An apparatus for processing a specimen with two or more particle beams, wherein the specimen has a milled side that is processed by a first particle beam and observed by a second particle beam. The specimen is milled during a first milling operation by the first particle beam with the specimen in a first position. Thereafter, the specimen tilts in a second position around an axis of tilt of the specimen. Thereafter, the specimen is milled during a second milling operation. Milling can be performed during continuous tilting of the specimen around the axis of tilt. The axis of tilt of the specimen intersects the milled side. In all the aforementioned positions of the specimen, the second particle beam impinges on the milled side, which enables monitoring of the milling in real time.

A sample cartridge has a sample stand and an inclining mechanism. A sample cartridge holding apparatus has a housing part which is inclined. When the sample cartridge is inserted into the housing part, a contact portion contacts a lever of the inclining mechanism, and the sample stand is inclined by a predetermined angle. With this process, an appropriate inclination angle is realized for the sample stand.

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 invention relates to a device (100) for reducing ice contamination of a sample (S) in a chamber (210) of a focused ion beam milling apparatus (200), wherein the device (100) comprises a body (110) configured to be cooled to cryogenic temperatures, wherein the body (110) comprises an aperture (111), which is configured such that an ion beam (I) generated by an ion source (220) can pass from the ion source (220) through the aperture (111) to the sample (S), wherein the body (110) comprises a recess (112), wherein said aperture (111) is arranged in the recess (112).

The invention further relates to a focused ion beam milling apparatus (200) and a method for focused ion beam milling of a sample (S).

Methods and systems for performing sample lift-out and protective cap placement for highly reactive materials within charged particle microscopy systems are disclosed herein. Methods include preparing a nesting void in a support structure, translating at least a portion of a sample into the nesting void, and milling material from a region of the support structure that defines the nesting void. The material from the region of the support structure is milled such that at least some of the removed material redeposits to form an attachment bond between the sample and a remaining portion of the support structure. In various embodiments, the sample can then be investigated using one or more of serial sectioning tomography on the sample, enhanced insertable backscatter detector (CBS) analysis on the sample, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis on the sample.

Methods and systems for creating attachments between a sample manipulator and a sample within a charged particle systems are disclosed herein. Methods include translating a sample manipulator so that it is proximate to a sample, and milling portions of the sample manipulator such that portions are removed. The portion of the sample manipulator proximate to the sample is composed of a high sputter yield material, and the high sputter yield material may be the material milled with the charged particle beam such that it is removed from the sample manipulator. According to the present disclosure, the portions of the sample manipulator are milled such that at least some of the removed high sputter yield material redeposits to form an attachment between the sample manipulator and the sample.

A method of evaluating a region of interest of a sample including: positioning the sample within in a vacuum chamber of an evaluation tool that includes a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column and a focused ion beam (FIB) column; acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional images of the region of interest by alternating a sequence of delayering the region of interest with a charged particle beam from the FIB column and imaging a surface of the region of interest with the SEM column; generating an initial three-dimensional data cube representing the region of interest by stacking the plurality of two-dimensional images on top of each other in an order in which they were acquired; identifying distortions within the initial three-dimensional data cube; and creating an updated three-dimensional data cube that includes corrections for the identified distortions.

This invention pertains to an imaging method, the purpose of which is to reveal, over a wide range, information about a plurality of layers contained in a multilayer structure, or form an image of the revealed applicable layers. The method proposed includes: a step in which, while rotating the sample with the axis of the normal line of the sample surface as the axis of rotation, the sample is irradiated with an ion beam from a direction inclined with respect to the normal line direction, via a mask having an opening which selectively allows the passage of an ion beam and which is disposed at a position distant from the sample, thereby forming a hole with a band-shaped sloped surface that is inclined with respect to the sample surface; and a step in which a first image viewed from a direction intersecting with the sloped surface of the applicable layer is formed, on the basis of a signal obtained by irradiating, with a charged particle beam, the applicable layer contained in the band-shaped sloped surface.

A specimen machining device for machining a specimen by irradiating the specimen with an ion beam includes an ion source for irradiating the specimen with the ion beam, a shielding member disposed on the specimen to block the ion beam, a specimen stage for holding the specimen, a camera for photographing the specimen, a coaxial illumination device for irradiating the specimen with illumination light along an optical axis of the camera, and a processing unit for determining whether to terminate the machining based on an image photographed by the camera. The processing unit performs processing for acquiring information indicating a target machined width, processing for acquiring the image, processing for measuring a machined width on the acquired image, and processing for terminating the machining when the measured machined width equals or exceeds the target machined width.

A method for positioning a movable object in a sample chamber of a particle beam microscope is carried out with the aid of a flexible particle beam barrier. The particle beam microscope comprises at least one particle beam column for producing a beam of charged particles, and a sample chamber, a detector for detecting interaction signals and a control and evaluation unit. In the method, initially an object is provided in the sample chamber. Next, a barrier region is defined, which is subsequently scanned with the beam of charged particles. The interaction signals produced during the scan are detected. The object is moved towards the barrier region, wherein the detected interaction signals are monitored and signal changes are registered, with the result that it is possible to detect when the object moves into the barrier region or leaves the barrier region.