Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a sample image forming method and a charged particle beam apparatus which are suitable for realizing suppressing of the view area displacement with high accuracy while the influence of charging due to irradiation of the charged particle beam is being suppressed. In order to attain the above object, the present invention provide a method of forming a sample image by scanning a charged particle beam on a sample and forming an image based on secondary signals emitted from the sample, the method comprising the steps of forming a plurality of composite images by superposing a plurality of images obtained by a plurality of scanning times; and forming a further composite image by correcting positional displacements among the plurality of composite images and superposing the plurality of composite images, and a charged particle beam apparatus for realizing the above method.

Abstract: The extruding apparatus has the molding die to form the ceramic molding, the screw extruder containing the extrusion screw to knead and guide the ceramic material toward the molding die. The extrusion screw is comprised of the pressure screw part and the diffusion screw part. The diffusion screw part provided at the front end of the extrusion screw has a diameter greater than the screw diameter of the pressure screw part.

Abstract: An extrusion molding apparatus comprises a shaping die for producing a ceramic molded product, and a screw extruder having built therein an extruding screw (40) for mixing while leading a ceramic material forward. The extruding screw (40) includes a pressing screw portion (410) having a first lead (411) and a dispersing screw portion (420) having a second lead (421) adjacent to a forward end (412) of the pressing screw portion (410). The second lead (421) is formed in such a manner that the rear ends of all the second lead surfaces (426) at the rear end (422) of the dispersing screw portion (420) and the forward end of the first lead surface (416) at the forward end (412) of the pressing screw portion (410) are displaced from each other.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus capable of extrusion molding a comparatively wide, thin ceramic sheet using a screw extruder while suppressing the wrinkling thereof. The molding apparatus includes a screw-type extruder and a mold at the forward end of the extruder is used to extrusion mold a ceramic sheet from the ceramic material introduced into the extruder by way of the mold. The extrusion molding is carried out while regulating the temperature of the portion of the ceramic material passing through the mold corresponding to each of a plurality of areas (control zones) into which the mold is divided.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning electron microscope for reducing a process concerning inspection positioning or an input operation, thereby functioning with high precision at high speed. To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope having a function for identifying a desired position on the basis of a pattern registered beforehand, which includes a means for setting information concerning the pattern kind, the interval between a plurality of parts constituting the pattern, and the size of parts constituting the pattern and a means for forming a pattern image composed of a plurality of parts on the basis of the information obtained by the concerned means.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a sample image forming method and a charged particle beam apparatus which are suitable for realizing suppressing of the view area displacement with high accuracy while the influence of charging due to irradiation of the charged particle beam is being suppressed. In order to attain the above object, the present invention provide a method of forming a sample image by scanning a charged particle beam on a sample and forming an image based on secondary signals emitted from the sample, the method comprising the steps of forming a plurality of composite images by superposing a plurality of images obtained by a plurality of scanning times; and forming a further composite image by correcting positional displacements among the plurality of composite images and superposing the plurality of composite images, and a charged particle beam apparatus for realizing the above method.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning electron microscope for reducing a process concerning inspection positioning or an input operation, thereby functioning with high precision at high speed. To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope having a function for identifying a desired position on the basis of a pattern registered beforehand, which includes a means for setting information concerning the pattern kind, the interval between a plurality of parts constituting the pattern, and the size of parts constituting the pattern and a means for forming a pattern image composed of a plurality of parts on the basis of the information obtained by the concerned means.

Abstract: An extrusion molding apparatus and an extrusion molding method is provided that permits deformation of molded body to be prevented and a sound extrusion molded body to be obtained even in the case where a soft extrusion molded body having low rigidity in a direction perpendicular to extrusion direction is molded. An extrusion molding apparatus 1 comprises a screw extruder 12 that kneads a molding raw material 80 and extrudes an extrusion molded body 8 from a molding die 11, and a conveying apparatus 3 that supports said extrusion molded body 8 extruded continuously from the screw extruder 12 and conveys same in the extrusion direction. The screw extruder 12 has an inclination angle ? between the extrusion axis A and horizontal axis H in the range of 15° to 85°. The conveying apparatus 3 is constructed so as to move a reception stage 32 that supports said extrusion molded body 8 extruded along said extrusion axis A on the outer circumferential surface thereof, generally in parallel to said extrusion axis A.

Abstract: A charged-particle beam emitting device which includes the following configuration devices so that a lowering in the image resolution will be suppressed even if a primary beam is tilted relative to a sample: A device for causing orbit of the primary beam to pass through off-axes of a plurality of lenses, and controlling off-axis orbit of the primary beam. This device allows the aberration which occurs in the objective lens at the time of beam tilt to be cancelled out by the aberration which occurs in the other lens. Also, there is provided a device for simultaneously modulating excitations of the plurality of lenses including the objective lens.

Abstract: An electron beam inspection apparatus in which the order of inspection is determined to shorten the inspection time is disclosed. The order of inspection is determined by minimizing the total of the moving time and the inspection time as well as by simply optimizing the covered distance. At the time of preparing a recipe to determine the inspection points and the order of inspection, the sequence of a series of inspection points sequentially inspected is changed to optimize the order of inspection. Not only the sequence which minimizes the covered distance is determined but also the order of inspection of the inspection points is optimized in accordance with the charged state, warping of the wafer, the delivery position and other situations.

