JP2012018814A - Magnification observation device and method, magnification observation program and computer-readable recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate a positioning work for image composition.SOLUTION: A device includes: corresponding point specification means 180 for specifying a first corresponding point at a discretionary position on either one of an electron microscope image and an optical image, and specifying a second corresponding point at a position corresponding to the first corresponding point on the other image in a state where the electron microscope image and optical image of a discretionary observation position of an observation target are displayed respectively in a first display area and a second display area, the images which are picked up substantially in the same visual field direction and substantially at the same magnification; and correction parameter calculation means 181 for calculating a correction parameter for correcting at least one of the images so that plural first corresponding points specified by the corresponding point specification means 180 and plural second corresponding points corresponding to the plural first corresponding points substantially overlap one another. Image combining means combines the electron microscope image with the optical image on the basis of the correction parameter calculated by the correction parameter calculating means 181 so that the two images overlap each other.

Description

  The present invention relates to a magnification observation apparatus in which an optical imaging means capable of acquiring an optical image with an observation means of an optical system such as an optical microscope is added to an electron microscope such as an SEM, a magnification observation method using this apparatus, and magnification observation The present invention relates to a program and a computer-readable recording medium.

  As a charged particle beam apparatus that obtains an observation image by detecting a signal obtained by irradiating a sample to be observed with a charged particle beam, for example, there are a transmission electron microscope and a scanning electron microscope using an electron beam. For example, an electron microscope freely refracts the traveling direction of electrons, and an imaging system such as an optical microscope is designed electro-optically. The electron microscope includes a transmission type that forms an image of electrons that have passed through a sample or specimen using an electron lens, a reflection type that forms an image of electrons reflected on the sample surface, and a focused electron beam that is scanned on the sample surface. There are a scanning electron microscope that forms an image using secondary electrons from each scanning point, a surface emission type (field ion microscope) that forms an image of electrons emitted from a sample by heating or ion irradiation (for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  As an example of an electron microscope (SEM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM) scans secondary electrons and reflected electrons generated when a sample to be observed is irradiated with a thin electron beam (electron probe). This is an apparatus that is taken out by using respective detectors such as a secondary electron detector and a backscattered electron detector and displayed on a display screen such as a CRT or LCD to mainly observe the surface form of the sample. On the other hand, a transmission electron microscope (TEM) transmits an electron beam through a thin film sample, and at that time, electrons scattered and diffracted by atoms in the sample are obtained as an electron diffraction pattern or a transmission electron microscope image. Can mainly observe the internal structure of the substance.

  When an electron beam is irradiated onto a solid sample, it is transmitted through the solid by the energy of the electrons. At that time, due to the interaction with the nuclei and electrons that make up the sample, elastic collision, elastic scattering, and energy loss occur. Causes elastic scattering. By inelastic scattering, electrons in the shell of the sample element are excited, X-rays are excited, secondary electrons are emitted, and the corresponding energy is lost. The amount of secondary electrons emitted varies depending on the angle of collision. On the other hand, the reflected electrons scattered back by elastic scattering and emitted again from the sample are emitted in an amount specific to the atomic number. The SEM uses these secondary electrons and reflected electrons. The SEM irradiates a sample with electrons and detects emitted secondary electrons and reflected electrons to form an observation image. Further, as a kind of scanning electron microscope, there is a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) that receives a sample transmission light on a detector.

  Although electron microscopes such as SEM, TEM, and STEM are effective for observation at a high magnification, they are not good at displaying at a low magnification. In general, the magnification of an electron microscope can be displayed up to several tens of thousands to several hundred thousand times or several million times, while the minimum magnification is several times to several tens of times. For example, the lowest magnification that can be observed by SEM is generally about 5 to 50 times. In this way, observation with an electron microscope or the like suddenly becomes a display at a high magnification from the start, and the observation field of view becomes a very narrow range. For this reason, it is difficult to find a field of view, which is an operation for finding a place to be finally observed on the sample. The search for the visual field is preferably a procedure in which the visual field is gradually specified from the state in which the visual field is widened, that is, the state in which the visual field is displayed at a low magnification, to gradually narrow the field of view.

  In order to facilitate the search for the field of view of such an electron microscope, a method using an optical observation device (optical imaging means) such as an optical microscope or an optical camera using light of visible wavelength or infrared wavelength is known. (For example, patent document 1). The observation with the optical system imaging means can generally display at a low magnification such as a magnification of 1 or less. In view of this, a sample is observed at low magnification using an optical imaging means, and after searching for an approximate field of view, the process proceeds to observation with an electron microscope. In order to realize this, an observation optical system capable of displaying at a lower magnification is used in combination with an electron microscope. A field of view is searched based on low magnification display in an observation optical system such as a C-MOS camera, and then switched to electron beam imaging means such as SEM to perform observation at high magnification.

JP-A-9-97585 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-41194 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-214583

  It is also known to display a color composite image obtained by combining contrast information included in an electron microscope image acquired with an electron microscope and color information included in an optical image acquired with an optical microscope (patent) Reference 3). Such a color composite image combines the images acquired by two microscopes to combine the fineness of the electron microscope image and the color of the optical image, thereby improving the visibility of the image.

  When such image composition is performed, it is necessary to superimpose images of the same field of view obtained by capturing the optical image and the electron microscope image at the same magnification and in the same posture (tilt angle or observation angle). However, it is not easy to match the optical image and the electron microscope image so that they can be completely overlapped. For example, the field of view may be shifted or tilted during imaging. Further, since the imaging characteristics such as the lens aberration of the two are different, they cannot be completely matched even with the same field of view and the same magnification. For this reason, as a result of the positional deviation due to the visual field deviation and the difference in the imaging characteristics, a false image may occur in the synthesized image obtained by synthesizing these images. In addition, there is a method in which the user adjusts parameters for correcting such a positional deviation, but there is a problem that adjustment of the parameters is difficult and the work itself is troublesome. Further, a method of calculating so as to automatically overlap is conceivable, but since the image characteristics of the electron microscope image and the optical image are greatly different, automatic alignment using template matching or the like is not easy.

  The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and its main purpose is a magnification observation apparatus, a magnification observation method, and magnification observation for facilitating alignment work when performing image composition. To provide a program and a computer-readable recording medium.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the magnifying observation apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, an electron beam imaging means for acquiring an electron microscope image of an observation object and an optical image of the observation object are acquired. Optical system imaging means, image synthesizing means for synthesizing the electron microscope image and the optical image to generate a synthesized image, a first display area for displaying the electron microscope image, and a first display for displaying the optical image Two display regions, and a third display region for displaying a composite image obtained by combining the electron microscope image and the optical image by the image combining unit, and at least the first display region and the second display region are the same An observing device capable of displaying on the screen, and for an arbitrary observation position of the observation object, an electron microscope image and an optical image acquired at substantially the same viewing direction and substantially the same magnification. , That In a state where each is displayed in the first display area and the second display area, a first corresponding point is designated at an arbitrary position on one of the images, and the first corresponding point is displayed on the other image. Corresponding point designating means for designating a second corresponding point at a position corresponding to the corresponding point, a plurality of first corresponding points designated by the corresponding point designating means, and corresponding to each of the plurality of first corresponding points Correction parameter calculation means for calculating a correction parameter for correcting at least one of the images so that each of the plurality of second corresponding points substantially matches each other, and the image synthesis means calculates the correction parameter Based on the correction parameter calculated by the means, the electron microscope image and the optical image can be combined to generate a combined image. Thus, when generating a composite image from an electron microscope image and an optical image, it is possible to easily perform image misalignment correction by individually specifying corresponding points on each image.

  Further, according to the magnification observation apparatus according to the second aspect, the corresponding point designating unit can delete the designated corresponding point or correct the position, and the image synthesizing unit includes the corresponding point designating unit. The composite image can be updated according to the corresponding points corrected in. Thus, by adding a corresponding point editing function to the corresponding point designating means, the user can fine-tune or delete the specified corresponding points by referring to the generation result of the composite image displayed in the third display area. It becomes possible, and it becomes possible to correct and finish the composite image more accurately.

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation device according to the third aspect, the display means can display the third display area on the same screen as the first display area and the second display area, Based on the correction parameter calculated by the correction parameter calculation means based on the plurality of first corresponding points and second corresponding points specified by the corresponding point specifying means on the first display area and the second display area. Thus, the synthesized image synthesized by the image synthesizing means can be configured to be updated and displayed in real time on the third display area whenever an additional corresponding point is designated by the corresponding point designating means. As a result, each time a corresponding point is specified and added on the same screen, the composite image is updated, and the user can check the composite image reflecting the result of specifying the corresponding point in real time. There is an advantage that deletion and the like can be easily performed.

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation device according to the fourth aspect, the corresponding point designating means includes a position designation pointer for designating corresponding points in the first display area and the second display area of the display means. And after the first corresponding point is specified on one image by the corresponding point specifying means, until the second corresponding point is specified on the other image, at least a part of the one image A semi-transparent image in which the position designation pointer is displayed following the position designation pointer, and the translucent image is displayed in such a manner that the position designation pointer is located at the designated first corresponding point. The display on the display means can be updated so that the translucent image also moves with the movement of the position designation pointer. Thereby, when designating the second corresponding point corresponding to the first corresponding point, the position of the translucent image is also moved in correspondence with the candidate position of the second corresponding point being selected by the position designation pointer. There is an advantage that the user can confirm the superposition of the images in real time and can easily perform the position adjustment operation.

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation device according to the fifth aspect, the corresponding point designating unit can be configured to be able to adjust the translucency of the translucent image. Thereby, according to the surface pattern, color, etc. of the image to be superimposed, the transparency can be adjusted to appropriately adjust the superimposed state of the images.

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation device according to the sixth aspect, the corresponding point designating unit provides individual corresponding point information indicating the corresponding relationship with respect to the corresponding first corresponding point and the second corresponding point, respectively. At the same time, based on the corresponding point information, for each first corresponding point and second corresponding point, the corresponding point display indicating the corresponding relationship is displayed in a different display mode from the first corresponding point and the second corresponding point. Each can be added to a point and displayed on the display means. As a result, even when a plurality of corresponding points are designated, the corresponding point display of the corresponding first corresponding point and the second corresponding point is displayed differently from the other corresponding point display, thereby easily distinguishing them. Benefits that can be obtained.

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation device according to the seventh aspect, the correction parameter calculating means or the image synthesizing means is inadequate for performing the image synthesis when the correspondence between the corresponding points designated by the corresponding point designating means. When it is determined that the image is not, image composition based on such corresponding points is not performed, and it can be configured to notify that image composition is impossible. This makes it possible to warn the user when an inappropriate corresponding point is specified, and to prompt the user to reset the correct corresponding point.

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation device according to the eighth aspect, when the correction parameter calculating means or the image synthesizing means substantially matches the corresponding points designated by the corresponding point designating means, there is an alignment error. The correction parameters can be calculated or image synthesis can be performed in a manner that reduces the number of correction parameters. Accordingly, it is possible to perform appropriate image synthesis without necessarily matching the corresponding points completely, and an advantage that a synthesized image can be generated more flexibly is obtained.

  Furthermore, according to the magnification observation apparatus according to the ninth aspect, the correction parameter calculation means or the image synthesis means analyzes the electron microscope image and the optical image, and performs image synthesis so as to match them. An initial parameter is automatically calculated, an image is synthesized based on the initial parameter, and the initial composite image is displayed on the third display area of the display unit, and the correspondence specified by the corresponding point designation unit The initial composite image can be corrected based on the correction parameter calculated by the correction parameter calculation means according to the points, and the corrected composite image can be displayed on the third display area. As a result, initial image synthesis is automatically performed, and corresponding points are designated, whereby the obtained initial synthesized image is corrected according to the designated corresponding points, and the corrected synthesized image can be synthesized and displayed. .

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation device according to the tenth aspect, at least one of the corrections of the image based on the correction parameter calculated by the correction parameter calculation means is an image translation based on the position information of the corresponding point, Enlargement / reduction, rotation, and / or depth movement can be included. This makes it possible to deform the images based on specific correction parameters and bring them closer to the direction in which the images match.

  Furthermore, according to the magnification observation method according to the eleventh aspect, a composite image is generated by synthesizing the electron microscope image obtained by imaging the observation object and the optical image obtained by imaging the same observation object, and displayed on the display means. In the first observation region for displaying the electron microscope image and the second display region for displaying the optical image, a plurality of corresponding points are individually provided by corresponding point designating means at respective corresponding positions. A step of specifying, and a step of calculating a correction parameter for correcting at least one of the images so that the corresponding corresponding points substantially coincide with each other based on the corresponding relationship between the specified corresponding points; The image synthesizing unit generates a synthesized image based on the calculated correction parameter and displays the synthesized image on the display unit. Thus, when generating a composite image from an electron microscope image and an optical image, it is possible to easily perform image misalignment correction by individually specifying corresponding points on each image.

  Furthermore, according to the magnifying observation program according to the twelfth aspect, a composite image is generated by synthesizing the electron microscope image obtained by imaging the observation object and the optical image obtained by imaging the same observation object, and is displayed on the display means. A program for magnifying observation to be displayed, wherein corresponding points are individually identified by corresponding point designation means at corresponding positions in a first display area for displaying the electron microscope image and a second display area for displaying the optical image. The correction parameter calculation means calculates a correction parameter for correcting at least one of the images so as to substantially match each corresponding corresponding point based on the correspondence between the plurality of specified points and the corresponding corresponding point. Based on the function and the calculated correction parameter, the image synthesizing unit generates a synthesized image and displays it on the display unit, and the position of the designated corresponding point Change or delete the corresponding point, or a corresponding point editing function can be implemented in a computer to add a new corresponding points. Thus, when generating a composite image from an electron microscope image and an optical image, it is possible to easily perform image misalignment correction by individually specifying corresponding points on each image.

  Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium according to the thirteenth aspect stores the above program. Recording media include CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, flexible disk, magnetic tape, MO, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD + R, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, Blu-ray, HD A medium that can store a program such as a magnetic disk such as a DVD (AOD), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like is included. The program includes a program distributed in a download manner through a network line such as the Internet, in addition to a program stored and distributed in the recording medium. Furthermore, the recording medium includes a device capable of recording the program, for example, a general purpose or dedicated device in which the program is mounted in a state where the program can be executed in the form of software, firmware, or the like. Furthermore, each process and function included in the program may be executed by computer-executable program software, or each part of the process or hardware may be executed by hardware such as a predetermined gate array (FPGA, ASIC), or program software. And a partial hardware module that realizes a part of hardware elements may be mixed.

