JP2007214089A - Sample stand for scanning electron microscope, and its angle adjusting method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sample stand for a scanning electron microscope and its angle adjusting method whereby the angle of a sample can be easily and accurately adjusted. <P>SOLUTION: This sample stand 25 is composed of a sample pasting plate 30 for pasting the sample, three angle adjusting screws 31 to support the sample pasting plate 30 at three points so as to freely tilt it, a body 33 in which the angle adjusting screws 31 are threaded, and a pedestal 37 connected to a connecting screw 32 integrally formed in the body 33. The threaded amount of the angle adjusting screw 31 regularly changes in response to its rotation, and a user can easily and accurately adjust the angle of the sample by rotationally operating each angle adjusting screw 31. The user adjusts the angle while monitoring the pedestal 25 from the side direction of the sample by a stereomicroscope. Grid lines are displayed in parallel at regular intervals in the stereomicroscope, and the user adjusts the angle while referring to the grid lines. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a scanning electron microscope sample stage and a method for adjusting the angle of the scanning electron microscope.

A scanning electron microscope is an apparatus that generates an observation image by scanning an electron beam emitted from an electron gun two-dimensionally on an observation surface of a sample and detecting secondary electrons emitted from the sample. In order to observe a sample with this scanning electron microscope, it is necessary to attach the sample stage on a sample stage of the scanning electron microscope after attaching the sample to the sample stage (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-319362

  In order to observe a sample with a scanning electron microscope, it is necessary to set the sample at a desired angle. Conventionally, the angle setting of the sample is performed when the sample is attached to the sample stage, and it is difficult to set the angle after attaching the sample stage to the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope. For this reason, when the sample is tilted when it is attached to the sample stage, or when the sample is attached correctly, the observation surface of the sample is originally inclined, or the sample angle is changed. In the case where it is desired to perform, it is necessary to peel off the sample from the sample stage and then attach it again to the sample stage. This sample replacement work is troublesome and problematic for the user.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sample stage for a scanning electron microscope and an angle adjustment method thereof capable of easily and accurately adjusting the angle of a sample.

  In order to achieve the above object, a scanning electron microscope sample stage according to the present invention connects a main body, a sample holding member for holding a sample, the main body and the sample holding member, and the sample holding member to 3 An angle adjustment means that enables the angle of the sample to be adjusted by tilting it at a point, and a detachable connection to the sample stage mounting portion formed on the sample stage of the scanning electron microscope. And a possible pedestal.

  In addition, it is preferable that the said angle adjustment means consists of three screws screwed together in the said main body, and the amount of screwing changes uniformly according to rotation.

  In addition, it is preferable that a mounting portion for an operating rod used for attaching to and detaching from the sample table mounting portion is formed on the pedestal.

  The angle adjustment method of the scanning electron microscope sample stage of the present invention is the angle adjustment method of the scanning electron microscope sample stage, wherein the angle is measured while observing the scanning electron microscope sample stage from the side surface direction of the sample with an optical microscope. The angle adjustment is performed by operating the adjusting means.

  A plurality of parallel lines are displayed as grid lines in the observation field of view of the optical microscope, and it is preferable to adjust the angle by operating the angle adjusting means while referring to the grid lines.

  According to the scanning electron microscope sample stage of the present invention, there is provided an angle adjusting means for adjusting the angle of the sample by connecting the main body and the sample holding member and supporting the sample holding member in a tiltable manner at three points. Thus, the angle adjustment of the sample can be performed easily and accurately. In addition, the angle adjusting means is three screws that are screwed into the main body and the amount of screwing changes constantly according to the rotation, so that the angle can be adjusted easily and accurately by rotating the screw. it can.

  Also, according to the angle adjustment method of the scanning electron microscope sample stage of the present invention, the angle adjustment means is operated to adjust the angle while observing the scanning electron microscope sample stage from the side surface direction of the sample, so that the angle adjustment is performed. Angle adjustment can be performed easily and accurately. Further, the angle can be adjusted more accurately by operating the angle adjusting means while referring to the grid lines displayed in the observation field of view.

  In FIG. 1, the scanning electron microscope 10 mainly includes an electron gun chamber 13 including an electron gun 12 that emits an electron beam (electron beam) 11, a focusing lens 14, a deflection coil 15, and an objective lens 16. It comprises an intermediate chamber 17, a sample chamber 20 provided with a sample stage 18 and a detector 19, and an exhaust pump 21 and an exhaust pipe 22 for maintaining a vacuum by reducing the pressure inside the apparatus. Note that the sample stage 18 finely moves according to the operation of the operation knob 23. On the sample stage 18, a sample stage mounting portion 26 to which a sample stage 25 holding the sample 24 is detachably mounted is integrally formed.

  The focusing lens 14 and the objective lens 16 focus the electron beam 11 emitted from the electron gun 12 finely. The deflection coil 15 deflects the electron beam 11 and scans the sample 24 two-dimensionally. The detector 19 detects secondary electrons emitted from the sample 24 by scanning with the electron beam 11. The secondary electron detection signal obtained by the detector 19 is amplified by an amplifier (not shown), and then two-dimensionally imaged by an image processing unit (not shown) to generate an observation image.

