Charged particle beam device

Abstract

Provided is a charged particle beam device capable of efficiently transporting a carrier 5 to a sample chamber 20. The charged particle beam device comprises: a sub-stage 22 having an inclination mechanism 223 for tilting independently of a wafer a holder 6 on which a sample piece made from the wafer is mounted; a sample chamber 20 for storing a wafer stage 21 and the sub-stage 22; and a transport mechanism 90 for transporting the holder 6 from the sub-stage 22 to the outside of the sample chamber 20 independently of the wafer.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charged particle beam apparatus that processes and observes a sample. [Background Art]

[0002] Along with the progress of miniaturization of semiconductor device structures, higher density of circuit patterns, and multilayering of wiring, for example, cross-sectional analysis of wafers using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) or a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has become increasingly important for improving reliability and other purposes.

[0003] In imaging, observation, measurement, analysis, evaluation, inspection and other processes of samples in semiconductor manufacturing processes, for example, thinning processing is performed on a specified portion of a wafer by a focused ion beam (FIB) apparatus. Through this thinning processing, a sample piece (also called a lamella, thin film sample, etc.) with an exposed cross-sectional structure of the device is produced. The sample piece is transferred to a carrier, and the cross-sectional structure of the sample piece is observed (TEM measurement) by, for example, a TEM apparatus.

[0004] In semiconductor manufacturing management, TEM measurement of a large number of sample pieces is required. Therefore, it is necessary to efficiently transport the sample pieces produced by the FIB apparatus, which is a pretreatment step, to the TEM apparatus.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus in which a wafer holder on which a wafer can be placed is provided with a sample holding section that holds a sample piece produced from the wafer. When the production and collection of the sample piece are completed, the wafer and the sample piece are transported to the outside. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4942180 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, in the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the wafer placed on the wafer holder and the sample piece transferred to the sample holding section provided on the wafer holder are transported together as a single unit by the transport of the wafer holder. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time to evacuate the sample chamber. Furthermore, it cannot meet the demand for removing only the sample piece holding section from the sample chamber. In addition, it is not possible to control the orientation of the sample piece independently of the wafer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A brief overview of some of the representative embodiments disclosed in this application is as follows:

[0009] A charged particle beam apparatus in one embodiment includes a sample stage on which a sample is mounted, a charged particle beam tube for irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam, and a sample piece holder on which sample pieces prepared from the sample are mounted. The sample piece holder is detachably attached and It has a tilting mechanism that tilts independently of the aforementioned sample. and provided on the sample stage A sample piece stage, a sample chamber for storing the sample stage and the sample piece stage, and a sample piece holder for moving the sample piece from the sample piece stage. removal , The aforementioned sample holder The system includes a transport mechanism that transports the sample outside the sample chamber independently of the sample. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one embodiment, the carrier can be efficiently transported to and from the inside and outside of the sample chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the inspection system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2]It is a flowchart showing an outline of inspection processing in an inspection system. [Figure 3] It is an external view of a charged particle beam apparatus. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a configuration of a charged particle beam apparatus. [Figure 5] It is an external perspective view of a wafer stage and a sub-stage. [Figure 6] It is an external perspective view of a sub-stage. [Figure 7] It is a diagram explaining an example of the structure of a holder. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a carrier. [Figure 9] It is a diagram explaining an example of the structure inside a transfer chamber. [Figure 10] It is an external perspective view of an LLC arm in an extended state. [Figure 11] It is an external perspective view of a carrier transfer mechanism. [Figure 12] It is a diagram of the inside of the transfer chamber during delivery processing. [Figure 13] It is a cross-sectional view explaining a mounting surface and a holder during delivery processing. [Figure 14] It is a diagram explaining the LLC arm, the holder and the sub-stage inside the sample chamber. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart explaining an operation flow performed by the charged particle beam apparatus during loading processing. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart explaining an operation flow performed by the charged particle beam apparatus during loading processing. [Figure 17] It is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a formed sample piece. [Figure 18] It is a diagram explaining processing for transferring a sample piece to a carrier. [Figure 19] It is a flowchart explaining an operation flow performed by the charged particle beam apparatus during unloading processing. [Figure 20] It is a flowchart explaining an operation flow performed by the charged particle beam apparatus during unloading processing. Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same parts are generally denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In the drawings, the representation of components may not show their actual location, size, shape, and extent in order to facilitate understanding of the invention.

[0013] In explanations, when describing program-based processing, the focus may sometimes be on the program, functions, or processing units. However, the core hardware component is the processor, or a controller, device, computer, or system composed of such a processor. A computer, using its processor, executes processing according to a program read into memory, utilizing resources such as memory and communication interfaces as appropriate. This realizes the specified functions and processing units. A processor is composed of semiconductor devices such as a CPU or GPU. A processor is composed of devices and circuits capable of performing specified calculations. Processing is not limited to software program processing; it can also be implemented using dedicated circuits. FPGAs, ASICs, CPLDs, etc., can be used as dedicated circuits.

[0014] The program may be pre-installed as data on the target computer, or it may be distributed as data to the target computer from the program source. The program source may be a program distribution server on a communication network, or a non-transient computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a memory card). The program may consist of multiple modules. The computer system may consist of multiple devices. The computer system may consist of a cloud computing system, an IoT system, etc. Various types of data and information may be, but are not limited to, structures such as tables and lists.

[0015] <Embodiment> [Overall System Configuration] A charged particle beam apparatus and an inspection system equipped with a charged particle beam apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the inspection system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0016] The inspection system 1 includes a sample preparation mechanism 1a, a sample observation mechanism 1c, and a control mechanism such as a higher-level control unit 101. As shown in Figure 1, the sample preparation mechanism 1a is a charged particle beam apparatus 10. The charged particle beam apparatus 10 as the sample preparation mechanism 1a is, for example, a FIB-SEM apparatus. The sample observation mechanism 1c is, for example, a sample observation apparatus 30 such as a TEM apparatus.

[0017] The higher-level control unit 101, acting as a control mechanism, controls each controller, which is a control unit provided for each device. Each device's controller manages information about its own device and controls its processing operations. These controllers may be built into each device or connected externally. The controllers of each device may communicate with each other as appropriate. The controllers for each device may also be configured to communicate with each other and cooperate to control their respective devices.

[0018] The inspection system 1 receives inspection instructions and information on the areas to be inspected from the manufacturing management system 150 of the semiconductor manufacturing plant. The inspection system 1 receives the wafer 3, which is the sample to be inspected, from the semiconductor manufacturing line 1d of the semiconductor manufacturing plant by transport. The transported wafer 3 is set in the charged particle beam apparatus 10. The wafer 3 is transported between the semiconductor manufacturing line 1d and the charged particle beam apparatus 10 of the inspection system 1 by a predetermined transport mechanism. For example, the FOUP, which is the container in which the wafer 3 is stored, is transported by an automated transport system or by manual transport by an operator.

[0019] The FIB-SEM apparatus, which is a charged particle beam apparatus 10, forms and prepares a sample piece 4 by thinning a designated area (site) of the transported wafer 3. The charged particle beam apparatus 10 removes the formed and prepared sample piece 4 from the wafer 3 and transfers it to the carrier (LC: Lamella Carrier) 5. The TEM apparatus, which is a sample piece observation apparatus 30, observes and analyzes the cross-section or plane of the sample piece 4 on the carrier 5, and generates and outputs the resulting data 9, etc.

[0020] Various types of data and information are exchanged between the devices of the inspection system 1 via the upper control unit 101 as needed. These types of data and information include, for example, data indicating the inspection target position on the wafer 3 surfaces, data indicating the position where the sample piece 4 was successfully created, and data indicating the position of the sample piece 4 mounted on the carrier 5. The inspection result data 9 also includes detection signals related to secondary electrons generated from the sample piece 4 irradiated with the beam, images obtained from the detection signals, data obtained as a result of processing the images, and data related to X-rays generated from the sample piece 4.

[0021] The inspection system 1 performs processing operations such as creating a sample piece 4 at a specified location on a specified wafer 3 and moving the sample piece 4 to a specified location on a specified carrier 5, with each device responsible for this operation. The system controls and manages information such as these processing operations, status, and location. The inspection system 1 then outputs the inspection result of the sample piece 4 as data 9.

[0022] The charged particle beam apparatus 10 has a transport mechanism 90, which transports the sample piece 4 between the apparatus and the sample piece observation apparatus 30. For example, the carrier 5 on which the sample piece 4 has been moved is transported by an automated transport system. It is also possible to transport and return the wafer 3 from the charged particle beam apparatus 10 to the semiconductor manufacturing line 1d by a transport mechanism (not shown). FOUPs and carriers 5 are used during various transport operations. An FOUP is a container filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen, and wafers 3 and other materials can be inserted into and removed from the container for storage.

[0023] The wafer 3 used in this embodiment consists of a semiconductor substrate on which p-type or n-type impurity regions are formed, semiconductor elements such as transistors formed on the semiconductor substrate, and wiring layers formed on the semiconductor elements. The sample piece 4 is a portion formed on a part of the wafer 3 and removed. Therefore, the sample piece 4 similarly includes the structure of the semiconductor substrate, semiconductor elements, wiring layers, etc. of the wafer 3. Furthermore, while this embodiment mainly focuses on the inspection of sample pieces 4 of wafer 3 used in semiconductor manufacturing lines, it is not limited to this, and the sample may be a structure used in technologies other than semiconductor technology.

[0024] [Processing flow of the inspection system] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the inspection system 1. While it is preferable that each process shown in the flowchart of Figure 2 be automatically executed and controlled by the higher-level control unit 101, it is also possible to partially control some of them manually. For example, in each of the steps shown below, an operator may press the start button at the beginning of the device's processing.

