Abstract: Small tweezers having a pair of arms openable and closable is moved closer to a sample and grips a particle attached on a surface of the sample and carries it onto an adhesion member to attach it thereto. The small tweezers are opened to release the particle and brought away from the adhesion member to leave the particle on the adhesion member. A particle removing device includes small tweezers having a pair of arms openable and closable; an opening/closing driving unit that drives the arm or arms to open/close the small tweezers; a stage mounting an adhesion member that attaches thereto a particle to withdraw the particle; and a moving mechanism that moves the small tweezers between the sample and the adhesion member mounted on the stage. Also, an atomic force microscope and a charged ion beam apparatus that include the particle removing device are disclosed.

Abstract: A focused ion beam system includes a sample holder having a fixing plane for fixing a sample, a sample base on which the sample holder is provided, a focused ion beam irradiating mechanism that irradiates a focused ion beam to the sample, microtweezers that hold the sample and have the axial direction at a predetermined angle to a surface of the sample base, an opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the microtweezers, a rotating mechanism that rotates the microtweezers about the axial direction, and a moving mechanism that moves the position of the microtweezers.

Abstract: A micro cross-section processing method includes the steps of determining a linear cross-section estimated position including an observation object on a surface of the sample, irradiating the focused ion beam to the cross-section estimated position perpendicularly to or at a tilt angle to form a cross-section at a position in front of the cross-section estimated position, irradiating the focused ion beam to both ends of the cross-section to form side cuts extending to a position in rear of the cross-section estimated position, irradiating the focused ion beam to a position on the surface of the cross-section and at a position deeper than the observation object to form a bottom cut extending to a position in rear of the cross-section estimated position, irradiating the focused ion beam along from the side cuts to the cross-section estimated position to form wedges connecting to the bottom cut, and applying impact to a region in front of the cross-section estimated position of the sample to cleave the vicinity

Abstract: A composite focused ion beam device has a sample stage for supporting a sample, a first ion beam irradiation system that irradiates a first ion beam for processing the sample, and a second ion beam irradiation system that irradiates a second ion beam for processing or observing the sample. The first ion beam irradiation system has a liquid metal ion source that generates first ions for forming the first ion beam. The second ion beam irradiation system has a gas field ion source that generates second ions for forming the second ion beam. The first ion beam irradiated by the first ion beam irradiation system has a first beam diameter and the second ion beam irradiated by the second ion beam irradiation system has a second beam diameter smaller than the first beam diameter. The first and second ion beam irradiation systems are disposed relative to the sample stage so that axes of the first and second ion beams are orthogonal to a tilt axis of the sample stage.

Abstract: Provided is a method of preparing a sample piece for a transmission electron microscope, the sample piece for a transmission electron microscope including a substantially planar finished surface which can be observed with the transmission electron microscope and a grabbing portion which microtweezers can grab without contacting the finished surface.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that precisely conduct ion beam etching to a sample having the properties of which easily change by electron beam irradiation with no loss of ease of operation and throughput. An apparatus includes an ion beam lens barrel and an electron beam lens barrel, which can observe or measure the conditions of a sample with an electron beam in the process of etching with an ion beam, wherein first, an observation image is obtained that includes the entire process area formed by secondary signals generated by an electron beam, secondly, an irradiation permit area and an irradiation inhibit area are defined in the observation image, and thirdly, electron beam irradiation is restricted only to the irradiation permit area.

Abstract: A focused ion beam system includes a sample holder having a fixing plane for fixing a sample, a sample base on which the sample holder is provided, a focused ion beam irradiating mechanism that irradiates a focused ion beam to the sample, microtweezers that hold the sample and have the axial direction at a predetermined angle to a surface of the sample base, an opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the microtweezers, a rotating mechanism that rotates the microtweezers about the axial direction, and a moving mechanism that moves the position of the microtweezers.

Abstract: A micro cross-section processing method includes the steps of determining a linear cross-section estimated position including an observation object on a surface of the sample, irradiating the focused ion beam to the cross-section estimated position perpendicularly to or at a tilt angle to form a cross-section at a position in front of the cross-section estimated position, irradiating the focused ion beam to both ends of the cross-section to form side cuts extending to a position in rear of the cross-section estimated position, irradiating the focused ion beam to a position on the surface of the cross-section and at a position deeper than the observation object to form a bottom cut extending to a position in rear of the cross-section estimated position, irradiating the focused ion beam along from the side cuts to the cross-section estimated position to form wedges connecting to the bottom cut, and applying impact to a region in front of the cross-section estimated position of the sample to cleave the vicinity

Abstract: A composite focused ion beam device includes a first ion beam irradiation system 10 including a liquid metal ion source for generating a first ion, and a second ion beam irradiation system 20 including a gas field ion source for generating a second ion, and a beam diameter of the second ion beam 20A emitted from the second ion beam irradiation system 20 is less than that of the first ion beam 10A emitted from the first ion beam irradiation system 10.

