Pretreatment method, charged particle beam apparatus

Abstract

A purpose of the present disclosure is, in a pretreatment which a sample and a conveyance member undergo before being introduced into a charged particle beam device, to inhibit heat due to cleaning from exerting an influence and to improve throughput in a series of steps of TEM examination. In this pretreatment method, a sample and a conveyance member on which the sample is held are cleaned by a cleaner and, before the sample and the conveyance member are then introduced into a charged particle beam device, the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the conveyance member are controlled so that the effect of thermal drift which may occur after the sample and the conveyance member have been introduced into the charged particle beam device is less than a threshold (see fig. 3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for pretreating a sample and a transport member before introducing the sample into a charged particle beam apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, the miniaturization of devices has been accelerating further, and it has begun to be required to perform defect analysis and length measurement at the sub-nanometer scale. Along with this, an increase in the demand for STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope) / TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) observation, which can obtain high-resolution at the atomic level by observing with electrons transmitted through a sample, is predicted. Along with the increasing demand for observation, automation and speeding up of a series of workflows for TEM observation including pretreatment of a sample have been required.

[0003] As pretreatment before TEM observation, temperature adjustment of an observation sample for the purpose of suppressing sample drift (hereinafter referred to as thermal drift) caused by heat can be mentioned. When the temperature of the sample chamber in the TEM column and the temperature of the observation sample are different from each other, thermal drift occurs. Particularly during observation at a high magnification, the influence of thermal drift becomes significant, affecting image quality and the accuracy of automatic observation field alignment.

[0004] As means for suppressing thermal drift, a method of waiting until the sample chamber and the observation sample reach a thermal equilibrium state and thermal drift stops, a method of adjusting the temperature so that the observation sample has the same temperature as the sample chamber, etc. can be considered.

[0005] As other pretreatment to be performed before TEM observation, cleaning for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of contamination can be mentioned. This is because when sample contamination occurs, it causes deterioration of image quality or a situation where observation is difficult. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of performing cleaning using active oxygen in an accommodation chamber.

Prior Art Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-037811 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Known cleaning methods include irradiation with UV (ultraviolet) light, plasma, or electron beams. Common to all these methods, cleaning results in a temperature change of the sample due to chemical reaction heat and electron collisions. Therefore, it is anticipated that the cleaning process may be a factor in the generation of thermal drift.

[0008] Furthermore, cleaning to prevent contamination and temperature control to prevent thermal drift both take several minutes to tens of minutes, posing a challenge to improving the throughput of the entire TEM observation workflow.

[0009] This disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned issues, and aims to improve the throughput of the series of TEM observation steps while suppressing the effects of heat due to cleaning during the pretreatment performed before introducing the sample and transport member into the charged particle beam apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The pretreatment method according to this disclosure involves cleaning the sample and the transport member on which the sample is mounted with a cleaner, and then, before introducing the sample and the transport member into the charged particle beam apparatus, controlling the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member so that the effect of thermal drift after introducing the sample and the transport member into the charged particle beam apparatus is below a threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, in the pretreatment performed before introducing the sample and transport member into the charged particle beam apparatus, it is possible to improve the throughput of the series of steps of TEM observation while suppressing the effects of heat due to cleaning.

[0012] Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the structure of the sample observation system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a side cross-sectional view of Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the sample observation system. [Figure 4] This shows a functional block diagram of the sample observation system. [Figure 5] An example of a screen 500 provided by the observation preprocessing control unit 400 is shown. [Figure 6] The block diagram of the cleaner / temperature coordinated control unit 401 is shown. [Figure 7] An example of the time change of temperature in Embodiment 1 is shown. [Figure 8A] An example of the time change of temperature in Embodiment 2 is shown. [Figure 8B] An example of the time change of temperature in Embodiment 2 is shown. [Figure 9] An example of the time change of temperature in Embodiment 3 is shown. [Figure 10] This shows an example of temperature changes when the cleaner 7 is stopped and then restarted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the drawings. In the following embodiments, it is needless to say that the configuration (including the steps of the flowchart) is not necessarily essential except in cases where it is specifically indicated and cases where it is considered to be clearly essential in principle. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments suitable for the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] In the drawings, the same components are generally denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In the drawings, the representation of the components may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. in order to facilitate the understanding of the present disclosure.