[0025] In step S101, the FOUP containing the wafer 3 to be inspected, i.e., the wafer to be subjected to cross-sectional or surface analysis, is transported from the semiconductor manufacturing line 1d to the charged particle beam apparatus 10 via a transport mechanism. The charged particle beam apparatus 10 receives the FOUP and places the wafer 3 on the stage. At this time, the upper control unit 101 of the charged particle beam apparatus 10 acquires data and information such as inspection target information and inspection instructions for the wafer 3 from the manufacturing management system 150.

[0026] In step S102, the upper control unit 101 instructs the FIB-SEM device in the charged particle beam device 10 to perform a thinning process to form and produce one or more sample pieces 4 on the wafer 3. Based on information received from the manufacturing management system 150, the charged particle beam device 10 positions its field of view at the inspection target position (site) on the wafer 3 by moving the stage. Then, the charged particle beam device 10 forms the sample pieces 4 by irradiating the inspection target position with a beam which is FIB.

[0027] In step S103, the upper control unit 101 instructs the charged particle beam apparatus 10 to perform a transfer process to move the sample piece 4 formed on the wafer 3 onto the carrier 5. In step S104, the upper control unit 101 instructs the transport mechanism 90 to perform a transport process to transport the carrier 5, on which the sample piece 4 is mounted, from the charged particle beam apparatus 10 to the sample piece observation apparatus 30. In step S105, the upper control unit 101 instructs the TEM apparatus in the sample piece observation apparatus 30 to perform cross-sectional or planar observation using TEM images. The results of the analysis and inspection performed by the cross-sectional or planar observation are stored and output as data 9.

[0028] [Configuration of a charged particle beam device] Figure 3 is an external view of the charged particle beam apparatus 10. The following explanation will use a Cartesian coordinate system consisting of the x, y, and z axes, as shown in Figure 3. The z axis is set along the vertical direction of the charged particle beam apparatus 10, with the upper side being the z-axis+ side and the lower side being the z-axis- side. The x axis is set perpendicular to the z axis, and the y axis is set perpendicular to both the x and z axes. Therefore, the external view in Figure 3 shows the charged particle beam apparatus 10 as seen from the z-axis+ side.

[0029] The charged particle beam apparatus 10 includes a sample chamber 20, a transport chamber 29, and a storage chamber 31. The processes described in steps S101 to S103 are performed in the sample chamber 20. The transport chamber 29 is located on the x-axis + side of the sample chamber 20 and is connected to the sample chamber 20. The transport mechanism 90 is housed in the transport chamber 29. The storage chamber 31 is located on the y-axis + side of the transport chamber 29 and is connected to the transport chamber 29. When the process described in step S104 is performed, the holder 6 removed from the sample chamber 20 is transported to the storage chamber 31 via the transport chamber 29. Also, when the process described in step S101 is performed, the holder 6 removed from the storage chamber 31 is transported to the sample chamber 20 via the transport chamber 29.

[0030] The positional relationship between the sample chamber 20, the transport chamber 29, and the storage chamber 31 described above is merely an example and is not limited to this positional relationship.

[0031] [Sampling Room] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the charged particle beam apparatus 10. The charged particle beam apparatus 10 includes an ion beam column 11, an ion beam column controller 131, an electron beam column 12, an electron beam column controller 132, a wafer stage 21, a wafer stage controller 133, a substage 22, a substage controller 134, a needle 112, a needle controller 142, etc. Specifically, the sample chamber 20 houses the wafer stage 21 and the substage 22. The charged particle beam apparatus 10 also includes a charged particle detector 109, a detector controller 136, a sample chamber controller 137, an integrated control unit 130, a computer system 100, etc. The ion beam column 11, electron beam column 12, wafer stage 21, substage 22, charged particle detector 109, etc. are located inside the sample chamber 20.

[0032] The charged particle beam apparatus 10 is also equipped with a wafer loading mechanism (not shown). The wafer loading mechanism is a mechanism for loading wafers 3 in the FOUP into the sample chamber 20 and unloading wafers 3 in the sample chamber 20 into the FOUP.

[0033] The sample chamber 20 also includes other components, such as a gas supply unit for supplying gases used for etching and deposition processes (not shown in the diagram). The vacuum level of the sample chamber 20 is controlled by the sample chamber controller 137. The sample chamber 20 may be mounted on a vibration isolation table 201 to prevent vibration. In addition to the above-mentioned components, the sample chamber 20 may also be equipped with a vacuum pump, a cold trap, or an optical microscope for vacuum evacuation.

[0034] The ion beam column 11 has its optical axis OA1 (shown by a dashed line) aligned vertically. The ion beam b11, which is the FIB, is irradiated from the ion beam column 11 toward the cross point CP1. The ion beam column 11 irradiates the ion beam b11 from the z-axis+ side toward the z-axis- side. That is, the optical axis OA1 of the ion beam column 11 is parallel to the z-axis.

[0035] The electron beam column 12 is positioned so that its optical axis OA2 (shown by a dashed line) is inclined relative to the optical axis OA1 of the ion beam column 11. The electron beam b12 is irradiated from the electron beam column 12 toward the cross point CP1. The electron beam column 12 irradiates the electron beam b12 from the z-axis + and y-axis + side toward the z-axis - and y-axis - side. In other words, the optical axis OA2 of the electron beam column 12 is inclined with respect to the xy plane.

[0036] The ion beam b11 emitted from the ion beam column 11 and the electron beam b12 emitted from the electron beam column 12 are focused at the cross point CP1, which is the intersection of their respective optical axes. In this example, the optical axis of the electron beam column 12 is tilted relative to the optical axis of the ion beam column 11, but the configuration is not limited to this.

[0037] The ion beam column 11 includes components necessary for a FIB (Focused Ion Beam) device, such as an ion source 11a for generating the ion beam b11, lenses 11b and 11c for focusing the ion beam b11, an objective lens 11d, and a deflector 11e for scanning the ion beam b11. In other words, the ion beam column 11 is a charged particle beam microscope tube that irradiates a charged particle beam.

[0038] The electron beam column 12 includes components necessary for a scanning electron microscope (SEM) device, such as an electron source 12a for generating the electron beam b12, lenses 12b and 12c for focusing the electron beam b12, an objective lens 12d, and a deflector 12e for scanning the electron beam b12. In other words, the electron beam column 12 is a charged particle beam microscope tube that irradiates a charged particle beam.

[0039] The wafer stage 21 is a movable stage on which a sample wafer 3 can be placed. The substage 22 is a movable stage on which a sample piece 4 or a carrier 5 can be placed. Details of the wafer stage 21 and substage 22 will be described later. The wafer stage 21, substage 22, etc., can move in a planar or rotational manner. The integrated control unit 130 controls the movement of the wafer stage 21 via the wafer stage controller 133 to position it so that the beam can be irradiated onto the target area on the surface of the wafer 3 (for example, the area where the sample piece 4 is formed). The integrated control unit 130 controls the attitude of the carrier 5 mounted on the substage 22 by controlling the movement of the substage 22 via the substage controller 134.

[0040] The charged particle detector 109 detects charged particles generated when the ion beam b11 irradiates the sample, and charged particles generated when the electron beam b12 irradiates the sample, as detection signals. The detector controller 136 processes the detection signals from the charged particle detector 109 to create an image. The detector controller 136 includes a processing unit implemented by a circuit or program.

[0041] Furthermore, the sample chamber 20 may also be equipped with other types of detectors, such as an X-ray detector and a backscattered electron detector for detecting backscattered electrons generated from the sample.

[0042] The needle 112 is positioned inside the sample chamber 20 so as to be able to reach the cross point CP1. The needle 112 is controlled and driven by the needle controller 142 to hold the sample piece 4 that has been separated and extracted (lifted out) from the wafer 3, and functions as a sample piece transfer unit that transports and moves the sample piece 4 to the carrier 5. Furthermore, since the needle 112 can move planar, vertically, and rotationally, the orientation of the sample piece 4 can be freely changed when the needle 112 is holding the sample piece 4.

[0043] Furthermore, the charged particle beam apparatus 10 is not limited to the FIB-SEM apparatus described above; a FIB apparatus without an SEM mechanism may be used, or a FIB apparatus equipped with an optical microscope instead of an SEM mechanism may be used.

[0044] The integrated control unit 130 controls the entire charged particle beam apparatus 10 and its various components. The integrated control unit 130 is electrically connected to the controllers of each component, such as the wafer stage controller 133 and the sub-stage controller 134, and can communicate with each other. The integrated control unit 130 controls the controllers of each component using control signals. Multiple controllers may be combined into a single controller. Each controller may be implemented using a computer system or dedicated circuitry. The computer system 100 is connected to the integrated control unit 130. The integrated control unit 130 controls the operation of the entire charged particle beam apparatus 10 and its various components according to instructions from the computer system 100.

[0045] The computer system 100 provides a user interface, including a GUI, to users of the charged particle beam apparatus 10, and accepts various instructions and settings from the user. The computer system 100 has built-in or externally connected input devices 162, output devices 161, and storage devices. Examples of input devices 162 include a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, and microphone. Examples of output devices 161 include a display, printer, speaker, and lamp. The display shows screens with a GUI. The screen shows images captured by the charged particle beam apparatus 10, setting information, user instruction information, etc.

[0046] Users, such as operators, can view various information and images on the screen displayed on the display. Users input various instructions and settings on the screen using a keyboard or the like. The computer system 100 transmits instructions and settings to the integrated control unit 130 based on the input instructions and settings. The integrated control unit 130 and the computer system 100 may be configured as an integrated unit.

[0047] [Wafer stage 21 and substage 22] Figures 5(A) and 5(B) are external perspective views of the wafer stage 21 and substage 22 located within the sample chamber 20. Figure 5(A) shows the case where the rotation angle around the T-axis, which will be described later, is 0°, and Figure 5(B) shows the case where the rotation angle around the T-axis is 20°.