Abstract: Objects to be achieved by the invention are to provide a nanobio device in which cultured cells are organized at a high-level in a state near in vivo, and to provide a method of using the nanobio device of imitative anatomy structure. The nanobio device of imitative anatomy structure of the invention is obtained by manufacturing a substrate with a bio-compatible substance and arranging a plurality of types of cells thereon in a desired array. A method of manufacturing a nanobio device in the invention includes a step of manufacturing a substrate for a nanobio device by a micromachine processing technique and a step of arranging a plurality of cultured cells on the substrate in a desired array with laser optical tweezers.

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: An apparatus is provided that precisely conduct ion beam etching to a sample having the properties of which easily change by electron beam irradiation with no loss of ease of operation and throughput. An apparatus includes an ion beam lens barrel and an electron beam lens barrel, which can observe or measure the conditions of a sample with an electron beam in the process of etching with an ion beam, wherein first, an observation image is obtained that includes the entire process area formed by secondary signals generated by an electron beam, secondly, an irradiation permit area and an irradiation inhibit area are defined in the observation image, and thirdly, electron beam irradiation is restricted only to the irradiation permit area.

Abstract: Provided is a method of preparing a sample piece for a transmission electron microscope, the sample piece for a transmission electron microscope including a substantially planar finished surface which can be observed with the transmission electron microscope and a grabbing portion which microtweezers can grab without contacting the finished surface.

Abstract: A charged particle beam instrument is offered which comprises an irradiation mechanism for irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam (FIB/EB), a detection mechanism for detecting secondary charged particles produced by the irradiation by the charged particle beam, a storage portion for previously storing three-dimensional data about the irradiation mechanism and detection mechanism in an interrelated manner to the stage coordinate system W, a conversion portion for converting three-dimensional data about the sample into the stage coordinate system, and a decision portion for simulating the positional relationships among the sample, irradiation mechanism, and detection mechanism based on data converted by the conversion portion and on data stored in the storage portion when a certain position on the sample is placed into a measurement point and for previously making a decision as to whether the sample will interfere and making a report of the result of the decision.

Abstract: To include a focused ion beam apparatus fabricating a sliced specimen by processing a specimen as well as observing the sliced specimen, a scanning electron microscope observing the slice specimen, a gas-ion beam irradiation apparatus performing finishing processing by irradiating a gas-ion beam onto a surface of the sliced specimen, a specimen stage on which the sliced specimen is fixed and having at least one or more rotation axis, a specimen posture recognition means recognizing positional relation of the sliced specimen with respect to the specimen stage and a specimen stage control means controlling the specimen stage based on a specimen posture recognized by the posture recognition means and an installation angle of the gas-ion beam irradiation apparatus in order to allow an incident angle of the gas-ion beam with respect to the obverse or the reverse of the sliced specimen to be a desired value.

Abstract: A probe mechanism and a sample pick up mechanism of the invention are provided at an observing apparatus or an analyzing apparatus and characterized in including a tip member comprising a needle-like member brought into contact with a sample, including a driving electrostatic actuator and means for monitoring a change in an electrostatic capacitance between electrodes of the electrostatic actuator, and capable of sensing that the probe is brought into contact with a sample by the monitor.

Abstract: 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 sample support of the present invention is prepared such that a silicon substrate is used as a raw material, the thickness structure having a shape and a thickness of 10 ?m or less is prepared using a semiconductor silicon process technique. The sample support of the present invention is adhered to a partially-cut mesh in a state that a sample portion is not adhered. Further, a plurality of portions where the samples are mounted is arranged on the same substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus has a holder member (21) which holds a sample (3), and a removing beam source (13) which irradiates an inert ion beam onto a cross section (4) of the sample (3) held by a holder member (21) and removes a fracture layer on the cross section (4). Then, the removing beam source (13) is disposed on the holding end side of the sample (3) with respect to the normal L of the cross section (4) so that the irradiating direction of the inert ion beam is tilted at the tilt angle ? to the normal L with respect to the cross section (4).

Abstract: There is provided a liquid metal ion beam irradiation device for irradiating a specific portion of a sample 6 with a prescribed liquid metal ion beam so as to form a cross section, and a gaseous ion beam irradiation device 7 for scanning a prescribed region (observation region) of the cross section using a gaseous ion beam focused to a prescribed diameter and removing a damaged layer on the prescribed region.