There is provided an ion milling apparatus that can enhance reproducibility of ion distribution.

The ion milling apparatus includes an ion source 101, a sample stage 102 on which a sample processed by radiating a non-convergent ion beam from the ion source 101 is placed, a drive unit 107 that moves a measurement member holding section 106 holding an ion beam current measurement member 105 along a track located between the ion source and the sample stage, and an electrode 112 that is disposed near the track, in which a predetermined positive voltage is applied to the electrode 112, the ion beam current measurement member 105 is moved within a radiation range of the ion beam by the drive unit 107, in a state in which the ion beam is output from the ion source 101 under a first radiation condition, and an ion beam current that flows when the ion beam is radiated to the ion beam current measurement member 105 is measured.

A specimen machining device includes an illumination system that illuminates a specimen; a camera that photographs the specimen; and a processing unit that controls the illumination system and the camera, and acquires a machining control image which is used for controlling an ion source and a display image which is displayed on a display unit. The processing unit controls the illumination system to illuminate the specimen under a machining illumination condition; acquires the machining control image by controlling the camera to photograph the specimen illuminated under the machining control illumination condition; controls the ion source based on the machining control image; controls the illumination system to illuminate the specimen under a display illumination condition which is different from the machining control illumination condition; acquires the display image by controlling the camera to photograph the specimen illuminated under the display illumination condition; and displays the display image on the display unit.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for controlling a dynamically controllable ultrawide-amplitude and high-response ion source, including: resolving dwell time of ion beam machining during iterative machining; selecting an appropriate velocity V of a movable shaft of a machine tool according to a calculation result of the dwell time; and dynamically calculating process parameters of an ion source according to an initial surface error of an optical component and the velocity V of the movable shaft, and generating a corresponding numerical control (NC) program to machine the optical component. The present disclosure can control the removal function of the ion beam polishing in real time, improve the precision and efficiency of the ion beam polishing, and further reduce the requirement on a movement system of the machine tool and the depth of a damaged layer.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for controlling a dynamically controllable ultrawide-amplitude and high-response ion source, including: resolving dwell time of ion beam machining during iterative machining; selecting an appropriate velocity V of a movable shaft of a machine tool according to a calculation result of the dwell time; and dynamically calculating process parameters of an ion source according to an initial surface error of an optical component and the velocity V of the movable shaft, and generating a corresponding numerical control (NC) program to machine the optical component. The present disclosure can control the removal function of the ion beam polishing in real time, improve the precision and efficiency of the ion beam polishing, and further reduce the requirement on a movement system of the machine tool and the depth of a damaged layer.

An improved method of controlling topographical variations when milling a cross-section of a structure, which can be used to reduce topographical variation on a cross-section of a write-head in order to improve the accuracy of metrology applications. Topographical variation is reduced by using a protective layer that comprises a material having mill rates at higher incidence angles that closely approximate the mill rates of the structure at those higher incidence angles. Topographical variation can be intentionally introduced by using a protective layer that comprises a material having mill rates at higher incidence angles that do not closely approximate the mill rates of the structure at those higher incidence angles.

Disclosed is an electron beam emission device comprising a housing which defines a space in which electron beams are accelerated, and has an opening at the other side thereof through which the electron beams are emitted; a cathode which is disposed at one side in the housing, and emits the electrons; an anode which is positioned in the housing so as to be spaced apart from the cathode toward the other side, and accelerates the electrons emitted from the cathode; and an insulation holder which insulates a portion between the cathode and the housing, and fixes the cathode, wherein the cathode has a surface which faces the anode and is formed concavely to have a gradient, and a rim of the surface of the cathode, which has the gradient, is formed to be rounded.

A miller, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a method for milling a multi-layered object. The method may include (i) receiving or determining milling parameters related to a milling process, the milling parameters may include at least two out of (a) a defocus strength, (b) a duration of the milling process, (c) a bias voltage supplied to an objective lens during the milling process, (d) an ion beam energy, and (e) an ion beam current density, and (ii) forming a crater by applying the milling process while maintaining the milling parameters, wherein the applying of the milling process includes directing a defocused ion beam on the multi-layered object.

An ion milling device capable of high-speed milling is realized even for a specimen containing a material having an imide bond. Therefore, the ion milling device includes: a vacuum chamber 6 configured to hold a specimen 3 in a vacuum atmosphere; an ion gun 1 configured to irradiate the specimen with a non-focused ion beam 2; a vaporization container 17 configured to store a mixed solution 13 of a water-soluble ionic liquid and water; and nozzles 11, 12 configured to supply water vapor obtained by vaporizing the mixed solution to a vicinity of a surface of the specimen processed by the ion beam.

A miller, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a method for milling a multi-layered object. The method may include (i) receiving or determining milling parameters related to a milling process, the milling parameters may include at least two out of (a) a defocus strength, (b) a duration of the milling process, (c) a bias voltage supplied to an objective lens during the milling process, (d) an ion beam energy, and (e) an ion beam current density, and (ii) forming a crater by applying the milling process while maintaining the milling parameters, wherein the applying of the milling process includes directing a defocused ion beam on the multi-layered object.

A method of uniformly removing material from a sample surface includes the steps of sputtering by means of scanning the surface with a focused ion beam and a simultaneous observing of the sample during sputtering. Uniform sputtering of different materials is achieved by high-angle sputtering from multiple directions, wherein the directions are rotated relative to each other by a non-zero angle.