[0016] For the sake of explanation, when explaining the processing by a program, the program, function, processing unit, etc. may be described mainly, but the main body of these as hardware is a processor, or a controller, device, calculator, system, etc. composed of such a processor. The calculator executes processing according to the program read onto the memory while appropriately using resources such as a memory and a communication interface by the processor. Thereby, a predetermined function, processing unit, etc. are realized. The processor is composed of a semiconductor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor is composed of a device or circuit capable of performing a predetermined operation. The processing is not limited to software program processing and can also be implemented by a dedicated circuit. A dedicated circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), etc. is applicable.

[0017] The program may be pre-installed as data in the target calculator, or may be distributed and installed as data from the program source to the target calculator. The program source may be a program distribution server on a communication network or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as a memory card or a magnetic disk). The program may be composed of a plurality of modules. The computer system may be composed of a plurality of devices. The computer system may be composed of a cloud computing system or the like.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> In the following description of the embodiments, the case where a cleaner and a device capable of heating and cooling are provided is described as Embodiment 1, the case where only a cleaner and a heating device are provided is described as Embodiment 2, and the case where only a cleaner also serves as a heating device is described as Embodiment 3.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of a sample observation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of FIG. 1.

[0020] The charged particle beam device 1 is, for example, a TEM or a STEM. Here, TEM and / or STEM are described as TEM. The charged particle beam device 1 includes a sample chamber 2.

[0021] The load lock chamber 3 is a vacuum pre-chamber where samples before or after observation wait.

[0022] The gate valve (charged particle beam device) 4 is a valve that partitions between the sample chamber 2 and the load lock chamber 3. The gate valve (load lock chamber) 5 is a valve that partitions between the load lock chamber 3 and the atmosphere.

[0023] The vacuum evacuation device 6 is a device that evacuates the inside of the load lock chamber 3 to a vacuum. As the vacuum evacuation device 6, for example, an ion pump, a turbo molecular pump, or the like may be used.

[0024] The TEM mesh 10 is a mesh-like component on which multiple samples can be placed. Examples of samples to be observed include thin-sectioned samples (lamellae) processed with a FIB (Focused Ion Beam) processing device. One or more TEM meshes 10 are placed on a cartridge 11. Multiple cartridges 11 are placed on a cassette 12. Samples are replaced by inserting and removing the cassette 12 from the gate valve (charged particle beam device) 4. The cassette 12 is held by a cassette gripping mechanism 13 and can be moved laterally in the direction shown in Figure 1 by a cassette transport mechanism 14.

[0025] When loading a sample into sample chamber 2, the cartridge 11 is removed from cassette 12 using the cartridge gripping mechanism 15. At this time, the cassette transport mechanism 14 is used to move the cartridge 11 to be observed in front of the cartridge gripping mechanism 15. Once the removal of cartridge 11 is complete, the cartridge transport mechanism 16 loads the cartridge onto the TEM stage. At this time, the cassette transport mechanism 14 is used to move the cassette 12 so that it does not interfere during loading.

[0026] Cleaner 7 is a device that removes contaminants such as hydrocarbons attached to structures such as the TEM mesh 10, cartridge 11, and the walls of the load lock chamber 3. Cleaner 7 can utilize methods such as generating reactive oxygen species using UV light or irradiating with an electron beam.

[0027] The sample heating and cooling device 20 (temperature control device) is installed to eliminate the temperature difference between the sample chamber 2 and the sample (and the temperature difference between the TEM mesh 10 and the sample chamber 2, and if the cassette 12 is introduced into the sample chamber, the temperature difference between the cassette 12 and the sample chamber 2, and so on) by heating or cooling the TEM mesh 10 and the cassette 12. The type of device suitable for the sample heating and cooling device 20 is determined by the degree of temperature rise of the TEM mesh 10 and cassette 12 by the cleaner 7, the difference between the temperature inside the sample chamber 2 and the room temperature, the required observation throughput, and other mechanical design considerations. For example, if both heating and cooling are required, methods using a heat pump like those used in air conditioners and refrigerators, or methods using thermoelectric elements such as Peltier elements can be considered. If only heating is required, methods using electric heating wires such as nichrome wire or methods using non-contact infrared heaters can be considered. Multiple of these heating and cooling methods may be combined and implemented. Alternatively, the cooling water used to cool the column can also be circulated to the load lock chamber 3 to bring it into contact with the cassette 12. Metals with high thermal conductivity, such as copper, may be used for the mounting surface, cassette 12, and cartridge 11. The sample heating / cooling device 20 may be installed inside the cartridge 11, inside the cassette 12, near the cassette gripping mechanism 13, etc. In any case, the method is not limited as long as it can suppress the occurrence of thermal drift due to the temperature difference between the sample chamber 2 and the sample. If heating for the purpose of suppressing drift can be performed by the cleaner 7 alone, as in Embodiment 3, the sample heating / cooling device 20 is unnecessary.