[0048] [Wafer Stage 21] The wafer stage 21 is a sample stage configured to support and move a wafer 3, which is a sample. Specifically, the wafer stage 21 has an x-base 210, a y-base 211, a z-base 212, a rotating base 213, and a support mechanism 214. As shown in Figure 5(A), when the rotation angle of the T-axis, which will be described later, is 0°, the x-base 210, y-base 211, z-base 212, and rotating base 213 are provided in the sample chamber 20 in the order described above, starting from the lower side, i.e., the z-axis side.

[0049] The x-base 210 is a plate-shaped member having a long side extending in the y-axis direction. Below the x-base 210, an x-axis drive mechanism 215 is provided, which includes, for example, a motor, a ball screw, and a guide member extending along the x-axis. When the motor of the x-axis drive mechanism 215 is driven, the ball screw rotates, and the x-base 210 moves along the x-axis, which is the first direction. As the x-base 210 moves along the x-axis, the y-base 211, z-base 212, and rotary base 213, which are provided above the x-base 210, also move along the x-axis, which is the first direction, together with the x-base 210.

[0050] The x-axis drive mechanism 215 is controlled by the integrated control unit 130 via the wafer stage controller 133. The movement of the x-base 210 by the x-axis drive mechanism 215 is controlled by, for example, encoder control or linear scale control, and the x-base 210 is positioned with high precision. The range in which the x-base 210 can move is 0 to 327 mm, which can accommodate, for example, a 300 mm size wafer 3. In addition, a y-axis drive mechanism 216 for moving the y-base 211 is provided on the upper surface of the x-base 210.

[0051] The y-base 211 is a plate-shaped member and is provided on the upper side of the x-base 210. More specifically, the y-base 211 is provided on the y-axis drive mechanism 216 which is provided on the upper surface of the x-base 210. The y-axis drive mechanism 216 includes, for example, a motor, a ball screw, and a guide member that extends along a second direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the x-axis. The second direction is the y-axis direction when the rotation angle of the T-axis, which will be described later, is 0° (see Figure 5(A)). When the motor of the y-axis drive mechanism 216 is driven, the ball screw rotates and the y-base 211 moves along the second direction. As the y-base 211 moves along the second direction, the z-base 212 and the rotating base 213, which are provided above the y-base 211, also move along the second direction together with the y-base 211.

[0052] The y-axis drive mechanism 216 is controlled by the integrated control unit 130 via the wafer stage controller 133. The movement of the y-base 211 by the y-axis drive mechanism 216 is controlled by, for example, encoder control or linear scale control, and the y-base 211 is positioned with high precision. The range in which the y-base 211 can move is 0 to 327 mm, which accommodates, for example, a 300 mm wafer 3. In addition, a z-axis drive mechanism 217 for moving the z-base 212 is provided on the upper side of the y-base 211.

[0053] The z-base 212 is a plate-shaped member and is provided on the upper side of the y-base 211. More specifically, the z-base 212 is provided on a z-axis drive mechanism 217 provided on the upper surface of the y-base 211. The z-axis drive mechanism 217 includes, for example, a motor, a ball screw, and a wedge-shaped guide member that extends along the x-axis and is inclined with respect to the y-base 211. When the motor of the z-axis drive mechanism 217 is driven, the ball screw rotates, and the z-base 212 moves along the inclined surface of the wedge-shaped guide member. As a result, the z-base 212 moves in a direction perpendicular to the y-base 211, that is, in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The third direction is the z-axis direction when the rotation angle of the T-axis, described later, is 0° (see Figure 5(A)). When the z-base 212 moves along the third direction, the rotating base 213 provided above the z-base 212 also moves along the third direction together with the z-base 212. In other words, as shown in Figure 5(A), when the rotation angle around the T-axis is 0°, the z-base 212 moves along the z-axis, and the rotating base 213 also moves along the z-axis in conjunction with this movement.

[0054] The z-axis drive mechanism 217 is controlled by the integrated control unit 130 via the wafer stage controller 133. The movement of the z-base 212 by the z-axis drive mechanism 217 is controlled by, for example, encoder control or linear scale control, and the z-base 212 is positioned with high precision.

[0055] The rotating base 213 is provided on the z-base 212. The rotating base 213 is a mounting platform on which the wafer 3 is placed, and is rotatably positioned around the R-axis, which is a first axis intersecting (orthogonal to) the z-base 212. The R-axis, which is the first axis, is parallel to the z-axis when the rotation angle of the T-axis, described later, is 0° (see Figure 5(A)). The rotating base 213 is rotated by a drive mechanism whose drive is controlled by the integrated control unit 130 via the wafer stage controller 133. In this case, for example, the rotating base 213 is rotated by rotating a ceramic ring with an ultrasonic motor, and its rotational direction can be positioned with high precision. The rotating base 213 has an electrostatic chuck. The wafer 3 is placed on the rotating base 213 by being attracted by the electrostatic force of the electrostatic chuck.

[0056] The support mechanism 214 is rotatably held by gears or the like on two side walls of the sample chamber 20 that intersect with the x-axis. The support mechanism 214 rotates about the T-axis, which is a second axis parallel to the x-axis, by the synchronous driving of gears provided on the two sides of the sample chamber 20. The support mechanism 214 integrally supports the x-base 210, y-base 211, z-base 212, and rotating base 213, which are provided above it, by supporting the x-axis drive mechanism 215 provided on the lower side of the x-base 210. As a result, by the rotation of the support mechanism 214 about the T-axis, it becomes possible to tilt the rotating base 213 on which the wafer 3 is placed with respect to the xy plane, for example, as shown in Figure 5(B). In other words, the T-axis is the tilt axis that tilts the wafer stage 21 on which the wafer 3 is placed with respect to the xy plane.

[0057] [Substage 22] The substage 22 is a sample piece stage that is independently movable on the wafer 3 placed on the wafer stage 21 and to which the holder 6, described later, is detachably attached. Specifically, as shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the substage 22 is provided on the z-base 212 of the wafer stage 21 described above. Therefore, as described above, when the wafer stage 21 moves along the first direction axis, second direction, and third direction, the substage 22 also moves along the first direction, second direction, and third direction together with the wafer stage 21. Also, when the wafer stage 21 rotates around the T-axis and tilts with respect to the xy-plane, the substage 22 also rotates around the T-axis and tilts with respect to the xy-plane together with the wafer stage 21.

[0058] Figure 6 is an external perspective view of the substage 22. Note that Figure 6 shows the substage 22 when the rotation angle of the T-axis is 0°, the rotation angle of the F-axis (described later) is 0°, and the rotation angle of the θ-axis (described later) is 0°. Hereafter, the positional relationships of the various components of the substage 22 will be explained based on the positional relationships when the rotation angle of the T-axis is 0°, the rotation angle of the F-axis is 0°, and the rotation angle of the θ-axis is 0°.

[0059] The substage 22 has a mounting portion 221, a mounting support portion 222 that supports the mounting portion 221, and a tilting mechanism 223. The mounting portion 221 is a holding mechanism that detachably holds the holder 6, which will be described in detail later, and is fixed to the tilting mechanism 223. The mounting portion 221 has a mounting surface 224 and two biasing members 225. The mounting surface 224 is parallel to the xy plane, and the holder 6 is placed on this mounting surface 224. The biasing members 225 are leaf springs provided opposite the mounting surface 224. When the holder 6 is placed on the mounting surface 224, the biasing members 225 bias the holder 6 toward the z-axis. The vicinity of the x-axis+ end of the biasing member 225 is bent so that a projection 225a is formed toward the z-axis. Furthermore, the number of biasing members 225 is not limited to two; it may be one or three or more.

[0060] The mounting support portion 222 is attached to the z-base 212 so as to be rotatable about the θ-axis, which is a third axis intersecting (orthogonal to) the z-base 212. The mounting support portion 222 is rotated by a drive mechanism controlled by the sub-stage controller 134. The tilting mechanism 223 is an arm member fixed to the mounting portion 221, and is attached to the mounting support portion 222 so as to be rotatable about the F-axis, which is a fourth axis intersecting (orthogonal to) the θ-axis at one end, and a gear is formed at the other end. Therefore, when the driving force of the drive mechanism controlled by the sub-stage controller 134 is transmitted via the gear, the tilting mechanism 223 rotates about the F-axis. The F-axis is an axis parallel to the arrangement direction in which multiple sample pieces 4 are arranged when the holder 6, which will be described later, is mounted on the sub-stage 22. As the tilting mechanism 223 rotates, the mounting portion 221 fixed to the tilting mechanism 223 rotates about the F-axis. As a result, the mounting portion 221 and the holder 6 are tilted with respect to a plane parallel to the z-base 212, centering on the direction of arrangement of the sample pieces 4 in the holder 6.

[0061] Furthermore, when the mounting support 222 rotates about the θ axis due to the driving force of the drive mechanism controlled by the substage controller 134, the tilting mechanism 223 and the mounting part 221 rotate about the θ axis along with the rotation of the mounting support 222. As a result, the mounting part 221 rotates in a plane parallel to the z base 212, about an axis perpendicular to the z base 212.

[0062] Because the substage 22 has the above configuration, the substage 22 moves (rotates) independently of the wafer stage 21 around the θ axis and moves (tilts) independently of the wafer stage 21 around the F axis. In other words, the tilting mechanism 223 can tilt the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22 independently of the wafer 3 placed on the rotating base 213 of the wafer stage 21.

[0063] [Holder 6] The holder 6 is a sample holder that carries multiple carriers 5 and is detachably attached to the substage 22, which is a sample holder stage. Figure 7(A) is an external perspective view of the holder 6, and Figure 7(B) is a cross-sectional view of the holder 6 along the line BB in Figure 7(A). The holder 6 has a columnar shape. The following explanation will be given using a Cartesian coordinate system consisting of the u-axis, v-axis, and w-axis, as shown in Figure 7. The u-axis is an axis set along the longitudinal direction of the holder 6. The v-axis is an axis perpendicular to the u-axis and set along the short direction of the holder 6. The w-axis is an axis perpendicular to the u-axis and v-axis and set along the height direction of the holder 6.

