Abstract: To provide a gas field ion source having a high angular current density, the gas field ion source is configured such that at least a base body of an emitter tip configuring the gas field ion source is a single crystal metal, such that the apex of the emitter tip is formed into a pyramid shape or a cone shape having a single atom at the top, and such that the extraction voltage in the case of ionizing helium gas by the single atom is set to 10 kV or more.

Abstract: A liquid metal ion gun 3 includes a liquid metal ion source 31 and a beam limiting aperture 33. The liquid metal ion source 31 includes a reservoir 36 and an emitter 35. The reservoir 36 is made of tungsten (W) and holds liquid metal gallium (Ga). The emitter 35 is made of W. The beam limiting aperture 33 is formed with a liquid metal member 44 made of Ga placed on a base 46 made of W, has an opening 41 that enables an ion beam 2 extracted from the liquid metal ion source 31 to pass therethrough, and limits the diameter of the ion beam 2. The beam limiting aperture 33 has a groove structure 45 that causes the liquid metal 44 to gather into a region located around the opening 41. The lifetime of the beam limiting aperture can be increased, and an emission can be maintained stable for a long time period and reproducibly restored to a stable state.

Abstract: To provide a gas field ion source having a high angular current density, the gas field ion source is configured such that at least a base body of an emitter tip configuring the gas field ion source is a single crystal metal, such that the apex of the emitter tip is formed into a pyramid shape or a cone shape having a single atom at the top, and such that the extraction voltage in the case of ionizing helium gas by the single atom is set to 10 kV or more.

Abstract: A charged particle gun includes: a charged particle source; a first extracting electrode arranged in such a manner that a distance between the charged particle source and the first extracting electrode is fixed; a second extracting electrode located on the side opposite to the charged particle source with respect to the first extracting electrode, the electrode being arranged in such a manner that a distance between the first extracting electrode and the second extracting electrode is adjustable; and an earth electrode located on the side opposite to the first extracting electrode with respect to the second extracting electrode, the electrode being arranged in such a manner that a distance between the second extracting electrode and the earth electrode is fixed; wherein the first extracting electrode is equal in potential to the second extracting electrode.

Abstract: A liquid metal ion gun 3 includes a liquid metal ion source 31 and a beam limiting aperture 33. The liquid metal ion source 31 includes a reservoir 36 and an emitter 35. The reservoir 36 is made of tungsten (W) and holds liquid metal gallium (Ga). The emitter 35 is made of W. The beam limiting aperture 33 is formed with a liquid metal member 44 made of Ga placed on a base 46 made of W, has an opening 41 that enables an ion beam 2 extracted from the liquid metal ion source 31 to pass therethrough, and limits the diameter of the ion beam 2. The beam limiting aperture 33 has a groove structure 45 that causes the liquid metal 44 to gather into a region located around the opening 41. The lifetime of the beam limiting aperture can be increased, and an emission can be maintained stable for a long time period and reproducibly restored to a stable state.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a focused ion beam apparatus that is capable of obtaining a much larger beam current and forming a focused ion beam with smaller aberration than a conventional focused ion beam apparatus no matter whether the level of acceleration is high or low. The focused ion beam apparatus according to the present invention includes a liquid metal ion source, an extraction electrode for extracting an ion beam from the liquid metal ion source, an acceleration (ground) electrode for accelerating an ion beam, and an electrostatic lens for converging an ion beam. When the acceleration voltage applied to the liquid metal ion source is lower than an emission threshold voltage of the liquid metal ion source, the voltage of the extraction electrode is at a lower potential than the voltage of the acceleration (ground) electrode. The polarity of a voltage applied to the electrostatic lens changes in accordance with the polarity of a voltage applied to the extraction electrode.