[0028] The sample temperature measuring device 21 is installed for the purpose of measuring the temperature of the sample. By measuring the temperature of the sample, it is assumed that the temperature of the TEM mesh 10 and the cassette 12 will also be measured. As an example, the sample temperature measuring device 21 is installed in the cartridge 11, but the installation location is not limited as long as temperature control is possible to suppress the occurrence of thermal drift in the sample, TEM mesh 10, and cassette 12. Either a contact type or a non-contact type can be used. If the heating time or cooling time can be determined from the results of experiments conducted in advance, the sample temperature measuring device 21 is not necessarily required.

[0029] The sample chamber temperature measuring device 22 is a device for measuring the temperature inside the sample chamber 2. If there is almost no temperature difference between the previously measured temperature of the sample chamber 2 and the sample, the temperature inside the sample chamber 2 may be treated as a fixed value without using the sample chamber temperature measuring device 22.

[0030] <Embodiment 1: Flowchart of pre-observation processing> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the sample observation system. The flow of pre-observation processing will be explained with reference to Figure 3.

[0031] In step S1, a cassette 12 containing multiple cartridges 11, each with a TEM mesh 10 on its tip, is loaded into the load lock chamber 3. At this time, the cassette 12 is attached to the cassette gripping mechanism 13.

[0032] In step S2, the load lock chamber 3 is evacuated. Vacuum evacuation is performed using the vacuum evacuation device 6 with the gate valve (load lock chamber) 5 closed.

[0033] Steps S3 and S4 both represent pretreatment steps before TEM observation. Steps S3 and S4 are performed simultaneously (in parallel).

[0034] In step S3, the cleaner 7 cleans the TEM mesh 10 and cartridge 11. To ensure even and unbiased cleaning of multiple samples, the cleaning may be performed while moving the cassette transport mechanism 14.

[0035] In step S4, the sample temperature is controlled so that the temperature difference between the sample chamber 2 and the sample falls within a predetermined value such that no thermal drift occurs after the sample is introduced into the sample chamber 2 (the effect of thermal drift becomes negligible (below the threshold)). The start and end times of S3 and S4 do not have to be the same, and it is sufficient that at least a portion of each step is performed in parallel. Depending on the observation magnification, the effect of thermal drift may be sufficiently small, in which case the temperature difference does not have to be exactly zero, or the temperature tolerance described later may be made larger. In other words, the temperatures of the sample and the TEM mesh 10 should be adjusted so that the effect of thermal drift that occurs after the sample and TEM mesh 10 are introduced into the sample chamber is at least below the threshold level.

[0036] Step S5 determines whether cleaning and temperature adjustment are complete. For cleaning, completion is determined after the specified time has elapsed. For temperature adjustment, completion is determined when the temperature difference between sample chamber 2 and the sample is within a range where thermal drift is negligible at the planned magnification and conditions for observation. Once cleaning and temperature adjustment are complete, S6 starts transporting the cartridge.

[0037] In step S6, the cartridge gripping mechanism 15 and the cartridge transport mechanism 16 remove the pre-processed cartridge 11 from the cassette 12 and load it onto the stage of the charged particle beam apparatus 1.

[0038] In step S7, the sample on the TEM mesh 10, which is placed on the cartridge 11 loaded in step S6, is observed.

[0039] By performing these steps S1 to S7 in the sample observation system, high-throughput observation can be performed under conditions where contamination and thermal drift do not occur during observation.

