Abstract: An ion source apparatus includes a rare gas supply source supplying rare gas instead of ion source gas to a plasma chamber, means to determine time and timing for cleaning electrodes in consideration of a collecting amount of insulation layers accreting to the electrodes of an extraction electrode system. Based on the above, the ion source apparatus removes the insulation layers by sputtering with ion beam of the rare gas while adjusting extraction or accelerate voltage and supply amount of the rare gas as a setting parameter. Moreover, by adjusting the setting parameter which changes a diameter of ion beam based on the rare gas when the ion beam collides onto each electrode surface of the extraction electrode system, the beam diameter is focused within an effective range in which intension of the sputtering of the insulation layers is maximized thus evenly removing the insulation layers.

Abstract: An ion source for generating negatively charged ions is presented and described, said ion source having a closure plate which is provided with an outlet opening and which has a wall which surrounds a combustion chamber, wherein the wall has a tubular section, which extends from the outlet opening and is formed from an insulating material, and has a rear wall, wherein the rear wall is arranged at the end of the tubular section which lies opposite the outlet opening and closes off the combustion chamber, having a coupling coil whose windings are arranged around the tubular section of the wall outside the combustion chamber, and having a filter field magnet.

Abstract: This invention is a multi-beam charged particle instrument that can simultaneously focus electrons and a variety of positive and negative ions, such as Gallium, Oxygen and Cesium ions, onto the same material target. In addition, the instrument has provision to simultaneously capture the spectrum of both secondary electrons and ions. The highly dispersive, high resolution mass spectrometer portion of the instrument is expected to detect and identify secondary ion species across the entire range of the periodic table, and also record a portion of their emitted energy spectrum. The electron energy spectrometer part of the instrument is designed to acquire the entire range of scattered electrons, from the low energy secondary electrons through to the elastic backscattered electrons.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a deposition apparatus 1 capable of suppressing a temporal change in film formation conditions. [Solution] In the deposition apparatus 1 including a substrate holder 12 supported in a vacuum chamber 10 grounded on the earth, a substrate 14 held by the substrate holder 12, deposition sources 34, 36 placed distant from the substrate 14 so as to face the substrate, an ion gun 38 for irradiating ions to the substrate 14, and a neutralizer 40 for irradiating electrons to the substrate 14, an irradiated ion guide member 50 and an irradiated electron guide member 52 are respectively attached to the ion gun 38 and the neutralizer 40.

Abstract: A system for loading workpieces into a process chamber for processing in a matrix configuration includes a conveyor configured to transport multiple workpieces in a linear fashion. A workpiece hotel is configured to receive the multiple workpieces from the conveyor. The workpiece hotel comprises a matrix of cells arranged in N columns and M floors. A pick blade is configured to insert into the hotel and retract from the hotel in order to unload a plurality of substrates from a first floor into a single row of the pick blade, and to repeat the unloading operation to form a matrix comprising a plurality of rows of substrates disposed on the pick blade. In one example, the workpiece hotel has a staggered configuration that provides individual accessibility of each hotel cell.

Abstract: A method for wafer bonding two substrates activated by ion implantation is disclosed. An in situ ion bonding chamber allows ion activation and bonding to occur within an existing process tool utilized in a manufacturing process line. Ion activation of at least one of the substrates is performed at low implant energies to ensure that the wafer material below the thin surface layers remains unaffected by the ion activation.

Abstract: A hydrogen ion implanter for the exfoliation of silicon from silicon wafers uses a large scan wheel carrying 50+ wafers around its periphery and rotating about an axis. In one embodiment, the axis of rotation of the wheel is fixed and a ribbon beam of hydrogen ions is directed down on a peripheral edge of the wheel. The ribbon beam extends over the full radial width of wafers on the wheel. The beam is generated by an ion source providing an extracted ribbon beam having at least 100 mm major cross-sectional diameter. The ion source may use core-less saddle type coils to provide a uniform field confining the plasma in the ion source. The ribbon beam may be passed through a 90° bending magnet which bends the beam in the plane of the ribbon.

Abstract: The invention relates to a substrate holder comprising a substrate support, moveable clipping device configured to engage a substrate positioned on the support in a first position and to be positioned away from the substrate in a different position, a positioning device for moving the clipping device from the second position towards the first position. To prevent a contact between the clipping device and support when no substrate is positioned thereon, an elastic stop element is used which limits the movement of the clipping device. The invention furthermore relates to a clipping device and an ion implanter using the substrate holder and the clipping device.