It is the schematic which shows the outline | summary of a magnification observation system. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a magnification observation apparatus. It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the magnification observation apparatus concerning a modification from the left side. It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the magnification observation apparatus of FIG. 2B from the right side. It is front sectional drawing which shows the sample chamber of a magnification observation apparatus. It is side surface sectional drawing seen from the IV-IV line of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the VV line of FIG. It is the partial cross section perspective view seen from the right diagonal front for demonstrating the horizontal surface moving mechanism of a sample stand. It is the partial cross section top view which looked at FIG. 6 from the top. It is the partial cross section perspective view which looked at FIG. 6 from diagonally right rear. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that an optical system imaging means is switched and connected to SEM or a stand. It is a block diagram which shows the apparatus provided with the conventional electron microscope and optical microscope. It is a perspective view which shows the apparatus which switches the other conventional electron microscope and optical microscope. It is a block diagram which shows the apparatus provided with the other conventional electron microscope and optical microscope. It is a model front view which shows the distance of each observation means and a sample stand. It is a model side view which shows the division of a rotation part and a fixed part. It is a model side sectional view of a sample room which provided a lid part in a fixed part. It is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid of the sample chamber in which the lid is integrated with the sample stage is closed. FIG. 16B is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid of the sample chamber in FIG. 16A is opened. It is a model perspective view which shows the example of the sample chamber which rotates only the one side of a trunk | drum. It is a model perspective view which shows the example of the sample chamber which rotates only the intermediate part of a trunk | drum. It is a schematic cross section which shows the structure which arrange | positions an O-ring to a rotation means. It is a schematic cross section which shows the structure which arrange | positions the conventional O-ring. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which provides the opening-and-closing mechanism of a lid | cover in the sample chamber side, and rotates it. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which rotated the sample chamber from the state of FIG. 21A. It is a schematic cross section which shows the structural example which made the lid | cover drawer type from a sample chamber. It is a schematic cross section which shows the locked state of the cover rotating shaft in an open position. It is a schematic cross section which shows the lock release state of the cover rotating shaft in the obstruction | occlusion position. It is a partial cross section perspective view which shows the opening / closing direction of a closure board. It is a model side sectional view of the sample room which constituted the body part in the shape of a semicircle. FIG. 26A is a schematic diagram conceptually showing a range in which the optical system imaging unit and the electron beam imaging unit can rotate, and FIG. 26A is a diagram illustrating an overlapping rotational range of the electron beam imaging unit and the optical system imaging unit. 26 (b) shows the rotatable range of the electron beam imaging means, and FIG. 26 (c) shows the rotatable range of the optical imaging means. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an electron beam imaging means. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electronic lens system of an electrostatic lens. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electronic lens system of an electromagnetic lens. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed structure of an electron gun. It is a schematic diagram which shows operation | movement of an electron gun. It is a graph which shows the relationship between a filament electric current and signal strength. It is a block diagram of the magnification observation apparatus which implement | achieves a magnification control mode switching function. It is the schematic diagram which showed the electron beam imaging means of FIG. 33 in detail. It is a schematic diagram of the electron beam deflection scanning means of FIG. FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a scanning state of an electron beam when the electron beam deflection scanning unit of FIG. 35 is set to a high magnification control mode. FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a scanning state of an electron beam when the electron beam deflection scanning unit of FIG. 35 is set to a low magnification control mode. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that a magnification control mode is switched according to the set display magnification. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electronic lens system of the magnetic field type | mold electron lens which concerns on a modification. It is a block diagram of the magnification observation apparatus which implement | achieves a virtual image display function. It is an image figure which shows the sample room reference | standard image in a vacuum chamber in the inclination angle of 0 degree of an electron beam imaging means. It is an image figure which shows the sample room reference | standard image in the vacuum chamber which made the electron beam imaging means of FIG. 41 the inclination angle of 60 degrees. It is an image figure which shows the virtual real-time image which superimposed the virtual image of the front-end | tip part of an electron beam imaging means on the sample room reference | standard image of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the rotation lock state of a rotation lock means. It is a schematic diagram which shows the cancellation | release state which cancelled | released the rotation lock state of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the magnification observation apparatus provided with a rotation lock means. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display during observing an electron microscope image. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display of the state which inclined the electron beam imaging means to the inclination angle 45 degrees from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display of the state which made the electron beam imaging means incline at the inclination angle of 60 degrees from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the example of a warning in the halfway state of a rotation lock means. It is an image figure which shows the warning example of the state inclined in the rotation lock state. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a rotation control means. It is sectional drawing of a trunk | drum provided with another rotation control means. It is a side view of the trunk | drum shown in FIG. FIG. 54 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the body part shown in FIG. 53 is tilted 60 ° to the left. FIG. 56 is an enlarged view showing a state where the body part shown in FIG. 55 is inclined 90 ° to the left. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of an inclination stopper. It is a schematic diagram which shows the inclination range of an electron beam imaging means. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the optical lens system of an optical system imaging means. It is a block diagram which shows the optical imaging system which controls an optical system imaging means with an information processing means. It is a schematic cross section which shows a mode that the positioning of a sample is performed in the open state of an obstruction board. It is a schematic diagram which shows how a sample looks when a sample room observation means is located in the back surface of a sample. In FIG. 61, it is a schematic diagram which shows the moving direction of the sample seen from the user. In FIG. 61, it is a schematic diagram which shows the moving direction of the sample seen from the sample room observation means. In FIG. 61, it is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that a sample room image is displayed with a reverse display function. It is a typical side surface sectional view showing an example of sample room observation means concerning a modification. It is a typical side surface sectional view showing an example of sample room observation means concerning other modifications. It is a schematic cross section which shows the relative movement of the sample stand and observation means in a sample chamber. FIG. 67B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the observation unit is rotated in the sample chamber of FIG. 67A. It is a schematic cross section which shows the movement of the sample stand by the conventional eucentric structure. FIG. 68B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sample stage is inclined in the sample chamber of FIG. 68A. It is a schematic cross section of a sample chamber showing a state in which a sample stage is lowered so that a sample mounting surface or an observation surface coincides with a rotation axis. It is a model side view which shows the positional relationship of the focus position of an electronic lens, and a rotating shaft. It is a model side view which shows the positional relationship of the focus position of an optical lens, and a rotating shaft. It is a schematic diagram which shows the visual field range and display range of an electron beam imaging means. It is a schematic diagram which shows the visual field range and display range of an optical system imaging means. It is a block diagram of a magnification observation device provided with a magnification conversion function. It is sectional drawing which shows an optical magnification reading means. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display of a magnification range display means. It is an image figure which shows the example of the electron microscope image used as the origin of image composition. It is an image figure which shows the example of the optical image used as the origin of image composition. FIG. 80 is an image diagram showing an example of a combined image obtained by combining information of each pixel in FIGS. 77 and 79. It is an image figure of the electron microscope image used as the origin of a color synthetic image. It is an image figure of the optical image used as the origin of a color synthetic image. It is an image figure which shows the color composite image which synthesize | combined FIG. 80 and FIG. 81 by the conventional method. It is an image figure which shows the color synthetic | combination image which synthesize | combined FIG. 80 and FIG. 81 by the method based on one Embodiment. It is the enlarged image figure which expanded and contrasted the image of FIGS. 80-83 partially. It is a block diagram of a magnification observation apparatus provided with a color synthetic image generation function. It is a block diagram which shows the procedure which performs a color synthetic | combination image generation. It is an image figure which shows an example of a display parameter adjustment means. It is an image figure which shows the other example of a display parameter adjustment means. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions which perform alignment work. It is an image figure which shows the state which performs alignment in the 1st display area of a display means, and a 2nd display area. It is an image figure of GUI of the program for magnification observation provided with a corresponding point edit function. It is an image figure which shows the mode before and behind the correction | amendment of the synthesized image by position alignment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of correction | amendment by a corresponding point. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display of the display means which provided the electron microscope image display area and the optical image display area. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display of the display means which provided the plan magnification display means. It is a schematic diagram which shows the magnification observation apparatus which fixes an electron beam imaging means and an optical system imaging means to a trunk | drum at different angles, and rotates the sample stand side built in the trunk | drum. FIG. 97 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the sample stage shown in FIG. 96 has been rotated 15 ° clockwise. It is a schematic diagram which shows the magnification observation apparatus which fixes an electron beam imaging means and an optical system imaging means to a trunk | drum at different angles, and rotates the trunk | drum side. FIG. 99 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the sample table shown in FIG. 98 is rotated 15 ° clockwise. FIG. 99 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the sample stage shown in FIG. 99 is further rotated 45 ° clockwise. It is a block diagram which shows the magnification observation apparatus provided with an inclination angle conversion function. It is an image figure which shows a mode that it observes with an optical system imaging means. It is an image figure which shows a mode that it switches to the electron beam imaging means and observes from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows a mode that an electron beam imaging means is set to the same inclination angle as an optical system imaging means from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the example which divides | segments a display means up and down and displays an optical image and an electron microscope image. It is an image figure which shows the example which divides | segments a display means into right and left and displays an optical image and an electron microscope image. It is an image figure which shows the example which displays an optical image and an electron microscope image with another window. It is an image figure which shows the state which selected the visual field deviation correction tab. FIG. 109 is an image diagram showing a state in which visual field deviation correction is executed from the state of FIG. 108. It is an image figure which shows the example which performs holding display by button operation. It is a block diagram of a magnification observation device provided with a field gap correction function. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of visual field deviation correction. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display in an image display area immediately after switching from a 1st observation means to a 2nd observation means. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display made to correspond to that of the 1st observation image acquired by the 1st observation means with the inclination angle of the 2nd observation means. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display which made the visual recognition magnification of the 2nd observation image low. It is an image figure which shows the example of a display which returned the visual recognition magnification of the 2nd observation image to the high magnification. It is an image figure which shows a mode that an electron microscope image is acquired with the program for magnification observation which performs a color synthetic | combination image generation. It is an image figure which shows the state which displayed the optical image from the state of FIG. FIG. 119 is an image diagram showing a state in which the tilt angle of the optical system imaging unit is made to coincide with the electron microscope image from the state of FIG. 118. FIG. 119 is an image diagram showing a state in which the magnification of the optical system imaging unit is matched with the electron microscope image from the state of FIG. 119. It is an image figure which shows the state which is going to image an optical image from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the state which complete | finished the imaging of the optical image from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the state which aligns an optical image and an electron microscope image from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the state which selected manual adjustment from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the state which is selecting the 2nd corresponding point corresponding to a 1st corresponding point from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the state which designated the corresponding point from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the state which specified many corresponding points from the state of FIG. It is an image figure which shows the state which produced | generated the color composite image from the state of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the magnification observation apparatus provided with a multi preservation | save function. It is an image figure which shows the state which displayed the observation image imaged with several different observation means on the display means. It is an image figure which shows the user interface screen at the time of preserve | saving an image data file by a file preservation | save means. It is an image figure of the user interface screen at the time of selecting an image data file with a file display selection means. It is a block diagram of the magnification observation apparatus provided with a display switching means. It is a schematic cross section which shows the structure of a sample chamber provided with a rotational movement mechanism. It is a schematic cross section which shows the sample chamber which enabled switching to the swivel type of an observation means. It is a schematic cross section which shows the sample chamber which enabled switching to the parallel displacement type of the observation means. It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sample chamber in which the observation stage can be switched by moving the sample stage in parallel. It is a schematic cross section which shows the sample chamber which made the sample stand inclined and made the observation means switchable. It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sample chamber that can be switched by selecting the optical axis of the observation means with a half mirror. It is a schematic diagram which shows the expansion observation apparatus which controls a separate optical microscope and an electron microscope with a common controller.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a magnifying observation apparatus and a magnifying observation method, a magnifying observation program, and a computer-readable recording medium for embodying the technical idea of the present invention. The invention does not specify a magnification observation apparatus, a magnification observation method, a magnification observation program, and a computer-readable recording medium as follows. Further, the present specification by no means specifies the members shown in the claims to the members of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified, and are merely explanations. It is just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing.

  The connection between the magnification observation apparatus used in the embodiment of the present invention and the computer, printer, external storage device and other peripheral devices for operation, control, display, and other processing connected thereto is, for example, IEEE 1394, RS-232x, RS-422, RS-423, RS-485, serial connection such as USB, parallel connection, or electrical or magnetic via a network such as 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T, Communication is performed by optical connection. The connection is not limited to a physical connection using a wire, but may be a wireless connection using a wireless LAN such as IEEE802.1x, radio waves such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared light, optical communication, or the like. Furthermore, a memory card, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like can be used as a recording medium for exchanging data or storing settings. In this specification, the term “magnification observation device” is used to include not only the magnification observation device body but also a magnification observation system in which peripheral devices such as a computer and an external storage device are combined.

  Further, in this specification, the magnification observation apparatus, the magnification observation method, the magnification observation program, and the computer-readable recording medium include a system for performing magnification observation, and input / output, display, calculation, communication, etc. related to image generation. However, the present invention is not limited to an apparatus or a method that performs the above processing in hardware. Apparatuses and methods for realizing processing by software are also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, software or programs, plug-ins, objects, libraries, applets, compilers, modules, macros that run on specific programs, etc. can be incorporated into general-purpose circuits or computers to enable image generation itself or related processing. The apparatus and system also correspond to the magnification observation apparatus, the magnification observation method, the magnification observation program, and the computer-readable recording medium of the present invention. In this specification, the computer includes a general-purpose or dedicated computer, a workstation, a terminal, a portable electronic device, PDC, CDMA, W-CDMA, FOMA (registered trademark), GSM, IMT2000, fourth generation, and the like. Mobile phones, PHS, PDAs, pagers, smartphones and other electronic devices. Further, in this specification, the program is not limited to a program that is used alone, such as a mode that functions as a part of a specific computer program, software, or service, a mode that is called and functions when necessary, an OS, and the like. It can also be used as an aspect provided as a service in the environment, an aspect that operates resident in the environment, an aspect that operates in the background, and other support programs.

  In the present specification, an electron microscope image refers to a monochrome image that is displayed with shading, mainly including luminance information of an observation target, which is captured by an electron beam imaging means such as an electron microscope. The optical image refers to a color image mainly including color information, which is imaged by an optical imaging means using visible light, ultraviolet light, or the like. In addition to the visible light observation image obtained by the visible light camera, an infrared observation image obtained by the infrared camera can be used as the optical image. Further, as will be described later, the electron microscope image can be colored based on the color information of the optical image. Furthermore, the acquisition of an image by the electron beam imaging unit or the optical system imaging unit generally means that the image is captured by these members, but it is a concept that includes capturing an image captured by another member into an electron microscope. Yes, it is called image acquisition in a sense that encompasses such concepts.

  In the following embodiments, an example will be described in which an SEM that is one of electron microscopes is adopted as an example of a magnification observation apparatus that embodies the present invention. However, the present invention can also be used in TEM, STEM, and other charged particle beam devices. In this case, the electron beam imaging unit can be replaced with a charged particle beam imaging unit. It can also be applied to a near-field microscope, an atomic force microscope, an electrostatic force microscope, and the like. Furthermore, the optical imaging means can be applied to an optical microscope, a laser microscope, a digital microscope, and the like.

