Disclosed are a charged particle beam apparatus and a sample processing observation method, the method including: a sample piece formation process in which a sample is irradiated with a focused ion beam such that a sample piece is cut out from the sample; a cross-section processing process in which the sample piece support holds the sample piece and a cross section thereof is irradiated with the ion beam to process the cross section; a sample piece approach movement process in which the sample piece support holds the sample piece and the sample piece is moved to a position that is closer to an electron beam column than an intersection point of beam optical axes of the ion beam and an electron beam is; and a SEM image acquisition process in which the cross section is irradiated with the electron beam to acquire the SEM image of the cross section.

To stabilize automated MS, provided is a charged particle beam apparatus, which is configured to automatically fabricate a sample piece from a sample, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to radiate a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move the sample that is placed on the sample stage; a sample piece transportation unit configured to hold and convey the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a holder fixing base configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transported; and a computer configured to perform control of a position with respect to a target, based on: a result of second determination about the position, which is executed depending on a result of first determination about the position; and information including an image that is obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beam.

A substrate support stage includes a substrate mounting surface on which a substrate is mounted and a ring mount on which an edge ring is mounted. The edge ring is disposed so as to surround the substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface. The ring mount is provided with a plurality of gas ejection ports configured to eject a gas toward a lower surface side of the edge ring to levitate the edge ring while the edge ring is being mounted on the ring mount, thereby allowing the gas to flow out from a gap between inner and outer peripheries of the lower surface side of the edge ring and the ring mount.

The invention relates to a charged particle microscope (CPM) that at least includes a sample holder, for holding a sample, and a manipulator device arranged for transferring a lamella created in said sample out of said sample, wherein said manipulator device comprises a first elongated manipulator member with a first outer end, and a second elongated manipulator member with a second outer end. The outer ends are movable for mechanically gripping and releasing said lamella. In embodiments, the elongated manipulator members comprise off-set parts that increase manoeuvrability, accessibility, and monitorability of the manipulator device during use.

An automatic sample preparation apparatus that automatically prepares a sample piece from a sample includes: a focused ion beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a focused ion beam; an electron beam irradiation optical system configured to irradiate an electron beam from a direction different from a direction of the focused ion beam; a sample piece transfer device configured to hold and transfer the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a detector configured to detect secondary charged particles emitted from an irradiation object by irradiating the irradiation object with the focused ion beam and/or the electron beam; and a computer configured to recognize a position of the sample piece transfer device by image-recognition using an image data of the focused ion beam and the electron beam generated by irradiating the sample piece transfer device with the focused ion beam and the electron beam, and drive the transfer device.

Provided are a thin film sample creation method and a charged particle beam apparatus capable of preventing a thin film sample piece from being damaged. The method includes a process of processing a sample by irradiating a surface of the sample with a focused ion beam (FIB) from a second direction that crosses a normal line to the surface of the sample to create a thin film sample piece and a connection portion positioned at and connected to one side of the thin film sample piece, a process of rotating the sample around the normal line, a process of connecting the thin film sample piece to a needle for holding the thin film sample piece, and a process of separating the thin film sample piece from the sample by irradiating the connection portion with a focused ion beam from a third direction that crosses the normal line.

A probe assembly for use with a charged particle instrument includes an elongate body having a proximal end for positioning outside of a charged particle instrument enclosed environment, a distal end for positioning within the enclosed environment and a longitudinal axis. A port interface is located on the body between the proximal and distal ends, and is coupleable to a nanomanipulator system of the charged particle instrument. A probe needle is positioned at a distal end of the body and is selectively positionable from outside the enclosed environment to contact a specimen within the enclosed environment. At least one gas injection needle is adjustably positioned near the probe needle. The gas injection needle is connectable to a source of pressurized gas to selectively inject gas in the area of the probe needle within the enclosed environment.

A focused ion beam apparatus (100) includes: a focused ion beam lens column (20); a sample table (51); a sample stage (50); a memory (6M) configured to store in advance three-dimensional data on the sample table and an irradiation axis of the focused ion beam, the three-dimensional data being associated with stage coordinates of the sample stage; a display (7); and a display controller (6A) configured to cause the display to display a virtual positional relationship between the sample table (51v) and the irradiation axis (20Av) of the focused ion beam, which is exhibited when the sample stage is operated to move the sample table to a predetermined position, based on the three-dimensional data on the sample table and the irradiation axis of the focused ion beam.

The invention relates to a method of manipulating a sample in an evacuated chamber of a charged particle apparatus, the method performed in said evacuated chamber, the method including: providing a sample on a first substrate; bringing an extremal end of a manipulator in contact with the sample; attaching the sample to said extremal end, the attaching being a removable attaching; lifting the sample attached to the extremal end of the manipulator from the first substrate and transport the sample to a second substrate; attaching the sample to the second substrate; and detaching the sample from the extremal end of the manipulator. At least one of the steps of attaching the sample being performed solely by bringing the sample into contact with a bundle of carbon nanotubes.

A device for creating and placing a lamella comprises a focused ion beam, a scanning electron microscope, a stage for placing at least two specimens enabling tilting, rotation and movement of the specimen. The device further comprises a manipulator terminated by a needle for attaching and transporting the specimen. The manipulator is positioned in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tilt of the specimen, thereby enabling easy transportation and placing of the lamella into the specimen holder for a transmission electron microscope, so-called grid. The manipulator is adjusted to rotate the needle about its own axis. Thus, it enables inverting of the lamella and its polishing over a layer of semiconductor substrate, on which a semiconductor structure is formed, in case of creating the lamella from a semiconductor device.