Abstract: Methods and a system of an ion implantation system are disclosed that are capable of increasing beam current above a maximum kinetic energy of a first charge state from an ion source without changing the charge state at the ion source. Positive ions having a first positive charge state are selected into an accelerator. The positive ions of the first positive charge state are accelerated in acceleration stages and stripped to convert them to positive ions of a second charge state. A second kinetic energy level higher than the maximum kinetic energy level of the first charge state can be obtained.

Abstract: A focused ion beam (FIB) processing system includes a FIB irradiation unit that irradiates a FIB onto a pattern formed in a wafer, to form a section of the pattern, an imaging unit that images the section of the pattern, a calculation unit that calculates a pattern size based on the image of the section, a judgment unit that judges whether or not a differential of the pattern size with respect to time is equal to or below a threshold; and a control unit that stops the FIB irradiation unit if the judgment unit judges that the differential of the pattern size is equal to or below the threshold.

Abstract: An ion beam irradiating apparatus has a field emission electron source 10 which is disposed in a vicinity of a path of the ion beam 2, and which emits electrons 12. The field emission electron source 10 is placed in a direction along which an incident angle formed by the electrons 12 emitted from the electron source 10 and a direction parallel to the traveling direction of the ion beam 2 is in the range from ?15 deg. to +45 deg. (an inward direction of the ion beam 2 is +, and an outward direction is ?).

Abstract: Using a beam current of an ion beam, a dose amount to a substrate, and a reference scan speed, a scan number of the substrate is calculated as an integer value in which digits after a decimal point are truncated. If the scan number is smaller than 2, the process is aborted. If the scan number is equal to or larger than 2, it is determined whether the scan number is even or odd. If the scan number is even, the current scan number is set as a practical scan number. If the scan number is odd, an even scan number which is smaller by 1 than the odd scan number is obtained, and the obtained even scan number is set as a practical scan number. A practical scan speed of the substrate is calculated by using the practical scan number, the beam current, and the dose amount.

Abstract: A technique for low-temperature ion implantation is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as an apparatus for low-temperature ion implantation. The apparatus may comprise a pre-chill station located in proximity to an end station in an ion implanter. The apparatus may also comprise a cooling mechanism within the pre-chill station. The apparatus may further comprise a loading assembly coupled to the pre-chill station and the end station. The apparatus may additionally comprise a controller in communication with the loading assembly and the cooling mechanism to coordinate loading a wafer into the pre-chill station, cooling the wafer down to a predetermined temperature range, and loading the cooled wafer into the end station where the cooled wafer undergoes an ion implantation process.

Abstract: Using a beam current of an ion beam, and a dose amount to a substrate, and an initial value of a scan number of the substrate set to 1, a scan speed of the substrate is calculated. If the scan speed is within the range, the current scan number and the current scan speed are set as a practical scan number and a practical scan speed, respectively. If the scan speed is higher than the upper limit of the range, the calculation process is aborted. If the scan speed is lower than the lower limit of the range, the scan number is incremented by one to calculate a corrected scan number. A corrected scan speed is calculated by using the corrected scan number, etc. The above steps are repeated until the corrected scan speed is within the allowable scan speed range.

Abstract: Herein, an improved technique for processing a substrate is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for processing a substrate. The method may comprise directing an ion beam comprising a plurality of ions along an ion beam path, from an ion source to the substrate; disposing at least a portion of a mask in the ion beam path, between the ion source and the substrate; and translating one of the substrate and the mask relative to other one of the substrate and the mask.

Abstract: Herein, an improved technique for processing a substrate is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be achieved using a mask for processing the substrate. The mask may be incorporated into a substrate processing system such as, for example, an ion implantation system. The mask may comprise a first base; and a plurality of fingers spaced apart from one another to define one or more gaps.

Abstract: The present invention relates to components in an ion implanter that may see incidence of the ion beam, such as a beam dump or a beam stop. Such components will be prone to the ions sputtering material from their surfaces, and sputtered material may become entrained in the ion beam. This entrained material is a source of contamination. The present invention provides an ion implanter comprising power supply apparatus and an ion-receiving component. The component has an opening that receives ions from an ion beam such that ions strike an internal surface. The power supply apparatus is arranged to provide an electrical bias to the internal surface to decelerate the ions prior to their striking the surface, thereby mitigating the problem of material being sputtered from the surface.

