There is provided an ion source device including a pair of first electrodes for emitting an electron, a second electrode that defines a region in which the electron is enclosed and to which raw material source gas is supplied, between the pair of first electrodes, and that has a hole portion through which an ion generated by collision between the electron and the material gas is extruded, an extraction electrode disposed apart from the second electrode along an extraction direction of the ion extracted from the second electrode so that a potential difference is formed between the second electrode and the extraction electrode, and an intermediate electrode disposed between the second electrode and the extraction electrode. A first potential difference between the second electrode and the intermediate electrode is greater than a second potential difference between the second electrode and the extraction electrode.

To accomplish fast automated micro-sampling, provided is a charged particle beam apparatus, which is configured to automatically fabricate a sample piece from a sample, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to radiate a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move the sample that is placed on the sample stage; a sample piece transportation unit configured to hold and convey the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a holder fixing base configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transported; and a computer configured to perform position control with respect to a second target, based on a machine learning model in which first information including a first image of a first target is learned, and on second information including a second image, which is obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beam.

A gas-phase chemical reactor, a system including the reactor, and methods of using the reactor and system are disclosed. An exemplary reactor includes a reaction chamber and is configured to provide a precursor within the reaction chamber for a soak period—e.g., a period wherein a supply of the precursor to the reaction chamber is ceased and before purging of the reaction chamber begins. This allows relatively high residence times, relatively high partial pressures of the precursor(s) and/or a relatively high absolute pressure to be obtained within the reaction chamber during substrate processing.

The inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate includes a process chamber in which a substrate is treated, and a transfer robot that transfers the substrate and a focusing ring provided in a treatment space of the process chamber to the treatment space and having a hand, wherein the process chamber includes a treatment container that provides the treatment space, a chuck having a support surface supporting the substrate in the treatment space, and a lift pin module that lifts a lower surface of the focusing ring in a state in which the substrate is supported by the focusing ring, and the chuck is provided as a blocking plate in which a lift pin hole is not formed.

An operation method of an etching apparatus includes transferring, from a load lock chamber to a process chamber, a substrate on which an etching target layer is formed, first etching the etching target layer on the substrate in a first etching time, transferring the substrate to a storage location in a state in a vacuum state, intermediate cleaning the process chamber in a first cleaning time, transferring the substrate from the storage location to the process chamber, second etching the etching target layer on the substrate in a second etching time, and returning the substrate to the load lock chamber. The etching target layer is formed in a predetermined etching pattern by the first etching and the second etching.

A method includes aligning and positioning a carrier in a predetermined orientation and location within a first front opening pod (FOUP) of a cluster tool, transferring the carrier to a charging station of the cluster tool, transferring a substrate from a second front opening pod (FOUP) of the cluster tool to the charging station and chucking the substrate onto the carrier, transferring the carrier having the substrate thereon from the charging station to a factory interface of the cluster tool, aligning the carrier having the substrate thereon in the factory interface of the cluster tool such that during substrate processing within a processing platform of the cluster tool the carrier is properly oriented and positioned relative to components of the processing platform, where the processing platform comprises one or more processing chambers, transferring the aligned carrier having the substrate thereon from the factory interface to the processing platform of the cluster tool for substrate processing, and transferring the aligned carrier having the processed substrate thereon from the processing platform to the factory interface.

A sample releasing method for releasing a sample subjected to plasma processing from a sample stage on which the sample is electrostatically attracted by applying DC voltage to an electrostatic chuck electrode, and the method includes: moving the sample subjected to the plasma processing upward above the sample stage; and after moving the sample, controlling the DC voltage such that an electric potential of the sample is to be smaller.

Multi-station processing tools with station-varying support features for backside processing are provided. The support features in a first station may hold a wafer at a first set of points during backside deposition, blocking backside deposition, etching, or other processing at those points. The support features in a second station may hold a wafer at a second set of points that don’t overlap with the first set of points.

An ion generator includes an arc chamber defining a plasma generation space, and a cathode which emits thermoelectrons toward the plasma generation space. The arc chamber includes a box-shaped main body having an opening, and a slit member mounted to cover the opening and provided with a front slit. An inner surface of the main body is exposed to the plasma generation space made of a refractory metal material. The slit member includes an inner member made of graphite and an outer member made of another refractory metal material. The outer member includes an outer surface exposed to an outside of the arc chamber. The inner member includes an inner surface exposed to the plasma generation space, and an opening portion which forms the front slit extending from the inner surface of the inner member to the outer surface of the outer member.

An apparatus for measuring contaminants on a surface of a component is provided. An extraction vessel for holding a measurement fluid has an opening adapted to form a meniscus using the measurement fluid. An actuator moves at least one of the extraction vessel and the component to a position where the meniscus is in contact with the surface of the component. A transducer is positioned to provide acoustic energy to the measurement fluid.