[0040] <Embodiment 1: Functional block diagram of the sample observation system> Figure 4 shows a functional block diagram of the sample observation system. The sample observation system comprises a charged particle beam apparatus 1, a pre-observation processing control unit 400, and a cleaner / temperature coordinated control unit 401.

[0041] The pre-observation processing control unit 400 sets parameters and issues execution instructions for pre-observation processing. The pre-observation processing control unit 400 may be implemented within a computer system on which an OS (Operating System) is installed. The pre-observation processing control unit 400 may provide a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for user operation and status confirmation. Alternatively, it may automatically set parameters and issue execution instructions without requiring user operation. Details will be explained using the example operation screen in Figure 6.

[0042] The cleaner-temperature coordinated control unit 401 controls the output of the sample heating / cooling device 20, taking into account the temperature rise of the sample due to cleaning performed by the cleaner 7. The cleaner-temperature coordinated control unit 401 is connected to the cleaner 7 and the sample heating / cooling device 20, which are the controlled devices, and is also connected to the sample temperature measuring device 21. However, this does not apply when the sample heating / cooling device 20 is not installed, such as when using the method described in Embodiment 3 below. The cleaner-temperature coordinated control unit 401 may be implemented in an embedded system that controls the electron microscope, such as lens current. Details of the cleaner-temperature coordinated control unit 401 will be explained using the block diagram in Figure 6.

[0043] <Embodiment 1: Screen display of the pre-observation processing control unit> Figure 5 shows an example of a screen 500 provided by the observation preprocessing control unit 400. Screen 500 is used to illustrate one example of the behavior of the observation preprocessing control unit 400 in the embodiment and is not necessarily required to perform the preprocessing described in the claims.

[0044] 501 displays the status indicating whether preprocessing is possible. Possible statuses include: possible, in progress, and impossible (e.g., during vacuuming or observation).

[0045] 502 indicates the vacuum level in the load lock chamber. It can be used as a guideline for the waiting time when the user is waiting for subsequent steps to be completed while vacuuming is being performed before pre-processing.

[0046] 503 is a text box for entering the cleaning time, and 504 is a combo box for selecting the cleaning output. Since the optimal cleaning time and output differ depending on the type of sample, the user can change the cleaning time via text box 503. The cleaning output specifies the strength of the cleaner 7's output. The cleaning time can be selected from the combo box, or the cleaning output can be entered using the text box.

[0047] 505 is a text box for entering the temperature tolerance. The effect of thermal drift varies depending on the magnification used for observation, the scan speed during capture, and whether or not EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray) observation is performed, so the user can change the tolerance range for the target temperature of the sample.

[0048] 506 is the execute button. Pressing the execute button starts cleaning and temperature adjustment simultaneously.

[0049] 510 indicates the status of the cleaning process. Possible display contents include: running, completed, waiting, etc.

[0050] 511 is the elapsed time since the start of cleaning, and 512 is the remaining time for cleaning. The remaining time can be calculated by subtracting the elapsed time from the set cleaning time. 513 is a progress bar that displays the progress of the cleaning.

[0051] 520 indicates the output of the heating / cooling device. The output display can take various forms depending on the type of heating / cooling device.

[0052] 521 indicates the temperature of the sample chamber. Unless there are special circumstances, the target temperature during temperature adjustment will be the temperature of sample chamber 2.

[0053] Window 522 displays the temperature for each sample. While the example shows a sample temperature measuring device 21 installed for each sample, it is not necessary to manage the temperature individually for each sample. In the example in Figure 5, the temperature of each sample can be changed by switching tabs.

[0054] 523 indicates the temperature status of the sample. If the temperature is within the tolerance range of the target temperature set in 505, it can be displayed as observable; otherwise, it can be displayed as not observable.

[0055] 524 is a graph showing the temperature transition of the sample. 525 shows the time transition of the temperature measured by the sample temperature measuring device 21, 526 shows the target temperature, and 527 shows the range of tolerance for the target temperature.

[0056] <Embodiment 1: Block diagram of the cleaner / temperature coordinated control unit 401> Figure 6 shows a block diagram of the cleaner / temperature coordinated control unit 401. This example shows a case where the output of the sample heating / cooling device 20 can be controlled independently; this does not apply when using cooling water in the column or when temperature adjustment is performed only by the cleaner.