Abstract: A method and system for treating a non-planar structure is described. The method includes forming a non-planar structure on a substrate. Additionally, the method includes generating a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) formed from a material source for treatment of the non-planar structure, tilting the substrate relative to the GCIB, and irradiating the non-planar structure with the GCIB. The system includes a substrate tilt actuator coupled to a substrate holder and configured to tilt the substrate holder relative to a GCIB.

Abstract: A method for treating a structure is described. One embodiment includes forming a structure on a substrate, wherein the structure has a plurality of surfaces including one or more first surfaces lying substantially parallel to a first plane parallel with said substrate and one or more second surfaces lying substantially perpendicular to the first plane. Additionally, the method comprises directing a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) formed from a material source toward the substrate with a direction of incidence, and orienting the substrate relative to the direction of incidence. The method further comprises treating the one or more second surfaces.

Abstract: A charged particle beam writing method includes writing a pattern on a first target object by using a charged particle beam in a writing apparatus; and conveying a second target object after having written the pattern on the first target object, wherein even though the second target object is arranged on any one of conveying paths including a carry-out port and a carry-in port of the writing apparatus, a conveying operation for the second target object is not performed during writing the pattern on the first target object.

Abstract: An ion implanter has an implant wheel with a plurality of wafer carriers distributed about a periphery of the wheel. Each wafer carrier has a heat sink for removing heat from a wafer on the carrier during the implant process by thermal contact between the wafer and the heat sink. The wafer carriers have wafer retaining fences formed as cylindrical rollers with axes in the respective wafer support planes of the wafer carriers. The cylindrical surfaces of the rollers provide wafer abutment surfaces which can move transversely to the wafer support surfaces so that no transverse loading is applied by the fences to wafer edges as the wafer is pushed against the heat sink by centrifugal force. The wafer support surfaces comprise layers of elastomeric material and the movable abutment surfaces of the fences allow even thermal coupling with the heat sink over the whole area of the wafer.

Abstract: An ion implanter has an implant wheel with a plurality of wafer carriers distributed about a periphery of the wheel. Each wafer carrier has a heat sink for removing heat from a wafer on the carrier during the implant process by thermal contact between the wafer and the heat sink. A respective wafer lift structure on each carrier is moveable between first and second positions, with the wafer supported spaced away from the heat sink and in thermal contact with the heat sink respectively. The lift structure is operated to move between the first and second positions wheel the implant is rotating. This allows control of wafer temperature during the implant process by adjusting the thermal contact between wafers and heat sinks.

Abstract: In an ion implanter, one or more optical heaters are disposed above a pair of support arms. The support arms have an engaged positioned which is disposed beneath a platen and a retractable position displaced vertically away from the platen and rotated away from the platen in a direction parallel to a planar surface thereof. When the support arms are in the retracted position, the one or more optical heaters is configured to provide optical energy incident on surfaces of the cooling pads disposed on the support arms for removal of unwanted materials thereon. In this manner, the optical heaters are used during a regeneration cycle of cryogenic surfaces in an ion implanter.

Abstract: In an SEM observation in a depth direction of a cross section processed by repeated FIB cross-sectioning and SEM observation to correct a deviation in an observation field of view and a deviation in focus, are corrected, the deviations occurring when a processed cross section moves in the depth direction thereof; information on a height and a tilt of a surface of cross section processing area is calculated before the processing, the above information is used, the deviation in a field of view and the deviation in focus in SEM observation, which correspond to an amount of movement of the cross section at a time of the processing, are predicted, and the SEM is controlled based on the predicted values.

Abstract: Beam detectors configuring a beam monitor are connected to a single current measurement apparatus through respective switches. If a width of a beam incident hole of each of the beam detectors 32 in the X direction is Wf, a gap between the beam incident holes of adjacent beam detectors in the X direction is Ws, a beam width of the ion beam in the X direction is Wb, a total number of beam detectors is “p”, and “n” is an integer of 0?n?(p?2) and satisfying Wb<{n·Wf+(n+1)Ws}, a measuring process of receiving the ion beam by the beam monitor and measuring the waveforms of the beam currents flowing into the current measurement apparatus in a state in which the plurality of switches skipped by “n” are simultaneously switched ON and a switching process of switching the switches simultaneously switched ON under the condition, are repeated.

