An ionic liquid ion source can include a microfabricated body including a base and a tip. The body can be formed of a porous material compatible with at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt. The body can have a pore size gradient that decreases from the base of the body to the tip of the body, such that the at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt is capable of being transported through capillarity from the base to the tip.

A cluster tool includes a polyhedral transfer chamber, at least one processing chamber, at least one load lock chamber, and an electron beam (e-beam) source. The processing chamber is connected to the polyhedral transfer chamber. The processing chamber is configured to perform a manufacturing procedure to a wafer present therein. The load lock chamber is connected to the polyhedral transfer chamber. The e-beam source is configured to performing an e-beam treatment to the wafer after the wafer is performed the manufacturing procedure.

A method is provided for processing and/or observing an object using at least one particle beam that is scanned over the object. A scan region on the object is determined, the scan region having scan lines, and the particle beam is moved in a first scanning direction along one of the scan lines. The first scanning direction is changed to a second scanning direction at a change-of-direction time. Changing from the first scanning direction to the second scanning direction comprises setting of a point of rotation in that scan line of the scan region in which the particle beam is situated at the change-of-direction time, with an axis of rotation extending through the point of rotation. The first scanning direction is changed into the second scanning direction by rotating the scan region about the axis of rotation, with the point of rotation being selected dependent on the direction of rotation.

The present invention provides a method for optimizing a shaped working beam having a sharp edge for making sufficiently precise cuts and a high beam current for faster processing. An ion beam is directed along an optical column through a reference aperture to form a reference beam that has a preferred shape and an associated reference current. The reference beam is optimized using selected parameters of the optical components within the optical column. The ion beam is then directed through a working aperture to form a working beam for use in a processing application. The working beam has a different shape from the reference beam and an associated working current that is higher than the reference current. The reference aperture and working aperture have at least one corresponding dimension. The working beam is then optimized using the selected optical component parameters used to align and focus the reference beam.

The present invention provides a method for optimizing a shaped working beam having a sharp edge for making sufficiently precise cuts and a high beam current for faster processing. An ion beam is directed along an optical column through a reference aperture to form a reference beam that has a preferred shape and an associated reference current. The reference beam is optimized using selected parameters of the optical components within the optical column. The ion beam is then directed through a working aperture to form a working beam for use in a processing application. The working beam has a different shape from the reference beam and an associated working current that is higher than the reference current. The reference aperture and working aperture have at least one corresponding dimension. The working beam is then optimized using the selected optical component parameters used to align and focus the reference beam.

An ionic liquid ion source can include a microfabricated body including a base and a tip. The body can be formed of a porous material compatible with at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt. The body can have a pore size gradient that decreases from the base of the body to the tip of the body, such that the at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt is capable of being transported through capillarity from the base to the tip.

In one embodiment, a supporting case includes a lower case member and an upper case member. The mounting substrate is pinched between a lower cylindrical supporting portion and a upper cylindrical supporting portion. Peripheral regions of the mounting substrate that are on a peripheral side with respect to a part pinched between the lower cylindrical supporting portion and the upper cylindrical supporting portion are positioned in a space defined by a bottom plate portion, a lower peripheral-wall portion, and the lower cylindrical supporting portion of the lower case member and a top lid portion, an upper peripheral-wall portion, and the upper cylindrical supporting portion of the upper case member.

The present invention aims at providing an ion milling apparatus for emitting an ion beam to a sample to process the sample and capable of controlling the temperature of the sample with high accuracy regardless of deformation or the like of the sample being irradiated with the ion beam, and proposes an ion milling apparatus including at least one of a shield holding member for supporting a shield for shielding the sample from the ion beam while exposing a part of the sample to the ion beam; a shifting mechanism for shifting a surface of the sample stand in contact with the sample following deformation of the sample during irradiation with the ion beam, the shifting mechanism having a temperature control mechanism for controlling temperature of at least one of the shield holding member and the sample stand; and a sample holding member disposed between the shield and the sample, the sample holding member deforming following deformation of the sample during irradiation with the ion beam, for example.

While the sample is in a vacuum chamber of the particle beam system, a method comprises: processing the sample via an automatic supply in accordance with a process gas supply setting of at least one of a plurality of different process gases to the sample via a process gas supply device and via an activation of the supplied, at least one process gas by a particle beam of charged particles or a laser beam; measuring a property of the processed sample using a measuring device; modifying the process gas supply setting so that there is a change in a ratio of the quantities of the process gases to be supplied, on the basis of a measurement result obtained by the measurement; and continuing the processing of the sample using the modified process gas supply setting.