An object of the invention is to provide a technique of capturing images at higher speed and higher magnification when acquiring continuous tilted images with an electron microscope. The electron microscope of the invention includes a first spherical receiver fixed to a column of the electron microscope and configured to slide with a spherical fulcrum provided at a tip end of a sample holder; a spherical surface part provided on the column; and a second spherical receiver provided outside the column. The spherical surface part and the second spherical receiver slide on a contact part between the spherical surface part and the second spherical receiver, and a track of the slide is along a spherical surface centered on a central axis of the first spherical receiver, so that a view shift and a focus shift from an observation position of a sample can be reduced.

The invention relates to a method of imaging a sample, said sample mounted on a sample holder in an electron microscope, the electron microscope comprising an electron source for generating a beam of energetic electrons along an optical axis and optical elements for focusing and deflecting the beam so as to irradiate the sample with a beam of electrons. The sample holder is capable of positioning and tilting the sample with respect to the electron beam. The method comprises the step of acquiring a tilt series of images by irradiating the sample with the beam of electrons, and concurrently changing a position of the sample during acquisition of the images, so that each image is acquired at an associated unique tilt angle and an associated unique position.

A sample holder (19) includes a base portion (41), a sample carrying portion (42), a rotation guide portion (43), a cooling stage (46), a connection member (47), a first support portion, and a fixing guide portion (48). The base portion (41) is configured to be fixed to a stage (12), which is configured to be driven to rotate by a stage driving mechanism (13). The rotation guide portion (43) is configured to guide synchronous rotation of the base portion (41) and the sample carrying portion (42). The cooling stage (46) is configured to cool a sample (S). The connection member (47) is configured to be connected to the cooling stage (46). The first support portion is configured to support the base portion (41), which is configured to be driven to rotate by the stage (12).

Introduced here is a plasma polymerization apparatus and process. Example embodiments include a vacuum chamber in a substantially symmetrical shape to a central axis. A rotation rack may be operable to rotate about the central axis of the vacuum chamber. Additionally, reactive species discharge mechanisms positioned around a perimeter of the vacuum chamber in a substantially symmetrical manner from the outer perimeter of the vacuum chamber may be configured to disperse reactive species into the vacuum chamber. The reactive species may form a polymeric multi-layer coating on surfaces of the one or more devices. Each layer may have a different composition of atoms to enhance the water resistance, corrosion resistance, and fiction resistance of the polymeric multi-layer coating.

A method is provided. The method may include providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a substrate surface, the substrate surface having a three-dimensional shape. The method may further include directing a depositing species from a deposition source to the substrate surface, wherein a layer is deposited on a deposition region of the substrate surface. The method may include performing a substrate scan during the directing or after the directing to transport the substrate from a first position to a second position. The method may also include directing angled ions to the substrate surface, in a presence of the layer, wherein the layer is sputter-etched from a first portion of the deposition region, and wherein the layer remains in a second portion of the deposition region.

Provided is a stage apparatus that reduces thermal deformation and temperature rise in an upper table on which a sample is mounted and a charged particle beam apparatus including the stage apparatus. The stage apparatus includes: an upper stage that moves an upper table on which a sample is mounted in a first direction; a middle stage that moves a middle table on which the upper stage is mounted in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a lower stage that moves a lower table on which the middle stage is mounted in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The upper table and the middle table use a material having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than in a material of the lower table, and the lower table uses a material having higher thermal conductivity than in the material of the upper table and the middle table.

A first x-y translation stage, a second x-y translation stage, and a chuck are disposed in a chamber. The chuck is situated above and coupled to the second x-y translation stage, which is situated above and coupled to the first x-y translation stage. The chuck is configured to support a substrate and to be translated by the first and second x-y stages in x- and y-directions, which are substantially parallel to a surface of the chuck on which the substrate is to be mounted. A first barrier and a second barrier are also disposed in the chamber. The first barrier is coupled to the first x-y translation stage to separate a first zone of the chamber from a second zone of the chamber. The second barrier is coupled to the second x-y translation stage to separate the first zone of the chamber from a third zone of the chamber.

An e-beam apparatus is disclosed, the tool comprising an electron optics system configured to project an e-beam onto an object, an object table to hold the object, and a positioning device configured to move the object table relative to the electron optics system. The positioning device comprises a short stroke stage configured to move the object table relative to the electron optics system and a long stroke stage configured to move the short stroke stage relative to the electron optics system. The e-beam apparatus further comprises a magnetic shield to shield the electron optics system from a magnetic disturbance generated by the positioning device. The magnetic shield may be arranged between the positioning device and the electron optics system.

The present disclosure provides an ion implantation method and an ion implanter for realizing the ion implantation method. The above-mentioned ion implantation method comprises: providing a spot-shaped ion beam current implanted into the wafer; controlling the wafer to move back and forth in a first direction; controlling the spot-shaped ion beam current to scan back and forth in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and adjusting the scanning width of the spot-shaped ion beam current in the second direction according to the width of the portion of the wafer currently scanned by the spot-shaped ion beam current in the second direction. According to the ion implantation method provided by the present disclosure, the scanning path of the ion beam current is adjusted by changing the scanning width of the ion beam current, so that the beam scanning area is attached to the wafer, which greatly reduces the waste of the ion beam current, improves the effective ion beam current and increases productivity without increasing actual ion beam current.

A system for generating an electron beam array, comprising a light source, a first substrate having a plurality of plasmonic lenses mounted thereon, the plasmonic lenses configured to received light from the light source and produce an electron emission, and a plurality of electrostatic microlenses configured to focus the electron emissions into a beam for focusing on a wafer substrate. A light source modulator and digital micro mirror may be included which captures light from the light source and projects light beamlets on the plasmonic lenses.