Abstract: A specimen fabrication apparatus including: an ion source, an optical system for irradiating a projection ion beam to a sample, wherein the optical system includes a patterning mask to form a ion beam emitted from the ion source into the projection ion beam, a sample stage to mount the sample, a vacuum specimen chamber to contain the sample stage, a probe for separating a micro-specimen from the sample by irradiation of the projection ion beam, a specimen holder to fix the micro-specimen, wherein the projection ion beam is irradiated to the micro-specimen fixed to the specimen holder and extracted by the probe in the specimen chamber, so that a finish fabrication to the micro-specimen is enabled.

Abstract: A specimen fabrication apparatus including: a specimen chamber, a sample stage in the specimen chamber, to mount a specimen substrate, a transfer unit to extract a micro-specimen from the specimen substrate, and to transfer the micro-specimen, within the specimen chamber; a specimen holder in the specimen chamber, to receive the micro-specimen from the transfer unit, and to have the micro-specimen affixed thereto, and an irradiating optical system to irradiate an ion beam to the specimen substrate or to the micro-specimen affixed to the specimen holder, wherein the transfer unit effects transfer of the micro-specimen from the specimen substrate to the specimen holder, and the irradiating optical system irradiates the ion beam onto the micro-specimen affixed to the specimen holder, while the specimen chamber remains substantially sealed.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and system for separating and preparing a sample for analysis from a wafer without contaminating the wafer with an element such as Ga which would raise a problem in the process.

Abstract: A specimen fabrication apparatus including a movable sample stage on which a specimen substrate is mounted, a probe connector for firmly joining a tip of a probe to a portion of the specimen substrate in a vicinity of an area on the specimen substrate to be observed in an observation apparatus, a micro-specimen separator for separating from the specimen substrate a micro-specimen to which the tip of the probe is firmly joined, the micro-specimen including the area on the specimen substrate to be observed and the portion of the specimen substrate to which the tip of the probe is firmly joined, a micro-specimen fixer for fixing the micro-specimen separated from the specimen substrate to a specimen holder of the observation apparatus, and a probe separator for separating the tip of the probe from the micro-specimen fixed to the specimen holder.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention prevent data loss due to very frequent writing onto adjacent data tracks. In one embodiment, an alternate zone made up of multiple adjacent data tracks is formed by setting data tracks whose usage is to be prohibited for every other data track. The data updated very frequently and data not updated too frequently are recorded in the alternate zone. Data tracks for recording the data updated very frequently, and data tracks for recording data not updated too frequently, each have one cylinder of spacing. Data loss due to leakage fluxes can thus be prevented.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide the manufacturing method for a magnetic disk drive that includes the process steps of detecting and processing in a simplified way the defective sectors causing a reading error at low operating environmental temperatures. In one embodiment, defective sectors are detected by read/write testing at high operating environmental temperatures from, for example, 40° C. to 65° C. Reading the data written on the defective sectors makes it obvious that the gain in a high-frequency band is reduced. After test data has been written onto each sector, the filtering coefficient of an FIR element that is set for a data-reading system is changed from the optimum value. The frequency gain is thus reduced. Next, the test data is read and the sectors that have caused a reading error are registered as defectives.

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 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 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 electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: A disk unit is capable of detecting a track, the track width of which deviates from a normal value, with high accuracy at high speed. A HDD includes a read head, a disk and defective-track detecting part. The disk has servo data including bursts A, B written thereon. The servo data is used to position the read head to a track center. The defective-track detecting part detects a defective track as below. The sum of the amplitude of bursts A and B, which have been read by the read head by one read operation, is divided by the amplitude of a burst C or D to obtain a compared value. If the compared value deviates from a criterion by a specified percentage or more, it is judged that the track width of a track is abnormal. Since bursts A through D are written without trimming, the size of bursts A through D in the track width direction are kept constant regardless of the track width. Accordingly, a gap G fluctuating in accordance with the track width is formed in the radial direction between bursts A and B.

Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: Disconnection defects, short-circuit defects and the like in wiring patterns of submicron sizes within TEGs (a square of 1 to 2.5 mm for each) numerously arranged in a large chip (a square of 20 to 25 mm) can be inspected with respect to all the TEGs, with good operability, high reliability and high efficiency. A conductor probe for applying voltage to the wiring patterns by mechanical contact is composed of synchronous type conductor probe that synchronizes with movement of a sample stage (16), and fixed type conductor probe means (21) that is relatively fixed to an FIB generator (10). Positions of probe tips are superimposed to an SIM image and displayed on a display unit (19).

Abstract: An object of the invention is to realize a method and an apparatus for processing and observing a minute sample which can observe a section of a wafer in horizontal to vertical directions with high resolution, high accuracy and high throughput without splitting any wafer which is a sample. In an apparatus of the invention, there are included a focused ion beam optical system and an electron optical system in one vacuum container, and a minute sample containing a desired area of the sample is separated by forming processing with a charged particle beam, and there are included a manipulator for extracting the separated minute sample, and a manipulator controller for driving the manipulator independently of a wafer sample stage.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to realize a method and an apparatus for processing and observing a minute sample which can observe a section of a wafer in horizontal to vertical directions with high resolution, high accuracy and high throughput without splitting any wafer which is a sample. In an apparatus of the invention, there are included a focused ion beam optical system and an electron optical system in one vacuum container, and a minute sample containing a desired area of the sample is separated by forming processing with a charged particle beam, and there are included a manipulator for extracting the separated minute sample, and a manipulator controller for driving the manipulator independently of a wafer sample stage.

Abstract: In addition to the conventional test pattern writing in a center of each track and inspection of burst patterns (A and B patterns) through a writing test in a SAT, there is also performed a test pattern data writing test, which is done at each boundary between tracks. With this additional test, it is possible to accurately inspect both C and D burst patterns that are sensitive to a PES signal at each boundary between tracks.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to realize a method and an apparatus for processing and observing a minute sample which can observe a section of a wafer in horizontal to vertical directions with high resolution, high accuracy and high throughput without splitting any wafer which is a sample. In an apparatus of the invention, there are included a focused ion beam optical system and an electron optical system in one vacuum container, and a minute sample containing a desired area of the sample is separated by forming processing with a charged particle beam, and there are included a manipulator for extracting the separated minute sample, and a manipulator controller for driving the manipulator independently of a wafer sample stage.

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 specimen fabrication apparatus including a movable sample stage on which a specimen substrate is mounted, a probe connector for firmly joining a tip of a probe to a portion of the specimen substrate in a vicinity of an area on the specimen substrate to be observed in an observation apparatus, a micro-specimen separator for separating from the specimen substrate a micro-specimen to which the tip of the probe is firmly joined, the micro-specimen including the area on the specimen substrate to be observed and the portion of the specimen substrate to which the tip of the probe is firmly joined, a micro-specimen fixer for fixing the micro-specimen separated from the specimen substrate to a specimen holder of the observation apparatus, and a probe separator for separating the tip of the probe from the micro-specimen fixed to the specimen holder.

Abstract: A micro-spectroscopic measuring device having a structure in which a spectroscopic element made of an array of photonic crystals with defects, flow paths for introducing a sample, and light detecting elements with sensitivity to a band from near infrared to infrared are stacked.