Abstract: An electron beam apparatus is provided for reliably measuring a potential contrast and the like at a high throughput in a simple structure. The electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample, such as a wafer, formed with a pattern with an electron beam to evaluate the sample comprises an electron-optical column for accommodating an electron beam source, an objective lens, an E×B separator, and a secondary electron beam detector; a stage for holding the sample, and relatively moving the sample with respect to the electron-optical column; a working chamber for accommodating the stage and capable of controlling the interior thereof in a vacuum atmosphere; a loader for supplying a sample to the stage; a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage to the sample, and capable of applying at least two voltages to a lower electrode of the objective lens; and an alignment mechanism for measuring a direction in which dies are arranged on the sample.

Abstract: Provided is an electron beam apparatus in which an electron beam emitted from an electron gun is separated by a plurality of apertures, images of said apertures are reduced in more than two stages to form multi-beams on a sample surface and to scan said sample thereby, and secondary electrons from said sample are passed through an objective lens, where distances between said secondary electrons are extended, further through an E×B separator, where said secondary electrons are separated from the primary beam, and finally onto secondary electron detectors, where said secondary electrons are detected, wherein a lens defined in the second step for reducing said image of the aperture is composed of two stage lens and an enlarged image of the secondary electron is formed on a position between a first and a second lenses of said two stage lens, thereby reducing an aberration of the optical system for detecting the secondary electrons and allowing as many multi-beams as possible to be formed in the vicinity of a sing

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus, in which an electron beam emitted from an electron gun having a cathode and an anode is focused and irradiated onto a sample, and secondary electrons emanated from the sample are directed into a detector, the apparatus further comprising means for optimizing irradiation of the electron beam emitted from the electron gun onto the sample, the optimizing means may be two-stage deflectors disposed in proximity to the electron gun which deflects and directs the electron beam emitted in a specific direction so as to be in alignment with the optical axis direction of the electron beam apparatus, the electron beam emitted in the specific direction being at a certain angle with respect to the optical axis due to the fact that, among the crystal orientations of said cathode, a specific crystal orientation allowing a higher level of electron beam emission out of alignment with the optical axis direction.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus is provided for reliably measuring a potential contrast and the like at a high throughput in a simple structure. The electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample, such as a wafer, formed with a pattern with an electron beam to evaluate the sample comprises an electron-optical column for accommodating an electron beam source, an objective lens, an ExB separator, and a secondary electron beam detector; a stage for holding the sample, and relatively moving the sample with respect to the electron-optical column; a working chamber for accommodating the stage and capable of controlling the interior thereof in a vacuum atmosphere; a loader for supplying a sample to the stage; a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage to the sample, and capable of applying at least two voltages to a lower electrode of the objective lens; and an alignment mechanism for measuring a direction in which dies are arranged on the sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for forming a thin metal film of copper, silver, or the like on a surface of a semiconductor or another substrate. A method of forming a thin metal film, comprises preparing a dispersed liquid having a metal-containing organic compound dispersed in a predetermined solvent, coating the dispersed liquid on a surface of a substrate and evaporating the solvent to form a coating layer, and applying an energy beam to the coating layer to decompose away an organic substance contained in the coating layer in an area irradiated with the energy beam and bond metal contained in the coating layer.According to the present invention, it is possible to form a thin metal film of good quality efficiently and stably. The thin metal film used as metal interconnects in highly integrated semiconductor circuits contributes to the progress of a process of fabricating semiconductor devices.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a sample repairing apparatus, a sample repairing method and a device manufacturing method using the same method, which can reduce an edge roughness in a repaired pattern and also can provide the repairing of a sample by applying an electron beam-assisted etching or an electron beam-assisted deposition. There is provided a sample repairing method comprising: (a) a step of focussing an electron beam by an objective lens to irradiate a sample: (b) a step of supplying a reactive gas onto an electron beam irradiated surface of said sample: (c) a step of selectively scanning a pattern to be repaired on said sample with the electron beam so as to repair said pattern by applying an etching or a deposition; and (d) a step of providing a continuous exhausting operation by means of a differential exhaust system arranged in said objective lens so as to prevent the reactive gas supplied onto said electron beam irradiated surface from flowing toward an electron gun side.

