Focused ion beam apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11133149-B2
Application number	US-202017028381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2020
Priority date	Sep 25, 2019
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

A focused ion beam apparatus (100) includes: a focused ion beam lens column (20); a sample table (51); a sample stage (50); a memory (6M) configured to store in advance three-dimensional data on the sample table and an irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, the three-dimensional data being associated with stage coordinates of the sample stage; a display (7); and a display controller (6A) configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship between the sample table (51v) and the irradiation axis (20Av) of the focused ion beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample table to a predetermined position, based on the three-dimensional data on the sample table and the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A focused ion beam apparatus, comprising:
a focused ion beam lens column configured to irradiate a sample with a focused ion beam;
a sample table, on which the sample is to be placed;
a sample stage, on which the sample table is to be placed, and which is movable in at least a horizontal direction and a height direction;
a memory configured to store in advance three-dimensional data on the sample table and an irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, the three-dimensional data being associated with stage coordinates of the sample stage;
a display; and
a display controller configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship between the sample table and the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample table to a predetermined position, based on the three-dimensional data on the sample table and the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam.

2. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a converter configured to convert three-dimensional data on a sample input in advance into the stage coordinates, based on a posture and placement position of the sample after having been placed on the sample table,
wherein the display controller is configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship among the sample, the sample table, and the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample to an irradiation position, based on the three-dimensional data on the sample converted by the converter.

3. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the sample stage is movable so as to be tilted about a tilt axis parallel to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the height direction,
wherein the focused ion beam apparatus further comprises:
an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a planar image of the sample after having been placed on the sample table; and
a three-dimensional data generator configured to calculate a movement amount, by which the sample stage is to be moved along a eucentric height, to generate three-dimensional data on the sample, and

wherein the converter is configured to convert the three-dimensional data on the sample generated by the three-dimensional data generator into the stage coordinates.

4. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the memory is configured to store one of an etching rate and a deposition rate, which is exhibited when the sample is irradiated with the focused ion beam, and
wherein the display controller is configured to cause the display to display one of a virtual outline of the sample after etching for a predetermined etching time and a virtual outline of the sample after deposition for a predetermined deposition time, based on a virtual positional relationship between the sample and the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample to an irradiation position.

5. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the display controller is configured to cause the display to display, in a superimposed manner, an irradiation range of the focused ion beam irradiating the sample.

6. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a gas ion beam lens column configured to irradiate the sample with a gas ion beam and set to have an acceleration voltage lower than an acceleration voltage of the focused ion beam lens column; and a laser lens column configured to irradiate the sample with a laser beam and set to have an acceleration voltage lower than the acceleration voltage of the focused ion beam lens column,
wherein the memory is configured to store in advance three-dimensional data on an irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam, the three-dimensional data being associated with the stage coordinates of the sample stage, and
wherein the display controller is further configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship among the sample table, the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, and the irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample table to a predetermined position, based on the three-dimensional data on the irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam.

7. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the display controller is configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship among the sample, the sample table, the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, and the irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample to an irradiation position, based on the three-dimensional data on the sample converted by a converter.

8. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a gas ion beam lens column configured to irradiate the sample with a gas ion beam and set to have an acceleration voltage lower than an acceleration voltage of the focused ion beam lens column; and a laser lens column configured to irradiate the sample with a laser beam and set to have an acceleration voltage lower than the acceleration voltage of the focused ion beam lens column,
wherein the memory is configured to store in advance three-dimensional data on an irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam, the three-dimensional data being associated with the stage coordinates of the sample stage, and
wherein the display controller is further configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship among the sample table, the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, and the irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample table to a predetermined position, based on the three-dimensional data on the irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam.

9. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the display controller is configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship among the sample, the sample table, the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, and the irradiation axis of one of the gas ion beam and the laser beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample to an irradiation position, based on the three-dimensional data on the sample converted by a converter.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Science Corp

Inventors

• Mochizuki Toshihiro
• Ishii Haruyuki
• Uemoto Atsushi

Classifications

• H01J37/3045

  Object or beam position registration · CPC title

• H01J2237/20207

  Tilt · CPC title

• H01J37/10

  Lenses · CPC title

• H01J37/20

  Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support · CPC title

• H01J37/302 Primary

  Controlling tubes by external information, e.g. program control (H01J37/304 takes precedence) · CPC title