a mass spectrometer for subsequent ionization.

Abstract: A method of repairing radiation-induced damage and reducing accumulated laser-induced wavefront distortion and polarization-induced birefringence in a fused silica article, such as a lens in a DUV optical system, prisms, filters, photomasks, reflectors, etalon plates, and windows. The distortion is reduced by irradiating the fused silica article with an irradiation source, such as an infrared laser. The radiation causes localized heating which repairs at least a portion of the fused silica lens. A fused silica lens that has been treated by the method and a lithographic system are also described.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope having a monochromator that can automatically adjust an electron beam entering the monochromator and operating conditions of the monochromator. The scanning electron microscope having a monochromator is equipped with, between an electron source and the monochromator, a first focusing lens for adjusting focusing of the electron beam entering the monochromator and a first astigmatism correcting lens for correcting astigmatism of the electron beam entering the monochromator. The microscope further includes a means of obtaining an image of an electron-beam adjustment sample disposed where the electron beam in the monochromator is focused, and based on the obtained image, driving the first focusing lens and the first astigmatism correcting lens so that the focusing and astigmatism of the electron beam entering the monochromator are adjusted.

Abstract: A focused ion beam system capable of acquiring surface structure information, internal structure information, and internal composition information about a sample simultaneously from the same field of view of the sample. A method of sample preparation and observation employs such focused ion beam system to accurately set a sample processing position based on information about the structure and composition of the sample acquired from multiple directions of the sample, and to process and observe the sample. The system includes, in order to acquire the sample structure and composition information simultaneously, a secondary electron detector, a transmission electron detector, and an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope or an electron energy loss spectroscope, and employs a stub having the sample rotating and tilting function. The method includes a marking process.

Abstract: An EUV (extreme ultra violet) light source device in which a degree of vacuum or cleanness in a plasma generation chamber is improved while the construction is simplified. The device includes a first chamber; a second chamber connected to the first chamber through an opening portion; a target supplier that supplies a target material into the first chamber; a droplet generating unit that generates droplets of the target material of molten metal repetitively dropping based on the target material supplied by the target supplier; a blocking unit that prevents the droplets of the target material generated by the droplet generating unit from passing through the opening portion; control unit that controls the blocking unit to operate at predetermined timing; a laser light source; and an optical system that leads a laser beam to the droplets of the target material introduced into the second chamber.

Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus includes: an electron gun which generates an electron beam to irradiate the electron beam to a substrate; an electron detection unit which detects at least one of a secondary electron, a reflection electron and a back scattering electron generated from a surface of the substrate by the irradiation of the electron beam to output signals constituting an image showing a state of the substrate surface; and a surface potential uniformizing unit which generates ions, and irradiates the ions to the substrate before the irradiation of the electron beam to uniformize a surface potential of the substrate.

Abstract: An adjustable, low-temperature blackbody radiation system includes a blackbody enclosure having an optical port formed therein, and a cold element provided within the blackbody enclosure adjacent the optical port, the cold element configured to emit thermal radiation through the optical port. A dry gas source is in fluid communication with the blackbody enclosure, and is configured to purge the blackbody enclosure with a gas. A temperature control system is coupled to the cold element to maintain the cold element at a predetermined temperature. A light trap feature (e.g., a dark mirror cube corner structure) is incorporated into and/or around the cold element.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, the less “useful” spectral data is disregarded from the spectral data resulting from the fragmentation by ETD and candidate charge states for the “useful” data assigned. Knowledge of the first order ion product charge state reduces the subset of comparison data hence aiding in the eventual identification of the precursor ion, and thus aiding in peptide sequence database searching capabilities. Such capabilities include, but are not limited to, computational requirements for database search and data storage, CPU time, the volume taken up on the hard disk to store results, visualization and dissemination of data, and overall improvement in the confidence in the precursor identification. Thus determination of the peptide sequence can be resolved in less time, costing less money, and requiring less computer power.

Abstract: A mirror optic (10) is provided for near-field optical measurement of a specimen (1), wherein the mirror optic (10) has a reflector (11) with the shape of a paraboloid with a paraboloid axis (12) and a focal point (13), which can be illuminated along a first illumination beam path (I), whereby the reflector 11 has at least one edge recess (14) in such a way that the focal point (13) can be illuminated along a second illumination beam path (II) which deviates from the first illumination beam path (I). A near-field microscope with such a mirror optic is also provided.

Abstract: An electron probe X-ray analyzer capable of automatically setting appropriate analytical conditions if there are unknown compounds by performing analysis under the analytical conditions adapted for analysis points having different compositions in a case where the numerous analysis points having the plural compositions are analyzed by WDS (wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometer). At each analysis point, the analyzer performs quantitative analysis using EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer) permitting easy and quick analysis. Based on the results, chemical compounds are identified. If the results indicate that there is any new compound, analytical conditions adapted for the new compound are selected. If the new compound is already registered in a database, the analytical conditions are read from the database. Then, quantitative analysis is performed using WDS.