[0064] A carrier holding portion 61 for holding the mounted carrier 5 is provided on the w-axis positive side surface 60a of the holder 6. The four carrier holding portions 61 are arranged along the u-axis. That is, the holder 6 arranges multiple carriers 5 to which sample pieces 4 are attached along the u-axis direction. The carrier holding portion 61 is a plate-shaped member and is given a biasing force toward the w-axis direction by a biasing portion 62 such as a coil spring provided on the w-axis negative side. The carrier 5 is mounted on the holder 6 by being sandwiched between the w-axis negative side surface of the carrier holding portion 61 and surface 60a. Since the carrier holding portions 61 are arranged along the u-axis, when sample pieces 4 are transferred to the carriers 5 mounted on the carrier holding portions 61 as described later, multiple sample pieces 4 will be arranged along the direction of arrangement. Note that Figure 7(A) shows a case where the holder 6 has four carrier holding portions 61, but the number of carrier holding portions 61 may be three or fewer, or five or more.

[0065] On the v-axis positive side surface 60b, which is perpendicular to surface 60a, a connection hole 63 extending along the v-axis is formed. The connection holes 63 are formed on the u-axis positive side and the u-axis negative side of surface 60b, respectively. The connection holes 63 function as a first connection mechanism for connecting the holder 6 to the transport mechanism 90, which will be described later. Note that the number of connection holes 63 is not limited to two, but may be three or more. The connection holes 63 are elongated holes in which the diameter in the w-axis direction is larger than the diameter in the u-axis direction.

[0066] As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 7(B), the connection hole 63 has a first region 63a on the v-axis + side and a second region 63b on the v-axis - side. The length (diameter) d2 of the second region 63b in the w-axis direction is greater than the length (diameter) d1 of the first region 63a in the w-axis direction.

[0067] The holder 6 has through holes 64 that penetrate surfaces 60a and 60c along the w-axis direction. The through holes 64 are formed on the u-axis + side and u-axis - side of surface 60a, respectively. The through holes 64 function as a second connection mechanism for connecting the holder 6 to the holder transport mechanism 320, which will be described later. Note that the number of through holes 64 is not limited to two, and there may be three or more.

[0068] On the u-axis + side end and the u-axis - side end of surface 60a, inclined surfaces 66 are formed, with a portion of each protruding toward the w-axis + side. The inclined surface 66 has a v-axis + side inclined surface 66a and a v-axis - side inclined surface 66b. When the holder 6 is mounted on the substage 22, which is driven to a position where the rotation angles of the F-axis and θ-axis shown in Figure 6 are 0°, surface 60a of the holder 6 faces toward the z-axis + side and surface 60b faces toward the x-axis + side. Therefore, when the holder 6 is mounted on the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22, surface 60a becomes the surface facing the biasing member 225, and the inclined surface 66 protrudes toward the biasing member 225. That is, when the holder 6 is placed on the mounting surface 224, the inclined surface 66 and the biasing member 225 face each other.

[0069] As described above, the tilting mechanism 223 of the substage 22 can tilt the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22 independently of the wafer 3 placed on the rotating base 213 of the wafer stage 21. Therefore, the tilting mechanism 223 of the substage 22 can tilt the holder 6 mounted on the mounting portion 221 independently of the wafer 3 placed on the rotating base 213 of the wafer stage 21. The carrier 5 mounted on the holder 6 attached to the mounting portion 221 and the wafer 3 placed on the rotating base 213 are designed to have the same height, i.e., the distance along the third direction from the z-base 212.

[0070] [Career 5] Figure 8 shows an example of the structure of carrier 5. This carrier 5 is sometimes called a lamellar grid, TEM mesh, etc. This carrier 5 includes a half-moon shaped base 50 and a plurality of pillars 53 protruding from a straight section 51 within the surface of the base 50. Each pillar 53 is a sample piece support section having a structure on which a sample piece 4 can be mounted and held.

[0071] At both ends of the base body 50 where pillars 53 are not provided (the circumference in a plan view of the top surface of the carrier 5), marks 55 are provided, which are formed by holes that penetrate the base body 50. The marks 55 are provided as marks of different shapes, and circular and triangular marks 55 are shown here as examples. The marks 55 make it easy to distinguish the front and back of the carrier 5. Also, when deciding which pillar 53 to move the sample piece 4 to, the desired pillar 53 can be found by referring to the marks 55, making it easy to identify the relocation position.

[0072] [Transportation Room] The transport chamber 29 houses the transport mechanism 90, which is controlled by the transport mechanism controller 135 shown in Figure 4. The transport chamber 29 is also called the Load Lock Chamber (LLC).

[0073] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the transport chamber 29, and is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3. As described above, the transport chamber 29 is connected to the sample chamber 20 on the x-axis- side and to the storage chamber 31 on the y-axis- side. The transport chamber 29 has an opening 301 at the connection point with the sample chamber 20 and an opening 302 at the connection point with the storage chamber 31. The opening 301 is configured to be opened and closed by a gate valve. The opening 302 is configured to be opened and closed by a gate valve 302a. The gate valve 302a is opened and closed under the control of the transport chamber controller 139 (see Figure 4).

[0074] The vacuum level of the transport chamber 29 is controlled by the transport chamber controller 139. In addition to the above-mentioned components, the transport chamber 29 may also be equipped with a vacuum pump, a cold trap, or an optical microscope for vacuum evacuation.

[0075] [Conveying mechanism] The transport mechanism 90 includes an LLC arm 91 and a lifting mechanism 92. The lifting mechanism 92 is located on the x-axis-side relative to the LLC arm 91, i.e., the side closer to the sample chamber 20, and on the y-axis-side relative to the opening 302 connected to the storage chamber 31. The lifting mechanism 92 is a platform on which the holder 6 is temporarily placed when the holder 6 is transferred between the LLC arm 91 and the holder transport mechanism 320 (see Figures 11, 12(A), (B)), as will be described in detail later. The lifting mechanism 92 is controlled by the transport mechanism controller 135 and moves (rises and falls) along the z-axis direction. The lifting mechanism 92 has a mounting surface 920 on the z-axis+ side on which the holder 6 is placed, and a pin 921 protruding from the mounting surface 920 toward the z-axis+ side. As will be described later, the pin 921 is inserted into the through hole 64 formed in the holder 6 when the holder 6 is placed on the mounting surface 920.

[0076] The LLC arm 91 is a transport arm configured to extend and retract along the x-axis direction by a telescopic mechanism, while holding the holder 6 at its x-axis end. This extension and retraction along the x-axis allows the LLC arm 91 to transport the holder 6 between the sample chamber 20 and the transport chamber 29 along the x-axis direction (transport direction). This transport direction intersects (is perpendicular to) the arrangement direction of the multiple carriers 5 in the holder 6 when the holder 6 is attached to the LLC arm 91, as will be described later. The LLC arm 91, the elevator 92, the opening 301, and the substage 22 in the sample chamber 20 are arranged on approximately the same straight line along the x-axis.

[0077] Figure 10 is an external view of the LLC arm 91 in an extended state along the x-axis. The LLC arm 91 has an arm base 910 attached to the bottom surface of the transport chamber 29, a first extension portion 911 provided above the arm base 910 (on the z-axis+ side), a second extension portion 912 provided above the first extension portion 911 (on the z-axis+ side), and a mounting surface 913 provided at the x-axis-side end of the second extension portion 912. The arm base 910, the first extension portion 911, and the second extension portion 912 are plate-shaped members having a long side along the x-axis.

[0078] A first drive mechanism 910a is provided on the upper surface of the arm base 910, which includes, for example, a guide member extending along the x-axis, a rack, etc. A second drive mechanism 911a is provided on the first extension portion 911. The second drive mechanism 911a includes, for example, a motor, a first gear that meshes with the rack of the first drive mechanism 910a and is provided near the x-axis+ end, a guide member that extends along the x-axis on the z-axis+ surface, a second gear provided at the x-axis- end, etc. A third drive mechanism 912a is provided on the second extension portion 912. The third drive mechanism 912a has a rack that meshes with the second gear of the second drive mechanism 911a and extends along the x-axis, etc.

[0079] The second drive mechanism 911a is driven by the integrated control unit 130 via the transport mechanism controller 135. When the motor of the second drive mechanism 911a is driven, the first gear and the second gear rotate. The rotational force of the first gear is transmitted to the rack of the first drive mechanism 910a, and the first extension part 911 is guided by the guide member of the first drive mechanism 910a and moves in the x-axis direction relative to the arm base 910. In addition, the rotational force of the second gear is transmitted to the rack of the third drive mechanism 912a, and the second extension part 912 is guided by the guide member of the second drive mechanism 911a and moves in the x-axis direction relative to the first extension part 911.

[0080] With the above configuration, when the LLC arm 91 is extended along the x-axis as shown in Figure 10, the mounting surface 913 provided at the x-axis end of the second extension portion 912 reaches the sub-stage 22 in the sample chamber 20 through the opening 301. That is, the LLC arm 91 can transport the holder 6 along the x-axis between the elevator 92 and the sub-stage 22. In this case, the transport distance of the holder 6 is, for example, about 750 mm. Note that the LLC arm 91 is not limited to extending in a three-stage configuration consisting of an arm base 910, a first extension portion 911, and a second extension portion 912, but may extend in a configuration of four or more stages depending on the transport distance of the holder 6.

