Charged particle beam device and sample observation method

摘要

All of the conventional charged particle beam devices are designed only for the observation at atmospheric pressure or in gas atmosphere at a pressure substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure, and there is no device enabling easy observation using a typical high-vacuum charged particle microscope at atmospheric pressure or in gas atmosphere at a pressure substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure. Such a conventional technique has another problem that the distance between the diaphragm and a sample cannot be controlled, and so it has a high risk of breakage of the diaphragm. Then, the device of the present invention includes a diaphragm configured to separate a space to place a sample therein so that pressure of the space to place the sample therein is kept larger than pressure of the interior of the enclosure, the diaphragm letting the primary charged particle beam transmit or pass therethrough and being removable; a contact prevention member configured to prevent a contact between the sample and the diaphragm; and an adjustment mechanism configured to let at least a part of the contact prevention member in an optical axis direction of the charged particle optic column.

主权项

1. A charged particle beam device, comprising a charged particle optic column configured to apply a primary charged particle beam on a sample, and a vacuum pump, comprising:
an enclosure that makes up a part of the charged particle beam device, interior of the enclosure being evacuated with the vacuum pump; a diaphragm configured to separate a space to place the sample therein so that pressure of the space to place the sample therein is kept larger than pressure of the interior of the enclosure, the diaphragm letting the primary charged particle beam transmit or pass therethrough and being removable; a contact prevention member configured to prevent a contact between the sample and the diaphragm; and an adjustment mechanism configured to let a position of the contact prevention member that comes into contact with a sample base to hold the sample or a member to hold the diaphragm movable in a direction of an optical axis of the charged particle optic column.