Provided is a charged particle beam system capable of preventing the data acquisition time from increasing. A control method for the system is also provided. The charged particle beam system includes: a beam blanker for blanking a charged particle beam; a sample stage on which a sample is tiltably held and thus can assume a tilt angle; a blanking controller for controlling the blanking of the charged particle beam and causing a pulsed beam having a duty ratio to be directed at the sample; and a tilt controller for controlling the tilt angle of the sample. The blanking controller sets the duty ratio of the pulsed beam based on the tilt angle of the sample.

In a stress measurement method, an object to be measured is vibrated at a plurality of oscillation frequencies, and a temperature amplitude of the object to be measured is measured by using a temperature sensor. Parameters of a one-dimensional heat conduction equation described below are identified by performing curve-fitting, on the basis of the one-dimensional heat conduction equation, on a measurement value of the temperature amplitude with respect to frequency characteristics of a temperature change component and a phase component based on a thermoelastic effect. The frequency characteristics are obtained at the plurality of oscillation frequencies. The one-dimensional heat conduction equation indicates a theoretical solution of a temperature amplitude on a surface of a coating film based on heat conduction and the thermoelastic effect of each of a substrate and the coating film. Then, a stress of the object to be measured is obtained based on the identified parameters.

An improved system and method for inspection of a sample using a particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, to systems and methods of scanning a sample with a plurality of charged particle beams. An improved method of scanning an area of a sample using N charged particle beams, wherein Nis an integer greater than or equal to two, and wherein the area of the sample comprises a plurality of scan sections of N consecutive scan lines, includes moving the sample in a first direction. The method also includes scanning, with a first charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, first scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the first charged particle beam. The method further includes scanning, with a second charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, second scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the second charged particle beam.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for obtaining a microscope image that depicts a sample and a plurality of fiducial markers, identifying the plurality of fiducial markers in the image, and using the plurality of fiducial markers to register the image. Identifying the plurality of fiducial markers in the image includes comparing a spatial intensity distribution of a plurality of regions of the image to a reference distribution function.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for obtaining a microscope image that depicts a sample and a plurality of fiducial markers, identifying the plurality of fiducial markers in the image, and using the plurality of fiducial markers to register the image. Identifying the plurality of fiducial markers in the image includes comparing a spatial intensity distribution of a plurality of regions of the image to a reference distribution function.

A sample analyzing method and a sample preparing method are provided. The sample analyzing method includes a sample preparing step, a placing step, and an analyzing step. The sample preparing step includes an obtaining step implemented by obtaining an identification information; and a marking and placing step implemented by placing a sample carrying component having a sample disposed thereon into a marking equipment, allowing the marking equipment to utilize the identification information to form an identification structure on the sample carrying component, and placing the sample carrying component into one of the accommodating slots according to the identification information. The placing step is implemented by taking out the sample carrying component from one of the accommodating slots and placing the sample carrying component into an electron microscope equipment. The analyzing step is implemented by utilizing the electron microscope equipment to photograph the sample to generate an analyzation image.

A sample analyzing method and a sample preparing method are provided. The sample analyzing method includes a sample preparing step, a placing step, and an analyzing step. The sample preparing step includes an obtaining step implemented by obtaining an identification information; and a marking and placing step implemented by placing a sample carrying component having a sample disposed thereon into a marking equipment, allowing the marking equipment to utilize the identification information to form an identification structure on the sample carrying component, and placing the sample carrying component into one of the accommodating slots according to the identification information. The placing step is implemented by taking out the sample carrying component from one of the accommodating slots and placing the sample carrying component into an electron microscope equipment. The analyzing step is implemented by utilizing the electron microscope equipment to photograph the sample to generate an analyzation image.

The invention relates to a workstation (1), a preparation station (2) and a method for manipulating an electron microscopy grid assembly (3). The workstation (1) comprises a first compartment (101), a first gas inlet (102) for generating an overpressure in the first compartment (101), a first glove (104) and a second glove (105), each being fixed in a respective opening (106, 107) of the workstation (1), wherein the first glove (104) and the second glove (105) are movable in the first compartment (101) to manipulate objects in the first compartment (101), wherein the workstation (1) comprises a port (109) for providing a transfer device (4) for an electron microscopy grid assembly (3) in the first compartment (101). The preparation station (2) comprises a coolant reservoir (201, 202), a first part (210) configured to hold a shuttle (6) for holding an electron microscopy grid assembly (3) in a fixed orientation, wherein the preparation station (2) is configured such that the first part (210) is submergable in the cryogenic coolant when the coolant reservoir (201, 202) contains the cryogenic coolant.

The invention relates to a workstation (1), a preparation station (2) and a method for manipulating an electron microscopy grid assembly (3). The workstation (1) comprises a first compartment (101), a first gas inlet (102) for generating an overpressure in the first compartment (101), a first glove (104) and a second glove (105), each being fixed in a respective opening (106, 107) of the workstation (1), wherein the first glove (104) and the second glove (105) are movable in the first compartment (101) to manipulate objects in the first compartment (101), wherein the workstation (1) comprises a port (109) for providing a transfer device (4) for an electron microscopy grid assembly (3) in the first compartment (101). The preparation station (2) comprises a coolant reservoir (201, 202), a first part (210) configured to hold a shuttle (6) for holding an electron microscopy grid assembly (3) in a fixed orientation, wherein the preparation station (2) is configured such that the first part (210) is submergable in the cryogenic coolant when the coolant reservoir (201, 202) contains the cryogenic coolant.

A multiple electron beam image acquisition method includes performing scanning with a representative secondary electron beam emitted, based on temporary secondary electron beam deflection conditions, for each of plural positions in a primary electron beam deflection range of a representative primary electron beam, acquiring plural coordinates corresponding to the plural positions, based on detected images of the representative secondary electron beam, each detected at any one of the plural positions in the primary electron beam deflection range of the representative primary electron beam, and calculating, using the plural coordinates acquired, secondary electron beam deflection conditions to cancel movement of the representative secondary electron beam due to movement of the representative primary electron beam in the primary electron beam deflection range of the representative primary electron beam and to fix the irradiation position of the representative secondary electron beam to the predetermined detection element.