Abstract: A method and system for treating a dielectric film on a plurality of substrates includes disposing the plurality of substrates in a batch processing system, the dielectric film on the plurality of substrates having a dielectric constant value less than the dielectric constant of SiO2. The plurality of substrates are heated, and a treating compound comprising a CxHy containing compound, wherein x and y represent integers greater than or equal to unity is introduced to the process system. A plasma is formed and at least one surface of the dielectric film on said plurality of substrates is exposed to the plasma.

Abstract: An ion implantation apparatus with multiple operating modes is disclosed. The ion implantation apparatus has an ion source and an ion extraction means for extracting a ribbon-shaped ion beam therefrom. The ion implantation apparatus includes a magnetic analyzer for selecting ions with specific mass-to-charge ratio to pass through a mass slit to project onto a substrate. Multipole lenses are provided to control beam uniformity and collimation. A two-path beamline in which a second path incorporates a deceleration or acceleration system incorporating energy filtering is disclosed. Finally, methods of ion implantation are disclosed in which the mode of implantation may be switched from one-dimensional scanning of the target to two-dimensional scanning.

Abstract: When a sample includes repeated cells, a scale pattern corresponding to the repeated cells is generated. Next, the scale pattern generated is superimposed on the image of the repeated cells of the sample, thereby identifying a destination cell. Moreover, disposition of the repeated cells of the sample is determined based on positions of at least three ends of the repeated cells. Then, the position of the destination cell is identified from this disposition of the repeated cells. Furthermore, a zoom image is generated by a combination of a zoom based on beam deflection function and a zoom based on software. Then, the image shift is performed by software without displacing a sample stage.

Abstract: A sample fabricating method of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam at an incident angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the surface of the sample, eliminating the peripheral area of a micro sample as a target, turning a specimen stage around a line segment perpendicular to the sample surface as a turn axis, irradiating the sample with the focused ion beam while the incident angle on the sample surface is fixed, and separating the micro sample or preparing the micro sample to be separated. A sample fabricating apparatus for forming a sample section in a sample held on a specimen stage by scanning and deflecting an ion beam, wherein an angle between an optical axis of the ion beam and the surface of the specimen stage is fixed and formation of a sample section is controlled by turning the specimen stage.

Abstract: Ion implanters incorporating multibeam ion sources are used to meet process dose and energy demands associated with fabricating a thin lamina for use in photovoltaic devices. The thin lamina are formed by ion implantation followed by cleaving.

Abstract: An ion beam angle detection apparatus, comprising a linear drive assembly fixedly attached to a moveable profiler assembly, wherein the profiler assembly comprises, a profiler having a profiler aperture formed within a profiler top plate and a profiler sensor assembly, a moveable angle mask assembly comprising a moveable angle mask with a mask aperture, wherein the angle mask assembly is non-fixedly attached to the profiler assembly, the mask aperture is movable relative to the profiler aperture by energizing an mask linear drive fixedly attached to the profiler assembly and the profiler aperture is movable through a length greater than the elongated length of the ion beam.

Abstract: A method of improving the performance of charged beam apparatus. The method including: providing the apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a chamber having an interior surface; a pump port for evacuating the chamber; a substrate holder within the chamber; and a charged particle beam within the chamber, the charged beam generated by a source and the charged particle beam striking the substrate; and positioning one or more liners in contact with one or more different regions of the interior surface of the chamber, the liners preventing material generated by interaction of the charged beam and the substrate from coating the one or more different regions of the interior surface of the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus. The apparatus including: a chamber having an interior surface; a pump port for evacuating the chamber; a substrate holder within the chamber; a charged particle beam within the chamber, the charged beam generated by a source and the charged particle beam striking the substrate; and one or more liners in contact with one or more different regions of the interior surface of the chamber, the liners preventing material generated by interaction of the charged beam and the substrate from coating the one or more different regions of the interior surface of the chamber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus satisfying growing demands for improving the precision of angle of incidence of implanting ions that impact a semiconductor wafer and the precision of ribbon ion beams for uniform doping of wafers as they pass under an ion beam. The method and apparatus are directed to the design and combination together of novel magnetic ion-optical transport elements for implantation purposes. The design of the optical elements makes possible: (1) Broad-range adjustment of the width of a ribbon beam at the work piece; (2) Correction of inaccuracies in the intensity distribution across the width of a ribbon beam; (3) Independent steering about both X and Y axes; (4) Angle of incidence correction at the work piece; and (5) Approximate compensation for the beam expansion effects arising from space charge. In a practical situation, combinations of the elements allow ribbon beam expansion between source and work piece to 350 millimeter, with good uniformity and angular accuracy.