1 to 8 show a magnification observation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a magnification observation system, FIG. 2A is an external perspective view of a magnification observation device, FIG. 2B is an external perspective view of a magnification observation device according to a modification, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing the sample chamber of the magnifying observation apparatus, FIG. 4 is a side sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view seen from the right front side for explaining the horizontal plane moving mechanism of the sample stage 33, and FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional plan view seen from the top of FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of FIG.
(Magnification observation system)

A magnification observation system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 includes a magnification observation device 100, a decompression pump VP, a power supply unit PU, and a display unit 2. The magnification observation apparatus 100 includes a chamber unit 14 that holds a sample in an airtight manner, and a decompression unit 15 that decompresses the inside of the sample chamber 21. The chamber unit 14 is equipped with two observation means 10, an electron beam imaging means 11 and an optical imaging means 12. The decompression unit 15 is connected to an external decompression pump VP, and constitutes an exhaust system pump 70 that decompresses the sample chamber 21 to a predetermined degree of vacuum such as high vacuum or low vacuum. Each observation means 10 is connected to the display means 2 and sends the acquired image data to the display means 2. The display unit 2 includes a display, and can display an electron microscope image captured by the electron beam imaging unit 11 and an optical image captured by the optical system imaging unit 12 on the display.
(Power supply unit PU)

The controller 1, the magnification observation device 100, and the decompression pump VP are connected to the power supply unit PU. The power supply unit PU is connected to an external commercial power source (not shown) and supplies power to the magnification observation apparatus 100 and the like. In this example, the power supply unit PU supplies a predetermined voltage to the magnification observation apparatus 100 based on an instruction from the controller 1, controls the operation of the magnification observation apparatus 100 with the controller 1, and displays the acquired image on the display unit 2. To do.
(Controller 1)

The controller 1 is a member for controlling each member constituting the magnification observation system 1000. The controller 1 may be a dedicated device or a general-purpose computer in which a magnification observation apparatus operation program is installed. If necessary, an external console CS for operating the controller 1 and the display means 2 and a high acceleration voltage unit HU for applying a high acceleration voltage to the electron gun 47 of the electron beam imaging means 11 are added. You can also Further, in the example of FIG. 1, the controller 1 controls the magnification observation apparatus 100 and the like via the power supply unit PU. However, the power supply unit can be integrated with the controller and directly controlled.
(Display means 2)

  In the example of FIG. 1, the controller 1 includes a display unit 2. The display unit 2 includes a display unit 102 that displays an electron microscope image and an optical image. These images can be displayed on one screen at the same time or can be switched and displayed. The display is switched manually from the console CS. A monitor such as a CRT, LCD, or organic EL can be used as the display means 2. In the example of FIG. 1, the display unit 2 and the controller 1 are integrated together, but they can be configured as separate members. The console CS may also be incorporated in the controller 1 or the display means 2. For example, touch panel display means can be used. Furthermore, the connection example of each member shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and it is also possible to use different connection forms and wirings. Needless to say, wireless connection is possible as required.

  A magnification observation system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 is a combination of magnification observation using an optical lens such as a digital microscope and electron microscope observation using an electron microscope such as SEM. That is, the optical imaging means 12 is added in the sample chamber 21 of the electron microscope. The optical imaging unit 12 captures an optical image with visible light, infrared light, or the like as a first observation unit. For example, an optical microscope or an optical camera that uses light having a visible wavelength or infrared wavelength can be used. The captured optical image can be used arbitrarily by the user. For example, it can be used as a wide-area image for searching a visual field during observation of an electron microscope image such as an SEM image, or can be used as an auxiliary for electron beam observation such as confirmation of a sample to be observed. Used for purposes. A plurality of imaging systems, that is, observation means 10 including an electron beam imaging means 11 for imaging using charged particles such as these electron beams and an optical imaging means 12 for imaging using visible light or the like are configured to be switchable. Yes.

  Of the observation means 10, the optical imaging means 12 is removed from the magnification observation apparatus 100 constituting the SEM and connected to a digital microscope stand ST as shown in FIG. It is also possible to observe the sample placed on the substrate. From the viewpoint of a magnification observation system such as a digital microscope using an optical lens, this configuration can also be regarded as being capable of connecting an electron beam imaging means 11 such as an SEM as an interchangeable head unit. That is, in the conventional digital microscope, only the optical observation means can be connected as the camera unit or the lens unit as in the stand type camera unit shown in FIG. Such an electron beam imaging unit 11 can be connected, and the optical system imaging unit 12 can be used as a camera unit for imaging an optical image in the sample chamber 21 provided with the electron beam imaging unit 11. In this case, the magnifying observation apparatus 100 itself provided with the electron beam imaging means 11 in FIG. 9 is one of the interchangeable head parts of the magnifying observation system. As a result, as an interchangeable camera or lens used in the magnification observation system, a head part such as an SEM or an optical lens is selectively mounted, and observation is performed by connecting an appropriate observation means according to a desired application. This makes it possible to extend the range of use of magnification observation not only to an optical system but also to an electron microscope system and the like, thereby realizing various magnification observations.

On the other hand, if the magnification observation apparatus provided with the electron beam imaging means 11 is mainly viewed, it can be considered that a digital microscope is added thereto. In any case, there is an advantage that an optical image and an electron microscope image can be taken with respect to the same sample. In particular, the ability to compare these images acquired by different observation means with the same magnification in the same field of view enables observation from various viewpoints that take advantage of each observation image, and is obtained through magnified observation. The amount of information that can be obtained can be dramatically increased.
(Observation means 10)

This magnification observation apparatus includes a plurality of observation means 10 for observing the sample in the sample chamber 21. In the magnifying observation apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 2A, an electron beam imaging unit 11 that can capture an electron microscope image as a first observation unit, and an optical system imaging unit 12 that can capture an optical image as a second observation unit, respectively. The posture is fixed to project from the body portion 24. Each imaging unit is configured to be switched by a display switching unit 36, which will be described later. In the example of FIG. 2A, a push button is provided as the display switching means 36 on the cylindrical side surface of the trunk portion 24. Further, the image pickup means may be configured to be used simultaneously or alternately. Further, in the example of FIG. 2A, the optical system imaging unit 12 is arranged on the right side of the electron beam imaging unit 11, but it goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained even if these arrangements are replaced.
(Magnification adjustment means)

Each observation unit 10 includes a magnification adjustment unit for adjusting each magnification. Specifically, the electron beam imaging unit 11 includes an electron microscope magnification adjusting unit 68 for adjusting the electron microscope magnification, while the optical system imaging unit 12 includes an optical magnification adjusting unit 95 for adjusting the optical magnification. Prepare. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, each magnification adjusting unit adjusts the magnification by rotating a ring rotatably provided on the outer periphery of each lens barrel. In particular, the electron microscope magnification adjustment means 68 is configured in a ring shape that rotates around the lens barrel, like the optical magnification adjustment means 95, thereby unifying the operational feeling of magnification adjustment of each observation means and providing an excellent user interface. Is done. Moreover, it is preferable to provide anti-slip processing on the surface of each ring. The magnification range that can be adjusted by the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 is, for example, 20 times to 10000 times. The magnification range that can be adjusted by the optical magnification adjusting means 95 is, for example, 50 to 500 times. Further, by using a digital zoom together with an optical zoom, an image with a higher magnification can be obtained.
(Focus adjustment means)

  Further, each observation unit 10 may include a focus adjustment unit for adjusting the focal length along each optical axis. For example, the electron beam imaging means 11 is a microscope focus adjustment means 37 for adjusting the focal length along the optical axis, and the optical system imaging means 12 is an optical focus for adjusting the focal length along the optical axis. Each adjustment means 38 can be provided. The optical focus adjusting means 38 adjusts the focal position by mechanically moving the optical lens itself up and down in the optical axis direction. In the example of FIG. 2A, as the focus adjusting means, dial type knobs are provided in the vicinity of each observation means, and the focal position can be adjusted by the rotation amount of the knob. In addition, in this specification, the axis | shaft which irradiates an electron beam from an electron gun at the time of imaging an electron microscope image with the electron beam imaging means 11 is called an "optical axis."

By using the optical imaging unit 12 together with the electron beam imaging unit 11, an optical image of a color image including color information can be acquired with respect to an electron microscope image centered on a monochrome image without color information. In addition to the visible light observation image using visible light, ultraviolet light, or the like, the optical imaging means 12 can also use an infrared observation image by an infrared camera. It is also possible to color the electron microscope image based on the color information of the optical image. For example, an optical image can be combined with an electron microscope image to obtain a color image with high magnification and high accuracy (details will be described later).
(Magnification observation apparatus 100)

  Next, an outline of the magnification observation apparatus 100 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2A to 4 and the like, the external appearance of the magnification observation apparatus 100 is a shape in which a box-shaped decompression unit 15 is connected to a cylindrical chamber unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the chamber unit 14 is placed on a base portion 22 constituting a flat horizontal plate. A fixing plate 23 is fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 22 so as to protrude in a vertical posture. The fixing plate 23 functions as an end face plate that closes one open end of the body portion 24. Further, the back surface of the fixed plate 23 is fixed to the decompression unit 15. Further, on the front surface of the fixed plate 23, a rotating means 30 for rotating the trunk portion 24 is provided. In the configuration of FIG. 4, the fixing plate 23 hermetically closes one end face of the barrel portion 24 via the rotating means 30, and maintains the reduced pressure state of the sample chamber 21, while simultaneously rotating the barrel portion 24. It is said. In order to allow rotation of the body part 24, the fixing plate 23 is separated so as to float on the base part 22 while holding the body part 24 on the base part 22 in a cantilever manner. There is a gap between the two. Further, the opening edge of the body part 24 is also not in contact with the fixing plate 23 and is provided with a gap so as not to hinder the rotation of the body part 24. In addition, such a cantilevered support structure allows one end surface of the body portion 24 to be freely opened and closed by the lid portion 27 and the other end surface to be connected to the fixing plate 23 via a rotating means, so that the sample chamber 21 Both opening and closing and rotation can be achieved.

The chamber unit 14 includes a body portion 24 and a pair of end face plates, and serves as a main body portion of the magnification observation apparatus 100. The body 24 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The internal space of the body portion 24 is hermetically closed by two end plates, and constitutes a sample chamber 21 that can be decompressed. One end face plate serves as an openable / closable lid portion 27, and the other serves as a fixing plate 23 fixed to the body portion 24 to airtightly close the sample chamber 21. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the fixing plate 23 has a suction port 25 for sucking air in the sample chamber 21 into the decompression unit 15. Further, the fixed plate 23 is provided with a secondary electron detector 61, a sample chamber observation means 13, and the like which will be described later.
(Decompression unit 15)

The sample chamber 21 is connected to the decompression unit 15 via the suction port 25. The decompression unit 15 constitutes an exhaust system, and realizes a decompression environment so that the electron beam of accelerated electrons reaches the sample without losing energy as much as possible while passing the gas component. As the decompression unit 15, a rotary pump, an oil diffusion pump, a turbo-molecular pump (TPM) or the like can be used, and a desired degree of vacuum can be adjusted from high vacuum to low vacuum exhaust. The adjustable range of the degree of vacuum is, for example, 10 ⁻⁶ Torr to ^{10 −10} Torr. The decompression unit 15 is airtightly connected to the back surface of the chamber unit 14. The suction port 25 is preferably provided on the fixed plate 23 which is a fixed portion, but it goes without saying that the suction port 25 may be formed on the rotating portion side described later.
(Decompression unit operation panel 16)

The decompression unit 15 is provided with a decompression unit operation panel 16 for operating the operation of the decompression unit. In the example of FIG. 2A, a decompression unit operation panel 16 is provided on the side of the body 24, and a vacuum operation or start of air introduction is operated by a button operation. In addition, the decompression unit operation panel 16 is provided with an indicator for indicating the completion of the vacuuming operation or the operation. In this example, two LEDs are provided as indicators, and the state of the sample chamber 21 is divided into four states, that is, an atmospheric state, a vacuuming state, a vacuum state, and an air introduction state by a combination of lighting patterns.
(Leg 26)

Further, the magnification observation apparatus 100 has leg portions 26 protruding from the four corners of the bottom surface of the base portion 22. The magnifying observation device 100 is placed horizontally on the ground surface via the legs 26. For this reason, it is preferable that the leg part 26 is provided with the adjustment means which can adjust each height. As a result, there is an advantage in that the specimen stage 33 is maintained in a horizontal posture regardless of the inclination of the ground contact surface, and the enlarged observation can be stably performed. As the adjusting means, for example, a known configuration such as a mechanism capable of adjusting the protruding amount by the progress of a screw can be used as appropriate. In the example shown in the side view of FIG. 4, the leg portion 26 is provided on the base portion 22 on the chamber unit 14 side. However, the decompression unit 15 may be provided with legs.
(Torso 24)

  The body portion 24 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and both end surfaces thereof are sealed with end face plates to form an airtight sample chamber 21. At least one of the end face plates is a lid part 27 that can be freely opened and closed. The optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are mounted on the cylindrical side surface of the body portion 24. Specifically, the electron beam imaging unit 11 is mounted at the first position 41, and the optical system imaging unit 12 is mounted at the second position 42 separated from the first position 41.

The optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are each configured in a cylindrical shape with a built-in lens. The optical imaging unit 12 has a plurality of optical lenses incorporated in a cylindrical optical lens barrel. Similarly, the electron beam imaging means 11 has an electron lens incorporated in the electron lens barrel. As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 3, the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are disposed on the outer surface of the body portion 24 in a posture protruding radially from the central axis of the sample chamber 21 having a cylindrical interior. It is fixed. In other words, the electron lens barrel and the optical lens barrel of each observation unit 10 are fixed in a posture toward the center of rotation, and the optical axis of the electron gun 47 of the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the light of the optical system imaging unit 12 are fixed. The shaft extends radially in the radial direction about the rotation axis of the rotating means 30.
(Cover 27)

  One end face plate is a lid 27 that can be freely opened and closed. The lid portion 27 includes a closing plate 28 that closes the opening end of the body portion 24, lid opening / closing means for switching the closing plate 28 to the open position and the closing position, and the closing plate 28 supported rotatably on the lid opening / closing means. A lid rotating shaft 142 for covering and a holding mechanism 140 for holding the closing plate 28 so as to be aligned are provided. In the example of the side view of FIG. 4, the lid portion 27 includes a disk-like closing plate 28 that closes the end surface of the body portion 24, and a lid opening / closing arm 29 that supports the rotation of the closing plate 28 as lid opening / closing means. In FIG. 4, the left side is the front side. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower end of the lid opening / closing arm 29 is pivotally supported by the hinge portion 138 at the distal end of the base portion 22. Thus, the closing plate 28 is opened downward, the lid opening / closing arm 29 is erected, and the closing plate 28 is positioned on the end face of the trunk portion 24 and closed. With the closing plate 28 opened, the user can place the sample on the sample stage 33 provided in the sample chamber 21. In the example shown in FIG. 6, a lid opening / closing arm 29 that pivotally supports the center of the closing plate 28 is fixed to the tip of the base portion 22 by a hinge portion 138 so as to be bent. As a result, the lid opening / closing arm 29 can be tilted forward to bring the closing plate 28 into the open position. According to this structure, the hinge plate 138 is fixed below the closing plate 28 while rotating the closing plate 28 in close contact with the body portion 24, so that the opening / closing direction of the closing plate 28 is set to the rotational position of the body portion 24. Regardless, it can be constant so as to be downward.

