Systems and methods of observing a sample using a charged-particle beam apparatus in voltage contrast mode are disclosed. The charged-particle beam apparatus comprises a charged-particle source, an optical source, a charged-particle detector configured to detect charged particles, and a controller having circuitry configured to apply a first signal to cause the optical source to generate the optical pulse, apply a second signal to the charged-particle detector to detect the second plurality of charged particles, and adjust a time delay between the first and the second signals. In some embodiments, the controller having circuitry may be further configured to acquire a plurality of images of a structure, to determine an electrical characteristic of the structure based on the rate of gray level variation of the plurality of images of the structure, and to simulate, using a model, a physical characteristic of the structure based on the determined electrical characteristic.

An apparatus and a method for micromachining samples is provided. The apparatus includes an integral combination of a sample holder, a focused ion beam exposure system for projecting a FIB onto a first position on the sample, and a light optical microscope. The LM is configured for imaging or monitoring said first position. The method includes the steps of capturing LM images of the sample, determining a position and physical dimensions of a region of interest in the sample based on the LM images, establishing from the LM images settings of the sample holder and/or the FIB exposure system, for micromachining the sample to bring the region of interest more closer to the surface, and moving the sample or the trajectory of the FIB to locate the first position on the sample accordingly, and activating the FIB for micromachining the sample.

A charged particle beam apparatus includes a tilt mechanism that tilts a specimen, a detector that detects an electromagnetic wave emitted from the specimen, a table storage unit that stores a table in which tilt angle information on a tilt angle of the specimen and detection solid-angle information on the detection solid angle of the detector are associated with each other, a tilt control unit that controls the tilt mechanism, and a detection-solid-angle information acquisition unit that acquires the tilt angle information from the tilt control unit and acquires the detection solid-angle information with reference to the table.

Disclosed herein is a system for profiling holes in non-opaque samples. The system includes: (i) an e-beam source configured to project an e-beam into an inspection hole in a sample, such that a wall of the inspection hole is struck and a localized electron cloud is produced; (ii) a light sensing infrastructure configured to sense cathodoluminescent light, generated by the electron cloud; and (iii) a computational module configured to analyze the measured signal to obtain the probed depth at which the wall was struck. A lateral offset, and/or orientation, of the e-beam is controllable, so as to allow generating localized electron clouds at each of a plurality of depths inside the inspection hole, and thereby obtain information at least about a two-dimensional geometry of the inspection hole.

The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus including at least one input/output chamber. The load lock device includes a base, a guide rail, a platform and an optical measuring module. The guide rail is connected to the base. The platform, carrying a cassette for holding a batch of spaced substrates, is movably disposed on the guide rail. The optical measuring module is configured to acquire an actual moving distance traveled by the platform along the guide rail based on at least one optical signal reflected from the platform.

A charged-particle beam microscope is provided for imaging a sample. The microscope has a vacuum chamber to maintain a low-pressure environment. A motorized stage is provided to hold and move a sample in the vacuum chamber. A charged-particle beam source generates a charged-particle beam. Charged-particle beam optics converge the charged-particle beam onto the sample. A detector is provided to detect charged-particle radiation emanating from the sample. A controller analyzes the detected charged-particle radiation to generate an image of the sample. A power supply powers at least the charged-particle beam optics and the controller. The charged-particle beam microscope weighs less than about 50 kg.

A scanning electron microscope having an electron column positioned to direct an electron beam onto a sample the electron column having a vacuum enclosure; an electron source; and an electromagnetic objective lens positioned within the vacuum enclosure, the electromagnetic objective lens including a housing having an entry aperture at top surface thereof and an exit aperture at bottom thereof; an electromagnetic coil radially positioned within the housing; a light objective positioned within the housing and comprising a concave minor having a first axial aperture and a convex minor having a second axial aperture; an electron beam deflector positioned within the housing and comprising a first set of deflectors and a second set of deflectors positioned below the first set of deflectors, wherein the second set of deflectors is positioned below the first axial aperture and the first set of deflectors is positioned

An object of the invention is to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of acquiring an observation image having a high contrast in a sample whose light absorption characteristic depends on a light wavelength. The charged particle beam apparatus according to the invention irradiates the sample with light, generates an observation image of the sample, changes an irradiation intensity per unit time of the light, and then generates a plurality of the observation images having different contrasts (see FIG. 4).

An electron beam device obtains contrast reflecting an electronic state of a sample with high sensitivity. The device includes an electron optical system which emits an electron beam to a sample and detects electrons emitted from the sample; a light pulse emission system that emits a light pulse to the sample; a synchronization processing unit that samples the emitted electrons; an image signal processing unit which forms an image by a detection signal output based upon the emitted electrons detected by the electron optical system; and a device control unit for setting a control condition of the electron optical system. The device control unit sets a sampling frequency for detection sampling of the emitted electrons to be greater than a value obtained by dividing the number of emissions of the light pulse per unit pixel time by the unit pixel time.

A charged particle beam apparatus includes a tilt mechanism that tilts a specimen, a detector that detects an electromagnetic wave emitted from the specimen, a table storage unit that stores a table in which tilt angle information on a tilt angle of the specimen and detection solid-angle information on the detection solid angle of the detector are associated with each other, a tilt control unit that controls the tilt mechanism, and a detection-solid-angle information acquisition unit that acquires the tilt angle information from the tilt control unit and acquires the detection solid-angle information with reference to the table.