[0057] The block diagram includes cleaner output settings and target temperature as input values. These correspond to values ​​entered by the user on the screen, as shown in Figure 5.

[0058] The temperature control output determination unit 600 determines the control output 601 to the sample heating / cooling device 20. As a method for determining the output, feedback control using the difference 602 from the target temperature may be used, or the temperature rise value may be experimentally determined from the cleaner output setting value 504, and feedforward control may be implemented using the result. Both of these feedback and feedforward control methods may be combined to determine the control output.

[0059] The temperature 613 of the cartridge 11 and TEM mesh 10 is determined by input values ​​such as the thermal output 610 of the cleaner 7, the thermal output 611 of the sample heating / cooling device 20, natural heat dissipation, and disturbances 612. The result of the sample temperature measuring device 21 measuring the temperature 613 is the measured temperature 501.

[0060] Figure 7 shows an example of the time change of temperature in Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 1, the sample heating and cooling device 20 mainly has heating and cooling functions, and Figure 7 shows an example of the temperature change in that case. By controlling the sample heating and cooling device 20 to follow the target temperature, the temperature rise caused by the cleaner 7 is suppressed, and the temperature adjustment is completed by the cleaning completion time 700.

[0061] <Embodiment 2> In Embodiment 2 of this disclosure, the operating environment is assumed to be one in which the sample heating / cooling device 20 has only a heating function or only a cooling function. The other configurations are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0062] Figure 8A shows an example of the time change of temperature in Embodiment 2. The cleaning operation by the cleaner 7 raises the temperature of the sample, but the amount of heat generated by this temperature rise alone is insufficient to reach the target temperature. The sample heating / cooling device 20 compensates for this insufficient amount of heat, allowing the sample to be observed at the target temperature. In this case, as shown in Figure 8, a control method may be used in which the target temperature of the cleaner / temperature coordinated control unit 401 is applied in a ramp-like manner. The temperature rise caused by the cleaner 7 can be determined in advance through experiments or other means.

[0063] Figure 8B shows an example of the temperature change over time in Embodiment 2. Unlike Figure 8A, if the temperature rise due to the cleaning operation by the cleaner 7 exceeds the target temperature, the cooling function of the sample heating and cooling device 20 may be used instead of or in combination with natural heat dissipation. Cooling is performed in parallel with cleaning.

[0064] <Embodiment 3> Embodiment 3 of this disclosure assumes an operating environment in which the sample heating and cleaning are performed solely by the cleaner 7, eliminating the need to use the sample heating and cooling device 20. The other configurations are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0065] Figure 9 shows an example of the time change of temperature in Embodiment 3. After starting the cleaner 7, the cleaner is stopped when the cleaning for the predetermined time setting is completed. After stopping, the temperature decreases due to natural heat dissipation, and observation begins when it reaches the target temperature.

[0066] Figure 10 shows an example of temperature change when the cleaner 7 is stopped and then restarted. When observing multiple samples in the load lock chamber 3, the temperature may drop below the target temperature depending on the observation order. In this case, as shown in Figure 10, restarting the cleaner 7 and reheating it makes it possible to observe at the target temperature. However, in this case, cleaning will be performed multiple times, so care must be taken to avoid over-cleaning.

[0067] <Regarding variations of this disclosure> In the embodiments described above, the method for holding the sample observed by the charged particle beam apparatus 1 in the load lock chamber 3 and the method for transporting the sample within the load lock chamber 3 were as described in Figures 1 and 2, but the claims are not limited to the above configuration. Any sample fixing method and sample transport method can be used as long as the pretreatment of the sample to be loaded into the sample chamber 2 and the sample stage for fixing the sample can be performed in the load lock chamber 3. In other words, the TEM mesh 10, cartridge 11, cassette 12, etc. described in the embodiments are merely examples of sub-concepts of the sample stage for fixing the sample described in the claims.

[0068] In the embodiments described above, the load lock chamber 3 is a term mainly used in fields such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and refers to a vacuum pre-chamber intended to prevent atmospheric gas molecules, dust, water vapor, and contaminants from entering the process chamber. In this disclosure, for the same purpose, it refers to a vacuum pre-chamber installed in front of the sample chamber 2 of the charged particle beam apparatus 1.