  Furthermore, by making the end surface of the trunk portion 24 openable and closable by the lid portion 27, the inside of the sample chamber 21 can be greatly opened, and an advantage that even a large sample can be easily set is obtained. In particular, in combination with the configuration in which the sample stage 33 is not inclined, the sample only needs to be placed on the sample stage 33, and it is not necessary to fix the sample so as not to slide on the sample stage 33. An excellent advantage is obtained that the installation work can be extremely simplified.

In addition, in order to facilitate placement on the sample stage, it may be configured as a slide type in which the sample stage 33 is pulled out toward the front side with the lid part opened (see, for example, FIGS. 16A and 16B described later), This facilitates user access to the sample stage 33, but requires a pull-out structure, and also requires a space for sliding the lid on the front surface of the lid. The end face plate and the trunk portion 24 including the lid portion 27 are formed of members having sufficient resistance to maintain a high vacuum.
(Fixed part)

The body portion 24 is configured such that at least a part of the cylindrical side surface can be rotated by the rotation means 30. For this reason, the trunk | drum 24 and an end surface board are divided into the rotation part which rotates with the rotational motion of the trunk | drum 24, and the fixed part which does not rotate but remains stationary. In other words, the rotating means 30 separates the fixed portion and the rotating portion. For example, the horizontal movement mechanism 74 and the height adjustment mechanism 80, which are the sample stage drive means 34 for driving the sample stage 33, the lid part 27, the sample chamber observation means 13, the base part 22, the fixing plate 23, and the like are fixed parts. Become. On the other hand, each observation means 10 and the light source port 97 of the illumination unit accompanying or cooperating therewith are provided on the rotating portion side.
(Rotating means 30)

  Further, the body 24 includes a rotation unit 30 as a moving unit that can move each observation unit so that the direction of the optical axis of one observation unit substantially coincides with the direction of the optical axis of the other observation unit. The rotation means 30 rotates the side surface to which the observation means 10 is fixed along the circumference, with the central axis of the cylindrical body 24 as the rotation axis. Such a rotation means 30 is a system in which, for example, a bearing or a gear provided in the direction of the rotation axis of the body portion 24 is rotated by meshing with a base portion 22 which is a fixed side or a gear which is provided on the decompression unit 15 side. Available. In addition, the external force necessary for rotating the rotation means 30, that is, the resistance force of rotation, is set so that the user can manually rotate, while rotating the body 24 so that the observation means 10 is at a desired position. When the hand is released, it is preferable to provide a resistance that can maintain the posture. The amount of oil in the bearing, the weight of the gear, and the like are adjusted so that the rotational resistance force or friction force can be maintained. With this configuration, the plurality of observation means 10 can be easily switched to the same position, and the visual field is not changed. Further, since the observation means 10 can be tilted by rotation, there is an advantage that tilt observation at a high magnification can be easily performed with a multi-angle mechanism.

  Further, as described above, the rotation surface for rotating the electron beam imaging means 11 and the rotation surface for rotating the optical imaging means 12 are substantially matched. As a result, the optical axes of the respective imaging means intersect with each other. Therefore, by simply rotating one imaging means to the position of the other imaging means, an observation image with the same visual field can be acquired, and visual field alignment by position switching is performed. There is an advantage that the user's operation for switching to a different imaging means to perform imaging in the same field of view, such as adjustment of focus and focus, can be extremely easily performed.

  Further, the sample stage 33 is fixed to the fixed portion side in order to keep the sample in a fixed posture while rotating the observation unit 10 by the rotating unit 30. In the example of FIG. 4, the horizontal plane moving mechanism 74 and the height adjusting mechanism 80 which are the sample stage driving means 34 for driving the sample stage 33 are fixed through an end face plate on the back surface of the trunk portion 24.

  Conventionally, in order to switch the observation means for the same sample, a mechanism for translating the observation means 10X or the sample stage 33X as shown in FIGS. In order to perform tilt observation with this configuration, the sample stage 33X side is rotated or tilted. Therefore, when changing the viewpoint, it is not easy for the user to grasp the positional relationship between the observation means 10X and the sample SAx, and the moving direction. There were not a few cases that caused confusion. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the observation method is a natural method in which the observation target is fixed and the viewpoint on the viewing side is changed, it is easy to grasp the positional relationship physically. There are advantages such that misunderstanding and confusion are less likely to occur in adjustment work when moving or changing, and that even beginners can easily understand.

  The optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 as the observation unit 10 can be moved simultaneously by the rotation of the side surface of the body 24. By sharing the movement mechanism of the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 with the single rotation unit 30, an advantage that the mechanism for movement of the two observation units 10 can be simplified can be obtained. Further, each observation means 10 can be easily switched to the same position by rotation, and the visual field is not changed by stopping the sample at the position of the rotation axis. Further, as shown in the schematic front view showing the distance between each observation means 10 and the sample stage 33 in FIG. 13, each observation means 10 of the optical system imaging means 12 and the electron beam imaging means 11 is rotated about its rotational axis. Since the distance to the sample located at can be maintained almost constant, once the focal length is adjusted, the focus is always maintained even if the position is changed, so that only the rotation angle, that is, the viewpoint can be changed. An environment suitable for tilt observation in a focused state is realized.

Preferably, the lid portion 27 is fixed to the fixed portion side so as to be freely opened and closed. For example, as shown in the side view of FIG. 4, while attaching the closing plate 28 of the lid portion 27 to the open end of the body portion 24 detachably, the rotation axis of the closing plate 28 is supported by the lid opening / closing arm 29, The lower end of the lid opening / closing arm 29 is fixed to the tip of the base portion 22 so as to be bent. As a result, the direction of opening and closing the lid 27 can be maintained constant regardless of the rotational position of the body 24 as described above. In this case, the lid part 27 closes the front side of the end face of the body part 24, and the end face plate on the back surface is fixed integrally with the body part 24 and the sample stage drive for driving the sample stage 33 so as to penetrate a part thereof. The means 34 is fixed to the decompression unit 15 which is a fixed part. That is, in this example, the closing plate 28 of the lid portion 27 is integrated with the rotating portion when the body portion 24 is closed, and the lid opening / closing arm 29 is fixed to the fixed portion.
(Tension spring 135)

  In addition, a tension spring 135 is provided in the vicinity of the hinge portion 138 that is a bent portion between the lid opening / closing arm 29 and the base portion 22. The tension spring 135 biases the hinge portion 138 in a direction that facilitates bending. That is, the lid opening / closing arm 29 is easily set upright from the open horizontal position to the closed vertical position. Further, the tension spring 135 urges the lid opening / closing arm 29 toward the body portion 24 as a lock release mechanism that releases the locked state of the holding mechanism 140 described later even after the vertical posture.

  If the lid part 27 is fixed to the rotating part side, the opening / closing direction of the lid part 27 changes depending on the rotational position of the body part 24, and the user has to check the opening / closing direction each time. Further, when the lid 27 is made of a heavy metal having high rigidity, it may be difficult for the user to manually open and close depending on the direction of the lid 27, or the load on the hinge that supports the opening and closing may be increased. Therefore, in order to avoid such a change in the opening / closing posture, it is effective to set the fixing position of the lid portion 27 to the fixing portion side. In addition, by always setting the opening / closing direction of the lid portion 27 to be a constant direction, there is an advantage that the opening / closing structure of the lid portion 27 can be simplified.

  However, this embodiment does not limit the opening and closing direction of the lid, and the lid can be opened and closed laterally, or the lid can be opened and closed when sufficient strength is maintained. I do not disturb. Or it can also be set as the slide type which moves a cover part to the outward of an apparatus in the rotating shaft direction. In this case, the lid portion is pulled forward while maintaining a state parallel to the bottom surface of the trunk portion. Further, in this configuration, the sample stage can be pulled out simultaneously with the lid, and the advantage that the access to the sample stage can be easily obtained as described above. In addition, the sample stage may be independently pulled out of the sample chamber regardless of the lid opening / closing method. The configuration for pulling out the sample stage can be realized, for example, by allowing the sample stage and the arm of the sample stage driving means for driving the sample stage to protrude freely.

As will be described later, the sample stage can be moved and rotated in a plane while maintaining a horizontal posture so that it does not tilt or swing. “Fixed” is used in the sense that the sample stage is not rocked or inclined with respect to the body around the rotation axis. That is, sliding the sample stage in the axial direction of the rotating shaft is included in the concept of “fixed”.
(Modified example of rotating means)

  FIG. 14 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of FIG. 4 described above mainly by dividing the rotating portion and the fixed portion. In this configuration, the entire body portion 24 rotates with respect to one end face plate (the back side located on the right side in FIG. 14), and the body portion 24 is rotated between the end face plate and the body portion 24. Rotating means 30 is configured for this purpose. However, the configuration examples of the rotating portion and the fixed portion such as the lid portion and the trunk portion are not limited to such a configuration, and various forms can be used. FIGS. 15 to 16B show examples of rotating means according to the modification. In these drawings, FIG. 15 is a schematic side sectional view of a sample chamber 21B provided with a lid portion 27B at a fixed portion, and FIG. 16A is a diagram illustrating a case where the lid portion 27C is closed by a sample chamber 21C in which the lid portion 27C is integrated with the sample stage 33C. FIG. 16B shows a state where the lid 27C is opened. In these drawings, the illustration of the decompression unit and the like is omitted for the sake of explanation.

  In the example of FIG. 15, the front side (left side in the figure) of the body part 24 is closed with an end face plate, and an openable / closable lid part 27B is provided on the back side (right side in the figure). In this configuration, the lid portion 27 </ b> B is a fixed portion that does not rotate due to the rotation of the body portion 24. Further, in the example of FIGS. 16A and 16B, the sample stage 33C is integrally fixed to the lid portion 27C provided in the fixed portion. In this configuration, preferably, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the sample stage 33C is fixed to the lid portion 27C, and the lid portion 27C is pulled out from the back of the apparatus, thereby opening the lid portion 27C and the lid portion 27C. The sample stage 33C fixed to the sample chamber 21C is also pulled out of the sample chamber 21C. With this configuration, the sample table 33C can be easily accessed, and the sample can be placed, taken out, and replaced easily.

  Further, in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, the entire body portion is rotated, but a structure in which only a part of the body portion is rotated may be employed. For example, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 17, the body 24D is divided into two parts, and one side of the end plate (the back side on the right side in the figure) is a fixed part (shown by hatching in the figure), and the other (front side) side As a rotating part, a part of the cylindrical side surface (front side) is rotated. In the example of the perspective view of FIG. 18, the body 24E is divided into three parts, both end surfaces are fixed portions (indicated by hatching in the figure), and only a part of the side surface intermediate portion where the observation means 10 is fixed is slid. It is configured to move. Thereby, the end face plate and the lid portion 27E can be provided on the fixed portion side, and in particular, an advantage that the opening / closing structure of the lid portion 27E can be easily obtained.

  In such a configuration, when a fixed portion is provided on a part of the end face plate or the body portion 24, the sample table driving means 34 for driving the sample table 33 is supported by the fixed portion. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, an opening is provided in the end face plate, and a sample stage driving means 34 for driving the sample stage 33 on the fixed plate 23 inside the opening is provided. That is, the arm of the sample stage driving means 34 is inserted into the sample chamber 21 from the opening which is a fixed portion, and the sample stage 33 is supported at the tip of the arm so as to be driven in the X, Y, and Z directions. In the example of FIG. 18, the sample stage driving means 34 may be provided on an end plate on the front side that is another fixed portion. Alternatively, the body portion 24 and the both end face plates may be supported so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis on the base portion 22 that supports them. In this case, the sample stage 33 can be supported by only a part of the end face plate.

In any configuration, there is a demand for a structure that can be rotated while maintaining hermeticity so that the reduced pressure state in the sample chamber 21 can be maintained even when the rotating means rotates. In particular, the body portion 24 is provided with a plurality of observation means 10 and has a considerable weight and is rotated in a cantilever posture by the fixing plate 23, so that sufficient mechanical strength is also required. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 4, a cross roller bearing 31 having high rotational accuracy and excellent load load resistance is used as a bearing on the rotational surface between the fixed plate 23 and the body portion 24 constituting the end face plate. . Further, an O-ring 32 is interposed in order to maintain airtightness on the rotating surface. Thereby, a stable rotation mechanism can be realized while maintaining the airtightness of the sample chamber 21 inside the trunk portion 24.
(Airtight sealing mechanism of the rotating means)

  On the other hand, when the inside of the sample chamber 21 is depressurized by using the closing plate 28 as the closing position, the closing plate 28 is sucked and pulled toward the body due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the sample chamber 21 due to the reduced pressure. As a result, as shown in FIG. 19, the O-ring 32 disposed at the airtightly sealing interface of the rotating means is deformed by the tapered wall surface 137 of the insertion groove 136, and the airtightness of this portion is achieved, while the rotation is achieved. The frictional force of the rotating surface by the moving means can be suppressed.

  In the conventional structure, in order to arrange the O-ring, a concave insertion groove 136x having a wall surface perpendicular to the interface to be hermetically sealed is formed as shown in FIG. In this structure, the vacuum sealing O-ring 32x arranged in the insertion groove 136 is crushed by sandwiching it in the vertical direction, so that the contact area increases, and a corresponding frictional force is generated, which is caused by the rotating means. There was a problem that the resistance force of rotation became large.

Therefore, the O-ring is not physically held and deformed at the sealing interface in this way, but the O-ring is deformed by using suction by decompression to reduce the frictional resistance. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the side surface of the insertion groove 136 is a tapered wall surface 137 that is inclined so as to follow the outer shape of the O-ring 32. Further, the mechanical holding of the O-ring 32 is not performed at the sealing interface, or it is stopped by a relatively weak force, and is elastically deformed so that the O-ring 32 is brought into close contact with the tapered wall surface 137 by a suction force generated at the time of decompression. To demonstrate airtightness. The sealing member can be replaced with another elastic member such as a lip packing instead of the O-ring.
(Rotating shaft support structure of the lid)

  Further, the closing plate 28 of the lid portion 27 is required to have a structure that rotates together with the body portion 24 while closing the sample chamber 21 in an airtight manner. That is, a mechanism for supporting the closing plate 28 during rotation of the trunk portion 24 is required, but it is not easy to make the rotation axis of the lid portion 27 coincide with the rotation axis of the trunk portion 24 at the same time. That is, in order for the closing plate 28 and the body portion 24 to rotate together, the rotation axis of the body portion 24 and the rotation axis of the closing plate 28 must coincide with each other. Need to be kept accurate. On the other hand, if the holding force is too strong, the rotation of the closing plate 28 of the lid portion is hindered. In particular, if the closing plate 28 cannot be synchronized so as to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the body portion 24, a tingling sensation will occur and the rotational movement will deteriorate. In other words, a contradictory characteristic is required in which the closing plate 28 is held at an accurate position, but rotation at that position is allowed.

