Techniques for yield management in semiconductor inspection systems are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, an electron beam inspection system includes multiple stages or multiple chambers, where the chambers/stages (N2) are organized to form one or more paths for wafer/mask inspection. An inspection procedure in each chamber (or at each stage) is determined by its order in the path and the relative columns used. For a system with N chambers/stages, a maximum number of N wafers/masks can be processed simultaneously.

There is provided an electron microscope capable of easily achieving power saving. The electron microscope (100) includes a controller (60) for switching the mode of operation of the microscope from a first mode where electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20) are activated to a second mode where the electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20) are not activated. During this operation for making a switch from the first mode to the second mode, the controller (60) performs the steps of: closing a first vacuum gate valve (50), opening a second vacuum gate valve (52), and vacuum pumping the interior of the electron optical column (2) of the microscope by the second vacuum pumping unit (40); then controlling a heating section (26) to heat an adsorptive member (242); then opening the first vacuum gate valve (50), closing the second vacuum gate valve (52), and vacuum pumping the interior of the electron optical column (2) by the first vacuum pumping unit (30); and turning off the electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20).

Window tiles for electron beam systems are provided. The window tiles can comprise a first surface and a second surface, and one or more features extending from the first surface to the second surface. The one or more features can have a non-uniform or tapered cross-section between the first surface and the second surface. The first surface can be configured to be exposed to vacuum conditions and can be configured to receive electrons accelerated from an electron beam generator. The second surface can be configured to allow electrons to pass through to a foil. The window tiles can improve electron beam processing systems for example by increasing electron throughput, lowering power consumption, reducing heat absorption to the foil, improving and increasing foil life, and potentially allowing for use of smaller and cheaper machines in electron beam processing.

Applicants have found that energetic neutral particles created by a charged exchange interaction between high energy ions and neutral gas molecules reach the sample in a ion beam system using a plasma source. The energetic neutral create secondary electrons away from the beam impact point. Methods to solve the problem include differentially pumped chambers below the plasma source to reduce the opportunity for the ions to interact with gas.

A charged particle beam device capable of observing a sample in an air atmosphere or gas atmosphere has a thin film for separating the atmospheric pressure space from the decompressed space. A vacuum evacuation pump evacuates a first housing; and a detector detects a charged particle beam (obtained by irradiation of the sample) in the first housing. A thin film is provided to separate the inside of the first housing and the inside of a second housing at least along part of the interface between the first and second housings. An opening part is formed in the thin film so that its opening area on a charged particle irradiation unit's side is larger than its opening area on the sample side; and the thin film which covers the sample side of the opening part transmits or allows through the primary charged particle beam and the charged particle beam.

In order to prevent a sample from thermally expanding and contracting when the sample is placed on a sample stage inside a vacuum chamber, the related art has proposed a coping method of awaiting observation by setting a standby time from when the wafer is conveyed into the vacuum chamber until the wafer and the sample table are brought into thermal equilibrium. In addition, the coping method is configured so as to await the observation until the wafer is cooled down to room temperature when the wafer is heated in the previous step. Consequently, throughput of an apparatus decreases. A temperature control mechanism which can control temperature of the sample is installed inside a mini-environment device. The sample temperature control mechanism controls the temperature of the sample inside the mini-environment device so as to become a setting temperature which is set in view of a lowered temperature of the sample inside a load lock chamber.

A plasma processing method of etching a multilayered material having a structure where a first magnetic layer 105 and a second magnetic layer 103 are stacked with an insulating layer 104 therebetween is performed by a plasma processing apparatus 10 including a processing chamber 12 where a processing space S is formed; and a gas supply unit 44 of supplying a processing gas into the processing space, and includes a first etching process where the first magnetic layer is etched by supplying a first processing gas and generating plasma, and the first etching process is stopped on a surface of the insulating layer; and a second etching process where a residue Z is removed by supplying a second processing gas and generating plasma. The first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer contain CoFeB, the first processing gas contains Cl.sub.2, and the second processing gas contains H.sub.2.

A permanently sealed vacuum tube is used to provide the electrons for an electron microscope. This advantageously allows use of low vacuum at the sample, which greatly simplifies the overall design of the system. There are two main variations. In the first variation, imaging is provided by mechanically scanning the sample. In the second variation, imaging is provided by point projection. In both cases, the electron beam is fixed and does not need to be scanned during operation of the microscope. This also greatly simplifies the overall system.

Provided an organic electroluminescent element which is configured to comprise: a substrate; a gas barrier layer that is arranged on the substrate; a smooth layer that is mainly composed of an oxide or nitride of Ti or Zr having an amorphous structure; a first electrode; a second electrode; and an organic function layer that is sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode. This organic electroluminescent element is able to achieve a good balance between gas barrier properties and flexibility adequacy.

There is provided an electron microscope capable of easily achieving power saving. The electron microscope (100) includes a controller (60) for switching the mode of operation of the microscope from a first mode where electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20) are activated to a second mode where the electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20) are not activated. During this operation for making a switch from the first mode to the second mode, the controller (60) performs the steps of: closing a first vacuum gate valve (50), opening a second vacuum gate valve (52), and vacuum pumping the interior of the electron optical column (2) of the microscope by the second vacuum pumping unit (40); then controlling a heating section (26) to heat an adsorptive member (242); then opening the first vacuum gate valve (50), closing the second vacuum gate valve (52), and vacuum pumping the interior of the electron optical column (2) by the first vacuum pumping unit (30); and turning off the electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20).