Abstract: In addition to an FM reception antenna element for receiving an FM radio wave and an FM receiver connected to the FM reception antenna element, a mobile object is provided with a first antenna element for receiving a satellite signal, a signal processing unit connected to the first antenna, and a second antenna element connected to the signal processing unit. The signal processing unit processes the satellite signal into an FM signal. The second antenna element emits the FM signal as the FM radio wave that may be received in the FM reception antenna and processed by the FM receiver in the manner known in the art.

Abstract: A cutting tool holder for holding a cutting member, which is attached to a drive unit for driving the cutting member. A first elastic member is elastically deformable in a first direction. A second elastic member is elastically deformable in a second direction different from the first direction. An elastic connection member elastically connects the first and second elastic members. A first attachment member is disposed in the first elastic member to be connected to the drive unit. A second attachment member is disposed in the second elastic member to attach the cutting member.

Abstract: A distributor arranged between a tuner module and an antenna, the tuner module including a first input portion and a second input portion for inputting a satellite broadcast signal transmitted from an artificial satellite and a ground broadcast signal transmitted from a ground base station respectively, and the antenna receiving either one of the broadcast signals. The distributor includes a first connector portion connected to the antenna; a second connector portion connected to the first input portion; a third connector portion connected to the second input portion; and a junction connecting portion distributing the signal inputted to the first connector portion to the second and the third connector portions. A drive voltage of the antenna inputted from the first input portion is outputted to the antenna. The voltage outputted to the antenna is fed back to the second input portion through the junction connecting portion and the third connector portion.

Abstract: An electron beam system wherein a shot noise of an electron beam can be reduced and a beam current can be made higher, and further a shaped beam is formed by a two-stage lenses so as to allow for an operation with high stability. In this electron beam system, an electron beam emitted from an electron gun is irradiated onto a sample and secondary electrons emanated from the sample are detected. The electron gun is a thermionic emission type and designed to operate in a space charge limited condition. A shaping aperture and a NA aperture are arranged in front locations of the electron gun. An image of the shaping aperture formed by an electron beam emitted from the thermionic emission electron gun is focused onto a surface of the sample through the two-stage lenses.

Abstract: A program which can render an object dynamically by using metaballs in a three-dimensional imaginary space is provided. All metaballs MB are disposed in an imaginary box IB, (r/R)2 is calculated according to a calculation equation expressing a given solid shape of a metaball MB from a center of the metaball MB towards the minimum direction and the maximum direction of a voxel index of a voxel Vx for each vertex of the voxel Vx. At this time, a second-order divided difference is calculated, based upon the second-order divided difference and a first-order divided difference calculated last time the first-order divided difference is updated, and (r/R)2 is calculated (S618 and S634) Only two times of addition are performed by utilizing information on vertexes of the adjacent voxels Vx calculated last time, thereby a computation time for (r/R)2 can be shortened.

Abstract: Provided is an electron beam apparatus in which an electron beam emitted from an electron gun is separated by a plurality of apertures, images of said apertures are reduced in more than two stages to form multi-beams on a sample surface and to scan said sample thereby, and secondary electrons from said sample are passed through an objective lens, where distances between said secondary electrons are extended, further through an E×B separator, where said secondary electrons are separated from the primary beam, and finally onto secondary electron detectors, where said secondary electrons are detected, wherein a lens defined in the second step for reducing said image of the aperture is composed of two stage lens and an enlarged image of the secondary electron is formed on a position between a first and a second lenses of said two stage lens, thereby reducing an aberration of the optical system for detecting the secondary electrons and allowing as many multi-beams as possible to be formed in the vicinity of a sing