  On the other hand, if the closing plate opening / closing mechanism is provided on the rotating portion side, such a problem does not occur, but the opening / closing direction of the lid 28x varies depending on the rotation position of the vacuum chamber 24x as shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B. There was a problem. If the lid 28x is always opened and closed in a certain direction with this configuration, it is necessary to open and close the lid 28x in a state where the vacuum chamber 24x is always returned to a predetermined rotational position, which deteriorates usability. In particular, in the conventional configuration in which the sample stage side is tilted and the tilt observation is performed, such a rotating operation of the body itself is not necessary. The impression of worsening becomes stronger. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the sample stage is maintained in a horizontal position without being inclined, the sample stage is always in a horizontal position regardless of the rotation position of the body part. The necessity to return to) is low. On the other hand, if the body is provided with an opening / closing mechanism for the closing plate, the weight of the closing plate becomes unstable when the closing plate is opened, and the body cannot be rotated carelessly. There is also a problem that it is difficult to adjust the placement position while confirming the visual field confirmation of the tilt observation with the display means.

  Furthermore, a configuration is also conceivable in which the closing plate is opened and closed in a pull-out manner. However, in this configuration, as shown in FIG. In this case, since the sample stage 33y is fixed to the back surface of the lid 28y, the sample stage 33y is also moved forward when the lid 28y is opened. As a result, the sample cannot be observed by the optical imaging means, There is a problem that the mounting position cannot be adjusted while confirming with the optical imaging means.

  Therefore, in order to maintain the opening / closing direction of the closing plate constantly regardless of the rotational position of the body without causing such disadvantages, the opening / closing mechanism of the closing plate is provided not on the rotating portion but on the fixed portion side. There is a need. However, when this structure is adopted, as described above, there is a problem that it is difficult to achieve both rotation alignment and ease of rotation at the support portion of the rotation shaft.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, by providing the holding mechanism 140 that holds and opens the lid rotation shaft 142 of the lid portion, the contradictory characteristics of such positioning and holding and reduction of the rotational resistance force are compatible. Hereinafter, details of the lid rotation shaft 142 and the holding mechanism 140 will be described with reference to FIGS. 23A and 23B. In these drawings, FIG. 23A shows the locked state of the lid rotating shaft 142 in the open position, and FIG. 23B shows the unlocked state of the lid rotating shaft 142 in the closed position.
(Cover rotation shaft 142)

The lid rotation shaft 142 is the center of rotation of the closing plate 28 in a state where the opening end of the body portion 24 is closed while the closing plate 28 is supported by the lid opening / closing means. That is, it is a member that is interposed between the lid opening / closing arm 29 that is a fixed portion and the closing plate 28 that is a rotating portion, and connects them.
(Holding mechanism 140)

  The holding mechanism 140 is a member that switches between the locked state and the released state of the lid rotating shaft 142 according to the position of the closing plate 28. That is, when the closing plate 28 is in the open position, a locked state is maintained in which the closing plate 28 is held in a predetermined posture. The predetermined posture is a posture in which the shaft is aligned or aligned so that the rotation axis thereof substantially coincides with the rotation axis of the body portion 24 when the closing plate 28 is set to the closing position. That is, the holding mechanism 140 holds the closing plate 28 in a state in which the rotation axis is aligned when the closing plate 28 is moved from the open position to the closed position. Further, when the closing plate 28 is switched from the open position to the closed position, the holding mechanism 140 releases this locked state. As a result, the closing plate 28 is rotated integrally with the body portion 24.

  In the example of FIGS. 23A and 23B showing specific examples of the lid rotation shaft 142 and the holding mechanism 140, the lid rotation shaft 142 is protruded from the tip of the lid opening / closing arm 29 toward the closing plate 28. Further, the closing plate 28 is formed with a bearing recess 143 for supporting it at a portion facing the lid rotating shaft 142. The bearing concave portion 143 is substantially concave, and the inner diameter of the opening is larger than that of the lid rotating shaft 142. In this way, by providing a gap between the lid rotation shaft 142 and the bearing recess 143 and using this as a play, the lid rotation shaft 142 does not hinder the rotation of the closing plate 28 after being fixed to the body portion 24, Smooth rotation can be realized.

  In addition, an inclined surface 144 is formed in the opening portion of the bearing recess 143 by narrowing the inner diameter on the opening end side and inclining toward the bottom side of the bearing recess 143. In the example of FIGS. 23A and 23B, a stopper 145 is fixed to the opening end portion of the bearing recess 143 so as to cover the opening end leaving the center. The stopper 145 has a flat surface facing the lid opening / closing arm 29 so that it can easily support a coil spring 146, which will be described later, and a back surface inside the bearing recess 143 is formed as an inclined surface 144 formed narrow toward the opening edge. Yes.

  On the other hand, at one end of the lid rotating shaft 142, the outer shape on the opening edge side is narrowed so as to be inclined along the inclined surface 144 in a state of being inserted into the bearing recessed portion 143, and the outer shape toward the bottom surface of the bearing recessed portion 143. A tapered surface 147 is formed with a larger diameter. The tapered surface 147 and the inclined surface 144 are designed so that the rotation axes of the closing plate 28 and the trunk portion 24 are aligned with each other in contact with each other. Preferably, the tapered surface 147 is formed so that the inclination of the tapered surface 147 is gentler than that of the inclined surface 144, so that a frictional force can be reliably generated on these contact surfaces to create a locked state.

  Furthermore, the holding mechanism 140 includes an elastic member that is biased so that the lid rotation shaft 142 and the closing plate 28 come into contact with each other. For example, a coil spring 146 can be used as the elastic member. The coil spring 146 functions as a first urging unit that urges the inclined surface 144 to contact the tapered surface 147 with the closing plate 28 in the open position. By placing the lid rotation shaft 142 through the coil spring 146 and pressing the surface of the stopper 145, the inclined surface 144 and the taper surface 147 of the lid rotation shaft 142 abut on the inner surface of the stopper 145. Let me. Thereby, the holding state of the lid rotating shaft 142 and the closing plate 28 can be created by the frictional force. That is, when the closing plate 28 is not in the closed state, the holding mechanism 140 urges the inclined surface 144 to contact the tapered surface 147 to create a holding state. In the holding state, as described above, the lid rotation shaft 142 and the closing plate 28 are aligned and maintained in a positioned state. For this reason, when the closing plate 28 is set to the closing position, the opening portion of the body portion 24 is accurately closed, both the rotation shafts are accurately positioned, and deterioration of the airtightness due to the position shift can be avoided. Further, when the inside of the sample chamber 21 is depressurized with the obstruction plate 28 as the obstruction position, the obstruction plate 28 is sucked toward the body portion 24 due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the sample chamber 21 due to the depressurization, and the O-ring 32 at the open end is crushed and brought into close contact. An airtight state is achieved.

  Furthermore, by setting the closed position, the tension spring 135 provided on the hinge portion 138 that is a bent portion of the lid opening / closing arm 29 and the base portion 22 pulls the lid opening / closing arm 29 toward the trunk portion 24 side. The tension spring 135 functions as a second urging unit that applies a stress opposite to the urging force of the first urging unit in a posture in which the closing plate 28 is in the closing position. The tension force by the tension spring 135 is selected to be stronger than the pushing force by the coil spring 146. As a result, the lid opening / closing arm 29 is pulled toward the trunk portion 24 against the repulsive force of the coil spring 146, and the lid rotating shaft 142 fixed to the lid opening / closing arm 29 is also pushed out to the trunk portion 24 side. As a result, as shown in FIG. 23B, the contact between the tapered surface 147 of the lid rotating shaft 142 and the inclined surface 144 of the closing plate 28 is released, a gap is formed at this interface, or friction at this interface is reduced, In any case, the holding state of the holding mechanism 140 is released. For this reason, the frictional force at the lid rotating shaft 142 can be reduced, and the closing plate 28 can be rotated even with a weak force.

  In this way, when the closing plate 28 is not in the closing position, the closing plate 28 is held and aligned by the holding mechanism 140 so that the rotation axis of the closing plate 28 substantially coincides with the rotation axis of the body portion 24, thereby closing the closing plate 28. The shaft alignment and the achievement of the airtight state when switching to the position are ensured. Further, once the closing plate 28 is closed, the holding state is released, so that the holding mechanism 140 does not hinder the smooth rotation of the body portion 24. Thus, it is possible to reduce the resistance to rotation and to obtain an excellent advantage that both reliability and operability can be achieved.

  In other words, the holding mechanism 140 holds the closing plate 28 in the aligned position when the sample chamber 21 is open, and is configured to deliver the closing plate 28 to the body portion 24 side in the reduced pressure state, so that the lid rotation shaft 142 is provided. The structure which can reduce the frictional resistance and can rotate the trunk | drum 24 smoothly is implement | achieved.

  Further, the holding mechanism is not limited to the above-described configuration, and a structure that can open the closing plate in the closed state and can hold the closing plate can be used as appropriate. For example, a structure in which a spherical member is provided in the hole and a catcher for capturing the spherical member on the lid opening / closing arm side can be used.

  As described above, the lid portion 27 is constituted by the disc-shaped closing plate 28 that is rotatable on the lid rotation shaft 142 at the tip of the lid opening / closing arm 29, and the lid opening / closing arm 29 is provided on the base portion 22 that is a fixed portion. Thus, the opening / closing direction of the closing plate 28 is always constant regardless of the rotational position of the body portion 24. In the example shown in FIG. 24, the pivot of the lid opening / closing arm 29 is located below the opening end, and the user can smoothly perform the opening / closing operation with the opening / closing direction of the closing plate 28 being constant.

Further, in this specification, the rotation or rotation does not necessarily need to be a complete circular motion, and includes an arcuate movement locus. For example, as shown in the schematic side sectional view of FIG. 25, the body 24F is formed in a semicircular shape, and the electron beam imaging means 11 and the optical imaging means 12 are moved along the curved side surface to move inside the sample chamber 21F. Examples that enable tilt observation are also included. Similarly, the cylindrical side surface of the body portion is used to include not only a complete cylinder but also a partial cylinder, for example, a section whose cross section is a semicircle or an arc.
(Handle 35)

The body portion 24 can also be provided with a handle 35 so as to be easily rotated manually. The handle 35 shown in FIG. 2A is a chamber tilt knob that is fixed in a posture protruding from the cylindrical side surface of the trunk portion 24, similar to the observation means 10. A grip portion is provided at the front end of the handle 35 so that the user can easily hold it by hand. The user can grip the grip portion of the handle 35 and rotate the body portion 24 in a desired direction. Two handles 35 are provided apart from each other so that they can be grasped with both hands. Preferably, two handles 35 are provided outside the position where the electron beam imaging means 11 and the optical system imaging means 12 which are two observation means protruding from the side surface of the body portion 24 are provided, from both sides of the two observation means. Arrange them so that they are pinched. In this way, by locating the two observation means between the handles 35, the end of the observation means protruding in the circumferential direction comes into contact with an external member at the time of rotation and is damaged. An effect of protection by the handle 35 arranged outside the observation means is also obtained. Further, by making the protruding length of the handle 35 longer than the electron beam imaging means 11 and the optical system imaging means 12, the protective effect of these observation means can be further enhanced. In addition, as in the modification shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the grip portion provided at the tip of the handle 35B is bent outward so that the user can easily grip the grip. Further, the shape of the handle 35 may be a rod shape, or may be formed in an L shape, a U shape, a semicircular shape, or the like. Alternatively, only one handle may be provided. Alternatively, when the observation means is fixed to the trunk with sufficient strength, the observation means can also be used as a handle.
(Display switching means 36)

  The magnifying observation apparatus further includes a display switching unit 36 that switches an imaging unit to be used. As an example of the display switching means 36, a hardware-type changeover switch can be used. In the example of FIG. 2A, push buttons are provided on the cylindrical side surface of the body 24 as the display switching unit 36 and before the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12. In addition, an indicator lamp 17 such as an LED lamp is provided in front of each button. When one of the push buttons is pressed, the display switching means 36 selects the observation means on the back of the push button, and the moving image display displayed in real time on the display means 2 is automatically converted into an image acquired by the observation means. And the corresponding indicator lamp 17 is turned on to indicate that the observation means is being selected. In this way, the mechanical switching operation of pressing the push button makes the user perceive the switching operation, and the current selection state is visually determined by pressing the push button and turning on / off the indicator lamp 17. Can be grasped. In the example of FIG. 2A, any one of the push buttons can be alternatively selected, and the non-selected push buttons are automatically switched off. In other words, one of the observation means is selected by the display switching means 36 and only the selected observation means is operated, and the two observation means cannot be used simultaneously. However, in addition to the configuration in which the observation means are alternately used as described above, the observation unit may be configured to be usable at the same time.

  In addition, the switching of the observation means by the display switching means 36 may employ software switching in addition to the hardware operation of operating the changeover switch provided in each observation means. For example, when the window displaying the observation of the observation means to be selected is selected and activated on the screen of the display means 2, the selection state of the observation means may be automatically switched.

In addition to the hardware configuration, the display switching unit 36 may be configured to send a switching instruction electronically or in software such as operating an operation program of the magnification observation apparatus 100. Alternatively, a changeover switch by hardware and a changeover switch by software such as an operation program may be combined. For example, when the body 24 is rotated by the rotation unit 30, it is possible to prompt the user to automatically switch the observation unit 10. A changeover switch can also be provided on the handle 35 for the turning operation. In particular, since the switching operation of the observation unit 10 is often performed at a timing when the observation unit 10 is physically moved, that is, the rotation unit 30 is operated, the display of the observation unit 10 is displayed on the handle 35 held at the time of rotation. By providing the switching means 36, this switching operation can be executed almost simultaneously with the rotation operation, and the operability can be improved. For example, a push button switch is provided on the end face or side surface of the handle portion 35b of the handle 35 at a position where the user can easily press the handle portion 35b with the thumb or index finger while holding the handle portion 35b. The push button switch may be provided with a dedicated button for switching to each observation unit in addition to switching between the electron beam imaging unit and the optical system imaging unit in a toggle manner. For example, the right handle 35 is arranged on the right side of the observation means, for example, the optical image pickup means has a changeover switch to the optical image pickup means, and the left handle 35 is arranged on the left side, for example, The electron beam imaging means can be provided with a switch to the electron beam imaging means.
(Sample chamber 21)

The sample chamber 21 has a sealed structure that can maintain a reduced pressure state. A port for arranging or connecting various members is opened on the inner wall of the sample chamber 21. Each port is hermetically sealed so that the inside of the sample chamber 21 can be maintained in a reduced pressure state. In order to realize such hermetic sealing, a packing such as an O-ring is used at the joint location.
(First position 41 and second position 42)

  Among the observation means 10, the electron beam imaging means 11 constituting the first observation means is fixed at a first position 41 on the cylindrical side surface of the body 24, and an optical system constituting the second observation means. The imaging means 12 is also fixed to a second position 42 close to the first position 41 on the cylindrical side surface of the body 24. In the example of FIG. 3, the distance between the first position 41 where the electron beam imaging means 11 is fixed and the second position 42 where the optical system imaging means 12 is fixed is a fixed value. That is, when the cylindrical body 24 is rotated, the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are rotated together. Thereby, the moving mechanism of each observation means 10 can be made common and simplified.