Abstract: An emitter of a Ga liquid metal ion source is constituted to include W12 of a base material and Ga9 of an ion source element covering a surface as construction materials. By making back-sputtered particles become elements (W and Ga) of the Ga liquid metal ion sour source, if back-sputtered particles attach to the Ga liquid metal ion source, contamination which may change physical characteristics of Ga9 does not occur. A W aperture is used as a beam limiting (GUN) aperture to place Ga of approx. 25 mg (of melting point of 30° C.) on a surface of a portion included in a beam emission region (Ga store). When emitting ions to the beam limiting (GUN) aperture, Ga in the emission region melts and diffuses on a surface of the beam emission region of the W aperture.

Abstract: In view of the fact that in line processing, when processing is performed to a certain depth, the processing does not advance with the passage of a further processing time, a processing apparatus is provided which can appropriately control the depth of grooves in linear groove processing and perform the processing at high speed. A line width and line depth are calculated so as to minimize a processing time of processing on a line to a required depth and processing is performed using the width and line depth as set values of processing. Furthermore, processing is performed with the area in which the beam is actually irradiated superimposed on the scanned image of a focused ion beam and displayed on a screen. In the case of an ion beam inclined with respect to the sample surface, processing is also performed by displaying the area where the beam is actually irradiated by taking the inclination of the sample with respect to the beam into consideration.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a focused ion beam apparatus capable of prolonging a service life of an aperture, preventing contaminants from increasing when a column valve is closed, and being quickly restarted. A high-voltage power supply controller lowers an extraction voltage applied to an extraction electrode or lowers a control voltage applied to a control electrode to set an emission to 0 ?A when a column valve is closed. The high-voltage power supply controller returns the extraction voltage applied to the extraction electrode to an original extraction voltage or returns the control voltage applied to the control electrode to an original control voltage when a column valve is opened.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a focused ion beam apparatus that is capable of obtaining a much larger beam current and forming a focused ion beam with smaller aberration than a conventional focused ion beam apparatus no matter whether the level of acceleration is high or low. The focused ion beam apparatus according to the present invention includes a liquid metal ion source, an extraction electrode for extracting an ion beam from the liquid metal ion source, an acceleration (ground) electrode for accelerating an ion beam, and an electrostatic lens for converging an ion beam. When the acceleration voltage applied to the liquid metal ion source is lower than an emission threshold voltage of the liquid metal ion source, the voltage of the extraction electrode is at a lower potential than the voltage of the acceleration (ground) electrode. The polarity of a voltage applied to the electrostatic lens changes in accordance with the polarity of a voltage applied to the extraction electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable charged beam gun designed in consideration for environmental protection, which prevents faulty insulation in a high-voltage connection. An insulating liquid is present in a gap formed between a connecting bushing and a receiving-side flange placed in a vacuum container, and the connecting bushing includes first piping and valve that provide communication between the gap and atmospheric air, and second piping and valve that provide communication between the gap and the atmospheric air, whereby the gap is cut off from the atmospheric air.

Abstract: A gradient charged particle beam apparatus capable of moving highly accurately to a specific position by eliminating influences of warp inside a wafer surface is provided. A portion 46 having a mark 47 for aligning visual field alignment positioned in advance to the same horizontal and the same height as a stage plane as a reference point is arranged on a wafer holder. A height of an observation point on a sample is adjusted to the height of the mark 47 and the visual field of a gradient column is brought into conformity with the visual field of a vertical column by use of a known offset between the gradient column and the vertical column at that time.

Abstract: In view of the fact that in line processing, when processing is performed to a certain depth, the processing does not advance with the passage of a further processing time, a processing apparatus is provided which can appropriately control the depth of grooves in linear groove processing and perform the processing at high speed. A line width and line depth are calculated so as to minimize a processing time of processing on a line to a required depth and processing is performed using the width and line depth as set values of processing. Furthermore, processing is performed with the area in which the beam is actually irradiated superimposed on the scanned image of a focused ion beam and displayed on a screen. In the case of an ion beam inclined with respect to the sample surface, processing is also performed by displaying the area where the beam is actually irradiated by taking the inclination of the sample with respect to the beam into consideration.

