Ion milling device and ion milling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12567557-B2
Application number	US-202318114349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2023
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

Provided is a machining technology to obtain a desired machining content while suppressing a possibility of causing a redeposition in a machining surface. The invention is directed to provide an ion milling device which includes an ion source which emits an ion beam, a sample holder which holds a sample, and a sample sliding mechanism which slides the sample holder in a direction including a normal direction of an axis of the ion beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An ion milling device which emits an ion beam to a sample to machine the sample, comprising:
an ion source which emits the ion beam; a sample holder which holds the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask; a sliding mechanism which slides the sample holder in a direction including a normal direction of an axis of the ion beam; and a rotation mechanism which rotates and tilts the sample holder around an axis perpendicular to a direction of a sliding movement caused by the sliding mechanism; a user interface unit which is used to set a machining position and a machining width in a wide region milling which machines the sample in a range wider than a width of the ion beam; and a control unit which controls a movement of the sliding mechanism based on the machining position and the machining width which are set by the user interface unit.

2 . An ion milling method which machines a sample by emitting an ion beam to the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask using the ion milling device according to claim 1 , comprising:
disposing the sample on an optical microscope, and setting a machining position and a machining width of a wide region milling which machines the sample in a region wider than a width of the ion beam using the optical microscope; transmitting information on the machining position and the machining width of the wide region milling to a control unit which controls a milling operation; taking the sample out of the optical microscope and disposing the sample on an ion milling device; and causing the control unit to control the milling operation in the ion milling device based on the information on the machining position and the machining width of the wide region milling.

3 . An ion milling method which uses an ion milling device to machine a sample by emitting an ion beam to the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask using the ion milling device according to claim 1 , comprising:
performing a wide region milling on the sample in a region wider than a width of the ion beam; and performing milling, in a depth direction of the sample, on the sample.

4 . The ion milling device according to claim 1 , wherein
a machining position and a machining width of the wide region milling are set by inputting end positions of the machining or center position.

5 . An ion milling device which emits an ion beam to a sample to machine the sample, comprising:
an ion source which emits the ion beam; a sample holder which holds the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask; a sliding mechanism which slides the sample holder in a direction including a normal direction of an axis of the ion beam; and a rotation mechanism which rotates and tilts the sample holder around an axis perpendicular to a direction of a sliding movement caused by the sliding mechanism; a user interface unit which is used to set a machining position and a machining width in a wide region milling which machines the sample in a range wider than a width of the ion beam; and a control unit which controls a movement of the sliding mechanism based on the machining position and the machining width which are set by the user interface unit, wherein
a user interface unit is used to set a machining position in a multipoint milling which machines a plurality of places of the sample; and
a control unit controls a movement of the sliding mechanism based on the machining position set by the user interface unit.

6 . An ion milling method which machines a sample by emitting an ion beam to the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask using the ion milling device according to claim 5 , comprising:
disposing the sample on an optical microscope, and setting a plurality of machining positions, in the sample, of a multipoint milling which machines a plurality of places of the sample using the optical microscope; transmitting information on the plurality of machining positions of the multipoint milling to a control unit which controls a milling operation; taking the sample out of the optical microscope and disposing the sample on an ion milling device; and causing the control unit to control the milling operation in the ion milling device based on the information on the plurality of machining positions of the multipoint milling.

7 . An ion milling method which uses an ion milling device to machine a sample by emitting an ion beam to the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask using the ion milling device according to claim 5 , comprising:
setting a plurality of machining positions when a multipoint milling which machines a plurality of places of the sample is performed; setting the number of times of milling operations in the plurality of machining positions; and machining the plurality of machining positions of the sample according to information on the plurality of machining positions and the number of times of milling operations, wherein when the plurality of machining positions are machined by the multipoint milling, at least one time of milling operation is alternately performed in at least a part of the plurality of machining positions, and a plurality of times of milling operations is performed in at least one machining position of the plurality of machining positions with a time interval therebetween.

8 . The ion milling method according to claim 7 , wherein
the milling operation is performed in another machining position between the milling operations in the at least one machining position where the plurality of milling operations are performed with a time interval therebetween.

9 . The ion milling method according to claim 7 , wherein
a final stage of machining is sequentially performed in the plurality of machining positions.

10 . The ion milling method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
performing a finishing machining with an acceleration voltage weaker than an acceleration voltage used when the machining is performed alternately in the plurality of machining positions.

11 . An ion milling method which uses an ion milling device to machine a sample by emitting an ion beam to the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask using the ion milling device according to claim 5 , comprising:
attaching a plurality of samples to a sample mask to protrude from the sample mask by a predetermined amount; setting machining positions in the plurality of samples; and emitting the ion beam from the sample mask to the plurality of samples and performing a multipoint milling to machine each of the plurality of samples.

12 . The ion milling method according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of samples include a sample having different
thickness.

13 . An ion milling device which emits an ion beam to a sample to machine the sample, comprising:
an ion source which emits the ion beam; a sample holder which holds the sample of which at least a part is shielded by a mask; a sliding mechanism which slides the sample holder in a direction including a normal direction of an axis of the ion beam; and a rotation mechanism which rotates and tilts the sample holder around an axis perpendicular to a direction of a sliding movement caused by the sliding mechanism; a user interface unit which is used to set a machining position and a machining width in a wide region milling which machines the sample in a range wider than a width of the ion beam; and a control unit which controls a movement of the sliding mechanism based on the machining position and the machining width which are set by the user interface unit, wherein a

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Iwaya Toru
• Takasu Hisayuki
• Koubori Sakae

Classifications

• G01N1/32 Primary

  Polishing; Etching · CPC title

• H01J37/3056

  for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components · CPC title

• H01J2237/31749

  Focused ion beam · CPC title

• H01J37/3023

  Program control · CPC title

• H01J37/3053

  for evaporating or etching · CPC title