There is provided an ion milling apparatus and sample holder permitting one to observe a sample, which has been milled, with an electron microscope without transferring the sample to a different holding member. The ion milling apparatus has an ion source, a sample holder, and a sample stage. The sample holder includes: a holder body having a sample holding portion for holding the sample; and a cover member detachably mounted to the holder body and hermetically sealing the sample held on the sample holding portion. The holder body has a shield plate and a field-correcting plate for correcting electric fields around the sample held on the sample holding portion.

A sample collection device includes two substrates and a spacer. The two substrates are disposed oppositely. Each substrate has a first surface, a second surface opposing to the first surface, a first recess and at least one second recess. The two substrates are arranged with the first surfaces facing each other, and the first and second recesses are respectively located on each first surface. The first recesses of the substrates jointly form a first channel, and the second recesses of the substrates jointly form a second channel connected to the outside of the sample collection device. The first channel and the second channel are interconnected. The spacer is disposed between the two first surfaces for bonding and fixing the two substrates. A sample containing space is formed between the two substrates and the spacer. The sample containing space includes the first chancel and the second channel. In addition, a manufacturing method of the sample collection device is also provided.

A support for an electron microscope sample includes a body defining a void for receiving a first micro-electronic device, and a first gasket positioned about the first surface. The first gasket further defines an arm extending at an angle away from a horizontal extending through the first micro-electronic device. In operation, the first micro-electronic device is installed onto the first gasket and the arm engages an outer facing side of the first micro-electronic device to grip the first micro-electronic device.

Provided are new techniques for fault analysis in IC semiconductor devices, including system designs and methods to enable the probing of circuitry within an IC device under test (DUT) using electron beam (e-beam) techniques while the DUT is being stimulated electrically, or while the device is active on its own or within a host system mounted in a circuit board or other module. The DUT could be a packaged IC, or an IC in some unpackaged form. To create a local evacuated volume immediately outside the e-beam tool, a sealing element is sealed against or around the DUT for a localized seal. Such an arrangement obviates the need for vacuum feedthroughs of possibly thousands of signals required to operate and monitor the DUT, and further enables probing of a DUT while it is operating in its normal environment, such as installed on a circuit board in its system, or on a tester.

A vacuum sample chamber for a particle and optical device includes on one surface thereof, an aperture through which a particle beam to be focused along an optical axis of particles such as electrons, ions and neutral particles is incident; and on the opposite surface thereof, a detachable sample holder through which light penetrates, thereby enabling a sample to be observed and analyzed by means of the particle beam and light. A sample chamber is capable of reducing observation time by maintaining a vacuum therein even when a sample is put into or taken out from a sample chamber of an electron microscope or focused ion beam observation equipment, and capable of obtaining an optical image on the outside thereof without inserting a light source or an optical barrel into the sample chamber. A light-electron fusion microscope comprising the sample chamber.

A scanning electron microscope (1) including a sliding vacuum seal (20) between an electron optical imaging system (2) and a sample carrier (10) with a first plate (22) having a first aperture (24) associated with the electron optical imaging system and resting against a second plate (26) having a second aperture (28) associated with the sample carrier. The first plate and/or the second plate includes a groove (40) circumscribing the first and/or second aperture. The scanning electron microscope may include a detector (8) movable relative to the electron beam. The scanning electron microscope may include a motion control unit for moving a sample carrier along a collision free path.

A sample protection device for a scanning electron microscope, the sample protection device comprising: a shell; an accommodating part having an accommodating space for accommodating a sample, the accommodating part being arranged in the shell in such a manner that the accommodating part can move relative to the shell, such that the accommodating part at least partially enters the shell or moves out of the shell; a sealing part connected to the accommodating part and configured to seal between the accommodating part and the shell when the accommodating part is at least partially accommodated in the shell; and a driving member configured to drive relative movement of the shell relative to the accommodating part.

A vacuum processing apparatus 100 includes: a vacuum chamber 1; a stage 2 placed inside the vacuum chamber 1, on which an object to be processed is placed; an internal guide rail 31 laid in the vacuum chamber 1 to guide the stage 2; a through-hole 103 made in a sidewall 102 of the vacuum chamber 1; a connecting rod 4 coupled to the stage 2 at one end and inserted in the through-hole 103, the other end being disposed outside the vacuum chamber 1; a movable member 5 connected to the other end of the connecting rod 4; a driving mechanism 8 disposed outside the vacuum chamber 1 to move the movable member 5; and a bellows 6 disposed between the movable member 5 and the sidewall 102, the bellows 6 following the movement of the movable member 5 while maintaining airtightness of the vacuum chamber 1.

A support for an electron microscope sample includes a body defining a void for receiving a first micro-electronic device, and a first gasket positioned about the first surface. The first gasket further defines an arm extending at an angle away from a horizontal extending through the first micro-electronic device. In operation, the first micro-electronic device is installed onto the first gasket and the arm engages an outer facing side of the first micro-electronic device to grip the first micro-electronic device.

The present disclosure relates to a vacuum processing apparatus. The vacuum processing apparatus includes a processing container capable of maintaining an inside thereof in a vacuum atmosphere, a stage provided in the processing container and on which a substrate is placed, a support member passing through an opening formed at a bottom of the processing container to support the stage from below, a holder part located outside the processing container, a flange part arranged around the opening on the outside of the processing container, and a sealing part configured to be expandable and contractible and provided inside the spherical bearing along the circumferential direction of the opening so as to airtightly seal at least a space between the flange part and the holder part.