[0081] The mounting surface 913 is a plate-shaped member having a surface parallel to the yz plane, and as described above, it is attached to the x-axis-side end of the second extension portion 912. Mounting pins 914 are provided on the mounting surface 913 near the y-axis+ and y-axis-side ends. The mounting pins 914 are projections that protrude from the mounting surface 913 toward the x-axis-side, i.e., toward the transport direction. The mounting pins 914 have a tip projection 914a at their tip, i.e., the x-axis-side end, that protrudes toward the z-axis+ side, i.e., in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) to the transport direction. When the LLC arm 91 transports the holder 6, the holder 6 is attached to the mounting surface 913 by inserting the mounting pins 914 into the connection holes 63 of the holder 6 as described above. In other words, when the holder 6 is attached to the mounting surface 913, the connection holes 63 of the holder 6 extend along the x-axis, which is the transport direction. Furthermore, the mounting pins 914 are not limited to the two mentioned above; any number of pins corresponding to the number of connection holes 63 formed in the holder 6 is sufficient.

[0082] [Storage Room] The storage chamber 31 houses a Carrier Transfer System (CTS) 319 controlled by a Carrier Transfer Mechanism Controller 138 shown in Figure 4, and a Holder Transfer Mechanism 320 (see Figure 11) controlled by a Holder Transfer Mechanism Controller 141. The Carrier Transfer Mechanism 319 is a transfer mechanism that moves the carrier 5 or sample piece 4 between the holder 6 and the LCC (carrier cartridge). The Holder Transfer Mechanism 320 transports the carrier 5 mounted on the holder 6 between the storage chamber 31 and the transfer chamber 29. As described above, the storage chamber 31 is connected to the transfer chamber 29 via an opening 302 on the y-axis side. Each device in the storage chamber 31 operates in atmospheric conditions.

[0083] Figure 11 is an external perspective view of the holder transport mechanism 320. The holder transport mechanism 320 has an arm 321 and a holder holding portion 322 provided at the y-axis end of the arm 321. The arm 321 moves along the y-axis as a drive mechanism (not shown) is controlled by the holder transport mechanism controller 141.

[0084] The holder holding portion 322 has a surface parallel to the xy plane and facing the z-axis-side. The surface 60a of the holder 6 is chucked by this surface, thereby holding the holder 6 from the z-axis-+ side. Specifically, the holder holding portion 322 is provided with a pin extending toward the z-axis-side. This pin is, for example, an air-expanding pin whose diameter can be changed by the supply of compressed air. When this pin is inserted into the through hole 64 of the holder 6 from the z-axis-+ side and its diameter is expanded by compressed air, the pin and the inner wall of the through hole 64 come into contact, and the holder 6 is held by the holder holding portion 322. When the compressed air is discharged and the diameter of the pin decreases, the pin and the inner wall of the through hole 64 no longer come into contact, releasing the chucking, and the holder 6 is removed from the holder holding portion 322. The holder holding portion 322 moves along the y-axis as the arm 321 moves along the y-axis.

[0085] Furthermore, the storage chamber 31 is provided with a stage on which holders 6 transported by the holder transport mechanism 320, or holders 6 scheduled to be transported by the holder transport mechanism 320, are temporarily placed. This stage is provided with a pin extending toward the z-axis+ side. This pin is an air-expanding pin similar to the pin on the holder holding part 322, and is inserted into the through hole 64 of the holder 6 from the z-axis- side. As a result, the holder 6 placed on the stage is chucking and held from the z-axis- side. This stage is controlled by the storage chamber controller 140 and is configured to be able to move up and down in the z-axis direction.

[0086] As the arm 321 moves to the y-axis side, the holder holding part 322 reaches the top (z-axis + side) of the elevator 92 in the transport chamber 29 through the opening 302. In other words, the arm 321 can transport the holder 6 along the y-axis between the stage in the storage chamber 31 and the elevator 92.

[0087] [Operation of the charged particle beam device] The operation of the charged particle beam apparatus 10 having the above configuration will now be described. The charged particle beam apparatus 10 performs loading, sampling, and unloading processes. In the loading process, the holder 6 and the carrier 5 mounted on the holder 6 in the storage chamber 31 are transported to the sample chamber 20, and the holder 6 is mounted on the substage 22. In the sampling process, a sample piece 4 is formed and manufactured from the wafer 3, and the sample piece 4 is transferred to the carrier 5. In the unloading process, after the sample piece 4 has been transferred to the carrier 5, the holder 6 with the carrier 5 mounted on it is transported back into the storage chamber 31. The loading, sampling, and unloading processes will be described below.

[0088] [Loading process] The loading process involves preparation, handover, and mounting. The following sections will explain each of these processes.

[0089] [Preparation Process] Preparation is mainly carried out inside the storage chamber 31. First, the storage chamber controller 140 (see Figure 4) recognizes the presence and orientation of the carrier 5 based on the acquired image, and then the carrier transport mechanism 319, controlled by the carrier transport mechanism controller 138, loads the carrier 5 onto the holder 6 placed on the stage inside the storage chamber 31. As a result, the carrier 5 is held in the carrier holding portion 61 of the holder 6. At this time, the holder 6 is chucked to the stage from below (z-axis side) of the through hole 64 formed in the holder 6, with surface 60a facing upward (z-axis + side) and surface 60b facing x-axis + side.

[0090] When the carrier 5 is mounted on the holder 6, the stage controlled by the storage chamber controller 140 moves to the z-axis+ side. This movement causes the surface 60a of the holder 6 to contact the holder holding part 322 located above the stage. In this state, the holder holding part 322 chucking the through hole 64 of the holder 6 from the upper side (z-axis+ side), while the stage releases the chucking from the lower side of the through hole 64. As a result, the holder holding part 322 holds the holder 6. The holder 6 is held by the holder holding part 322 in a holding position shown in Figure 7, where the u-axis, i.e., the arrangement direction of the sample piece 4 and carrier 5, is along the y-axis, with surface 60a facing the z-axis+ side and surface 60b facing the x-axis+ side. Subsequently, the stage controlled by the storage chamber controller 140 moves to the z-axis- side.

[0091] When the holder holding part 322 holds the holder 6, the transport chamber controller 139 opens the gate valve 302a, opening the opening 302 to connect the storage chamber 31 and the transport chamber 29. The holder transport mechanism controller 141 moves the arm 321 of the holder transport mechanism 320 toward the y-axis. As a result of this movement, the holder holding part 322 provided at the y-axis end of the arm 321 and the holder 6 held by the holder holding part 322 are transported through the opening 302 into the transport chamber 29.

[0092] [Delivery Process] As described above, the holder holding section 322 and the holder 6, transported into the transport chamber 29, are positioned above the elevator 92 (on the z-axis + side) while maintaining the above-described holding posture. The holder 6, held by the holder holding section 322, is transferred to the LLC arm 91 via the elevator 92 through a transfer process.

[0093] Figures 12(A) and 12(B) show the inside of the transport chamber 29 during the transfer process. As shown in Figure 12(A), the elevator 92 controlled by the transport mechanism controller 135 moves upward (towards the z-axis+ side). The pin 921 protruding from the mounting surface 920 of the elevator 92 towards the z-axis+ side is inserted from below into the through hole 64 of the holder 6 as the elevator 92 rises. With the pin 921 inserted into the through hole 64, the holder transport mechanism controller 141 releases the chucking of the holder holding part 322. As a result, the holder 6 moves downward due to gravity and is seated and placed on the mounting surface 920 of the elevator 92. Once the holder 6 is placed, the elevator 92 moves towards the z-axis- side. Then, the arm 321 controlled by the holder transport mechanism controller 141 moves to the y-axis + side, and the arm 321 and the holder holding part 322 retract into the storage chamber 31.

[0094] When the arm 321 and holder holding part 322 are retracted into the storage chamber 31, the transport chamber controller 139 closes the gate valve 302a and closes the opening 302. Then, the transport chamber controller 139 changes the transport chamber 29, which has become atmospheric by communicating with the storage chamber 31 which is atmospheric, to a vacuum state by exhausting (vacuuming) it. As a result, the atmosphere in the transport chamber 29 becomes the same as that of the vacuum state sample chamber 20, which will be communicated with in subsequent processing.

[0095] While the vacuum is being drawn, the holder 6, which is mounted on the elevator 92, is attached to the LLC arm 91. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12(B), the elevator 92 moves (rises) towards the z-axis+ side. At this time, the position where the elevator 92 rises is approximately the same as the position of the elevator 92 when the holder 6 is placed on the mounting surface 920 from the holder holding part 322 described above.

[0096] The transport mechanism controller 135 drives the second drive mechanism 911a by a predetermined amount to extend the LLC arm 91 toward the holder 6, which is mounted on the elevator 92, while maintaining its holding position. As the LLC arm 91 extends, the mounting surface 913 comes into contact with the surface 60b of the holder 6. Then, the mounting pin 914, which protrudes from the mounting surface 913 toward the x-axis, is inserted into the connection hole 63 formed in the surface 60b of the holder 6. As a result, the holder 6 is connected to the transport mechanism 90.

[0097] Figure 13(A) is a cross-sectional view along the CC line of Figure 12(B), schematically showing the state of the connection hole 63 and the mounting pin 914 inserted into the connection hole 63. As described above, the connection hole 63 has a first region 63a and a second region 63b with different diameters. When the holder 6 is placed on the elevator 92, the first region 63a is located on the x-axis+ side relative to the second region 63b. When the mounting pin 914 is inserted into this connection hole 63, the tip projection 914a that protrudes on the z-axis+ side from the x-axis- side end of the mounting pin 914 is accommodated in the second region 63b.

[0098] When the mounting pin 914 is inserted into the connection hole 63, the elevator 92 moves (descends) towards the z-axis. As the elevator 92 descends, the holder 6 also descends, moving towards the z-axis relative to the mounting pin 914 on the mounting surface 913. Due to this descent, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 13(B), the upper part of the mounting pin 914 comes into contact with the upper wall surface 63c of the first region 63a of the connection hole 63, and the x-axis+ side of the tip projection 914a comes into contact with the side wall surface 63d of the second region 63b. As a result, even if the elevator 92 continues to descend, the holder 6 is supported by the mounting pin 914. In other words, the holder 6 is attached to the mounting surface 913. This completes the transfer process of the holder 6 to the LLC arm 91.