Abstract: According to the pattern search method of the present invention, detection of a detection image region relative to an observation image is performed by a pattern matching. An image whose size is substantially the same as that of the observation image is used as the detection image region. The detection image region is relatively displaced with reference to the observation image, thereby detecting a degree of similarity for a common region which is common to both of the region and the image. Displacement range of the detection image region is set in advance. If area of the common region is larger than a predetermined value, calculating the degree of similarity will be performed.

Abstract: Method of fabricating at least a honeycomb body include drying a plurality of honeycomb bodies, each having a multiplicity of cells arranged in the shape of a honeycomb and having a wall thickness of 0.125 mm or less, without cracking or wrinkling in the outer peripheral skin portion of the mold. Extrusion-molded argillaceous honeycomb bodies may be dried by placement on porous ceramics trays, having a dielectric loss of 0.1 or less, a porosity of 10% or more and a sectional open area ratio of 50% or more, exposure to at least 70% humidity and simultaneous irradiation with microwaves of 1,000 to 10,000 MHz. Alternatively, extrusion-molded argillaceous honeycomb bodies may be dried by exposure to at least 70% humidity and simultaneous irradiation with microwaves of 1,000 to 10,000 MHz, after which hot air is passed through the cells of the honeycomb bodies.

Abstract: A method for determining a depression/protrusion, especially of a line and space pattern formed on a sample, and an apparatus therefor. A charged particle beam is scanned with its direction being inclined to the original optical axis of the charged particle beam or a sample stage is inclined, broadening of a detected signal in a line scanning direction of the charged particle beam is measured, the broadening is compared with that when the charged particle beam is scanned with its direction being parallel to the original optical axis of the charged particle beam, and a depression/protrusion of the scanned portion is determined on the basis of increase/decrease of the broadening.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning electron microscope for reducing a process concerning inspection positioning or an input operation, thereby functioning with high precision at high speed. To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a scanning electron microscope having a function for identifying a desired position on the basis of a pattern registered beforehand, which includes a means for setting information concerning the pattern kind, the interval between a plurality of parts constituting the pattern, and the size of parts constituting the pattern and a means for forming a pattern image composed of a plurality of parts on the basis of the information obtained by the concerned means.

Abstract: A method of holding a dried honeycomb structure 8, which is a honeycomb structure after a drying process and before a firing process, when a ceramic honeycomb structure in which bulkheads forming a number of cells are disposed in the form of a honeycomb is manufactured with a manufacturing method including a extruding process, the drying process, and the firing process. A chuck 1 having a plurality of claws 10 is used and the plurality of claws 10 are allowed to come into contact with an outer periphery 89 of the dried honeycomb structure 8 so that the direction of the pressure F applied to the dried honeycomb structure 8 by the claws is substantially parallel with the bulkheads 81.

Abstract: A method for determining a depression/protrusion, especially of a line and space pattern formed on a sample, and an apparatus therefor. A charged particle beam is scanned with its direction being inclined to the original optical axis of the charged particle beam or a sample stage is inclined, broadening of a detected signal in a line scanning direction of the charged particle beam is measured, the broadening is compared with that when the charged particle beam is scanned with its direction being parallel to the original optical axis of the charged particle beam, and a depression/protrusion of the scanned portion is determined on the basis of increase/decrease of the broadening.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam apparatus and an alignment method of the charged particle beam apparatus, which make it possible to align an optical axis of a charged particle beam easily even when a state of the charged particle beam changes. The present invention comprises calculation means for calculating a deflection amount of an alignment deflector which performs an axis alignment for an objective lens, a plurality of calculation methods for calculating the deflection amount is memorized in the calculation means, and a selection means for selecting at least one of the calculation methods is provided.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus capable of extrusion molding a comparatively wide, thin ceramic sheet using a screw extruder while suppressing the wrinkling thereof. The molding apparatus includes a screw-type extruder and a mold at the forward end of the extruder is used to extrusion mold a ceramic sheet from the ceramic material introduced into the extruder by way of the mold. The extrusion molding is carried out while regulating the temperature of the portion of the ceramic material passing through the mold corresponding to each of a plurality of areas (control zones) into which the mold is divided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure and a through hole forming device used in the manufacture of the honeycomb structure are provided, in which the step of closing a part of the cell ends at an end surface of the honeycomb structure is rationalized. In closing a part of the cell ends (82) at the end surface (861) of a honeycomb structure body (86), a film (2) is attached to the end surface (861) of the honeycomb structure body (86) in such a manner as to cover the cell ends (82). The portion of the film (2) located at the cell ends (82) to be closed is thermally melted or burnt off thereby to form through holes (20). The end surface (861) is dipped in a slurry containing an end surface closing material, so that the slurry is caused to enter the cell ends (82) by way of the through holes (20). After that, the slurry is hardened while at the same time removing the resin film (2).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus capable of extrusion molding a comparatively wide, thin ceramic sheet using a screw extruder while suppressing the wrinkling thereof. The molding apparatus includes a screw-type extruder and a mold at the forward end of the extruder is used to extrusion mold a ceramic sheet from the ceramic material introduced into the extruder by way of the mold. The extrusion molding is carried out while regulating the temperature of the portion of the ceramic material passing through the mold corresponding to each of a plurality of areas (control zones) into which the mold is divided.