  In FIG. 2, a sample stage 25 includes a circular flat plate-like sample attaching plate (sample holding member) 30, an angle adjusting screw 31 (see FIG. 3) that supports the sample attaching plate 30 so that the angle can be adjusted, and angle adjustment. A sample affixing plate 30 is connected by a screw 31, and a circular flat plate-like main body 33 integrally formed with a connection screw 32, a main body attachment hole 34 to which the connection screw 32 is attached, and a rod attachment hole 36 to which the rod 35 is attached. And a pedestal 37.

  The sample attaching plate 30 is located on the upper surface side of the main body 33. As shown in FIG. 3B, the main body 33 is formed with a screw hole 38 into which the angle adjusting screw 31 is screwed. A ball 39 is integrally formed at the tip of the angle adjusting screw 31, and a receiving portion 40 for receiving the ball 39 is formed on the lower surface side of the sample attaching plate 30. The angle adjusting screw 31 supports (connects) the sample attaching plate 30 in a tiltable manner by a ball joint mechanism including the ball 39 and the receiving portion 40.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the angle adjusting screws 31 are provided at three locations that are evenly spaced along the outer periphery of the sample attaching plate 30, and the amount of screwing into the screw holes 38 is small. It changes constantly according to the rotation. Therefore, the user can set the sample attaching plate 30 to a predetermined angle by performing a predetermined rotating operation on each angle adjusting screw 31, and the angle adjusting screw 31 attaches the sample attaching plate 30 to three points. Since it supports, the angle of the sample sticking board 30 can be changed to a two-dimensional direction.

  The rod 35 is an operation rod for exchanging the sample stage used when the sample stage 25 is attached to or removed from the sample stage mounting portion 26 on the sample stage 18. A thread that is screwed into the rod mounting hole 36 is engraved at the tip of the rod 35. The scanning electron microscope 10 includes a preliminary chamber (not shown) adjacent to the sample chamber 20 where the sample stage 18 exists. The exchange of the sample stage 25 is performed through this spare chamber.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sample stage mounting portion 26 is formed in a shape in which a base 37 of the sample stage 25 is fitted. In a state where the rod 35 is screwed into the rod mounting hole 36 of the pedestal 37, the sample base 25 is fitted into the sample base mounting portion 26, and the rod 35 is removed from the rod mounting hole 36 in this state, so that the sample base 25 becomes the sample. Mounted on the stage 18. The sample 24 is, for example, an element such as a semiconductor chip, and the back surface (facing side of the observation surface) is pasted on the sample pasting plate 30 with a conductive paste, a conductive tape, or the like.

  In FIG. 5, the fixing jig 40 is provided in the groove 41 with a groove 41, a main body 42 having a “U” -shaped cross section, a pressing screw 43 screwed into the upper portion of the main body 42, and a pressing force. It comprises a slide plate 44 that slides up and down by the operation of the screw 43. The fixing jig 40 is used when the angle of the sample attaching plate 30 is adjusted. The fixing jig 40 fixes and holds the end portion of the main body 33 of the sample table 25 inserted into the groove 41 by sandwiching it with the slide plate 44.

  FIG. 6 shows a state where the fixing jig 40 holding the main body 33 of the sample stage 25 is placed on the observation stage 50 of a stereomicroscope (not shown) which is a kind of optical microscope. The fixing jig 40 supports the main body 33 so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the main body 33 are substantially perpendicular to the observation stage 50. A lens barrel (not shown) of the stereomicroscope is arranged vertically above the observation stage 50, and observation is performed from the side surface direction of the sample 24.

  FIG. 7 shows the inside of the observation field 51 of the stereomicroscope in which the observation stage 50 of FIG. 6 is observed. In the observation visual field 51, grid lines 52 made up of a plurality of parallel lines arranged at equal intervals are displayed. For example, the grid lines 52 are printed on a filter that can be inserted into a lens barrel of a stereomicroscope. Further, the grid lines 52 can be formed by engraving slits instead of printing. The user can set the observation surface 24 a of the sample 24 to be parallel to the main body 33 by operating each angle adjusting screw 31 while referring to the grid line 52.

  Next, a procedure until the sample 24 is observed with the scanning electron microscope 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, with the main body 33 of the sample table 25 removed from the pedestal 37, the sample 24 is bonded to the upper surface of the sample bonding plate 30 via a conductive paste, conductive tape, or the like (step S1). . Next, the main body 33 of the sample stage 25 is fixed by the fixing jig 40 and placed on the observation stage 50 of the stereomicroscope as shown in FIG. 6 (step S2).

  Next, each angle adjusting screw 31 is operated while observing the sample table 25 from the side surface direction of the sample 24 with a stereomicroscope, and the observation surface 24a is parallel to the main body 33 of the sample table 25 as shown in FIG. The parallel position is set as a reference position (step S3). Next, any one of the three angle adjusting screws 31 is rotated to set the observation surface 24a to a desired angle with respect to the reference position (step S4). In this stereomicroscope, observation is performed at a magnification of about several hundred times.

