In an embodiment, a system is provided that includes an electron gun, a focusing system, and a housing. The electron gun can include a cold cathode electron source and an extraction electrode. The focusing system can be configured to focus a beam of electrons extracted from the electron gun to a focal region. The housing can include the electron gun and extend along a housing axis in the direction of the electron beam. The cold cathode source is configured to emit electrons at a first operating pressure that is higher than a second operating pressure at the focal region of the electron beam.

In an embodiment, a system is provided that includes an electron gun, a focusing system, and a housing. The electron gun can include a cold cathode electron source and an extraction electrode. The focusing system can be configured to focus a beam of electrons extracted from the electron gun to a focal region. The housing can include the electron gun and extend along a housing axis in the direction of the electron beam. The cold cathode source is configured to emit electrons at a first operating pressure that is higher than a second operating pressure at the focal region of the electron beam.

The present invention provides a plasma processing device including a vacuum container that has controllable internal pressure, gas supply means, an electrode that is provided in the vacuum container and has an upper surface on which a substrate is placed, and an antenna that is arranged to face the electrode to form inductive coupling, in which the antenna that is configured to form the inductive coupling includes one end connected to a high-frequency power source via a matching circuit, and the other end that is an open end, a length of the antenna is less than ½λ of a wavelength (λ) of an RF frequency, an impedance adjustment circuit connected in parallel to the antenna is connected to an RF feeding side of the antenna, and a reactance component of a combined impedance by the impedance adjustment circuit is adjustable from a capacitive load to an inductive load with respect to the RF frequency supplied to the antenna.

The present invention provides a plasma processing device including a vacuum container that has controllable internal pressure, gas supply means, an electrode that is provided in the vacuum container and has an upper surface on which a substrate is placed, and an antenna that is arranged to face the electrode to form inductive coupling, in which the antenna that is configured to form the inductive coupling includes one end connected to a high-frequency power source via a matching circuit, and the other end that is an open end, a length of the antenna is less than ½λ of a wavelength (λ) of an RF frequency, an impedance adjustment circuit connected in parallel to the antenna is connected to an RF feeding side of the antenna, and a reactance component of a combined impedance by the impedance adjustment circuit is adjustable from a capacitive load to an inductive load with respect to the RF frequency supplied to the antenna.

A modular ultra-high vacuum (UHV) electron microscope for investigating a sample, according to the present disclosure includes a UHV chamber configured to reach and maintain an ultra-high vacuum within the UHV chamber, a UHV stage to hold the sample being investigated, a charged particle source configured to emit an electron beam toward the sample, and an optical column configured to direct the plurality of electrons to be incident on the sample. The modular UHV electron microscopes further include a carousel vacuum bay configured to reach and maintain an UHV independently of the UHV chamber, and which is connected to the UHV chamber via a port and contains at least one device manipulator. Each of the device manipulators comprise an attachment site for a microscope device, and are configured to, selectively translate attached microscope devices between the carousel vacuum bay and the UHV chamber via the valve.

A modular ultra-high vacuum (UHV) electron microscope for investigating a sample, according to the present disclosure includes a UHV chamber configured to reach and maintain an ultra-high vacuum within the UHV chamber, a UHV stage to hold the sample being investigated, a charged particle source configured to emit an electron beam toward the sample, and an optical column configured to direct the plurality of electrons to be incident on the sample. The modular UHV electron microscopes further include a carousel vacuum bay configured to reach and maintain an UHV independently of the UHV chamber, and which is connected to the UHV chamber via a port and contains at least one device manipulator. Each of the device manipulators comprise an attachment site for a microscope device, and are configured to, selectively translate attached microscope devices between the carousel vacuum bay and the UHV chamber via the valve.

A method of evaluating a region of a sample, the method comprising: positioning a sample within a vacuum chamber; generating an electron beam with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column that includes an electron gun at one end of the column and a column cap at an opposite end of the column; focusing the electron beam on the sample and scanning the focused electron beam across the region of the sample, while the SEM column is operated in tilted mode, thereby generating secondary electrons and backscattered electrons from within the region; and during the scanning, collecting backscattered electrons with one or more detectors while applying a negative bias voltage to the column cap to alter a trajectory of the secondary electrons preventing the secondary electrons from reaching the one or more detectors.

A method of evaluating a region of a sample, the method comprising: positioning a sample within a vacuum chamber; generating an electron beam with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column that includes an electron gun at one end of the column and a column cap at an opposite end of the column; focusing the electron beam on the sample and scanning the focused electron beam across the region of the sample, while the SEM column is operated in tilted mode, thereby generating secondary electrons and backscattered electrons from within the region; and during the scanning, collecting backscattered electrons with one or more detectors while applying a negative bias voltage to the column cap to alter a trajectory of the secondary electrons preventing the secondary electrons from reaching the one or more detectors.

The invention provides an electron beam apparatus that reduces a time required for an electron gun chamber to which a sputter ion pump and a non-evaporable getter pump are connected to reach an extreme high vacuum state. The electron beam apparatus includes an electron gun configured to emit an electron beam and the electron gun chamber to which the sputter ion pump and the non-evaporable getter pump are connected. The electron beam apparatus further includes a gas supply unit configured to supply at least one of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide to the electron gun chamber.

The invention provides an electron beam apparatus that reduces a time required for an electron gun chamber to which a sputter ion pump and a non-evaporable getter pump are connected to reach an extreme high vacuum state. The electron beam apparatus includes an electron gun configured to emit an electron beam and the electron gun chamber to which the sputter ion pump and the non-evaporable getter pump are connected. The electron beam apparatus further includes a gas supply unit configured to supply at least one of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide to the electron gun chamber.