Abstract: A system and method for improving FIB milling endpointing operations. The methods involve generating real-time images of the area being milled and real-time graphical plots of pixel intensities with an increased sensitivity over native FIB system generated images and plots. The images and plots are generated with raw signal data obtained from the native FIB system. More specifically, the raw signal data is processed according to specific algorithms for generating images and corresponding intensity graphs which can be reliably used for accurate endpointing. In particular, the displayed images will display more visual information regarding changes in milled material, while the intensity graphs will plot aggregate pixel intensity data on a dynamically adjusting scale to dramatically highlight relative changes in milled material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for using high beam currents in FIB circuit edit operations, without the generation of electrostatic discharge events. An internal partial chamber is disposed over the circuit to be worked on by the FIB. The partial chamber has top and bottom apertures for allowing the ion beam to pass through, and receives a gas through a gas delivery nozzle. A non-reactive gas, or a combination of a non-reactive gas and a reactive gas, is added to the FIB chamber via the partial chamber, until the chamber reaches a predetermined pressure. At the predetermined pressure, the gas pressure in the partial chamber will be much greater than that of the chamber, and will be sufficiently high such that the gas molecules will neutralize charging induced by the beam passing through the partial chamber.

Abstract: Initially, an ion beam is formed as an elongated shape incident on a wafer, where the shape has a length along a first axis longer than a diameter of the wafer, and a width along a second axis shorter than the diameter of the wafer. Then, a center of the wafer is moved along a scan path intersecting the ion beam at a movement velocity, and the wafer is rotated around at a rotation velocity simultaneously. During the simultaneous movement and rotation, the wafer is totally overlapped with the ion beam along the first axis when the wafer intersects with the ion beam, and the rotation velocity is at most a few times of the movement velocity. Both the movement velocity and the rotation velocity can be a constant or have a velocity profile relative to a position of the ion beam across the wafer.

Abstract: A method for forming a single crystal semiconductor layer in which a first porous layer and a second porous layer are formed over a single crystal semiconductor ingot, a groove is formed in a part of the second porous layer and a single crystal semiconductor layer is formed over the second porous layer, the single crystal semiconductor ingot is attached onto a large insulating substrate, water jet is directed to the interface between the first porous layer and the second porous layer, and the single crystal semiconductor layer is attached to the large insulating substrate, or a method for forming a crystalline semiconductor layer in which a crystalline semiconductor ingot is irradiated with hydrogen ions to form a hydrogen ion irradiation region in the crystalline semiconductor ingot, the crystalline semiconductor ingot is rolled over the large insulating substrate while being heated, the crystalline semiconductor layer is separated from the hydrogen ion irradiation region, and the crystalline semiconductor l

Abstract: A system and methods are provided for mitigating or removing workpiece surface contaminants or conditions. Methods of the invention provide treatment of the wafer surface to provide a known surface condition. The surface condition can then be maintained during and following implantation of the workpiece surface with a dopant.

Abstract: In a cleaning process for an ion source chamber, an electrode positioned outside of the ion source chamber includes a suppression plug. When the cleaning gas is introduced intothe source chamber, the suppression plug may engage an extraction aperture of the source chamber to adjust the gas pressure within the chamber to enhance chamber cleaning via. plasma-enhanced chemical reaction. The gas conductance between the source chamber aperture and the suppression plug can be adjusted during the cleaning process to provide optimum cleaning conditions and to exhaust unwanted deposits.

Abstract: An ion implantation apparatus is provided with first and second magnets arranged so as to face each other in a Y direction across a path for a ribbon-shaped ion beam. The first and second magnets cross a traveling direction of the ribbon-shaped ion beam. Each of the first and second magnets has a pair of magnetic poles on an inlet side and on an outlet side of the ion beam. The polarities thereof are opposite between the first magnet and the second magnet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus satisfying growing demands for improving the precision of angle of incidence of implanting ions that impact a semiconductor wafer and the precision of ribbon ion beams for uniform doping of wafers as they pass under an ion beam. The method and apparatus are directed to the design and combination together of novel magnetic ion-optical transport elements for implantation purposes. The design of the optical elements makes possible: (1) Broad-range adjustment of the width of a ribbon beam at the work piece; (2) Correction of inaccuracies in the intensity distribution across the width of a ribbon beam; (3) Independent steering about both X and Y axes; (4) Angle of incidence correction at the work piece; and (5) Approximate compensation for the beam expansion effects arising from space charge. In a practical situation, combinations of the elements allow ribbon beam expansion between source and work piece to 350 millimeter, with good uniformity and angular accuracy.

