A semiconductor processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a main body cover that covers a main body device and a control device. The main body cover has a transfer opening for transferring a semiconductor, and the main body cover further has an intake port that generates an air flow in a horizontal direction inside the main body cover.

An examination container includes a main body, a cover and a carrier stage. The main body has an accommodating trough for holding a sample. The cover is detachably connected to the main body to close the accommodating trough. The cover has a first through-hole penetrating through an outer surface and an inner surface of the cover, and includes a membrane arranging on the inner surface of the cover. The membrane has a second through-hole opposite to the first through-hole for passing a charged particle beam through the first through hole and the second through hole. The carrier stage is installed in a position corresponding to the second through-hole. The carrier stage is detachably arranged in the accommodating trough for a variety of examination purposes. An electron microscope using the abovementioned examination container is also disclosed.

A loading station (100, 200) for translocating a frozen sample for electron microscopy, encompassing a chamber (104, 204), open toward the top, that is fillable at least partly with a coolant, the chamber (104, 204) comprising in its side wall at least two ports (101a, 102a, 103a) each for different sample transfer devices (101, 102, 103), the ports (101a, 102a, 103a) permitting introduction of a frozen sample into the chamber (104, 204) via a selected sample transfer device and withdrawal of a frozen sample from the chamber via a respective different sample transfer device; and wherein a receptacle (108, 208) for at least two differently configured sample holders (109, 110) is arranged in the chamber (104, 204), the at least two sample holders (109, 110) being detachably fastenable to at least one of the sample transfer devices (101) for introduction of the frozen sample into the chamber (104, 204) and for withdrawal of the frozen sample from the chamber (104, 204).

An XRF analyzer can include an x-ray source and an x-ray detector; an x-ray source heat-sink adjacent a side of the x-ray source; and an x-ray detector heat-sink adjacent a side of the x-ray detector. In one embodiment, the x-ray source heat-sink can be separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by a material having a thermal conductivity of less than 20 W/(m*K). In another embodiment, the x-ray source heat-sink can be separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by at least 3 millimeters of a thermally insulating material. In one embodiment, the x-ray source heat-sink can be separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by a segment of the engine component casing. Separation of the heat sinks can help avoid heat from the x-ray source adversely affecting resolution of the x-ray detector.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container configured to air-tightly accommodate substrates, a plurality of mounting stands configured to mount the substrates, a process gas supply part configured to supply a process gas to the mounting stands, an exhaust mechanism configured to evacuate an interior of the processing container, a partition wall configured to independently surround the mounting stands with a gap left between the partition wall and each of the mounting stands, and cylindrical inner walls configured to independently surround the mounting stands with a gap left between each of the inner walls and each of the mounting stands. Slits are formed in the inner walls. The process gas in the processing spaces is exhausted via the slits. The inner walls include partition plates for bypassing the process gas so that the process gas does not directly flow into the slits.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container configured to air-tightly accommodate substrates, a plurality of mounting stands configured to mount the substrates, a process gas supply part configured to supply a process gas to the mounting stands, an exhaust mechanism configured to evacuate an interior of the processing container, a partition wall configured to independently surround the mounting stands with a gap left between the partition wall and each of the mounting stands, and cylindrical inner walls configured to independently surround the mounting stands with a gap left between each of the inner walls and each of the mounting stands. Slits are formed in the inner walls. The process gas in the processing spaces is exhausted via the slits. The inner walls include partition plates for bypassing the process gas so that the process gas does not directly flow into the slits.

An XRF analyzer can include an x-ray source and an x-ray detector; an x-ray source heat-sink adjacent a side of the x-ray source; and an x-ray detector heat-sink adjacent a side of the x-ray detector. In one embodiment, the x-ray source heat-sink can be separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by a material having a thermal conductivity of less than 20 W/(m*K). In another embodiment, the x-ray source heat-sink can be separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by at least 3 millimeters of a thermally insulating material. In one embodiment, the x-ray source heat-sink can be separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by a segment of the engine component casing. Separation of the heat sinks can help avoid heat from the x-ray source adversely affecting resolution of the x-ray detector.

The invention relates to a charged particle beam generator. The generator may comprise a high voltage shielding arrangement (201) for shielding components outside the shielding arrangement from high voltages within the shielding arrangement, and a vacuum pump (220) located outside the shielding arrangement for regulating a pressure of a space within the shielding arrangement. The generator may comprise a collimator system with a cooling arrangement (405a/407a-407b/405b) comprising cooling channels inside electrodes of the collimator system.

An electron beam inspection device includes: a primary electron optical system that irradiates the surface of a sample with an electron beam; and a secondary electron optical system that gathers secondary electrons emitted from the sample and forms an image on the sensor surface of a detector. An electron image of the surface of the sample is obtained from a signal detected by the detector, and the sample is inspected. A cylindrical member that is formed with conductors stacked as an inner layer and an outer layer, and an insulator stacked as an intermediate layer is provided inside a lens tube into which the secondary electron optical system is incorporated. An electron orbital path is formed inside the cylindrical member, and the members constituting the secondary electron optical system are arranged outside the cylindrical member.

An apparatus for thermal ablation testing is provided. The apparatus comprises a chamber; an optically transparent window in the chamber; a sample holder inside the chamber; a test sample in the sample holder; a number of bare-wire thermocouples connected to the test sample, wherein the thermocouples generate temperature data in the form of voltage; a mass balance inside the chamber, wherein the mass balance is configured to hold the sample holder and dynamically detect changes in mass of the test sample; an external radiant heat source configured to heat the test sample through the window; a plasma source configured to generate a number of atomic species in the chamber; and a pyrometer directed at the test sample.