Analytical apparatus, sample holder and analytical method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734985-B2
Application number	US-201615045624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, an analytical apparatus includes a member, a voltage source connected to the member and a detecting section. The member has an inserting portion into which a sample holder supporting a sample is insertable and whose shape corresponds to a shape of the sample holder. The detecting section is configured to detect a substance to be emitted from the sample by field evaporation. The shape of the inserting portion in a cross section of a direction perpendicular to an inserting direction of the sample holder is a shape excluding a perfect circle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An analytical apparatus comprising:
a member comprising an inserting portion into which a sample holder supporting a sample is insertable and whose shape corresponds to a shape of the sample holder;
a voltage source connected to the member; and
a detector configured to detect a substance to be emitted from the sample by field evaporation,
wherein a shape of the inserting portion in a cross section of a direction perpendicular to an inserting direction of the sample holder is a shape excluding a perfect circle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the shape excluding the perfect circle is a shape in which a side is linked to another side to form an angle smaller than 180°.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the shape excluding the perfect circle is a polygonal shape, an ellipse, or a circle comprising a concave portion or a convex portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a position adjusting section configured to change a tilt of the member to an arbitrary reference surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyzing section which processes a signal from the detector to prepare an atom probe image of the sample, and applies data of a grain boundary of crystals constituting the sample into the atom probe image to analyze the sample.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 ,
wherein the data of the crystal grain boundary is acquired by attaching the sample to an external inspection apparatus and irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyzing section which processes a signal from the detector to prepare an atom probe image of the sample, and corrects a distortion of the atom probe image on the basis of data of a structure of the sample.

8. A sample holder comprising:
a first end portion to be connected to a sample; and
a second end portion which is present on a side opposite to the first end portion and comprises a shape excluding a perfect circle.

9. The sample holder of claim 8 ,
wherein the shape excluding the perfect circle is a shape in which a side is linked to another side to form an angle smaller than 180°.

10. The sample holder of claim 8 ,
wherein the shape excluding the perfect circle is a polygonal shape, an ellipse, or a circle comprising a concave portion or a convex portion.

11. An analytical method comprising:
irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam by a first apparatus to acquire a first signal;
removing the sample from the first apparatus and attaching the sample to a second apparatus;
applying a voltage to the sample to detect a substance to be emitted from the sample, thereby acquiring a second signal; and
analyzing the sample from the first signal and the second signal,
wherein a position of the sample in a rotating direction around a first line as an axis crossing a direction in which the charged particle beam enters into the sample in the first apparatus and passing the sample is substantially the same as a position of the sample in a rotating direction around a second line as an axis parallel to the first line when the voltage is applied in the second apparatus.

12. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the analyzing comprises:
preparing an image of the sample from the first signal;
specifying a grain boundary of crystals constituting the sample from the sample image;
processing the second signal to prepare a three-dimensional atom probe image of the sample; and
applying data of the specified crystal grain boundary into the three-dimensional atom probe image, and
wherein the image is a transmission image, a diffraction image, or an electron back scatter diffraction image.

13. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the analyzing comprises:
preparing an image of the sample from the first signal;
specifying a structure of the sample from the sample image;
processing the second signal to prepare a three-dimensional atom probe image of the sample; and
correcting the three-dimensional atom probe image on the basis of the sample structure,
wherein the image of the sample comprises at least one of a transmission image, a diffraction image, an electron back scatter diffraction image, a scanning electron microscope image and an energy filter image.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
preparing a shape model of the sample from the first signal;
calculating a second signal presumed from the shape model by simulation;
calculating a difference between the calculated second signal and the actually obtained second signal; and
comparing the difference with a threshold value,
wherein the three-dimensional atom probe image is corrected, when the difference is in excess of the threshold value.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Akutsu Haruko
• Katano Makiko
• Kuramoto Akira

Classifications

• H01J37/222 Primary

  Image processing arrangements associated with the tube · CPC title

• H01J37/28

  with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01J2237/2801

  Details · CPC title

• H01J2237/2007

  Holding mechanisms · CPC title

• H01J37/244

  Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor · CPC title