Abstract: An electron beam system wherein a shot noise of an electron beam can be reduced and a beam current can be made higher, and further a shaped beam is formed by a two-stage lenses so as to allow for an operation with high stability. In this electron beam system, an electron beam emitted from an electron gun is irradiated onto a sample and secondary electrons emanated from the sample are detected. The electron gun is a thermionic emission type and designed to operate in a space charge limited condition. A shaping aperture and a NA aperture are arranged in front locations of the electron gun. An image of the shaping aperture formed by an electron beam emitted from the thermionic emission electron gun is focused onto a surface of the sample through the two-stage lenses.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus for irradiating a sample with primary electron beams to detect secondary electron beams generated from a surface of the sample by the irradiation for evaluating the sample surface. In the electron beam apparatus, an electron gun has a cathode for emitting primary electron beams. The cathode includes a plurality of emitters for emitting primary electron beams, arranged apart from one another on a circle centered at an optical axis of a primary electro-optical system. The plurality of emitters are arranged such that when the plurality of emitters are projected onto a straight line parallel with a direction in which the primary electron beams are scanned, resulting points on the straight line are spaced at equal intervals.

Abstract: Provided is an electron beam apparatus which can limit the influence of aberration of a secondary optical system without the need for providing a diaphragm in the optical system, which comprises a multi-emitter type thermal cathode that reduces shot noise, and which has a multi-emitter and a Wehnelt electrode placed in parallel with each other to permit easy and accurate alignment therebetween. In one embodiment, electron beams emitted from an electron beam source are irradiated to a first aperture plate having a plurality of apertures to generate a plurality of primary electron beams which are directed onto a sample. Secondary electrons emitted from the sample are separated from a primary optical system, directed to a secondary optical system as groups of secondary electrons, and focused on a detector, so that the detector outputs detection signals of the secondary electron beams. A second aperture plate having a plurality of apertures is provided in front of the incident plane of the detector.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to automatically select an optimum printing device according to the characteristics of a page in units of pages to print the page, thereby reducing the load on the operator in print processing. For this purpose, it is determined in units of pages whether data to be printed contains color information. If color information is present, a color flag is set to ON. When the color flag is ON, print data prepared and developed in a page buffer is sent to a color printer. When the color flag is OFF, the print data prepared and developed in the page buffer is sent to a monochromatic printer.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to automatically select an optimum printing device according to the characteristics of a page in units of pages to print the page, thereby reducing the load on the operator in print processing. For this purpose, it is determined in units of pages whether data to be printed contains color information. If color information is present, a color flag is set to ON. When the color flag is ON, print data prepared and developed in a page buffer is sent to a color printer. When the color flag is OFF, the print data prepared and developed in the page buffer is sent to a monochromatic printer.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus, in which an electron beam emitted from an electron gun having a cathode and an anode is focused and irradiated onto a sample, and secondary electrons emanated from the sample are directed into a detector, the apparatus further comprising means for optimizing irradiation of the electron beam emitted from the electron gun onto the sample, the optimizing means may be two-stage deflectors disposed in proximity to the electron gun which deflects and directs the electron beam emitted in a specific direction so as to be in alignment with the optical axis direction of the electron beam apparatus, the electron beam emitted in the specific direction being at a certain angle with respect to the optical axis due to the fact that, among the crystal orientations of said cathode, a specific crystal orientation allowing a higher level of electron beam emission out of alignment with the optical axis direction.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus is provided in which a sample is scanned with a plurality of primary electron beams respectively emitted from a plurality of electron guns. Each of the electron guns comprises a mechanism for adjusting a relative position between a cathode and anode. The adjusting mechanism of each of the electron guns comprises an insulator for supporting the cathode and a plurality of piezo elements for supporting the insulator. The piezo element varies its length in response to a voltage applied thereto. Therefore, the position of the cathode is adjustable relative to the anode position, by controlling voltages applied to the piezo elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates particularly to a method of and an apparatus for forming a fine interconnection in a highly integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor substrate. The method has the steps of preparing a substrate having fine recesses formed in a surface thereof, dispersing ultrafine particles made at least partly of a metal in a predetermined solvent, producing an ultrafine particle dispersed liquid, supplying the ultrafine particle dispersed liquid to the fine recesses of the substrate, heating the substrate to melt and bond the metal, and chemical mechanical polishing the surface of the substrate to remove an excessively attached metal therefrom. According to the present invention, it is possible to stably deposit an interconnection metal of good quality using an inexpensive material.