JP2001084945A - Voice input device in scanning electron microscope or similar apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make everyone including novices and experts easily to operate a scanning electron microscope by providing a voice input (operating) device allowing to operate equally to a keyboard, a mouse, and a special console by informing various operating instructions using voice, and to improve operability by freely making an operation method suitable for an operator. SOLUTION: Each operation instruction is informed by voice and executed, and it is also preferable to incorporate an operation guide capable of supporting an operation to be executed next time by voice (voice of reply) or a message on a monitor. It is also preferable that an operator be able to freely enter a single function requested by the operator (example: for auto brightness and contrast, 'ABC' is registered) and the operator can also enter a word to execute multiple functions as a combination of single function of various operations at a time (example: for applying accelerating voltage followed by executing auto brightness and contrast, 'HVABC' is registered).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for operating a scanning electron microscope apparatus or similar apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional scanning electron microscope, when performing various controls such as magnification, acceleration voltage, and scanning speed, a keyboard, a mouse, and a dedicated console are used to find and drop a switch of a corresponding operation portion. The operation is performed by selecting according to the menu displayed on the monitor.

[0003]

When various operations of the scanning electron microscope are performed in the above-mentioned prior art, a switch of a desired function is found out and dropped or a keyboard or a key switch is operated.
After displaying the menu on the monitor using a mouse etc.,
This is an operation method for selecting a corresponding item. The above-described operation method requires the operator to memorize many switch locations (positions) and several types of menu positions, which is one factor that complicates the operability of the scanning electron microscope.

In addition, the items of the various operation switches, the location, the contents of the menu, and the like are one-sidedly pressed by the production side, and there is a problem that the operator is not always satisfied with the operation. .

[0005] An object of the present invention is to make it easy for anyone from beginners to experts to operate a scanning electron microscope.
An object of the present invention is to improve operability by allowing an operation method suitable for an operator to be freely created.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an audio input / output device and an audio control device are added to a scanning electron microscope, and linking with various control items is performed to enable the input by audio input. The operation of the scanning electron microscope is realized.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The operation and configuration of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a scanning electron microscope according to the present invention. The central processing unit 1 (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) controls all control circuits of the scanning electron microscope, and controls the high voltage generation circuit 3 via the D / A converter 2 so that the filament 15 is controlled. An electron beam 23 is generated from an electron gun including a Wehnelt 16 and an anode 17. The electron beam 23 generated from the electron gun does not always pass through the center of the lens system, and the gun 1 alignment coil 18 and the gun 2 alignment coil 19 are connected to the gun alignment coil control circuit 7.
Is corrected so as to pass through the center of the lens system. Next, the electron beam 23 is transmitted to the convergent lens control circuit 8.
(Condenser) lenses 20, 2 controlled by
It is squeezed finely with 1. The converged electron beam 23 passes through the objective movable stop 9 for converging the electron beam 23, and functions of a scanning oscillation circuit 10 for controlling a scanning speed and the like, a deflection control circuit 11 for deflecting the electron beam, and a function of a deflection coil 22. Scans the sample 24.

By scanning the sample 24 with the electron beam 23, information signals such as secondary electrons 26 are generated from the sample 24, and the information signals are detected by the secondary electron detector 14. Thereafter, the information signal is passed through the display circuit 13 to the CRT 12.
Will be displayed. In addition, a driving device that allows the sample stage 25 to move is provided on the sample stage 25 for installing the sample 24.
Axis, installed. The driving device includes an X-axis driving device 27 for moving the X-axis, a Y-axis driving device 28 for moving the Y-axis, and a sample 2.
4, a Z-axis drive unit 29 for moving the height of 4, a T-axis drive unit 30 for tilting the sample table 25, and an R-axis drive unit 31 for rotating the sample 24.

According to the present invention, the control of the various scanning electron microscopes described above is added to a keyboard 32, a mouse 33 and a dedicated console 34, a microphone 36 for taking in voice, a speaker 37 for outputting a message, a microphone 36, and a speaker 3.
7 is constituted by a voice control device 35 for controlling the control unit 7.

This function will be described using "HV ON" shown below as an embodiment in the above-described configuration. Conventionally, when performing HV ON, a hardware switch is found and dropped from the dedicated operation console 34, or a corresponding menu is displayed on the monitor 12 using the keyboard 32 and the mouse 33, and then a soft switch is found and dropped via the CPU 1. Controls the high voltage generation circuit 3. However, this operation requires the operator to remember the position (position) of the switch and the position of the menu, and in some cases, has caused an erroneous operation due to an incorrectly pressed selection switch or the like. This time, a voice input (operation) device including a voice control device 35, a microphone 36, and a speaker 37 is added, and by controlling the CPU 1, the voice input from the microphone 36 can be voice-controlled by speaking "HV ON" by voice. The input signal is converted by the device 35 into the CPU 1
After determining that the high voltage generation circuit 3 is to be controlled, a high voltage is applied. As described above, the entire configuration of the scanning electron microscope including the driving device and the moving device that makes the sample table 25 movable can be performed.