Abstract: Techniques for independently controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for independently controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam. The apparatus may comprise an electrode configuration comprising a set of upper electrodes disposed above an ion beam and a set of lower electrodes disposed below the ion beam. The set of upper electrodes and the set of lower electrodes may be positioned symmetrically about a central ray trajectory of the ion beam. A difference in potentials between the set of upper electrodes and the set of lower electrodes may also be varied along the central ray trajectory to reflect an energy of the ion beam at each point along the central ray trajectory for independently controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam.

Abstract: A method is provided for creating a plurality of substantially uniform nano-scale features in a substantially parallel manner in which an array of micro-lenses is positioned on a surface of a substrate, where each micro-lens includes a hole such that the bottom of the hole corresponds to a portion of the surface of the substrate. A flux of charged particles, e.g., a beam of positive ions of a selected element, is applied to the micro-lens array. The flux of charged particles is focused at selected focal points on the substrate surface at the bottoms of the holes of the micro-lens array. The substrate is tilted at one or more selected angles to displace the locations of the focal points across the substrate surface. By depositing material or etching the surface of the substrate, several substantially uniform nanometer sized features may be rapidly created in each hole on the surface of the substrate in a substantially parallel manner.

Abstract: The ion implanter includes lens elements that arrange unit lens elements along a direction of a beam width of a ribbon ion beam and regulate a magnetic field or electric field to be created by each unit lens element in order to regulate a current density distribution of the ion beam, and a controlling portion that sets the intensity of the magnetic field or electric field to be created by the unit lens element to be regulated by the lens elements in accordance with the measured current density distribution.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus of beam processing corrects for beam drift while a beam is processing a sample. The beam position is aligned using a fiducial that is sufficiently near the working area so that the fiducial can be imaged and the sample processed without a stage moving. During processing, the beam positioning is corrected for drift using a model that predicts the drift.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for reducing particle contamination in an ion implantation system. The apparatus has an enclosure having an entrance, an exit, and at least one louvered side having a plurality of louvers defined therein. A beamline of the ion implantation system passes through the entrance and exit, wherein the plurality of louvers of the at least one louvered side are configured to mechanically filter an edge of an ion beam traveling along the beamline. The enclosure can have two louvered sides and a louvered top, wherein respective widths of the entrance and exit of the enclosure, when measured perpendicular to the beamline, are generally defined by a position of the two louvered sides with respect to one another. One or more of the louvered sides can be adjustably mounted, wherein the width of one or more of the entrance and exit of the enclosure is controllable.

Abstract: The ion implantation apparatus includes a source head, an extraction electrode having a slit trough which a part of an ion beam outputted from the source head passes, a magnet for curving a trajectory of the ion beam passed through the slit, a target to be irradiated with the ion beam outputted from the magnet, an electric current measuring device facing an ion exit port of the source head through the slit of the extraction electrode, and a control portion for controlling a position of the extraction electrode based on a measured result of the current measuring device in a state that production of a magnetic field from the magnet is stopped.

Abstract: As sample sizes have decreased to microscopic levels, it has become desirable to establish a method for thin film processing and observation with a high level of positional accuracy, especially for materials which are vulnerable to electron beam irradiation. The technological problem is to judge a point at which to end FIB processing and perform control so that the portion to be observed ends up in a central portion of the thin film. The present invention enables display of structure in cross-section by setting a strip-like processing region in an inclined portion of a sample cross-section and enlarging the display of the strip-like processing region on a processing monitor in a short-side direction. It is then possible to check the cross-sectional structure without additional use of an electron beam. Since it is possible to check the processed section without using an electron beam, electron beam-generated damage or deformation to the processed section is avoided.

Abstract: A guide tube for an ion beam in an ion implanter which is located adjacent a semiconductor wafer being implanted has an outwardly tapering central bore, thereby alleviating problems of beam strike as the ion beam passes through the guide tube.