[0069] Depending on the accuracy and installation configuration of the sample temperature measuring device 21, errors may occur in at least one of the following: the measured temperature, the actual temperature of the sample, and the actual temperature of the TEM mesh 10. In such cases, countermeasures such as widening the temperature tolerance or setting the target temperature to a different value from the sample chamber temperature may be taken.

[0070] In the embodiments described above, the TEM mesh 10 and cartridge 11 are configured as transport members capable of carrying a sample to and transporting it to the sample chamber 2. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to this, and the disclosure is also useful when other types of transport members are used.

[0071] In the embodiments described above, the observation pre-processing control unit 400 and the cleaner / temperature coordination control unit 401 can be configured by hardware such as circuit devices that implement these functions, or by a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing software that implements these functions. These control units can be configured as control devices that perform the operations shown in Figures 3 and 5 by controlling each part of the charged particle beam apparatus 1.

[0072] In the embodiments described above, thermal drift primarily refers to positional changes caused by thermal deformation of the sample or sample stage. However, it should be noted that this disclosure is also useful in cases where other problems occur due to temperature differences. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1: Charged particle beam device 2: Sample Room 3: Load lock room 4: Gate valve (charged particle beam device) 5: Gate valve (load lock chamber) 6: Vacuum exhaust system 7: Cleaner 10: TEM Mesh 11: Cartridge 12: Cassette 13: Cassette gripping mechanism 14: Cassette transport mechanism 15: Cartridge gripping mechanism 16: Cartridge transport mechanism 20: Sample heating and cooling device 21: Sample temperature measuring device 22: Sample chamber temperature measuring device

Claims

1. A pretreatment method for processing a sample and a transport member that can carry the sample and transport member into a charged particle beam apparatus for irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam, before transporting the sample and the transport member into the charged particle beam apparatus, A step of cleaning the sample and the transport member using a cleaner that removes contaminants, Before introducing the transport member carrying the sample into the sample chamber of the charged particle beam apparatus, the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member are controlled until the effect of thermal drift of the sample and the transport member after they are introduced into the sample chamber falls below a threshold level. It has, The aforementioned control step is performed in parallel with the aforementioned cleaning step. A pretreatment method characterized by the following:

2. A pretreatment method for processing a sample and a transport member that can carry the sample and transport member into a charged particle beam apparatus for irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam, before transporting the sample and the transport member into the charged particle beam apparatus, A step of cleaning the sample and the transport member using a cleaner that removes contaminants, Before introducing the transport member carrying the sample into the sample chamber of the charged particle beam apparatus, the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member are controlled until the effect of thermal drift of the sample and the transport member after they are introduced into the sample chamber falls below a threshold level. It has, The control step includes a step of heating or cooling the sample and the transport member using a temperature control device that performs heating or cooling. The control step is carried out by performing the washing step and the heating or cooling step in parallel. A pretreatment method characterized by the following:

3. A pretreatment method for processing a sample and a transport member that can carry the sample and transport member into a charged particle beam apparatus for irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam, before transporting the sample and the transport member into the charged particle beam apparatus, A step of cleaning the sample and the transport member using a cleaner that removes contaminants, Before introducing the transport member carrying the sample into the sample chamber of the charged particle beam apparatus, the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member are controlled until the effect of thermal drift of the sample and the transport member after they are introduced into the sample chamber falls below a threshold level. It has, In the control step described above, the target temperature is set to the temperature at which the effect of thermal drift falls below the threshold level. In the control step, the temperature is controlled based on the difference between the temperature increase of the sample due to the washing step and the target temperature. A pretreatment method characterized by the following:

4. In the control step, Feedback control based on the difference between the measured temperature of the sample and the target temperature. Feedforward control based on the aforementioned increase, The combination of the aforementioned feedback control and the aforementioned feedforward control, The temperature is controlled by performing at least one of the following: The pretreatment method according to claim 3, characterized by the feature described above.

5. The aforementioned pretreatment method further includes: When the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member reach a point where the effect of thermal drift falls below the threshold level, as a result of the washing step and the temperature adjustment step, the transport member is brought into the charged particle beam apparatus. has The pretreatment method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. If the temperature of the sample rises due to the aforementioned increase and falls below the target temperature, in the control step, the difference between the increase and the target temperature is compensated for by heating the sample. The pretreatment method according to claim 3, characterized by the feature.