[0099] [Installation process] Once the holder 6 is attached to the LLC arm 91 and the vacuuming of the transport chamber 29 is completed, the mounting process is performed. The transport chamber controller 139 opens the gate valve to open the opening 301, connecting the transport chamber 29 and the sample chamber 20. The transport mechanism controller 135 drives the second drive mechanism 911a by a predetermined amount to extend the LLC arm 91 toward the x-axis. As a result, the mounting surface 913 and the holder 6 are transported into the sample chamber 20 through the opening 301. In other words, since the holder 6 is attached to the mounting surface 913 in the holding position, the LLC arm 91 transports the holder 6 in a transport direction that intersects the arrangement direction in which the sample pieces 4 are arranged.

[0100] Furthermore, when the mounting process is performed, the substage controller 134 moves the substage 22 to a position where the rotation angles of the F-axis and θ-axis are 0°. In addition, the wafer stage controller 133 adjusts the height of the z-base 212 so that the height (position on the z-axis) of the mounting surface 224 of the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22 is approximately the same as the height of the lower surface of the holder 6 that is transported by the LLC arm 91.

[0101] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the LLC arm 91, holder 6, and substage 22 within the sample chamber 20. Figure 14(A) is an external perspective view of the LLC arm 91, holder 6, and substage 22 within the sample chamber 20, and Figure 14(B) is a cross-sectional view of Figure 14(A) along the DD line. When the holder 6 is transported into the sample chamber 20, the LLC arm 91 extends toward the x-axis, causing the surface 60c of the holder 6 to move onto the mounting surface 224 of the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22. At this time, the projection 225a formed on the biasing member 225 of the substage 22 moves in the z-axis direction along the shape of the inclined surface 66 formed on the surface 60a of the holder 6 as the holder 6 moves in the transport direction. In other words, as the holder 6 moves toward the x-axis, the projection 225a moves toward the z-axis along the inclined surface 66a of the inclined surface 66, and then moves toward the z-axis along the inclined surface 66b. When the holder 6 is moved to the mounting position on the mounting surface 224, the biasing member 225 biases the holder 6 toward the z-axis via the projection 225a.

[0102] When the holder 6 is moved to the mounting position on the mounting surface 224, the wafer stage controller 133 moves the z-base 212 toward the z-axis+ side, thereby raising the sub-stage 22 toward the z-axis+ side.

[0103] Figure 14(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the substage 22 has moved to the z-axis+ side with the holder 6 placed on the mounting surface 224. As the substage 22 rises, the holder 6 also rises, causing the holder 6 to rise relative to the LLC arm 91, i.e., the mounting pin 914. As a result, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 14(B), the mounting pin 914 no longer contacts the upper wall surface 63c of the second region 63b of the connection hole 63, and the tip projection 914a no longer contacts the side wall surface 63d of the first region 63a. That is, the tip projection 914a becomes movable along the x-axis within the first region 63a, and the mounting surface 913 becomes movable towards the x-axis- side relative to the holder 6. In this state, the transport mechanism controller 135 shortens the LLC arm 91 and moves the mounting surface 913 towards the x-axis+ side. As the substage 22 rises, the holder 6 and the mounting surface 913 do not engage, and since the holder 6 is biased towards the z-axis by the biasing member 225, the holder 6 remains in a position on the mounting surface 224. As a result, the mounting of the holder 6 to the substage 22 is completed.

[0104] As the LLC arm 91 continues to shorten, and as shown in Figure 9, once the entire LLC arm 91 has moved into the transport chamber 29 and is stored inside the transport chamber 29 (stored state), the storage chamber controller 140 closes the gate valve and closes the opening 301. This completes the process of mounting the holder 6 onto the substage 22.

[0105] Figures 15 and 16 are flowcharts illustrating the operation flow during the loading process of the charged particle beam apparatus 10. Each process shown in Figures 15 and 16 is automatically executed and controlled by the integrated control unit 130.

[0106] In step S201 of Figure 15, the integrated control unit 130 controls the storage room controller 140 to set the LCC (carrier cartridge) on which the carrier 5 is mounted, and recognizes the load and orientation of the carrier 5 set in the LCC based on the acquired image. In step S202, the integrated control unit 130 controls the carrier transport mechanism controller 138 to load the carrier 5 onto the holder 6 to the carrier transport mechanism 319. In step S203, the integrated control unit 130 controls the storage room controller 140 to raise the stage inside the storage room 31. The integrated control unit 130 controls the holder transport mechanism controller 141 to hold the holder 6 on the stage in the holder holding part 322 of the holder transport mechanism 320 by chucking. Then, the integrated control unit 130 controls the storage room controller 140 to release the chucking between the stage and the holder 6 and lower the stage.

[0107] In step S204, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to open the gate valve 302a. In step S205, the integrated control unit 130 controls the holder transport mechanism controller 141 to transport the arm 321 and holder holding part 322 of the holder transport mechanism 320 into the transport chamber 29 through the opening 302. The processes from steps S201 to S205 described above constitute the preparation process.

[0108] In step S206, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to raise the elevator 92 and insert the pin 921 protruding from the mounting surface 920 into the through hole 64 from below the holder 6. In step S207, the integrated control unit 130 controls the holder transport mechanism controller 141 to release the chucking of the holder holding part 322. In step S208, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to lower the elevator 92. In step S209, the integrated control unit 130 controls the holder transport mechanism controller 141 to move the arm 321 and the holder holding part 322 to the y-axis + side and retract and store them in the storage chamber 31. In step S210, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to close the gate valve 302a. In step S211, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to start vacuuming the transport chamber 29.

[0109] In step S212 of Figure 16, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to raise the elevator 92. In step S213, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to extend the LLC arm 91 toward the x-axis and insert the mounting pin 914, which protrudes toward the x-axis from the mounting surface 913, into the connection hole 63 formed in the surface 60b of the holder 6. In step S214, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to lower the elevator 92. The processes from step S206 to step S214 described above constitute the transfer process.

[0110] In step S215, the integrated control unit 130 moves the substage controller 134 to a position where the rotation angles of the F axis and θ axis are 0°. In step S216, the integrated control unit 130 determines whether or not the vacuuming of the transport chamber 29 is complete. If the transport chamber 29 is in a vacuum state and the vacuuming is complete, the integrated control unit 130 makes a positive determination and proceeds to step S217. If the transport chamber 29 is not in a vacuum state, the determination process is repeated.

[0111] In step S217, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to open the gate valve and open the opening 301. In step S218, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to extend the LLC arm 91 and transport the mounting surface 913 and holder 6 into the sample chamber 20, and place the holder 6 on the mounting surface 224 of the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22. In step S219, the integrated control unit 130 controls the wafer stage controller 133 to raise the z base 212 and raise the substage 22.

[0112] In step S220, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to shorten the LLC arm 91 toward the x-axis + side, retracting the LLC arm 91 and mounting surface 913 into the transport chamber 29, and placing them in the stored state shown in Figure 9. In step S221, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to close the gate valve and close the opening 301, ending the process. The process from step S215 to step S221 described above constitutes the mounting process.

[0113] [Sampling process] In the sampling process, the wafer 3 is processed to form and produce a sample piece 4 (processing process). The formed and produced sample piece 4 is then transferred to the carrier 5, which is mounted on the holder 6 attached to the substage 22 in the loading process described above (transfer process).

[0114] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the sample piece 4 that is formed and fabricated. Figure 17 shows the sample piece 4 that is formed and fabricated when observing the cross-sectional structure of the wafer 3 (cross-sectional observation). In this case, the sample piece 4 is a thin piece in which the width in the y-axis direction is thinner than the width in the x-axis direction and z-axis direction. In this case, the cross-section of the wafer 3 becomes the observation surface 40 of the sample piece 4, which will be described later. Note that when a sample piece 4 is formed and fabricated for observing the planar structure of the wafer 3 (planar observation), the sample piece 4 should be a thin piece in which the width in the z-axis direction is thinner than the width in the x-axis direction and y-axis direction. In this case, the plane of the wafer 3 becomes the observation surface of the sample piece 4, which will be described later.

[0115] A protective film is formed on the wafer 3 based on the shape of the sample piece 4. In this case, the protective film is formed on the surface of the wafer 3 by pouring a protective film material, such as carbon gas, into the wafer 3 while the position where the sample piece 4 is formed and fabricated is observed by irradiating the wafer 3 with ion beam b11 from the ion beam column 11. The ion beam column 11 irradiates the wafer 3 outside the protective film with ion beam b11, etching a portion of the wafer 3. This forms and fabricates the sample piece 4.

[0116] As a result, during the processing, the wafer 3 is irradiated with the ion beam b11, and a sample piece 4 is processed with the planar or cross-section of the wafer 3 as the observation surface. At this point, the sample piece 4 is connected to the wafer 3 by the connection point 4a. In other words, at this point, the sample piece 4, the connection point 4a and the wafer 3 are integrated, and as will be described later, when the sample piece 4 is transferred to the carrier 5 by the needle 112, it separates from the connection point 4a.

[0117] In the transfer process, a needle 112, which is the sample transfer unit, is attached to the sample piece 4 processed in the processing process, thereby extracting and separating (lifting out) the sample piece 4 from the wafer 3. The lifted-out sample piece 4 is then mounted on a carrier 5 on a holder 6 attached to a substage 22, with the observation surface 40 of the sample piece 4 parallel to the surface of the carrier 5. This process is performed using an automated microsampling method.

[0118] Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relocation process. First, as shown in Figure 18(A), the needle 112 is controlled by the needle controller 142 to approach the sample piece 4. Deposition processing is performed in the sample chamber 20, and the needle 112 is bonded to a part of the sample piece 4. As shown in the figure, the needle 112 is bonded to the side surface 4b of the sample piece 4 opposite to the connection point 4a. The ion beam column 11 irradiates the connection point 4a connecting the sample piece 4 and the wafer 3 with ion beam b11 to perform etching. As a result, the sample piece 4 is cut, extracted, and separated from the wafer 3.

