Abstract: A fixed electrode and a movable electrode used to drive each arm are disposed at a drive unit. As a voltage is applied between the fixed electrode and the movable the electrode, a coulomb force causes the movable the electrode to move, thereby driving the arms along the closing direction. The dimensions of a sample can be measured based upon the electrostatic capacity achieved between the electrodes when the sample becomes gripped by the arms.

Abstract: A composite system of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a focused ion beam apparatus (FIB) has an FIB lens barrel for irradiating a focused ion beam to an irradiating position on a sample surface and an SEM lens barrel for observing a machining state of the machined sample surface. The FIB lens barrel has an aperture defining at least one slit of a preselected pattern so that during irradiation of the sample surface with the focused ion beam, the aperture is irradiated by the focused ion beam with a width covering the slit to thereby machine the sample surface in the form of the preselected pattern of the slit.

Abstract: A fixed electrode and a movable electrode used to drive each arm are disposed at a drive unit. As a voltage is applied between the fixed electrode and the movable the electrode, a coulomb force causes the movable the electrode to move, thereby driving the arms along the closing direction. The dimensions of a sample can be measured based upon the electrostatic capacity achieved between the electrodes when the sample becomes gripped by the arms.

Abstract: A method of correcting a defective portion of an exposure window in a lithography mask, such as an EPL mask, includes a first step of irradiating a defective portion of the exposure window using a charge particle beam to perform correction processing, and a second step of irradiating another portion of the exposure window with the charged particle beam to eliminate attached matter therefrom, the attached matter consisting of particles ejected from the defective portion of the exposure window as a result of irradiation with the charged particle beam during the first step. The first step and the second step are sequentially repeated N times, wherein N is an integer of 2 or more, to thereby reduce the time needed for eliminating the attached matter.

Abstract: In a complex apparatus including an FIB lens-barrel and an SEM lens-barrel, a slit of a desired shape is provided as an aperture for FIB, an ion beam of a beam width covering the slit is irradiated on a sample surface to transfer a pattern of the slit onto the sample surface to thereby perform ion beam machining.

Abstract: In a sample analysis method, positional coordinates of reference points on a surface of the sample are measured using a first device. Positional coordinates of an object on the surface of the sample to be analyzed are also measured using the first device. A sample piece containing on a surface thereof a preselected number of the reference points and the object is removed from the sample. The sample piece is then mounted on a second device different from the first device. The positional coordinates of the reference points on the surface of the sample piece are then measured using the second device. The positional coordinates of the object on the surface of the sample piece are then calculated using the positional coordinates of the reference points measured by the second device and the positional coordinates of the object measured by the first device. The object on the surface of the sample piece is then analyzed.

Abstract: A fine stencil structure correction device has a charged particle beam microscope lens-barrel which scans and corrects shapes of defect portions of a fine stencil structure sample using an etching or deposition function, and the fine stencil structure correction device further comprises transmitted beam detecting means for detecting a transmitted beam which is the charged particle beam penetrating the sample provided on a sample stage when the sample is scanned by the charged particle beam.

Abstract: A fine stencil structure correction device has a charged particle beam microscope lens-barrel which scans and corrects shapes of defect portions of a fine stencil structure sample using an etching or deposition function, and the fine stencil structure correction device further comprises transmitted beam detecting means for detecting a transmitted beam which is the charged particle beam penetrating the sample provided on a sample stage when the sample is scanned by the charged particle beam.

Abstract: When amounts of re-attached matter caused by a process are caused to be deposited on pattern wiring every time processing employing a charged particle beam is carried out on a window for exposure formed on an EPL mask, elimination of such deposits is time-consuming. There is therefore provided a correction step for performing correction processing on a part to be corrected of a window 400 using a charged particle beam and an elimination step for eliminating attached matter 310 formed as a result of splashed particles from the portion to be corrected becoming attached to a region different to the part to be corrected of the window 400 during correction using a charged particle beam, with a sequential cycle of this correction step and elimination step being repeated N times (where N is an integer of 2 or more).

Abstract: In keeping with an increase of the size of wafers, etc. used in a fabrication process, a device used for inspection also becomes large, and as a result, more installation space is needed. In addition, due to the increase in the device size, there is a problem that the device becomes expensive and investment in equipment rises. The object of the present investment is to solve these problems. A sample having foreign matter or defects 4 that has already been inspected is divided so as to include a plurality of reference points 3 where positional coordinates can be determined. The divided sample 2 is inspected using a compact inspection device. At this time, the positional coordinates of the foreign matter or defects 4 are calculated from the positional coordinates of reference points 3 on the divided sample 2, are then inspected.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus has a plurality of charged particle beam generating systems disposed in a chamber and a neutralizing coil for neutralizing a first charged particle beam generating system to control the magnetic field in the path of a charged particle beam generated by a second charged particle beam system. The first charged particle beam generating system comprises one or more electron beam lens barrels, and the second charged particle beam generating system comprises one or more focused ion beam lens barrels. The neutralizing coil controls an excitation current of the objective lens of a first electron beam lens barrel.

Abstract: A liquid metal ion source has an emitter electrode for emitting ions, an extraction electrode, proximate the emitter electrode for generating a focused electric field at a tip of the emitter electrode, and a suppression electrode proximate the extraction electrode for adjusting the strength of the focused electric field generated at the tip of the emitter electrode so that metal ions are extracted from liquid metal covering the tip of the emitter electrode at a desired emission current value. A storage device stores a function defining a relationship between variation (&Dgr;Ie) in current of the emitter electrode and variation (&Dgr;Vsup) in voltage of the suppression electrode as a function &Dgr;Ie=F(&Dgr;Vsup), with the voltage (Vext) of the extraction electrode being at a fixed value.

Abstract: A method of controlling a magnetic field in the path of a focused charged particle beam of a composite charged particle beam apparatus having at least one focused ion beam lens barrel and at least one electron beam lens barrel comprises the steps of measuring a residual magnetic field within a sample chamber housing the lens barrels, and controlling the magnetic field in the path of the focused charged particle beam so that the magnetic field is maintained at a previously measured value.

Abstract: A magnetism preventive cylinder is provided at a focused ion beam irradiating lens barrel tip, and an electricity preventive cylinder is mounted at an electron beam irradiating lens barrel tip. Also, the magnetism preventive cylinder is provided at the electron beam irradiating lens barrel tip in place of electricity preventive cylinder. The magnetism preventive cylinder at the focused ion beam irradiating lens barrel tip prevents a focused ion beam from being affected by a magnetic field from a focused ion beam. The electricity preventive cylinder at the electron beam irradiating lens barrel tip prevents against a magnetic field from the electron beam irradiating lens barrel tip.