A specimen holder for a Charged Particle Microscope is disclosed. The holder has a support structure with an elongated member including a specimen mounting zone. The specimen mounting zone comprises a rotor with an axis perpendicular to the elongated member with a paddle connected to it which may be rotated. Specimens may be mounted on the paddle so that rotation of the paddle allows specimens to be rotated and/or inverted for microscopic observation on both sides. Specimens may either be directly mounted on the paddle, or on a grid, half-moon grid, lift-out grid, aperture frame, dielectric film, etc.

Disclosed is a charged particle beam apparatus wherein a partitioning film capable of transmitting a charged particle beam is provided between a charged particle optical system and a sample, said charged particle beam apparatus eliminating a contact between the sample and the partitioning film even in the cases where the sample has recesses and protrusions. On the basis of detection signals or an image generated on the basis of the detection signals, a distance between a sample and a partitioning film is monitored, said detection signals being outputted from a detector that detects secondary charged particles discharged from the sample due to irradiation of a primary charged particle beam.

A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a circuitry to set, when a charged particle beam is deflected to move between plural small regions by a deflector, plural first mesh regions obtained by virtually dividing a chip region into regions by length and width sizes same as those of each of the plural small regions; determine whether a shot figure having been assigned exists in each of the plural first mesh regions; a circuitry to perform, for the plural first mesh regions, merging of two or more adjacent first mesh regions; a circuitry to measure, for each of plural second mesh regions each obtained by merging, the number of first mesh regions each having been determined that an assigned shot figure exists therein; and a circuitry to generate a map for each chip, where measured number of first mesh regions with the shot figure is defined as a map value.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes processing circuitry that is programmed to perform the function of a data region determination part determining a data region based on boundaries of pixels obtained by dividing a writing area of a substrate into mesh-shaped regions, an irradiation range of multiple charged particle beams, and boundaries of stripe segments obtained by dividing the writing area into segments having a predetermined width such that the segments are arranged in a predetermined direction, a deflection coordinate adjustment part adjusting deflection coordinates of the multiple charged particle beams such that the boundaries of the pixels are mapped to a boundary of the irradiation range, and a correction part calculating a corrected dose of each beam of the multiple charged particle beams by distributing, based on a positional relationship between the beam and pixels in the data region, a dose of the beam corresponding to a pixel in the data region calculated based on write data to one or more beams, and adding doses distributed to the beam, and a writing mechanism, including a charged particle beam source, a deflector, and a stage on which a target object is placed, and the writing mechanism deflecting the multiple charged particle beams based on the adjusted deflection coordinates and applying the beams each having the corrected dose to write a pattern.

A multiple degree of freedom sample stage or testing assembly including a multiple degree of freedom sample stage. The multiple degree of freedom sample stage includes a plurality of stages including linear, and one or more of rotation or tilt stages configured to position a sample in a plurality of orientations for access or observation by multiple instruments in a clustered volume that confines movement of the multiple degree of freedom sample stage. The multiple degree of freedom sample stage includes one or more clamping assemblies to statically hold the sample in place throughout observation and with the application of force to the sample, for instance by a mechanical testing instrument. Further, the multiple degree of freedom sample stage includes one or more cross roller bearing assemblies that substantially eliminate mechanical tolerance between elements of one or more stages in directions orthogonal to a moving axis of the respective stages.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for observing the same field of view with a charged particle beam device and a camera without increasing a size of a housing. A charged particle beam device according to an aspect of the invention includes: a lens barrel that irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam; an imaging unit that images an optical image of the sample; a sample table on which the sample is placed; and a stage that is movable and on which the sample table is placed, wherein when a distance between a physical central axis of the sample table and a physical optical axis of the imaging unit is defined as a first distance, and a distance between a virtual central axis of the sample table and a physical central axis of the imaging unit, or between the physical central axis of the sample table and a virtual central axis of the imaging unit, or between the virtual central axis of the sample table and the virtual central axis of the imaging unit is defined as a second distance, the second distance is shorter than the first distance.

A substrate processing system includes a gas distribution device arranged to distribute process gases over a surface of a substrate arranged in a substrate processing chamber having an upper chamber region and a lower chamber region. A substrate support is arranged in the lower chamber region of the substrate processing chamber below the gas distribution device. A ring is arranged in the lower chamber region of the substrate processing chamber below the gas distribution device and above the substrate support. The ring is arranged to surround a faceplate of the gas distribution device and a region between the gas distribution device and the substrate support, and a gap is defined between the substrate support and the ring.

A charge transfer mechanism is used to locally deposit or remove material for a small structure. A local electrochemical cell is created without having to immerse the entire work piece in a bath. The charge transfer mechanism can be used together with a charged particle beam or laser system to modify small structures, such as integrated circuits or micro-electromechanical system. The charge transfer process can be performed in air or, in some embodiments, in a vacuum chamber.

A method for evaluating a secondary optical system of an electron beam inspection device provided with a primary optical system that irradiates a sample placed at an observation target position with an electron beam emitted from an electron source, and the secondary optical system that forms, on a detector, an enlarged image of an electron beam generated from the sample or an electron beam transmitted through the sample. The method includes: placing a photoelectric surface at the observation target position; irradiating the photoelectric surface with laser; forming an enlarged image of an electron beam generated from the photoelectric surface on the detector by the secondary optical system; and evaluating the secondary optical system based on an electron beam image obtained by the detector.

An electron microscope includes a charged particle beam generator, a detector, a film and a bearing unit. The charged particle beam generator generates a first charged particle beam to bomb an object. The detector detects a second charged particle from the object to form an image. The film disposes on downstream of charged particle beam generator and has a first surface and a second surface. A space between charged particle beam generator and the first surface of film is a vacuum environment. The bearing unit disposes at a side of second surface of film and has a bearing surface and a back surface. The object disposes on the bearing surface of the bearing unit and a distance between an analyzed surface of the object and the film is less than a predetermined spacing. A liquid space exists between the analyzed surface and the film to be filled a liquid.