A stage apparatus includes a lower stage that moves in a Y-axis direction, an upper stage that floats from the lower stage and moves at least in an X-axis direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction, a heat exchanger that cools a Y table of the lower stage with a refrigerant, and a control device that controls an inclination of the lower stage with reference to the Y table cooled by the heat exchanger.

The present disclosure provides a method to adjust asymmetric velocity of a scan in a scanning ion beam etch process to correct asymmetry of etching between the inboard side and the outboard side of device structures on a wafer, while maintaining the overall uniformity of etch across the full wafer.

The system described herein relates to a method for operating a beam apparatus, such as a particle beam apparatus or laser beam apparatus, a computer program product and a beam apparatus for carrying out the method, and to an object holder for an object that, for example, is able to be arranged in a particle beam apparatus. The method includes generating a marking on an object holder using a laser beam of a laser beam device and/or using a particle beam of the particle beam apparatus, where the particle beam includes charged particles, arranging an object on the object holder, moving the object holder, positioning the particle beam and/or the laser beam in relative fashion in relation to the object using the marking, and processing, imaging and/or analyzing the object using the particle beam and/or the laser beam.

Various embodiments herein relate to carriers for supporting one or more substrate as the substrates are passed through a processing apparatus. In many cases, the substrates are oriented in a vertical manner. The carrier may include a frame and vertical support bars that secure the glass to the frame. The carrier may lack horizontal support bars. The carrier may allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrates, without any need to provide precise gaps between adjacent pairs of substrates. The carriers described herein substantially reduce the risk of breaking the processing apparatus and substrates, thereby achieving a more efficient process. Certain embodiments herein relate to methods of loading substrates onto a carrier.

A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a silicon substrate; and a Tantalum (Ta) layer comprising a first portion and a second portion, a first portion being suspended over the silicon substrate and configured to move relative to the silicon substrate, and the second portion of the structure being coupled to the silicon substrate and fixed in place relative to the silicon substrate.

In a charged particle beam device, a control unit performs processing for: operating a deflector based on movement information to move a visual field of a deflector from a first visual field to a second visual field; capturing the sample image with the second visual field to obtain a reference image; operating the deflector to move the visual field from the second visual field to the first visual field; operating the sample stage based on the movement information to move the visual field from the first visual field to a third visual field; capturing the sample image with the third visual field to obtain a comparison image; calculating a positional deviation amount between the reference image and the comparison image; determining whether the positional deviation amount is equal to or less than a designated positional deviation amount; and operating the sample stage based on the positional deviation amount.

Sample stage, e.g. for use in a scanning electron microscope. The sample stage includes a base, a sample carrier, and an actuator assembly arranged for moving the sample carrier in at least one direction substantially parallel to the base. The actuator assembly is arranged so as not to contribute to the mechanical stiffness of the sample stage from the sample carrier to the base.

To irradiate a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles, the beam is formed and imaged onto a target, where it generates a pattern image composed of pixels. The pattern image is moved along a path on the target over a region to be exposed, and this movement defines a number of stripes covering said region in sequential exposures and having respective widths. The number of stripes is written in at least two sweeps which each have a respective general direction, but the general direction is different for different sweeps, e.g. perpendicular to each other. Each stripe belongs to exactly one sweep and runs substantially parallel to the other stripes of the same sweep, namely, along the respective general direction. For each sweep the widths, as measured across said main direction, of the stripes of one sweep combine into a cover of the total width of the region.

A multi-degree-of-freedom sample holder, comprising a housing and a rotating shaft, is disclosed. A frame is provided between the housing and the rotating shaft, and the frame is coaxial with the housing and rotating shaft. The present invention has multiple degrees of freedom such as high-precision translational freedom of the sample along the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis, and 360° rotation of the sample around the axis, etc. The sample is always aligned with the sample holder shaft during the rotation, and the static electricity accumulated on the sample can be led out.

A positioning system for an electron microscope includes a first carriage comprising a holder for holding a workpiece and a second carriage. The first carriage being coupled to one or more first drive units configured to position the workpiece along first, second, and third axes, and along a first tilt axis. The second carriage housing the one or more first drive units and being coupled to one or more second drive units configured to position the workpiece along a second tilt axis.