  The second position 42 is a position where the tip of the optical imaging unit 12 does not interfere with the optical axis of the electron gun 47 of the electron beam imaging unit 11. Preferably, the position is set as close as possible while non-interfering. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical system imaging unit 12 can be brought close to the electron beam imaging unit 11, and as a result, the amount of rotation for rotating to the position of both observation units 10 is minimized, The switching operation of the imaging position can be performed smoothly and quickly. Further, by bringing the position of the observation means 10 closer, as shown in FIGS. 26A to 26C, there is an advantage that the overlapping range (the overlapping rotation range to be described later) of the range in which both can be rotated can be increased. can get.

  For this reason, the smaller the offset angle formed by the first position 41 and the second position 42 with respect to the rotation center, the more preferable it is in the range of 30 ° to 50 °. In the example of FIG. 3, each is fixed to the body portion 24 so that the optical axis of the optical system imaging unit 12 and the optical axis of the electron beam imaging unit 11 have an angle difference of 40 °. Further, the rotating means 30 can be rotated within a range equal to or larger than the offset angle, whereby one observation means can be rotated to the position of the other observation means. The range that can be rotated by the rotation means 30 is the maximum rotation range that is restricted by the rotation restriction means 214. Further, by releasing the rotation restricting means 214, it is possible to rotate to a wider range of rotation range restriction values.

In this example, the electron beam imaging means 11 is fixed to the trunk portion 24 in a non-replaceable state, while the optical system imaging means 12 is fixed detachably. As a result, the optical imaging means 12 can be removed from the magnifying observation apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 9 and replaced with the digital microscope stand ST. In order to realize this detachable structure, an optical imaging means mounting portion is provided at the second position 42.
(Optical imaging means mounting part)

  On the cylindrical side surface of the body portion 24, an optical system imaging means mounting portion for detachably mounting the optical system imaging means 12 at the second position 42 is provided. The optical image pickup means mounting portion has a port opened so that an optical lens barrel of the optical system image pickup means 12 can be inserted, and a mount 39 for mounting the optical system image pickup means 12 is provided in the port portion. It is done. As shown in FIG. 3, the mount 39 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and the inner diameter thereof is designed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the optical system imaging unit 12 so that the optical system imaging unit 12 can be mounted. Further, a structure for inserting and fixing the optical imaging means 12 such as a screw groove is provided on the cylindrical inner surface of the mount 39.

  Further, an opening window is provided on the bottom surface of the mount 39, and a translucent window is fitted so as not to obstruct the optical lens of the mounted optical system imaging means 12. Further, the mount 39 is sealed through an O-ring so that it can be mounted while maintaining the airtightness in the sample chamber 21. O-rings are provided on the joint surface between the mount 39 and the body portion 24 and the joint surface between the mount 39 and the translucent window, respectively. In the example of FIG. 3, the optical system imaging means mounting portion is vacuum-sealed with four parts, a first O-ring, a port, a second O-ring, and a translucent window.

  Thus, by making the optical system imaging means 12 freely mountable on the mount 39 that is airtightly provided on the cylindrical side surface of the body portion 24, optical observation can be performed while maintaining airtightness. Furthermore, since the optical imaging means 12 mounted on the mount 39 can be easily replaced, the degree of freedom of optical observation is dramatically increased. In particular, in conventional electron microscopes such as SEMs, there are those equipped with optical lenses that can be optically observed, but there are strong auxiliary meanings that are assumed to be used for searching the field of view of electron microscopes, etc. Those with optical lenses were rarely used. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the optical lens can be exchanged, there is an advantage that the options for the optical observation combined with the electron microscope can be expanded and the freedom of observation can be greatly expanded.

  That is, conventionally, the field of view search is performed by the optical system imaging unit 12 and the subsequent detailed observation is merely performed by the electron beam imaging unit 11. Also, if the optical image and the electron microscope image of the same field of view are displayed at the same magnification, and they are used together for comparison and switching, it is very troublesome to align the two so that they have the same field of view. there were. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the optical image pickup means 12 and the magnification of the electron microscope are overlapped and moved in a rotating manner, and the sample is arranged on the rotation axis thereof, so that an optical image can be obtained in the same visual field range. And acquisition of electron microscope images has become much easier.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first position 41 and the second position 42 are fixed so as to be close to each other so that the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 do not interfere with each other. Specifically, the tip of the observation means 10 may physically interfere with the inside of the sample chamber 21, and one optical axis may be blocked by the other lens barrel. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the electron beam imaging means 11 protrudes to the inside of the sample chamber 21, while the optical system imaging means 12 is relatively fixed to the mount 39 so that the amount of penetration into the sample chamber 21 is relatively large. The optical axis may be obstructed by the tip of the electron beam imaging means 11. For this reason, it is necessary to separate them so that such physical and optical interference does not occur.

  On the other hand, if they are separated too much, the moving distance when the body 24 is rotated and moved to each other becomes longer, and the trajectories overlap each other, that is, the observation means 10 can be located together. There is a disadvantage that the rotation range becomes narrow. Therefore, by arranging them as close as possible so that they do not interfere with each other, the amount of movement when moving the other observation means 10 to one observation position is minimized, eliminating unnecessary movement amounts and switching quickly. You can enjoy the benefits of

  The fixed positions of the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are on substantially the same plane that is substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis of the cylindrical body 24. As a result, the rotated optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 always move on the same circumference, so that their trajectories coincide and it is possible to obtain an observation image of the same field of view. . In particular, since the rotation surface for rotating the electron beam imaging means 11 and the rotation surface for rotating the optical imaging means 12 are substantially matched, the movement ranges of the optical axes of the observation means 10 are matched. Only by rotating one observation means 10 to the position of the other observation means 10, an observation image of the same field of view can be acquired, and different in order to perform imaging in the same field of view, such as visual field alignment and focus adjustment by position switching. There is an advantage that the user's operation for switching to the observation means 10 can be very easily performed.

  Further, by fixing the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 on the same plane, the length of the body portion 24 can be shortened, the apparatus can be made compact in the direction of the rotation axis, and the outer shape of the magnification observation apparatus The advantage that can be reduced in size is also obtained. With such a structure in which the sample stage 33 side is fixed and the observation means 10 side is tilted, tilt observation at different tilt angles (observation angles) can be easily performed, and multi-angle tilt observation with high magnification becomes possible.

  In addition, since the first position 41 for fixing the electron beam imaging means 11 and the second position 42 for fixing the optical system imaging means 12 are different positions, the inclination angle at which each observation means 10 images the sample is also different. The first position 41 and the second position 42 are different. As a result, the electron microscope image and the optical image that can be captured simultaneously are obtained at different inclination angles, but can be easily moved to each other position by rotating the body portion 24. That is, moving the electron beam imaging unit 11 to the position where the optical system imaging unit 12 is located, or conversely moving the optical system imaging unit 12 to the position of the electron beam imaging unit 11 rotates the body 24. This is a very simple operation that can be performed quickly and accurately. This is a great advantage compared to the conventional electron microscope.

  According to the present embodiment, if an observation image at the same inclination angle is to be obtained by the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12, one observation unit (for example, the optical system imaging unit 12) once. After imaging an observation image (for example, an optical image), the cylindrical body 24 is rotated, and the other observation unit (for example, the electron beam imaging unit 11) is rotated to the position imaged by the one observation unit. Since the rotation is a circular locus along the central axis of the rotational motion, that is, the rotational axis, the optical axis of the observation means is always maintained in a posture toward the rotational axis at any position. Therefore, once the focal length is adjusted, the focal length is essentially maintained even by the rotation, so that the operation for focusing is very easy.

In other words, when an observation image is first picked up by one observation means, if the other observation means is adjusted to the in-focus position, the in-focus state is maintained before and after the rotation. Observation images can be acquired. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain an extremely excellent feature that an observation image at the same position can be acquired quickly and easily using two different observation means 10.
(Pivotable range)

The range in which the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 can rotate is configured such that at least a part thereof overlaps, that is, the mutual observation units 10 can move to each other position. FIGS. 26A to 26C are schematic diagrams conceptually showing ranges in which the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 can rotate, respectively. FIG. 26A is an electron beam imaging unit 11. 26 (b) shows the rotatable range of the electron beam imaging means 11, and FIG. 26 (c) shows the rotatable range of the optical system imaging means 12, respectively. Show. In each figure, the solid line indicates the rotatable range of the electron beam imaging means 11, and the broken line indicates the rotatable range of the optical imaging means 12. As described above, since the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are rotated together by the rotation of the body part 24, the rotatable range in which each observation unit 10 can be rotated is that of the body part 24. Depends on the rotatable range.
(Overlapping rotation range)

  More precisely, the angle obtained by subtracting the angle difference between the first position 41 and the second position 42, that is, the offset angle, from the rotatable range of the body 24 is the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11. Are overlapping rotation ranges. For example, when the rotatable range of the body portion 24 is 150 ° and the offset angle is 40 °, 150 ° −40 ° = 110 ° is the overlapping rotation range. A wider overlapping rotation range is preferable because both an electron microscope image and an optical image can be taken at various inclination angles. Ideally, the overlapping rotation range is set to 0 ° to 180 ° that can cover the entire upper surface of the sample stage 33. In this case, an electron microscope image and an optical image can be acquired at almost all inclination angles. However, since each observation means 10 protruding from the body portion 24 is prevented from rotating when it comes into contact with the mounting surface of the magnification observation device, the length of each observation means 10 protruding from the body portion 24 or the magnification observation device is set to the floor. Physical restrictions are imposed by the height of the leg portion 26 for mounting on the surface. For this reason, the overlapping rotation range is about 60 ° to 180 °. Preferably, the projection length of each observation means 10 and the length of the leg portion 26 are set so that an overlapping rotation range of 180 ° or close thereto can be realized. In the present specification, the tilt angle is calculated by assuming that the state in which the electron beam imaging means 11 is in a vertical posture is 0 °. For example, in the example of FIG. 26B, the rotatable range of the electron beam imaging means 11 is 90 ° to the left and 60 ° to the right from the vertical posture, and 150 ° in total. Further, since the rotatable range of the optical system imaging means 12 is fixed at an angle of 40 ° to the right from the electron beam imaging means 11, the rotatable range is vertical as shown in FIG. From the posture, it is 50 ° to the left, 100 ° to the right, and 150 ° in total.

As described above, each observation means 10 (optical system imaging means 12 and electron beam imaging means 11) can maintain a substantially constant distance to the sample located on the rotation axis by rotational movement (rotation). Once the focal length is adjusted, an excellent advantage is obtained that only the rotation angle, that is, the viewpoint can be changed in a state where the focus is always adjusted even if the position is changed.
(Outline of electron beam imaging means 11)

Next, an outline of the electron beam imaging means 11 will be described based on FIG. FIG. 27 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the electron beam imaging means 11, and here, an SEM using an electrostatic type electrostatic lens is used. This SEM is generally an electron lens system for generating an electron beam of accelerated electrons to reach the sample SA, a sample chamber 21 (chamber) in which the sample SA is disposed, and an exhaust system for evacuating the sample chamber 21. And an operation system for image observation. Further, the electron beam imaging means 11 of FIG. 27 controls each member by the electron microscope control unit 40 in order to observe an electron microscope image that is an electron beam observation image by a charged particle beam. Further, the operation program for the electron microscope executed by the controller 1 in FIG. 27 sets the image observation conditions and various operations of the electron microscope, and displays them on the display means 2 for displaying the observation image.
(Electronic lens system)

The electron lens system includes an electron gun 47 that generates an electron beam EB of accelerated electrons, an electron lens system that narrows and narrows the bundle of accelerated electrons, and a detector that detects secondary electrons and reflected electrons generated from the sample SA. Prepare. The thinning of the electron lens system includes a focusing unit for focusing the electron beam and a focusing unit for focusing the electron beam on the sample. These are arranged side by side in the optical axis direction of the electron beam emitted from the electron beam source. A condenser lens or the like can be used for the focusing unit, and an objective lens or the like can be used for the focusing unit. Further, the converging unit can be configured in a plurality of stages. For example, the converging unit can be configured in two stages of a first converging unit and a second converging unit. The electron beam imaging means 11 shown in FIG. 27 corrects an electron gun 47 that irradiates an electron beam EB as an electron lens system and the electron beam EB irradiated from the electron gun 47 so as to pass through the center of the electron lens system. A gun aligner 49 as an axis adjuster, a condenser lens that is a focusing lens 52 that narrows the spot size of the electron beam EB, and an electron beam deflection scanning unit that scans the electron beam EB focused by the focusing lens 52 on the sample SA. 58, a secondary electron detector 61 that detects secondary electrons emitted from the sample SA in accordance with scanning, and a reflected electron detector 62 that detects reflected electrons.
(Exhaust system)

The sample chamber 21 is provided with a sample stage 33, a sample introduction device, a spectrometer for X-ray detection, and the like. The sample stage 33 (stage) is controlled by the sample stage control unit 34 and includes a function of moving and rotating (R axis) the sample stage 33 in the X, Y, and Z (height) directions. These four shafts can be electrically driven, and some or all of them can be driven manually. The exhaust system includes the above-described decompression unit 15.
(Operation system)

The operation system displays and observes secondary electron images, backscattered electron images, X-ray images, etc., and performs adjustment of irradiation current, focusing, and the like. If the output of the secondary electron image, etc., is an analog signal, film shooting with a photographic machine was common, but in recent years it has become possible to output an image converted into a digital signal, such as data storage, image processing, printing, etc. A wide variety of processes are possible. The SEM of FIG. 27 includes a display unit 2 that displays an observation image such as a secondary electron image and a reflected electron image, and a printer 69 for printing. The operation system also includes setting guidance means for guiding (guidance) a setting procedure for setting items necessary for setting at least an acceleration voltage or a spot size (diameter of incident electron beam bundle) as an image observation condition.
(Details of electron beam imaging means 11)

