Focused ion beam apparatus, method for observing cross-section of sample by using the same, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9934938-B2
Application number	US-201414224164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A focused ion beam apparatus includes a focused ion beam irradiation mechanism that forms first and second cross-sections in a sample. A first image generation unit generates respective first images, either reflected electron images or secondary electron images, of the first and second cross-sections, and a second image generation unit generates a second image that is an EDS image of the first cross-section. A control section generates a three-dimensional image of a specific composition present in the sample based on the first images and the second image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A focused ion beam apparatus comprising:
a focused ion beam irradiation mechanism configured to irradiate a sample with a focused ion beam in a direction perpendicular to the sample surface to form an inclined surface that begins at the sample surface and ends at a depth in the sample and thereafter form at the depth end of the inclined surface a first cross-section and a plurality of second cross-sections at predetermined intervals from the first cross-section and substantially parallel to the first cross-section, the first cross-section and the second cross-sections each beginning at the sample surface and ending at a depth in the sample and being formed by subjecting the sample to removal processing with the focused ion beam;
a charged particle beam column configured to irradiate the first cross-section and the second cross-sections with a charged particle beam;
a first detector configured to detect reflected particles or secondary electrons emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the first cross-section and the second cross-sections;
a second detector configured to detect X-rays or secondary ions emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the first cross-section and the second cross-sections; and;
a control section configured to:
generate a first image of the first cross-section and of the second cross-sections based on data detected by the first detector, the first image including a reflected electron image or a secondary electron image;
generate a second image of the first cross-section based on data detected by the second detector, the second image including an EDS image or a secondary ion image of the first cross-section;
determine whether the first image of the second cross-sections includes a region different from a region representing a specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section based on a contrast of the first image;
control the second detector to detect X-rays or secondary ions emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the second cross-sections when determined that the first image of the second cross-sections includes the region different from the region representing the specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section;
generate a second image of the second cross-sections based on the detected X-rays or secondary ions, the second image including an EDS image or a secondary ion image of the second cross-sections when determined that the first image of the second cross-sections includes the region different from the region representing the specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section;
generate a second image of the second cross-sections, when not determined that the first image of the second cross-sections includes the region different from the region representing the specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section, based on the first image of the first cross-section, the first image of the second cross-sections and the second image of the first cross-section, without controlling the second detector to detect X-rays or secondary ions emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the second cross-sections; and
generate a three-dimensional distribution pattern of a specific composition present in the sample based on the first images and the second images which include the region representing the specific composition.

2. The focused ion beam apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to generate a three-dimensional distribution pattern of the specific composition based on the second image of the first cross-section and a first image of the second cross-section that does not include a region different from the region representing the specific composition.

3. A method for observing a cross-section of a sample that includes a specific composition by using a focused ion beam, the method comprising:
irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam in a direction perpendicular to the sample surface to form an inclined surface that begins at the sample surface and ends at a depth in the sample and thereafter form at the depth end of the inclined surface a first cross-section and a plurality of second cross-sections at predetermined intervals from the first cross-section and substantially parallel to the first cross-section, the first cross-section and the second cross-sections each beginning at the sample surface and ending at a depth in the sample and being obtained by subjecting the sample to a removal processing with the focused ion beam;
irradiating the first cross-section and the second cross-sections with a charged particle beam;
detecting reflected particles or secondary electrons emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the first cross-section and the second cross-sections;
generating a first image of the first cross-section and of the second cross-sections based on the detected reflected particles or secondary electrons, the first image including a reflected electron image or a secondary electron image;
detecting X-rays or secondary ions emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the first cross-section;
generating a second image of the first cross-section based on the detected X-rays or secondary ions, the second image including an EDS image or a secondary ion image of the first cross-section;
determining whether the first image of the second cross-sections includes a region different from a region representing the specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section based on a contrast of the first image;
detecting X-rays or secondary ions emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the second cross-sections when determined that the first image of the second cross-sections includes the region different from the region representing the specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section;
generating a second image of the second cross-sections based on the detected X-rays or secondary ions, the second image including an EDS image or a secondary ion image of the second cross-sections when determined that the first image of the second cross-sections includes the region different from the region representing the specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section;
generating a second image of the second cross-sections, when not determined that the first image of the second cross-sections includes the region different from the region representing the specific composition in the first image of the first cross-section, based on the first image of the first cross-section, the first image of the second cross-sections and the second image of the first cross-section, without controlling the second detector to detect X-rays or secondary ions emitted due to irradiation of the charged particle beam on the second cross-sections; and
generating a three dimensional distribution pattern of the specific composition based on the first images and the second images which include the region representing the specific composition.

4. The method for observing a cross-section of a sample by using a focused ion beam according to claim 3 , wherein generating a three-dimensional distribution pattern comprises generating a three-dimensional distribution pattern of the specific composition based on the second image of the first cross-section; and a first image of the second cross-section that does not include a region different from the region representing the specific composition.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storing medium having a computer program for observing a cross-section of a sample that includes a specific composition by using a focused ion beam stored thereon and readable by a computer, the computer program, when executed

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Science Corp

Inventors

• Uemoto Atsushi
• Man Xin
• Asahata Tatsuya

Classifications

• H01J37/28 Primary

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

• H01J2237/2807

  X-rays · CPC title

• H01J2237/2806

  Secondary charged particle · CPC title

• H01J37/222

  Image processing arrangements associated with the tube · CPC title

• G01N23/2255

  using incident ion beams, e.g. proton beams · CPC title