Abstract: When the surface of a semiconductor wafer, a photomask or the like sample is charged by irradiation with a charged particle beam, the charging is liable to hamper image observation, inspection and handling. Therefore, the sample and the surface or vicinity of the sample being charged by an electron beam or the like is held in an atmosphere or a reduced pressure atmosphere or in a predetermined gaseous atmosphere within a preliminary evacuation chamber, a sample chamber or the like, containing a soft X-ray generator which irradiates the sample or the vicinity thereof with soft X-rays which are controlled to generate positive ions and negative ions and remove charges on the surface of the sample.

Abstract: [Purpose] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic motor having a stator which includes a piezoelectric element for moving a rotor in a prescribed direction by applying a predetermined ultrasonic voltage thereto, and the rotor which is fixed to the stator by a frictional force, and a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic motor, and it has for its purpose to attain decrease of dust appearance by enhancement of a wear resistance, a different hardness, or the like in such a way that a contact part of at least either of a stator and a rotor which constitute the ultrasonic motor is irradiated with ions. [Constitution] An ultrasonic motor characterized in that either or both of contact parts of a stator and a rotor is/are irradiated with ions, thereby to enhance a wear resistance of the contact part or parts.

Abstract: A method of deciding the quality of a measurement value of the line width, the line interval or the like of a pattern on an object to-be-measured, including acquiring the signal intensity distribution of the pattern on the object to-be-measured, detecting the edge positions of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, detecting the taper widths of the edge parts of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, and deciding that the measurement value calculated on the basis of the detected edge positions is correct, when the detected taper widths fall within a predetermined range set beforehand. In this way, it is permitted to automatically decide the defective measurement of the line width of the pattern, or the like, attributed to an unclear image due to inferior focusing in an image photographing mode, an unclear image due to an image drift ascribable to charging-up, or the like.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus comprising a preparatory evacuation chamber (15 in FIG. 1A) into which a sample (12) is conveyed and which is preliminarily evacuated, an ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) which is disposed in the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) and which irradiates the surface of the sample (12) conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period, and a sample chamber (16) into which the sample (12) is conveyed in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) or from which the sample (12) is conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample (12) by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) is performed before the conveyance of the sample (12) into the sample chamber (16), or/and after the conveyance thereof from the sample chamber (16), thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample (12).

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus comprising a preparatory evacuation chamber (15 in FIG. 1A) into which a sample (12) is conveyed and which is preliminarily evacuated, an ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) which is disposed in the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) and which irradiates the surface of the sample (12) conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period, and a sample chamber (16) into which the sample (12) is conveyed in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) or from which the sample (12) is conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample (12) by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) is performed before the conveyance of the sample (12) into the sample chamber (16), or/and after the conveyance thereof from the sample chamber (16), thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample (12).

Abstract: A method of deciding a measurement value as decides the quality of the measurement value of the line width, the line interval or the like of a pattern on an object to-be-measured, comprising the steps of acquiring the signal intensity distribution of the pattern on the object to-be-measured (2 in FIG. 1), detecting the edge positions of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, detecting the taper widths of the edge parts of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, and deciding that the measurement value calculated on the basis of the detected edge positions is correct, when the detected taper widths fall within a predetermined range set beforehand. In this way, it is permitted to automatically decide the defective measurement of the line width of the pattern, or the like, attributed to an unclear image due to inferior focusing in an image photographing mode, an unclear image due to an image drift ascribable to charging-up, or the like.

Abstract: An electronic beam transmitting through a mask is detected by a detector in which a plurality of elements is aligned in a plurality of lines while an image signal is transferred by the detector synchronously with movement of the mask, and high resolution due to a short wavelength of the electronic beam can be effectively utilized as well as an image signal is transferred at right angles to a line of the detector synchronously with same time detection of pixels in a direction of the line, so that an inspection of a mask with high resolution at high speed would be achieved, and furthermore, it would be achieved to produce an image scanned in a straight line with the extremely high accuracy without zigzag scan when a stage with an easy structure is used.

Abstract: An electronic beam transmitting through a mask is detected by means of a detector in which a plurality of elements is aligned in a plurality of lines while an image signal is transferred by the detector synchronously with movement of the mask, and high resolution due to a short wavelength of the electronic beam can be effectively utilized as well as an image signal is transferred at right angles to a line of the detector synchronously with same time detection of pixels in a direction of the line, so that an inspection of a mask with high resolution at high speed would be achieved, and furthermore, it would be achieved to produce an image scanned in a straight line with the extremely high accuracy without zigzag scan when a stage with an easy structure is used.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope is disclosed in which an objective lens includes a first pole piece and a second pole piece. The first pole piece is provided with a hole through which an electron beam passes, and is disposed between an electron gun for emitting the electron beam and the second pole piece. The second pole piece has a planar portion on which a specimen is placed, and the second pole piece being mounted on a supporting block movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the projecting direction of the electron beam.

Abstract: A reservoir containing a material to be ionized has in its bottom a capillary extending outwardly in symmetrical with the optical axis of an ion source, and has a needle extending coaxially through said capillary in said reservoir so that the apex end of the needle projects slightly beyond the exterior surface of the reservoir. Intensive electric field at the apex end of the needle is formed by an extracting electrode disposed in facing the needle. An electric current is supplied through conductive wires or filaments supporting the reservoir for heating the reservoir. As a result, the liquid material to be ionized in the reservoir seeps smoothly through the capillary of the reservoir toward the apex end of the needle for field evaporation and ionization.