A charged particle beam device includes an input and output device that receives, as inputs, a charged particle beam condition, a light condition, and electronic device circuit information, a charged particle beam control system that controls a charged particle beam applied to a sample based on the electron beam condition, a light control system that controls light applied to the sample based on the light condition, a detector that detects second electrons emitted from the sample by the application of the charged particle beam and the light and outputs a detection signal, and a calculator that generates a calculation netlist based on the electronic device circuit information, generates a light irradiation netlist based on the calculation netlist and the light condition, estimates a first irradiation result when the charged particle beam and the light are applied to the sample based on the light irradiation netlist and the charged particle beam condition, and compares the first irradiation result with a second irradiation result when the charged particle beam and the light are actually applied to the sample based on the electron beam condition.

A scanning electron microscope includes a spin detector configured to measure spin polarization of a secondary electron emitted from a sample, and an analysis device configured to analyze measurement data of the spin detector. The analysis device determines a width of a region where the secondary electron spin polarization locally changes in the measurement data. The analysis device further evaluates a strain in the sample based on the width of the region. With a configuration of the scanning electron microscope, it is possible to perform analysis of a strain in a magnetic material with high accuracy.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for the conductive fixation of organic material, including biological samples. The compositions and methods described herein can address the problems of charging and sample damage caused by electron beam-sample interactions within an electron microscope.

A method of controlling a transmission electron microscope includes: causing a first magnetic field lens to generate a first magnetic field and causing a second magnetic field lens to generate a second magnetic field; causing the magnetic field applying unit to generate a magnetic field of a direction along an optical axis on a specimen mounting surface; and changing excitations of the first excitation coil and the second excitation coil to correct a deviation of a focal length of an objective lens due to the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field applying unit.

The invention relates to a charged particle beam device for inspection of a specimen with a plurality of charged particle beamlets. The charged particle beam device comprises a specimen holder for holding a specimen, a source for producing a beam of charged particles, and an illuminator for converting said beam of charged particles into a plurality of charged particle beamlets and focusing said plurality of charged particle beamlets onto said specimen. Furthermore, a detector assembly for detecting a flux of radiation emanating from the specimen in response to said irradiation by said plurality of charged particle beamlets is provided. As defined herein, the charged particle beam device is arranged for directing said plurality of charged particle beamlets onto said specimen in an essentially 1D pattern, wherein said essentially 1D pattern forms part of an edge of an essentially 2D geometric shape. Furthermore, the detector assembly comprises a plurality of detector units arranged in a corresponding essentially 1D pattern.

A magnetic material observation method in accordance with the present invention includes: an irradiating step including irradiating a region of a sample with an excitation beam and thereby allowing a magnetic element contained in the sample to radiate a characteristic X-ray; a detecting step including detecting intensities of a right-handed circularly polarized component and a left-handed circularly polarized component contained in the characteristic X-ray; and a calculating step including calculating the difference between the intensity of the right-handed circularly polarized component and the intensity of the left-handed circularly polarized component. Reference to such a difference enables precise measurement of the direction or magnitude of magnetization without strict limitations as to the sample.

An object of the present invention relates to detecting a signal caused by a faulty point part of which the identification has been difficult with conventional EBAC. In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one probe is brought into contact with a sample on which a circuit is formed, the sample is scanned with a charged particle beam while power is supplied via the probe to the circuit identified by a contact of the probe, and a change in resistance value of a faulty point heated locally is measured via the probe. According to the present invention, even a signal caused by a high-resistance faulty point or a faulty point embedded in the sample can be easily detected.

An electron beam image acquisition apparatus includes a deflector to deflect an electron beam, a deflection control system to control the deflector, a measurement circuitry to measure, while moving a stage for placing thereon a substrate on which a figure pattern is formed, an edge position of a mark pattern arranged on the stage by scanning the mark pattern with an electron beam, a delay time calculation circuitry to calculate, using information on the edge position, a deflection control delay time which is a delay time to start deflection control occurring in the deflection control system, a correction circuitry to correct, using the deflection control delay time, a deflection position of the electron beam, and an image acquisition mechanism to include the deflector and acquire an image of the figure pattern at a corrected deflection position on the substrate.

A scanning transmission electron microscope is adapted to acquire high quality precession electron diffraction (PED) patterns by means of separated scanning deflectors and precession deflectors. Magnetic or electrostatic deflectors may be used for scanning and for precession. This enables independent optimization of parameters for each deflection system to achieve a broad operating range simultaneously for both deflection systems.

A charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to an embodiment includes: an optical column; a stage; a mount supporting the stage; a chamber provided on the mount and supporting the optical column; a detector configured to detect movement of the stage; actuator units each including a curved plate, a piezoelectric element, and a connector connected configured to transmit a first force generated by a change of the curvature of the curved plate to the mount; and an actuator control circuit configured to control the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element of each of the actuator units based on movement information, so that the first force is transmitted from the actuator units to the mount against a second force acting on the mount due to the movement of the stage.