Next, details of the electron beam imaging means 11 will be described with reference to FIG. The SEM in FIG. 27 is connected to the controller 1 and the display means 2, the controller 1 operates the electron beam imaging means 11, displays the result on the display means 2, and displays image observation conditions and image data as necessary. Save, perform image processing and calculations. A central processing unit 60 composed of a CPU, LSI, etc. shown in FIG. 27 controls each block constituting the electron beam imaging means 11. By controlling the electron gun high-voltage power supply 43, an electron beam EB is generated from an electron gun 47 comprising a filament 44, a Wehnelt 45, and an anode 46. The electron beam EB generated from the electron gun 47 does not necessarily pass through the center of the electron lens system, but is corrected to pass through the center of the electron lens system by controlling the gun aligner 49 with the optical axis adjuster 50. I do. Next, the electron beam EB is narrowed down by a condenser lens which is a focusing lens 52 controlled by the focusing lens control unit 51. The focused electron beam EB passes through an astigmatism corrector 57 that deflects the electron beam EB, an electron beam deflection scanning unit 58, an objective lens 59, and an objective aperture 53 that determines the beam opening angle of the electron beam EB, It reaches the sample SA. The astigmatism corrector 57 is controlled by the astigmatism corrector controller 54 and controls the scanning speed and the like. Similarly, the electron beam deflection scanning unit 58 is controlled by the electron beam deflection scanning unit control unit 55 and the objective lens 59 is controlled by the objective lens control unit 56, and the sample SA is scanned by these operations. By scanning the sample SA with the electron beam EB, information signals such as secondary electrons and reflected electrons are generated from the sample SA, and these information signals are detected by the secondary electron detector 61 and the reflected electron detector 62, respectively. The The detected secondary electron information signal passes through the secondary electron detection amplification unit 63, and the reflected electron information signal is detected by the reflected electron detector 62 and then through the reflected electron detection amplification unit 64, respectively, and A / D converted. A / D conversion is performed by the devices 65 and 66, sent to the image data generation unit 67, configured as image data, and held in the first storage unit 131. The image data held in the first storage unit 131 is sent to the controller 1, displayed on the display unit 2 such as a monitor connected to the controller 1, and printed by the printer 69 as necessary. The exhaust system pump 70 evacuates the sample chamber 21. An exhaust control unit 72 connected to the exhaust system pump 70 adjusts the degree of vacuum, and controls from high vacuum to low vacuum according to the sample SA and observation purpose.
(Electron gun 47)

The electron gun 47 is a source that generates accelerated electrons having a certain energy. In addition to a thermal electron gun that emits electrons by heating W (tungsten) filaments or LaB ₆ filaments, a W-shaped W is formed. There is a field emission electron gun that emits electrons by applying a strong electric field to the tip. On the other hand, the electron lens system is controlled by the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 to adjust the electron microscope magnification. In the electron lens system, a focusing lens 52, an objective lens 59, an objective aperture 53, an electron beam deflection scanning means 58, an astigmatism corrector 57, and the like are mounted. The focusing lens further converges and narrows the electron beam EB generated by the electron gun 47. The objective lens 59 is a lens for finally focusing the electron probe on the sample SA. The objective aperture 53 is used to reduce aberrations. The detector includes a secondary electron detector 61 that detects secondary electrons and a reflected electron detector 62 that detects reflected electrons. Since secondary electrons have low energy, they are captured by the collector, converted into photoelectrons by a scintillator, and signal amplified by a photomultiplier tube. On the other hand, a scintillator or a semiconductor type is used for detection of reflected electrons. Note that the present invention is not limited to signal detection of secondary electrons and reflected electrons, and signal detectors such as Auger electrons, transmitted electrons, internal electromotive force, cathode luminescence, X-rays, and absorbed electrons can also be applied. Alternatively, the backscattered electron detector may be omitted.
(Electrostatic lens)

The SEM that is the electron beam imaging means 11 employs an electrostatic lens that is an electrostatic electron lens as an electron lens. Since the electrostatic SEM is lightweight, it is suitable for the inclined structure as in this embodiment. An outline of the electrostatic lens is shown in the block diagram of FIG. As shown in this figure, the electrostatic lens has a structure in which each electronic lens in the electronic lens barrel is electrically controlled by the electrostatic lens control unit 40A. In the electron lens barrel, the electron gun 47A, the first condenser lens 52A and the second condenser lens 57A constituting the converging unit, and the scanning electrode 58A for scanning the electron beam EB1 as the electron beam deflection scanning means 58 are provided. And an objective lens 59A constituting the focusing unit. The electron gun 47A includes a filament 44A that is an electron beam source, a Wehnelt 45A that is a cylindrical electrode for focusing the electron beam, and an anode 46A. The electrostatic lens control unit 40A controls the filament 44A and the Wehnelt 45A to generate an electron beam EB1 from the electron gun 47A, and a first lens control unit 51A that controls the first condenser lens 52A. A second lens control unit 54A for controlling the second condenser lens 57A, a scan electrode control unit 55A for controlling the scan electrode 58A, and an objective lens control unit 56A for controlling the objective lens 59A. Thus, the electrostatic lens combines a plurality of electrodes, irradiates the electron beam EB1 toward the sample SA using the focusing action of the positive electric field on the electron beam EB1, and emits secondary electrons SE1 emitted from the sample SA. Is detected by the secondary electron detector 61A. Although the electrostatic lens having this structure has large aberrations, the structure can be simplified and the electron beam imaging means 11 can be reduced in weight, whereby the observation means 10 can be stably rotated and the reliability can be improved. Benefits are gained. In the example of FIG. 28, the electron beam deflection scanning unit 58 is configured by one stage of scanning electrodes 58A, but may be configured by a plurality of stages of electrodes.
(Electronic gun)

  Details of the electron gun will be described with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 30 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the electron gun, FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the electron gun, and FIG. 32 shows a graph showing the relationship between the filament current and the signal intensity. . The electron gun shown in these drawings includes a filament 44, a Wehnelt 45, and an anode 46. The control of the electron gun is performed with respect to the electron gun high-voltage power supply 43 by three parameters of a filament current, a bias voltage, and an acceleration voltage. The electron gun high-voltage power supply 43 includes a filament power supply 43a, a bias power supply 43b, an acceleration voltage power supply 43c, and an emission ammeter 43d. The emission ammeter 43d acquires the emission current output from the electron gun high-voltage power supply 43 and displays it as an emission current. Further, as shown in FIG. 31, the filament 44 is heated by passing a current from a filament power supply 43a, and generates an electron beam from the tip. The Wehnelt 45 focuses the electron beam emitted from the filament 44 by being set to a voltage lower than that of the filament 44 by the bias power supply 43b. On the other hand, the anode 46 is kept at the ground potential, attracts the electron beam, and passes through the hole. Further, a voltage is added to the bias power supply 43b and the filament power supply 43a by the acceleration voltage power supply 43c.

Note that the final dose of the electron beam varies depending on the filament current passed through the filament 44 as shown in FIG. Usually, the second saturation point shown in FIG. 32 is set and used. When the bias voltage is increased, the lens effect produced by the Wehnelt 45 is increased, and the electron beam emitted from the filament 44 is strongly focused. As a result, the size of the virtual light source changes, and at the same time, the amount of the electron beam excluded by the diaphragm or the like changes, and the amount of current finally irradiated to the sample changes.
(Magnification control mode switching function)

  Furthermore, the electron beam imaging means 11 has a plurality of magnification control modes according to the display magnification. Specifically, a low magnification control mode suitable for observation at a low magnification and a high magnification control mode suitable for observation at a high magnification can be switched by a magnification control mode switching means. The electron beam imaging unit 11 that enables the magnification control mode to be switched by the magnification control mode switching unit 187 is shown in FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 33 is a block diagram of a magnification observation apparatus that realizes a magnification control mode switching function, FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing in detail the electron beam imaging means 11 of FIG. 33, and FIG. 35 is an electron beam of FIG. FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a scanning state of an electron beam when the electron beam deflection scanning means 58 of FIG. 35 is set to a high magnification control mode, and FIG. 37 is an electron beam deflection scanning means of FIG. FIG. 38 is a schematic diagram showing the scanning state of the electron beam when 58 is set to the low magnification control mode, and FIG. 38 is a schematic diagram showing how the magnification control mode is switched according to the set display magnification. As shown in these drawings, the electron beam imaging means 11 realizes a magnification control mode switching function that automatically switches the magnification control mode according to the display magnification set by the user, whereby the user can perform the magnification control mode. The display magnification can be changed seamlessly without being conscious of switching and without resetting the parameter value set that defines the observation conditions necessary for switching the magnification control mode. In other words, conventionally, the user must select an appropriate magnification control mode according to the display magnification to be observed, and astigmatism caused by changing the selected magnification control mode. This parameter had to be further adjusted, and there was a problem that the magnification could not be changed simply from low magnification to high magnification or from high magnification to low magnification. Such a problem can be solved by the magnification control mode switching function, and the user is freed from the troublesome task of changing the setting, so that an easy-to-use electron microscope image can be observed.

  Specifically, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 33, the magnification observation apparatus includes an electron beam imaging unit 11, an electron microscope control unit 40, a display unit 2, and an electron microscope magnification adjustment unit 68. The electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 is a member for adjusting the display magnification of the electron microscope image on the display means 2.

The electron microscope magnification adjusting unit 68 includes a magnification control mode switching unit 187, a parameter value set setting unit 188, and a parameter value set storage unit 189. The parameter value set storage unit 189 includes a parameter value set set in the first magnification control mode and a second magnification control mode for a plurality of parameters for adjusting the imaging condition of the electron microscope image by the electron beam imaging unit 11. The parameter value set to be set is stored. Here, the imaging conditions for the electron microscope image include brightness, magnification, resolution, and the like. As the parameter value set storage unit 189, a storage element such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory can be used as appropriate. Further, the parameter value set setting unit 188 switches and sets the parameter value set in accordance with the switching of the magnification control mode.
(Details of electron beam imaging means)

Details of the electron beam imaging means are shown in FIG. The electron beam imaging means 11 shown in this figure includes an filament 44C that is an electron beam source, a Wehnelt 45C that is a cylindrical electrode for focusing an electron beam, an anode 46C, and a gun aligner 49. As an electrode 49C1, a lower aligner electrode 49C2, a first condenser diaphragm 52c, a first condenser lens 52C, a second condenser diaphragm 57c, a second condenser lens 57C, an objective diaphragm 53C, and an electron beam deflection scanning means 58 A first deflection electrode which is the first deflection unit 58C1, a second deflection electrode which is the second deflection unit 58C2, and an objective lens 59C are provided. In the electron beam imaging means 11 shown in FIG. 34, the electron beam deflection scanning means 58 is constituted by a plurality of stages, unlike the one-stage scanning electrode 58A for scanning the electron beam EB1 in FIG. That is, the electron beam deflection scanning means 58 is constituted by two stages of the first deflection unit 58C1 and the second deflection unit 58C2.
(Electron beam deflection scanning means 58)

The electron beam deflection scanning unit 58 serves as a scanner for scanning an electron beam. Here, a state in which the electron beam imaging unit 11 in FIG. 34 scans the electron beam for each magnification control mode using the electron beam deflection scanning unit 58 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing the electron beam deflection scanning means 58. As described above, the first condenser lens 52C, the second condenser lens 57C, and the electron beam emitted from the electron beam source are arranged side by side in the optical axis direction. The first deflection unit 58C1 and the second deflection unit 58C2 for deflecting the electron beam, and an objective lens 59C are provided.
(High magnification control mode)

FIG. 36 shows the scanning state of the electron beam when the electron beam deflection scanning means 58 is set to the high magnification control mode, and FIG. 37 shows the scanning state of the electron beam when the low magnification control mode is set. In the high magnification control mode that is the first magnification control mode, the electron beam deflection scanning unit 58 scans the electron beam using the first deflection unit 58C1 and the second deflection unit 58C2. Here, control is performed so that the electron beam is focused by the two-stage condenser lenses 52C and 57C, the electron beam is scanned by the two-stage deflection units 58C1 and 58C2, and the electron beam is focused on the sample by the objective lens 59C. In the high-magnification control mode, the electron beam is returned by the two-stage deflecting units 58C1 and 58C2, and the electron beam scanning is performed in which the deflection node serving as the center of scanning coincides with the center of the objective lens 59C. This has the advantage that the edge of the screen is not distorted by the objective lens electric field.
(Low magnification control mode)

However, if the magnification is reduced as it is, distortion is likely to occur due to non-uniform electrolysis of the edge of the second deflection unit. Therefore, in the low magnification control mode, which is the second magnification control mode, one deflection unit is turned off. When one deflection unit is turned off, distortion tends to occur at the edge of the objective lens, so the objective lens is also turned off. Here, the electron beam is scanned using the first deflecting unit 58C1 and the second deflecting unit 58C2 on the side closer to the sample, in the example of FIG. 37, the second deflecting unit 58C2. This enables a wide range of scanning in the low magnification control mode even with the same electrode spacing.
(Magnification control mode switching means 187)

  The magnification control mode switching means 187 determines whether it belongs to the high magnification control mode or the low magnification control mode from the display magnification selected by the user, and automatically switches the magnification control mode. Furthermore, the image adjustment parameters that need to be changed are automatically changed according to the change in the magnification control mode. Thus, the user can perform seamless observation from low magnification to high magnification without being aware of the distinction between the magnification control mode for low magnification observation and the magnification control mode for high magnification observation.

  Specifically, the magnification control mode switching unit 187 acquires the display magnification of the electron microscope image from the electron microscope magnification adjustment unit, and switches the magnification control mode when the display magnification reaches a predetermined threshold. This state will be described with reference to FIG. 38. As a magnification range that can be set by the user, a magnification range corresponding to a high magnification control mode suitable for observation at a high magnification and a low magnification suitable for observation at a low magnification. There is a magnification range corresponding to the magnification control mode. In a range including both of these, the user can set a desired display magnification, that is, a user-set magnification by the electron microscope magnification adjusting means. In this example, the usable ranges of the high magnification control mode and the low magnification control mode partially overlap. Within this overlapping range, the magnification control mode switching magnification is set. The magnification control mode switching unit 187 determines which magnification control mode the user-set magnification set by the user belongs, and automatically switches the magnification control mode. At this time, the parameters are automatically changed. In the example of FIG. 38, the magnification control mode switching magnification is 100 times. The user increases the display magnification and switches the magnification control mode from the magnification control mode to the high magnification control mode when the display magnification becomes 100 times.

In the above example, the magnification control mode switching magnification for switching the magnification control mode is a constant value. However, the magnification control mode switching magnification for switching from the high magnification control mode to the low magnification control mode, and the high magnification from the low magnification control mode. It is also possible to provide hysteresis by individually setting the magnification control mode switching magnification for switching to the control mode. For example, the magnification control mode switching unit 187 switches from the first magnification control mode to the second magnification control mode when the display magnification to be adjusted from the low magnification to the high magnification reaches a predetermined magnification control mode switching magnification. When the display magnification adjusted from the magnification to the low magnification reaches a magnification lower than a predetermined magnification control mode switching magnification, the second magnification control mode may be switched to the first magnification control mode. This provides the advantage that the current magnification control mode can be maintained as much as possible. On the other hand, since the same display magnification can be acquired by the two magnification control modes, the appearance of the observation image may be slightly different.
(Parameter)

In each magnification control mode, various parameters that determine the imaging conditions of the electron beam imaging means are set to optimum values. For this reason, a parameter value set corresponding to each magnification control mode is set in advance and stored in the parameter value set storage unit 189. When the display magnification is changed and the magnification control mode switching unit 187 determines that the magnification control mode needs to be switched, the corresponding parameter value set is read from the parameter value set storage unit 189 and the parameter value set setting unit 188 is read. Thus, each parameter can be set to an appropriate parameter value. Such parameters include conditions relating to the brightness, magnification, resolution, etc. of the electron microscope image.
(Example of parameter value set)

  Here, parameters that need to be adjusted when the magnification control mode is changed and setting examples thereof will be described. For example, the bias voltage parameter is set to an optimum value according to the high magnification control mode when switching from the low magnification control mode to the high magnification control mode. On the other hand, when switching from the high magnification control mode to the low magnification control mode, the bias voltage is set so that the irradiation current amount is the same as that in the high magnification control mode. This is to change the bias voltage so that the amount of irradiation current does not change before and after the transition to the magnification control mode because the reduction rate of the electron beam is different between the low magnification control mode and the high magnification control mode.