7. If the temperature of the sample rises due to the aforementioned increase and exceeds the target temperature, in the control step, the cleaner is stopped and the system waits until the temperature of the sample naturally decreases to the target temperature, thereby achieving the target temperature. The pretreatment method according to claim 3, characterized by the feature.

8. The aforementioned pretreatment method further includes: If the temperature of the sample falls below the target temperature due to natural decrease, the method includes the step of re-washing the sample with the cleaner to achieve the target temperature. The pretreatment method according to claim 7, characterized by the feature.

9. The cleaner cleans the sample and the transport member using at least one of ultraviolet light, plasma, or electron beams. The pretreatment method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. A charged particle beam apparatus that irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam, Cleaner that removes contaminants, A sample chamber housing a transport member capable of carrying the aforementioned sample, A conveying mechanism for conveying the conveying member, A control device that controls the cleaner and the transport mechanism, Equipped with, The control device is A step of cleaning the sample and the transport member using the cleaner, Before introducing the transport member carrying the sample into the sample chamber, the step of controlling the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member until the effect of thermal drift of the sample and the transport member after introducing the sample and the transport member into the sample chamber falls below a threshold level. We will implement the following: The aforementioned control step is performed in parallel with the aforementioned cleaning step. A charged particle beam apparatus characterized by the following features.

11. A charged particle beam apparatus that irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam, Cleaner that removes contaminants, A sample chamber housing a transport member capable of carrying the aforementioned sample, A conveying mechanism for conveying the conveying member, A control device that controls the cleaner and the transport mechanism, Equipped with, The control device is A step of cleaning the sample and the transport member using the cleaner, Before introducing the transport member carrying the sample into the sample chamber, the step of controlling the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member until the effect of thermal drift of the sample and the transport member after introducing the sample and the transport member into the sample chamber falls below a threshold level. We will implement the following: The control step includes a step of heating or cooling the sample and the transport member using a temperature control device that performs heating or cooling. The control step is carried out by performing the washing step and the heating or cooling step in parallel. A charged particle beam apparatus characterized by the following features.

12. A charged particle beam apparatus that irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam, Cleaner that removes contaminants, A sample chamber housing a transport member capable of carrying the aforementioned sample, A conveying mechanism for conveying the conveying member, A control device that controls the cleaner and the transport mechanism, Equipped with, The control device is A step of cleaning the sample and the transport member using the cleaner, Before introducing the transport member carrying the sample into the sample chamber, the step of controlling the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member until the effect of thermal drift of the sample and the transport member after introducing the sample and the transport member into the sample chamber falls below a threshold level. We will implement the following: In the control step described above, the target temperature is set to the temperature at which the effect of thermal drift falls below the threshold level. In the control step, the temperature is controlled based on the difference between the temperature increase of the sample due to the washing step and the target temperature. A charged particle beam apparatus characterized by the following features.

13. In the control step, Feedback control based on the difference between the measured temperature of the sample and the target temperature. Feedforward control based on the aforementioned increase, The combination of the aforementioned feedback control and the aforementioned feedforward control, The temperature is controlled by performing at least one of the following: The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that it is a feature of the present invention.

14. If the temperature of the sample rises due to the aforementioned increase and falls below the target temperature, in the control step, the difference between the increase and the target temperature is compensated for by heating the sample. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that it is a feature of the present invention.

15. If the temperature of the sample rises due to the aforementioned increase and exceeds the target temperature, in the control step, the cleaner is stopped and the system waits until the temperature of the sample naturally decreases to the target temperature, thereby achieving the target temperature. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that it is a feature of the present invention.

16. The control device further, If the temperature of the sample falls below the target temperature due to natural decrease, the step of restoring the target temperature is performed by re-washing the sample with the cleaner. The charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that it is a feature of the present invention.

17. The control device further, When the temperature of the sample and the temperature of the transport member reach a point where the effect of thermal drift falls below the threshold level, as a result of the washing step and the temperature adjustment step, the transport member is brought into the charged particle beam apparatus. Implement A charged particle beam apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that

18. The cleaner cleans the sample and the transport member using at least one of ultraviolet light, plasma, or electron beams. A charged particle beam apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that

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