[0119] Next, as shown in Figure 18(B), the sample piece 4 held by the needle 112 is moved to the position of the pillar 53 on the carrier 5 by the movement of the needle 112 controlled by the needle controller 142. As mentioned above, since the carrier 5 is mounted on a holder 6 attached to the substage 22, the carrier 5 is located in a different position from the wafer 3. When performing cross-sectional observation, the substage 22 is driven to a position where both the F-axis and θ-axis rotation angles are 90°. When performing planar observation, the substage 22 is driven to positions where the F-axis and θ-axis angles are 0° and 90°, respectively. Then, the movement of the needle 112 is controlled by the needle controller 142, and the sample piece 4 approaches the position of the pillar 53.

[0120] As shown in Figure 18(C), the side 4c of the sample piece 4 opposite to the side 4b where it is connected to the needle 112 is close to the pillar 53. Deposition processing is performed near this side 4c, thereby bonding the pillar 53 and the sample piece 4. At this time, the observation surface 40 of the sample piece 4, which is a cross-section or plane of the wafer 3, is mounted parallel to the surface of the carrier 5. The ion beam column 11 then irradiates the area on side 4b where the sample piece 4 and the needle 112 are connected with ion beam b11 to perform etching. This cuts the sample piece 4 away from the needle 112. This completes the sampling process of the sample piece 4.

[0121] Figure 18 shows a case where one sample piece 4 is supported by one pillar 53. However, by making the pillar 53 taller, multiple sample pieces 4 may be supported by one pillar 53.

[0122] [Unloading process] Once the sampling process is complete, the unloading process is performed. In the unloading process, the carrier 5, onto which the sample pieces 4 have been transferred, is transported from the sample chamber 20 to the storage chamber 31 via the transport chamber 29 while mounted on the holder 6. In the unloading process, the actions performed during the loading process described above are reversed to perform the removal process, the handover process, and the recovery process. The removal process, the handover process, and the recovery process will be explained below, mainly focusing on the differences from the preparation process, the handover process, and the mounting process during the loading process described above.

[0123] [Removal process] During the removal process, the substage controller 134 moves the substage 22 to a position where the rotation angles of the F-axis and θ-axis are 0°. The wafer stage controller 133 also adjusts the z-axis position of the z-base 212 so that the height (position on the z-axis) of the mounting surface 224 of the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22 is the height at which the LLC arm 91 begins to retract during the loading process described above.

[0124] In this state, the transport mechanism controller 135 extends the LLC arm 91 toward the x-axis. As the LLC arm 91 extends, the mounting surface 913 is brought into the sample chamber 20 and comes into contact with the surface 60b of the holder 6, and the mounting pin 914 protruding from the mounting surface 913 is inserted into the connection hole 63.

[0125] Since the height (position on the z-axis) of the mounting surface 224 of the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22 is adjusted to the height at which the LLC arm 91 begins to retract during the loading process described above, the mounting pin 914 and the connection hole 63 are in the state shown in Figure 14(B). In this state, the wafer stage controller 133 moves the z-base 212 toward the z-axis and lowers it.

[0126] The holder 6, which is placed on the mounting surface 224 of the mounting portion 221 of the substage 22 and biased toward the z-axis by the biasing member 225, descends relative to the mounting pin 914 as the substage 22 descends. As a result, the mounting pin 914 comes into contact with the upper wall surface 63c of the first region 63a of the connection hole 63, and the tip projection 914a comes into contact with the side wall surface 63d of the second region 63b. Therefore, when the LLC arm 91 is shortened by the transport mechanism controller 135 and the mounting surface 913 begins to move toward the x-axis+ side, the holder 6 also begins to move toward the x-axis+ side because the tip projection 914a and the side wall surface 63d are in contact.

[0127] As the LLC arm 91 and holder 6 move toward the x-axis+ side, the projection 225a formed on the biasing member 225 of the substage 22 moves in the z-axis direction along the shape of the inclined surface 66 formed on the surface 60a of the holder 6. That is, as the holder 6 moves toward the x-axis+ side, the projection 225a moves toward the z-axis+ side along the slope 66b of the inclined surface 66, and then moves toward the z-axis- side along the slope 66a. When the holder 6 moves toward the x-axis+ side beyond the biasing member 225, the holder 6 is removed from the substage 22.

[0128] [Delivery Process] In the handover process, the reverse procedure of the handover process during the loading process is performed, so that the holder 6 transported by the LLC arm 91 is transferred to the holder holding section 322 of the holder transport mechanism 320 via the elevator 92.

[0129] The transport mechanism controller 135 shortens the LLC arm 91 to position the holder 6, which is attached to the mounting surface 913, above (towards the z-axis+) the mounting surface 920 of the elevator 92. Then, the elevator 92 moves upward towards the z-axis+ side, and the pin 921 protruding from the mounting surface 920 towards the z-axis+ side is inserted into the through hole 64 of the holder 6. At this time, the connection hole 63 of the holder 6 and the mounting pin 914 are in the state shown in Figure 13(B). That is, the mounting pin 914 abuts against the upper wall surface 63c of the first region 63a of the connection hole 63, and the tip projection 914a abuts against the side wall surface 63d of the second region 63b.

[0130] Next, the elevator 92 rises by a predetermined amount towards the z-axis+ side. As a result, the holder 6 moves towards the z-axis+ side relative to the mounting surface 913, and the connection hole 63 and mounting pin 914 of the holder 6 move to the state shown in Figure 13(A). That is, the mounting pin 914 no longer contacts the upper wall surface 63c of the first region 63a of the connection hole 63, and the tip projection 914a no longer contacts the side wall surface 63d of the second region 63b. Therefore, the tip projection 914a becomes able to move along the x-axis within the first region 63a, and the mounting surface 913 becomes able to move towards the x-axis- side relative to the holder 6. In this state, the transport mechanism controller 135 shortens the LLC arm 91 to move the mounting surface 913 towards the x-axis+ side and put it into the retracted state. As a result, the holder 6 is placed on the mounting surface 920 of the elevator 92. Subsequently, the elevator 92 descends toward the z-axis. As the elevator 92 descends, the arm 321, controlled by the holder transport mechanism controller 141, is transported into the transport chamber 29, and the holder holding part 322 is positioned above the holder 6.

[0131] When the holder holding section 322 is brought into the transport chamber 29, the elevator 92 rises, bringing the surface 60a of the holder 6 into contact with the lower surface of the holder holding section 322. In this state, the holder holding section 322 chucking the through hole 64 of the holder 6 from the upper side (z-axis + side). Then, the elevator 92 is lowered towards the z-axis - side. As a result, the holder 6 is transferred from the elevator 92 to the holder holding section 322 of the holder transport mechanism 320. The holder 6 moves together with the holder holding section 322 as the arm 321 moves towards the y-axis + side, and is retracted into the storage chamber 31.

[0132] [Recovery process] In the retrieval process, the reverse of the preparation process during the loading process is performed, causing the holder 6 held by the holder holding unit 322 to be placed on the stage in the storage chamber 31. Then, the carrier 5 mounted on the holder 6 is removed from the holder 6. The holder transport mechanism 320 is provided with a pin that moves up and down along the z-axis, and this pin drives the biasing unit 62 of the holder 6, releasing the biasing force applied to the carrier 5 by the biasing unit 62. In this state, the carrier 5 is removed from the holder 6. The removed carrier 5 is then housed in a cartridge or the like for storage.

[0133] Figures 19 and 20 are flowcharts illustrating the operation flow during the loading process of the charged particle beam apparatus 10. Each process shown in Figures 19 and 20 is automatically executed and controlled by the integrated control unit 130.

[0134] In step S301 of Figure 19, the integrated control unit 130 controls the substage controller 134 to move the substage 22 to a position where the rotation angles of the F axis and θ axis are 0°. In step S302, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to open the gate valve and open the opening 301. In step S303, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to extend the LLC arm 91, move the mounting surface 913 into the sample chamber 20, and insert the mounting pin 914 into the connection hole 63. In step S304, the integrated control unit 130 controls the wafer stage controller 133 to lower the z base 212, thereby lowering the substage 22. In step S305, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to shorten the LLC arm 91 and retract the holder 6 from the sample chamber 20. In step S306, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to close the gate valve and close the opening 301. The processes from step S301 to step S306 described above constitute the removal process.

[0135] In step S307, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to shorten the LLC arm 91 and position the holder 6 above the elevator 92. In step S308, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to raise the elevator 92 and insert the pin 921 protruding from the mounting surface 920 into the through hole 64 from below the holder 6. In step S309, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to shorten the LLC arm 91 and return the LLC arm 91 to its retracted state.

[0136] In step S310, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to lower the elevator 92. In step S311, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to exhaust the transport chamber 29. In step S312 of Figure 20, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to open the gate valve 302a. In step S313, the integrated control unit 130 controls the carrier transport mechanism controller 138 to transport the arm 321 and holder holding part 322 of the holder transport mechanism 320 into the transport chamber 29 through the opening 302.

[0137] In step S314, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to raise the elevator 92 and insert the pin 921 protruding from the mounting surface 920 into the through hole 64 from below the holder 6. In step S315, the integrated control unit 130 controls the carrier transport mechanism controller 138 to hold the holder 6 by chucking the holder holding part 322. In step S316, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport mechanism controller 135 to lower the elevator 92.

[0138] In step S317, the integrated control unit 130 controls the holder transport mechanism controller 141 to transport the arm 321, holder holding part 322, and holder 6 of the holder transport mechanism 320 into the storage chamber 31 through the opening 302. In step S318, the integrated control unit 130 controls the transport chamber controller 139 to close the gate valve 302a. At this point, if the holder 6 is not subsequently transported between the storage chamber 31 and the transport chamber 29, the integrated control unit 130 may control the transport chamber controller 139 to evacuate (vacuum) the transport chamber 29. The processes from step S307 to step S318 described above constitute the handover process.

