Abstract: A processing apparatus uses a focused charged particle beam to process a micro sample that is supported on a micro mount part. The micro mount part is supported on a micro sample stage and locally cooled by a cooling unit. The micro mount part is thermally independent of the micro sample stage and, due to its small size, can be cooled rapidly by the cooling unit.

Abstract: There is provided a method of arranging, as a composite charged-particle beam system, a gas ion beam apparatus, an FIB and an SEM in order to efficiently prepare a TEM sample. The composite charged-particle beam system includes an FIB lens-barrel 1, an SEM lens-barrel 2, a gas ion beam lens-barrel 3, and a rotary sample stage 9 having an eucentric tilt mechanism and a rotating shaft 10 orthogonal to an eucentric tilt axis 8. In the composite charged-particle beam system, an arrangement is made such that a focused ion beam 4, an electron beam 5 and a gas ion beam 6 intersect at a single point, an axis of the FIB lens-barrel 1 and an axis of the SEM lens barrel 2 are orthogonal to the eucentric tilt axis 8, respectively, and the axis of the FIB lens-barrel 1, an axis of the gas ion beam lens-barrel 3 and the eucentric tilt axis 8 are in one plane.

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: 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 sample to be observed or processed with a focused charged particle beam is formed small, and only the micro sample is locally cooled. Alternatively, a sample mount part is used which has the structure that can relax a thermal drift.

Abstract: A micro-sample pick-up apparatus has a probe for picking up a micro sample, a probe holder for holding the probe, an XYZ driver mechanism for moving the probe holder in the three-dimensional directions of X, Y and Z, and an observation mechanism for observing the sample and the probe. A low-vibration rotary mechanism disposed in the probe holder for rotating the probe about an axis of the probe.

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: The invention is directed to a more positive pick up of a micro sample by means of a microscope system with manipulator. The microscope system with manipulator incorporates therein a low-vibration probe rotary mechanism, which is used for precisely correcting the rotational direction of the micro sample without applying vibrations thereto.

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).