  Next, a pedestal 37 is attached to the main body 33 of the sample stage 25 (step S5). As shown in FIG. 4, the sample stage 25 is attached to the sample stage mounting portion 26 of the scanning electron microscope 10 using the rod 35 (step S5). S6). Then, the sample 24 is observed by operating the scanning electron microscope 10 and scanning the electron beam 11 on the observation surface 24a (step S7). Note that the scanning electron microscope 10 performs observation at a magnification of about 10,000 to 200,000 times.

  Thus, the angle adjustment of the sample 24 can be performed easily and accurately by using a stereomicroscope. In particular, when two or more observation surfaces 24a having different angles are formed on the sample 24, there is no need to re-attach the sample 24 to the sample attaching plate 30 by changing the angle in order to observe each observation surface 24a. In addition, there is no problem even if an inclination occurs when the sample 24 is attached to the sample attaching plate 30.

  In the above embodiment, when the angle is adjusted with a stereomicroscope, the main body 33 of the sample base 25 is removed from the pedestal 37, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sample base 25 is attached to the main body 33. You may adjust an angle in the attached state.

  In the above embodiment, the main body 33 of the sample table 25 is fixed using the dedicated fixing jig 40, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the pedestal 37 may be substituted for the fixing jig 40. Is possible. In this case, the shape of the pedestal 37 may be a rectangular shape such as a shape that can be stably placed on the observation stage 50.

  In the above embodiment, the amount of vertical displacement of the angle adjustment screw 31 is adjusted by the amount of rotation of the angle adjustment screw 31. In addition to this adjustment, a micrometer (not shown) is further used. By measuring the distance between the angle adjusting screw 31 and the main body 33, the angle can be adjusted more accurately. In addition, you may attach this micrometer to the angle adjustment screw 31 or the main body 33 so that separation is impossible.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the three angle adjustment screws 31 are each arrange | positioned in the position which divides the outer periphery of the sample sticking board 30 into 3 equally, this invention is not limited to this, This arrangement | positioning is linear. If not, it may be changed as appropriate. Further, the angle adjusting means is not limited to the angle adjusting screw 31, and any appropriate means capable of tiltably supporting the sample attaching plate 30 may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the sample 24 is affixed directly on the sample sticking board 30, this invention is not limited to this, As shown in FIG. A simple adapter 60 may be provided, and the sample 24 may be stuck on the adapter 60. Thereby, the replacement | exchange operation | work of the sample 24 can be performed easily.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the sample sticking board 30 and the main body 33 are circular flat plate shape, this invention is not limited to this, It is good also as other shapes, such as a rectangular flat plate shape. Moreover, the base 37 and the sample base mounting part 26 should just be able to fit each other, and may be made into an appropriate shape.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the main body 33 and the base 37 are connected by the connection screw 32 integrally formed in the main body 33, this invention is not limited to this, A connection screw is not the main body 33 side but the base 37. It may be provided on the side. Moreover, you may connect the main body 33 and the base 37 with an independent connection screw.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of a scanning electron microscope. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a sample stand. (A) is the top view which looked down at the sample stand from the upper part, (B) is sectional drawing which follows the AA line in (A). It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a sample stand is attached to a sample stand mounting part. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a fixing jig. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the fixing jig which clamped the main body of the sample stand was mounted in the observation stage of a stereomicroscope. It is a figure which shows the inside of the observation visual field of a stereomicroscope. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure until it observes a sample with a scanning electron microscope. It is sectional drawing which shows the adapter provided in the sample sticking board.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Scanning electron microscope 18 Sample stage 24 Sample 24a Observation surface 25 Sample stand 26 Sample stand mounting part 30 Sample sticking plate 31 Angle adjustment screw 32 Connection screw 33 Main body 34 Main body attachment hole 35 Rod 36 Rod attachment hole 37 Base 40 Fixed treatment Tool 50 Observation stage 51 Viewing field 52 Grid line

Claims (5)

  Angle adjustment that enables adjustment of the angle of the sample by connecting the main body, the sample holding member that holds the sample, the main body and the sample holding member, and supporting the sample holding member in a tiltable manner at three points. And a pedestal that is detachably connected to the main body and detachably attachable to a sample stage mounting portion formed on a sample stage of the scanning electron microscope. .   2. The sample table for a scanning electron microscope according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjusting means comprises three screws that are screwed into the main body and whose screwing amount changes constantly according to the rotation.   3. The scanning electron microscope sample stage according to claim 2, wherein a mounting part for an operating rod used for attaching to and detaching from the sample stage mounting part is formed on the pedestal. In the angle adjustment method of the sample stand for scanning electron microscopes in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 3,
An angle adjustment method for a sample stage for a scanning electron microscope, characterized in that the angle adjustment is performed by operating the angle adjusting means while observing the sample stage for a scanning electron microscope from the side surface direction of the sample with an optical microscope.   5. A plurality of parallel lines are displayed as grid lines in the observation field of view of the optical microscope, and the angle adjustment is performed by operating the angle adjusting means while referring to the grid lines. The method of adjusting the angle of the sample stage for a scanning electron microscope as described.

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