[0139] In step S319, the integrated control unit 130 controls the storage room controller 140 to raise the stage inside the storage room 31. The integrated control unit 130 controls the storage room controller 140 to place the holder 6, held by the holder holding unit 322, onto the stage by chucking. The integrated control unit 130 controls the holder transport mechanism controller 141 to release the chucking of the holder holding unit 322. Subsequently, the integrated control unit 130 controls the storage room controller 140 to lower the stage inside the storage room 31. As a result, the holder 6 is stored inside the storage room 31.

[0140] In step S320, the integrated control unit 130 controls the carrier transport mechanism controller 138 to remove the carrier 5 from the holder 6, and to place it in a cartridge or the like for storage. As a result, the carrier 5 is recovered, and the process is completed. Steps S319 and S320 described above constitute the recovery process. According to the embodiments described above, at least one of the following effects can be obtained.

[0141] (1) The charged particle beam apparatus 10 comprises a wafer stage 21 and a substage 22 housed in a sample chamber 20, and a transport mechanism 90. The substage 22 has a tilting mechanism 223 that tilts a holder 6, which holds a sample piece 4 made from a wafer 3, independently of the wafer 3. The transport mechanism 90 transports the holder 6 from the substage 22 to the outside of the sample chamber 20 independently of the wafer 3. As a result, when transporting the holder 6, it is only necessary to evacuate the transport chamber 29 connected to the sample chamber 20, which reduces the time required for evacuating compared to when the sample chamber 20 is evacuated, contributing to improved work efficiency. Furthermore, it is no longer necessary to transport the wafer 3 and the sample piece 4 together by a single mechanism to the outside of the sample chamber 20, and the need to transport only the holder 6 with the sample piece 4 attached out of the sample chamber 20 can be met.

[0142] (2) Multiple carriers 5, each carrying a sample piece 4, are arranged in the holder 6 along the arrangement direction. The tilting mechanism 223 tilts the sample pieces 4 around the F-axis, which is an axis parallel to the arrangement direction. The transport mechanism 90 transports the holder 6 in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction (transport direction). This allows for attitude control and transport of the holder 6, which is equipped with multiple carriers 5. Therefore, compared to conventional technology that allows transport of a holder equipped with a single carrier and capable of tilting, the number of sample pieces 4 that can be measured and transported can be increased, and the measurement and transport efficiency can be improved.

[0143] (3) The transport mechanism 90 has an LLC arm 91 that extends and retracts by a telescopic mechanism. This improves the straightness of the transport direction when the holder 6 is transported. Furthermore, even when the transport distance of the holder 6 is long, the LLC arm 91 can be shortened and stored, so the transport chamber 29 can be made smaller compared to when a transport rod or the like is used. Also, the holder 6 can be transported with a less expensive configuration compared to when a robot arm or the like is used.

[0144] (4) The storage chamber 31 has a holder transport mechanism 320 that transports the holder 6 between the transport chamber 29 and the storage chamber 31. This makes it possible to separate the storage chamber 31 and the transport chamber 29 and reduce the volume of the transport chamber 29, so that only the transport chamber 29 can be vacuumed, and the time required for vacuuming can be reduced.

[0145] (5) The holder 6 has a connection hole 63 for connecting to the LLC arm 91 of the transport mechanism 90 and a through hole 64 for connecting to the holder holding part 322 of the holder transport mechanism 320. This makes it possible to transfer the holder 6 between the transport mechanism 90 and the holder transport mechanism 320 with a simple configuration.

[0146] (6) The connection hole 63 is a hole formed along the transport direction of the holder 6. The mounting surface 913 of the transport mechanism 90 is provided with a mounting pin 914, which is a projection extending along the transport direction. The holder 6 is connected to the transport mechanism 90 by inserting the mounting pin 914 into the connection hole 63. This makes it possible to connect the holder 6 to the transport mechanism 90 with a simple configuration.

[0147] (7) The tip of the mounting pin 914 has a tip projection 914a that extends in the z-axis direction intersecting the transport direction. When the holder 6 is connected to the transport mechanism 90, the tip projection 914a is housed in the second region 63b of the connection hole 63, which has a larger diameter than the first region 63a. As a result, when the holder 6 is transported, the tip projection 914a abuts against the side wall surface 63d, which is the step between the first region 63a and the second region 63b. This restricts the holder 6 from moving in the x-axis direction relative to the LLC arm 91 of the transport mechanism 90. As a result, the holder 6 is prevented from falling off the transport mechanism 90 during transport. Furthermore, the transfer, mounting, and removal of the holder 6 are performed by the movement of the LLC arm 91 in the transport direction and the movement of the elevator 92 or substage 22 in the z-axis direction, eliminating the need for complex mechanisms.

[0148] (8) The substage 22 has a mounting portion 221 as a holding mechanism for detachably holding the holder 6. The mounting portion 221 has a mounting surface 224 on which the holder 6 is placed, and a biasing member 225 that biases the placed holder 6 toward the mounting surface 224. The holder 6 has an inclined surface 66 that protrudes toward the biasing member 225 from the surface 60a. When the holder 6 is placed on the mounting surface 224, the inclined surface 66 and the biasing member 225 face each other. As a result, the holder 6 is mounted and fixed by being sandwiched between the mounting surface 224 and the biasing member 225 from the z-axis + side and - side in a simple configuration. In addition, the projection 225a that protrudes downward from the biasing member 225 and the inclined surface 66 that protrudes upward from the holder 6 prevent the placed holder 6 from moving toward the mounting portion 221 along the transport direction. As a result, even if the wafer stage 21 and substage 22 move and rotate in various directions during the sampling process, the holder 6 is prevented from falling off the substage 22.

[0149] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been specifically described above, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention. Each embodiment allows for the addition, deletion, and replacement of components, except for essential components. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural. Combinations of each embodiment are also possible. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0150] 1 Inspection system, 1a Sample preparation mechanism, 3 Wafer, 4 Sample piece, 5 Carrier, 6 Holder, 10 Charged particle beam apparatus, 11 Ion beam column, 12 Electron beam column, 20 Sample chamber, 21 Wafer stage, 22 Substage, 29 Transport chamber, 31 Storage chamber, 61 Carrier holding section, 62 Biasing section, 63 Connection hole, 63a First area, 63b Second area, 63c Upper wall surface, 63d Side wall surface, 64 Through hole, 66 Inclined surface, 66a, 66b Inclined surface, 90 Transport mechanism, 91 LLC arm, 92 Elevator, 100 Computer system, 101 Higher control unit, 130 Integrated control unit, 133 Wafer stage controller, 134 Substage controller, 135 Transport mechanism controller, 137 Sample chamber controller, 138 Carrier transport mechanism controller, 139 140 Transport chamber controller, 141 Storage chamber controller, 221 Holder transport mechanism controller, 221 Mounting section, 222 Mounting support section, 223 Inclination mechanism, 224 Mounting surface, 225 Biasing member, 225a Protrusion, 301, 302 Opening, 302a Gate valve, 319 Carrier transport mechanism, 320 Holder transport mechanism, 321 Arm, 322 Holder holding section, 910 Arm base, 910a First drive mechanism, 911 First extension section, 911a Second drive mechanism, 912 Second extension section, 912a Third drive mechanism, 913 Mounting surface, 914 Mounting pin, 914a Tip projection, 920 Mounting surface, 921 Pin

Claims

1. The sample stage on which the sample is mounted, A charged particle beam tube for irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam, A sample piece holder on which sample pieces prepared from the aforementioned sample are mounted is detachably attached, and the sample piece holder has a tilting mechanism that tilts independently of the sample, and the sample piece stage is provided on the sample stage, A sample chamber for housing the sample stage and the sample piece stage, A charged particle beam apparatus comprising a transport mechanism for removing the sample holder from the sample stage and transporting the sample holder outside the sample chamber independently of the sample.

2. In the charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1, The sample holder has a plurality of carriers on which the sample pieces are attached arranged, The tilting mechanism tilts the sample piece about an axis parallel to the arrangement direction of the plurality of carriers, The transport mechanism is a charged particle beam apparatus that transports the sample holder in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction.

3. In the charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1, The transport mechanism is a charged particle beam apparatus having a transport arm that extends and retracts by a telescopic mechanism.

4. In the charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1, A transport chamber connected to the aforementioned sample chamber and housing the transport mechanism, The storage chamber, which is connected to the transport chamber, includes a relocation mechanism for moving the carrier between the sample holder and the carrier cartridge. The storage chamber has a holder transport mechanism for transporting the sample piece holder between the transport chamber and the storage chamber, and is a charged particle beam apparatus.

5. In the charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 4, The charged particle beam apparatus has a sample holder having a first connection mechanism that connects to the transport mechanism and a second connection mechanism that connects to the holder transport mechanism.

6. In the charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 5, The first connection mechanism of the sample holder is a connection hole formed along the transport direction of the sample holder by the transport mechanism, The transport mechanism has a projection extending along the transport direction, A charged particle beam apparatus, wherein the sample holder is connected to the transport mechanism by the insertion of the projection into the connection hole.

7. In the charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 6, The tip of the projection is provided with a tip projection that extends in a direction intersecting the conveying direction. The connection hole has a first region and a second region having a larger diameter than the first region. A charged particle beam apparatus in which, when the sample holder is connected to the transport mechanism, the tip projection is housed in the second region of the connection hole.

8. In the charged particle beam apparatus according to claim 1, The sample stage has a holding mechanism that detachably holds the sample holder, The holding mechanism includes a mounting surface on which the sample holder is placed, and a biasing member that biases the mounted sample holder toward the mounting surface. The sample holder has an inclined surface that protrudes toward the biasing member, A charged particle beam apparatus in which, when the sample holder is placed on the aforementioned mounting surface, the biasing member and the inclined surface face each other.

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