Charged particle beam apparatus, and sample processing and observation method

Abstract

An object of the present invention relates to realizing the processing of a sample by charged particle beams and the monitoring of the processed cross-section with a high throughput. It is possible to process an accurate sample without an intended region lost even when the location and the size of the intended region are unknown by: observing a cross-sectional structure being processed by FIBs by using a secondary particle image generated from a sample by the ion beams shaving a cross section; forming at least two cross sections; and processing the sample while the processing and the monitoring of a processed cross section are carried out.

1 . A charged particle beam apparatus, comprising:
 a sample stage on which a sample is placed;   a vacuum chamber to contain said sample stage;   an ion beam system to generate and focus ion beams and scan said sample with said ion beams;   a secondary particle detector to detect secondary particles generated from said sample; and   a display device to display a secondary particle image formed by said secondary particles; and   a control device to control the charged particle beam apparatus,   wherein said charged particle beam apparatus:   sets a strip-shaped ion beam fabrication area in the region containing said cross section from the direction of said ion beams in a cross section nearly parallel with the direction of said ion beams;   processes said fabrication area by said ion beams;   expands said secondary particle image during processing at least in the direction of the short side of the strip-shaped area; and   displays said secondary particle image so as to be able to judge a cross-sectional structure by the display device.   
   
   
       2 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said strip-shaped fabrication area the short side of which is expanded is used for judging the end of the processing by said ion beams. 
   
   
       3 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the processing of at least one cross section, three-dimensional data of said sample are constructed by: processing and observing said sample continuously or intermittently; storing observed secondary particle images in chronological order; and using the stored secondary particle images.   
   
   
       4 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said sample is processed into a thin film and both the surfaces of said thin film are contained in said two or more cross sections.   
   
   
       5 . A three-dimensional sample analysis system wherein three-dimensional data of a sample is constructed by using at least one of: said secondary particle images stored in chronological order with the charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 3 ; secondary particle images formed by transferring said processed sample to another charged particle beam apparatus and observed and stored; transmitted particle images; and reflected particle images. 
   
   
       6 . A charged particle beam apparatus, comprising:
 a sample stage on which a sample is placed;   a vacuum chamber to contain said sample stage;   an ion beam system to generate and focus ion beams and scan said sample with said ion beams;   an electron beam system to generate and focus electron beams and scan said sample with said electron beams;   a secondary particle detector to detect secondary particles generated from said sample;   a display device to display a secondary particle image formed by said secondary particles; and   a control device to control the charged particle beam apparatus,   wherein said charged particle beam apparatus:   sets a strip-shaped ion beam fabrication area in the region containing said cross section from the direction of said ion beams in a cross section nearly parallel with the direction of said ion beams;   processes said fabrication area by said ion beams;   expands said secondary particle image during processing at least in the direction of the short side of the strip-shaped area; and   displays said secondary particle image so as to be able to judge a cross-sectional structure by the display device.   
   
   
       7 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein, in a sample processed into a thin film, a secondary particle image of a cross section on one side is obtained by said electron beams and a secondary particle image of a cross section on the other side is obtained by said ion beams.   
   
   
       8 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein said secondary particle image obtained by said ion beams and/or said secondary particle image obtained by said electron beams are used for judging the end of the processing by said ion beams.   
   
   
       9 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein, in the processing of at least one cross section, three-dimensional data of said sample is constructed by: processing and observing said sample continuously or intermittently; storing secondary particle images obtained by said ion beams and/or secondary particle images obtained by said electron beams in chronological order; and using the stored secondary particle images.   
   
   
       10 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 Wherein said charged particle beam apparatus comprises a transmission electron detector to detect transmitted electrons and/or a reflected electron detector to detect reflected electrons, and   three-dimensional data of said sample is constructed by: processing and observing said sample continuously or intermittently; storing secondary particle images obtained by said ion beams, secondary particle images obtained by said electron beams, transmitted electron images obtained by said electron beams, and/or reflected electron images obtained by electron beams in chronological order; and using the stored images.   
   
   
       11 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein a secondary particle image is obtained by ion beams in an intended region of said cross section and, after said ion beams reach said intended region, a secondary particle image is obtained by said electron beams.   
   
   
       12 . A three-dimensional sample analysis system, wherein three-dimensional data is constructed by using: said images stored in chronological order with the charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 9 ; secondary particle images formed by transferring said processed sample to another charged particle beam apparatus and observed and stored; transmitted particle images; and/or reflected particle images. 
   
   
       13 . A three-dimensional sample analysis system, wherein three-dimensional data is constructed by using: said images stored in chronological order with a charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 10 ; secondary particle images formed by transferring said processed sample to another charged particle beam apparatus and observed and stored; transmitted particle images; and/or reflected particle images. 
   
   
       14 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said display device clearly specifies the cross section from which a secondary particle image is obtained.   
   
   
       15 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein said display device displays at least one secondary particle image of said cross section, and all the second particle images in the same vertical and horizontal directions.   
   
   
       16 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein said display device displays at least one secondary particle image of said cross section, and all the second particle images in different vertical and horizontal directions.   
   
   
       17 . The charged particle beam apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the thickness of a thin film portion in said thin film sample is measured and the measured thickness of said thin film portion is used for judging the processing end.   
   
   
       18 . A processing and observation method for displaying a cross-sectional structure so as to be judged by:
 placing a sample on a sample stage disposed in a vacuum chamber;   processing said sample by ion beams;   forming at least two samples from a cross section nearly parallel with the direction of said ion beams;   setting a strip-shaped fabrication area in the region containing said cross section from the direction of said ion beams in a cross section nearly parallel with the direction of said ion beams;   processing said fabrication area by said ion beams; and   expanding a secondary particle image during processing at least in the direction of the short side of the strip-shaped area.