Abstract: In an aperture for use in an ion beam optical system having its surface coated with a liquid metal, instability of an ion source attributable to sputtering and re-deposition of an aperture base material is prevented. A focused ion beam apparatus using a liquid metal ion source has an aperture for limiting an ion beam diameter. The aperture has a vessel formed with a recess having, at its surface lowermost point, an aperture hole through which the ion beam passes and a liquid metal mounted on the recess, the liquid metal being used for the liquid metal ion source. Preferably, the aperture may be minimized in area of aperture entrance hole inner surface which exposes the base material by tapering an aperture hole portion, by which the ion beam passes, on the downstream side.

Abstract: An emitter of a Ga liquid metal ion source is constituted to include W12 of a base material and Ga9 of an ion source element covering a surface as construction materials. By making back-sputtered particles become elements (W and Ga) of the Ga liquid metal ion sour source, if back-sputtered particles attach to the Ga liquid metal ion source, contamination which may change physical characteristics of Ga9 does not occur. A W aperture is used as a beam limiting (GUN) aperture to place Ga of approx. 25 mg (of melting point of 30° C.) on a surface of a portion included in a beam emission region (Ga store). When emitting ions to the beam limiting (GUN) aperture, Ga in the emission region melts and diffuses on a surface of the beam emission region of the W aperture.

Abstract: An emitter of a Ga liquid metal ion source is constituted to include W12 of a base material and Ga9 of an ion source element covering a surface as construction materials. By making back-sputtered particles become elements (W and Ga) of the Ga liquid metal ion sour source, if back-sputtered particles attach to the Ga liquid metal ion source, contamination which may change physical characteristics of Ga9 does not occur. A W aperture is used as a beam limiting (GUN) aperture to place Ga of approx. 25 mg (of melting point of 30° C.) on a surface of a portion included in a beam emission region (Ga store). When emitting ions to the beam limiting (GUN) aperture, Ga in the emission region melts and diffuses on a surface of the beam emission region of the W aperture.

Abstract: A gradient charged particle beam apparatus capable of moving highly accurately to a specific position by eliminating influences of warp inside a wafer surface is provided. A portion 46 having a mark 47 for aligning visual field alignment positioned in advance to the same horizontal and the same height as a stage plane as a reference point is arranged on a wafer holder. A height of an observation point on a sample is adjusted to the height of the mark 47 and the visual field of a gradient column is brought into conformity with the visual field of a vertical column by use of a known offset between the gradient column and the vertical column at that time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable charged beam gun designed in consideration for environmental protection, which prevents faulty insulation in a high-voltage connection. An insulating liquid is present in a gap formed between a connecting bushing and a receiving-side flange placed in a vacuum container, and the connecting bushing includes first piping and valve that provide communication between the gap and atmospheric air, and second piping and valve that provide communication between the gap and the atmospheric air, whereby the gap is cut off from the atmospheric air.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a focused ion beam apparatus capable of prolonging a service life of an aperture, preventing contaminants from increasing when a column valve is closed, and being quickly restarted. A high-voltage power supply controller lowers an extraction voltage applied to an extraction electrode or lowers a control voltage applied to a control electrode to set an emission to 0 ?A when a column valve is closed. The high-voltage power supply controller returns the extraction voltage applied to the extraction electrode to an original extraction voltage or returns the control voltage applied to the control electrode to an original control voltage when a column valve is opened.

Abstract: A gradient charged particle beam apparatus capable of moving highly accurately to a specific position by eliminating influences of warp inside a wafer surface is provided. A portion 46 having a mark 47 for aligning visual field alignment positioned in advance to the same horizontal and the same height as a stage plane as a reference point is arranged on a wafer holder. A height of an observation point on a sample is adjusted to the height of the mark 47 and the visual field of a gradient column is brought into conformity with the visual field of a vertical column by use of a known offset between the gradient column and the vertical column at that time.