Next, in the voice input (operation) device, various operation commands input by voice are executed, and the operation to be performed next is supported by voice (reply voice: speaker 37) or message display on the monitor 12. A voice input (operation) device including an operation guide for performing the operation will be described with reference to a logic diagram (flow chart) of FIG. This function starts with the judgment processing of various instructions. "HV
If it is determined to be “ON”, the HV ON process is performed as the first process. Normally, the scanning electron microscope stores the previous setting value, but it is necessary to readjust the brightness or readjust the focus depending on the sample to be observed. In the second process, for the purpose of assisting the operation of the operator, the operation to be performed next by the operator is extracted from the information storage table, and the speaker 37 informs the user of the operation by voice. The help of the operator is displayed by displaying a message on the monitor 12. The contents guided as the third process are the operations frequently performed by the operator by the learning function (updating the information storage table) and stored in the next process. This is reflected on the display.

Further, a voice input device capable of voice registration / correction / deletion will be described with reference to a logic diagram (flow chart) of FIG. This function allows the operator to freely register a single function to be operated when inputting various functions by voice input (eg, “ABC” in the case of auto brightness & contrast) and various operations A word that executes a plurality of functions at once by a combination of the single functions can be registered (for example, “HVABC” is registered when executing the auto brightness and contrast after applying the acceleration voltage). Further, as shown in the logic diagram, the registered voice can be freely corrected and deleted, and a voice input suitable for the operator is provided.

As described above, the voice input operation described above can be performed by using a conventional operation unit (keyboard 32, mouse 33, dedicated console 34) and the present voice input device together. A menu switch or the like that allows the operator to select any operation method, such as only the operation unit or only the voice input, and allows the operator to select an arbitrary operation method is provided, and the operation suitable for the purpose can be performed.

As described above, by adding the voice input method in addition to the conventional operation method, it is possible to provide a product with higher operability.

[0016]

According to the present invention, anyone from beginner to expert can easily operate the scanning electron microscope and can freely create an operation method suitable for the operator. This has the effect of improving the quality.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of a scanning electron microscope.

FIG. 2 shows a logic diagram (flowchart) of a voice input process of the scanning electron microscope.

FIG. 3 shows a logic diagram (flowchart) of voice registration / deletion processing of the scanning electron microscope.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 2 ... D / A converter, 3 ... High voltage control circuit, 4
... Filament circuit, 5 ... Bias circuit, 6 ... Emission current detector, 7 ... Gun alignment coil control circuit, 8 ... Convergent lens control circuit, 9 ... Object movable diaphragm, 10
... scanning oscillation circuit, 11 ... deflection control circuit, 12 ... CRT,
13 ... display circuit, 14 ... secondary electron detector, 15 ... filament, 16 ... Wehnelt, 17 ... anode, 18 ...
Gun 1 alignment choir, 19 ... Gun 2 alignment coil, 20 ... Convergence (condenser) 1 lens, 21 ... Convergence (condenser) 2 lens, 22 ... Deflection coil, 23 ...
Electron beam, 24: sample, 25: sample stage, 26: secondary electron,
27: X-axis drive, 28: Y-axis drive, 29: Z-axis drive, 30: T-axis drive, 31: R-axis drive,
32 ... keyboard, 33 ... mouse, 34 ... dedicated console,
35: Voice control device, 36: Microphone, 37: Speaker.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masaya Takashima 1040 Ma, Ishiki, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture Inside Hitachi Science Systems Co., Ltd. Within Science Systems

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An electron gun, a gun alignment coil for correcting an electron beam generated from the electron gun to pass through the center of a lens system, a converging (condenser) lens for narrowing down the electron beam, and converging by the converging lens. A deflection coil for scanning the sampled electron beam on the sample, a detector for detecting an information signal output from the sample during the scanning, and a CR for detecting the information signal.
A scanning electron microscope including a display circuit for displaying on a T, and an operation unit for controlling the various functions described above with a keyboard, a mouse, and a dedicated console. The scanning electron microscope is the first scanning electron microscope equipped with a voice input (operation) device that can perform the same operation as a keyboard, mouse, and dedicated console by notifying various operation commands by voice. Or similar device. 2. The voice input (operation) described in claim 1.
In the device, each operation command is notified and executed by voice, and the next operation to be performed is voiced (voice of reply) or
A scanning electron microscope or similar device comprising a voice input (operation) device including an operation guide capable of supporting by a message on a monitor. 3. The voice input (operation) described in claim 1.
In the apparatus, when operating various functions by voice input, the operator can freely register a single function to be operated (for example, “ABC” is registered in the case of auto brightness & contrast), and Words that execute multiple functions at once by combining single functions can also be registered. (Example: After applying acceleration voltage, auto brightness &
A scanning electron microscope or a similar device, comprising a voice input (operation) device for performing contrast when registering as "HVABC". 4. The voice input (operation) described in claim 1.
In the device, it is also possible to operate both the conventional operation unit (keyboard, mouse, dedicated console) and this voice input device, and select only the conventional operation unit or only the voice input and the operation method. A scanning electron microscope or a similar device, comprising a voice input (operation) device capable of performing the operation.