A sample carrier capable of preventing damage to a support stage on which a sample holder is placed while ensuring a sufficient level of conveyance speed includes a sample holder, a holder mounting member, and a transport portion. The transport portion has a drive source (constant-speed motor), a rotary member (second toothed wheel), a guide portion (linear guide), and a rod. The rotary member is rotated about its axis of rotation by the drive source. The guide portion operates to guide the holder mounting member in a linear direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotary member. The rod is rotatably coupled to the rotary member and to the holder mounting member and has a coupled portion coupled to the rotary member. At a midpoint of the range of movement of the holder mounting member, the shortest distance from the coupled portion to the guide portion is greatest.

A target processing method includes: importing a target into a processing chamber; forming a film including carbon on the target using at least one of first ion including carbon and a first plasma including carbon; and removing the film by a reaction between a second plasma and the film, wherein the forming of the film and the removing of the film are alternately performed a number of times in the processing chamber without removing the target from the processing chamber.

Methods for depositing ultrathin films by atomic layer deposition with reduced wafer-to-wafer variation are provided. Methods involve exposing the substrate to soak gases including one or more gases used during a plasma exposure operation of an atomic layer deposition cycle prior to the first atomic layer deposition cycle to heat the substrate to the deposition temperature.

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.

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 system and method for imaging a sample having a complex structure (such as an integrated circuit) implements two modes of operation utilizing a common electron beam generator that produces an electron beam within a chamber. In the first mode, the electron beam interacts directly with the sample, and backscattered electrons, secondary electrons, and backward propagating fluorescent X-rays are measured. In the second mode, the electron beam interrogates the sample via X-rays generated by the electron beam within a target that is positioned between the electron beam generator and the sample. Transmitted X-rays are measured by a detector within the vacuum chamber. The sample is placed on a movable platform to precisely position the sample with respect to the electron beam. Interferometric and/or capacitive sensors are used to measure the position of the sample and movable platform to provide high accuracy metadata for performing high resolution three-dimensional sample reconstruction.

In a method for producing a TEM sample, an object is fastened to an element of an object holder such that a surface to be processed of the object is arranged substantially perpendicularly to an axis of rotation of the element. An ion beam is directed at the surface to be processed at grazing incidence, wherein the element adopts different rotational positions in relation to the axis of rotation, while the ion beam is directed at the surface to be processed.

A system and method for imaging a sample having a complex structure (such as an integrated circuit) implements two modes of operation utilizing a common electron beam generator that produces an electron beam within a chamber. In the first mode, the electron beam interacts directly with the sample, and backscattered electrons, secondary electrons, and backward propagating fluorescent X-rays are measured. In the second mode, the electron beam interrogates the sample via X-rays generated by the electron beam within a target that is positioned between the electron beam generator and the sample. Transmitted X-rays are measured by a detector within the vacuum chamber. The sample is placed on a movable platform to precisely position the sample with respect to the electron beam. Interferometric and/or capacitive sensors are used to measure the position of the sample and movable platform to provide high accuracy metadata for performing high resolution three-dimensional sample reconstruction.

Disclosed is a charged particle beam apparatus including a stage supporting a sample holder; a stage driving mechanism; a sample chamber; a focused ion beam column; an electron beam column; a detector detecting secondary ions or secondary electrons generated from the sample; a reading unit reading identification information attached to the sample holder; a memory unit storing holder shape information indicating a correspondence relationship between the identification information and a shape of the sample holder, and design information that is shape information of an internal structure of the sample chamber; and a stage driving range limiting unit limiting a driving range of the stage supporting the sample holder on the basis of the shape of the sample holder that is acquired from the identification information read by the reading unit and the holder shape information, and on the basis of a shape of the internal structure.

A sample holder for a transmission electron microscope may include: a column part that extends in a first direction; a stage configured to receive a sample, the stage disposed at a first end portion of the column part; a motor part disposed at a second end portion of the column part; and a thermoelectric cooling device disposed inside the column part.