  As another parameter, the intensity of the first condenser lens uses an optimum value corresponding to each magnification control mode. On the other hand, the second condenser lens has an optimum value according to the high magnification control mode when switching from the low magnification control mode to the high magnification control mode. As described above, in the high magnification control mode, the objective lens is controlled to focus the electron beam on the sample. Conversely, when switching from the high-magnification control mode to the low-magnification control mode, control is performed so that the objective lens is turned off and the electron beam is focused on the sample by the second condenser lens. Therefore, the second condenser lens is controlled in the low magnification control mode so that the focus does not shift from the high magnification control mode when switching to the magnification control mode.

  For astigmatism, the optimum value corresponding to each magnification control mode is used. Furthermore, the first deflecting unit and the second deflecting unit are set to mode optimum values that match the magnification when switching from the low magnification control mode to the high magnification control mode. On the other hand, when switching from the high-magnification control mode to the low-magnification control mode, the first deflection unit is set to OFF as described above, while the second deflection unit is set to a mode optimum value that matches the magnification. Furthermore, for image shift, when switching from the low-magnification control mode to the high-magnification control mode, the mode is set to the optimum value. It is set not to. Furthermore, for the objective lens, when switching from the low-magnification control mode to the high-magnification control mode, it is set so that focus deviation does not occur with the low-magnification control mode, and conversely, when switching from the high-magnification control mode to the low-magnification control mode, It is turned off. Contrast is set so that the image brightness does not change from the low magnification control mode when switching from the low magnification control mode to the high magnification control mode, and conversely, when switching from the high magnification control mode to the low magnification control mode, The high magnification control mode and the image brightness are set so as not to change. Finally, when switching from low magnification control mode to high magnification control mode, brightness is set so that image brightness does not change from low magnification control mode, and conversely from high magnification control mode to low magnification control mode. At the time of switching, the high magnification control mode and the image brightness are set not to change.

  Note that, as described above, the necessary parameters are automatically switched by the magnification control mode switching unit 187 when the magnification control mode is switched, but it goes without saying that the user may further finely adjust the parameters using the operation unit or the like. Absent.

In this way, when the optical system is operated in different magnification control modes according to the observation magnification range, the magnification control mode is switched according to the user-set magnification and the means for linking the related parameters is provided. When the magnification is operated, it is possible to automatically determine and switch in which magnification control mode the set magnification is realized. In addition, by automatically changing various related parameters in accordance with the magnification control mode at that time, the user can change the magnification without being aware of the magnification control mode. Needless to say, such a function of automatically switching the magnification control mode may be turned off.
(Electromagnetic lens)

  However, the present invention does not limit the electron beam imaging means 11 to an electrostatic lens, and other electronic lenses can be appropriately employed. For example, as long as sufficient mechanical strength can be maintained, an electromagnetic lens that is a magnetic type electron lens may be used as the electron lens. An electromagnetic lens is advantageous in that it is advantageous for high magnification. An outline of the electromagnetic lens is shown in FIG. The electromagnetic lens shown in this figure also has a structure in which each electronic lens in the electronic lens barrel is electrically controlled by the electromagnetic lens control unit 40B. In the electron lens barrel, an electron gun 47B, a first condenser lens 52B, a second condenser lens 57B, a scanning coil 58B for scanning the electron beam EB2, and an objective lens 59B are provided. The electron gun 47B includes a filament 44B that is an electron beam source, a Wehnelt 45B that is a cylindrical electrode for focusing the electron beam, and an anode 46B. The electromagnetic lens controller 40B controls the filament 44B and the Wehnelt 45B to generate an electron beam EB2 from the electron gun 47B, a first lens controller 51B that controls the first condenser lens 52B, A second lens control unit 54B that controls the second condenser lens 57B, a scanning coil control unit 55B that controls the scanning coil 58B, and an objective lens control unit 56B that controls the objective lens 59B are provided. Thus, the electromagnetic lens irradiates the sample SA2 with the electron beam EB2, and detects the secondary electrons SE2 emitted from the sample SA2 by the secondary electron detector 61B. The above-described electrostatic lens uses an electric field, whereas the electromagnetic lens irradiates the electron beam EB2 using a magnetic field generated by an electromagnet.

  In general, an electromagnetic lens using an electromagnet is used as a magnetic field type electron lens. However, by using a permanent magnet instead of an electromagnet as a magnetic field generating means, the lens structure can be simplified, reduced in size, reduced in weight, and the like. it can. However, in this case, since the magnetic force cannot be adjusted unlike an electromagnet, the focal length becomes a fixed value. In this specification, for convenience, such a lens is also referred to as an electromagnetic lens.

Further, it goes without saying that such a magnetic field type electron lens can also have a magnification control mode switching function as described in the electrostatic electron lens. For example, as shown in FIG. 39, the scanning coil constituting the electron beam deflection scanning means 58 is configured not in one stage as shown in FIG. 28 but in two stages, so that a high magnification control mode and a low magnification control mode are achieved. In the switching mode, automatic switching can be realized by using the magnification control mode switching means 187 so that switching between these magnification control modes can be performed smoothly. 39 includes a filament 44D, a Wehnelt 45D, an anode 46D, an aligner coil 49D, a first condenser aperture 52d, a first condenser lens 52D, and a second condenser aperture. 57d, second condenser lens 57D, electron beam deflection scanning means 58, astigmatism coil as first deflection part 58D1, deflection coil as second deflection part 58D2, objective diaphragm 53D, objective lens 59D It has. Also in this magnetic type electron lens, seamless magnification switching from low magnification to high magnification is realized by the magnification control mode switching function.
(Detector)

In the example shown in FIG. 3, a secondary electron detector (SED) 61 is used as the detector. However, as described above, other detectors can be used instead of or in addition to this. In addition, the secondary electron detector 61 is provided in the fixed part in the example of FIG. Preferably, it is provided on the end face plate located on the back side. Thereby, since both the sample stage 33 and the secondary electron detector 61 are in the fixed portion, the positional relationship is unchanged, and stable secondary electrons can be detected. In particular, in tilt observation where the sample stage is tilted, there is an advantage that secondary electrons can be reliably captured without being shaded by the sample stage. That is, in the configuration in which the conventional sample stage side is inclined and the electron gun and the secondary electron detector are fixed, the sample surface may become a shadow of the sample stage when viewed from the secondary electron detector, As a result, there is a problem that the detection sensitivity of secondary electrons is lowered. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the sample stage side is fixed and the electron gun side is tilted as described above, since the sample stage does not tilt even in tilt observation, such a shadowing problem does not occur. The advantage that a stable observation result can be obtained is obtained. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the detector may be provided on the rotating portion side.
(Sample stage 33)

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, a sample stage 33 for placing a sample to be observed is placed in the sample chamber 21. The sample stage 33 has a flat circular table on the upper surface. In the examples of the partial cross-sectional perspective views of FIGS. 6 to 8, the sample stage 33 is notched in a semicircular shape for explanation. The sample stage 33 is disposed at a position that substantially coincides with the central axis of the cylindrical sample chamber 21. Strictly speaking, since the sample stage 33 can be moved up and down while maintaining the horizontal posture, the sample placement surface of the sample stage 33 can be made to coincide with the intersection of the optical axes of the two observation means 10. The moving mechanism is adjusted.

As a result, the sample is arranged at substantially the center of the rotation axis, and each observation means 10 is held in a posture toward the center axis to observe the sample. Therefore, even if each observation means 10 is rotated along the rotation axis, In addition, it is always easy to catch the sample in the field of view with the tip of the optical axis as the sample, and once the focal length (working distance: WD) is adjusted, a constant working distance is maintained even if the observation means 10 is rotated. Therefore, observation from different angles can be performed while maintaining the in-focus state substantially. That is, since the loss of the visual field due to the movement of the observation means 10 can be reduced, an excellent advantage that even a novice user who is not familiar with the operation can easily operate is obtained.
(Sample stage drive means 34)

The observation position is positioned by physically moving the sample stage 33 on which the sample SA is placed. The sample SA is moved by a horizontal plane moving mechanism 74 and a height adjusting mechanism 80 constituting the sample table driving means 34 for driving the sample table 33. These sample stage drive means 34 are controlled by the sample stage control unit 34. The sample stage 33 can be moved and adjusted in various directions so that the observation position of the sample SA can be adjusted. Specifically, a horizontal plane moving mechanism 74 for moving the sample stage 33 in the horizontal plane is provided. The horizontal plane moving mechanism 74 includes an XY moving mechanism 75 that performs movement and fine adjustment in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, which are the plane directions of the sample stage 33. Further, an R-axis rotation mechanism 76 that can rotate in the R-axis direction, that is, rotate around the Z-axis orthogonal to the XY plane can be added to the horizontal plane moving mechanism 74. The amount of rotation of the R-axis rotation mechanism 76 is adjusted by the rotation adjusting means. In order to distinguish from rotational movement in the R-axis direction, in this specification, movement in the XY direction is referred to as linear movement. The sample stage drive unit 34 functions as an observation positioning unit that positions the observation position with respect to the sample.
(Horizontal plane moving mechanism 74)

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 7, the XY movement mechanism 75 of the horizontal plane movement mechanism 74 is an X-axis operation knob 74X for manually adjusting the amount of movement for moving the sample stage 33 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis operation knob 74Y is provided on the right side of the body portion 24 so as to protrude to the near side. Further, the R-axis rotation mechanism 76 includes an R-axis operation knob 74R, which is a rotation adjusting means for manually adjusting the amount of movement for moving the sample stage 33 in the R-axis direction, an X-axis operation knob 74X, and a Y-axis operation knob 74Y. Are arranged so as to protrude to the front side on the right side of the body portion 24. As shown in these figures, the movement of the sample stage 33 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the R-axis direction is performed by a belt drive and a gear drive of an endless track stretched at the rear end of the operation knob. A rotational force is transmitted according to the rotation amount of the operation knob, and the sample stage 33 moves by a predetermined amount.
(Operation knob)

Further, the height adjusting mechanism 80 is provided with a Z-axis operation knob 80Z for adjusting the amount of movement for moving the sample stage 33 in the Z-axis direction so as to protrude upward from the back surface of the fixed plate 23. Thus, by unifying the operation knobs in a rotary manner, the user can adjust the movement of the sample stage 33 with a unified operation feeling. 6 to 7 and the like, the X-axis operation knob 74X, the Y-axis operation knob 74Y, and the R-axis operation knob 74R are all provided in a posture protruding from the vertical surface on the right side of the trunk portion 24. . However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement and position, and can be provided in an arbitrary arrangement at an arbitrary position of the magnification observation apparatus. For example, in the magnification observation apparatus according to the modification shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the X-axis operation knob 74X, the Y-axis operation knob 74Y, and the R-axis operation knob 74R are arranged in a horizontal plane. In addition, each knob may be provided with a protrusion that is easily picked up with a finger during rotation to facilitate continuous rotation. Further, the Z-axis operation knob 80Z is fixed in such a way that the rotation axis protrudes from the side surface so that the knob part is in the vertical attitude, so that the user can sensuously adjust the height direction. And can be easily distinguished from other knobs.
(Non-tilting)

  The sample stage 33 can only move within a horizontal plane, and eliminates the adjustment of the tilt angle (T-axis direction) that was possible with the conventional sample stage. In other words, the sample stage drive means 34 does not have a tilting means for tilting the sample stage 33. In this way, by fixing the sample stage 33 in a horizontal posture in a non-tilt state where the tilting operation of the sample stage 33 is prohibited, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the sample placed on the upper surface of the sample stage 33 moves or slides down due to the tilt. . In addition, it is possible to obtain an excellent advantage that the work of fixing the sample to the sample stage with a double-sided tape or the like, which has been necessary in the past, can be avoided, and the situation where the sample is damaged due to the sticking and peeling of the adhesive material can be avoided.

Further, instead of tilting the sample stage 33, the observation means side is tilted, that is, rotated, so that an advantage that the user can easily grasp the change in the visual field in tilted observation can be obtained. In other words, since the observation means side such as an electron gun was fixed and the sample side was tilted in the past, a change in the field of view appeared as a change in the observation object, and what kind of posture the sample was in and what direction it was viewed from It is not easy to know which axis should be adjusted in which direction in order to obtain a desired field of view, and fine adjustment operation requires skill. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the sample is fixed and the observation means side is moved (rotated), the observation means is physically tilted by the user's own hand, and the position of the sample is fixed. The relationship can be easily grasped. In other words, similar to general observation, the configuration is similar to the operation of moving the user's own viewpoint with respect to a fixed sample, and therefore, the user himself / herself manually adjusts the observation means, and thus the relative The positional relationship becomes very clear. In addition, since the relative position of the sample and the observation means can be grasped when changing the field of view, it is easy to understand which axis can be adjusted to the desired field of view, and users who are not skilled in operation However, there is a merit that can be grasped intuitively.
(Height adjustment mechanism 80)

  The sample stage 33 can be adjusted in the vertical Z-axis direction to adjust the distance (working distance) between the objective lens 59 and the sample as a height adjustment mechanism 80 for adjusting the horizontal position. It is said. Further, by including the focus variable range of the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12 in the movement locus of the height adjusting mechanism 80, the focus adjustment of the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12 can be performed. In this case, the height adjustment mechanism 80 is also used as the microscope focus adjustment unit 37 for adjusting the focal length of the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical focus adjustment unit 38 for adjusting the focal length of the optical system imaging unit 12. Alternatively, when each observation means 10 has a focus adjustment means, these can be used together. Needless to say, when either one of the observation means 10 is a fixed focus type that does not have a focus adjustment means, it functions as the focus adjustment means. For example, when the electron beam imaging unit 11 includes the microscope focus adjustment unit 37 and the optical system imaging unit 12 is a fixed focus type, the height adjustment mechanism 80 can be used as the optical focus adjustment unit 38.

The positioning of the observation image and the movement of the observation field of view are not limited to the method of physically moving the sample stage, and for example, a method of shifting the scanning position of the electron beam irradiated from the electron gun (image shift) can also be used. Alternatively, such virtual movement may be used in combination with physical movement. Alternatively, a method of once capturing image data over a wide range and processing the data in software can be used. In this method, since the data is once captured and processed in the data, the observation position can be moved by software, and there is no hardware movement such as movement of the sample stage or scanning of the electron beam. There are benefits. As a method of capturing large image data in advance, for example, there is a method of acquiring a plurality of image data at various positions and acquiring image data of a wide area by connecting these image data. Alternatively, the acquisition area can be increased by acquiring image data at a low magnification.
(Optical system imaging means 12)

  Next, the optical imaging unit 12 will be described. First, FIG. 59A shows a configuration example of the optical lens system of the optical system imaging unit 12. This optical lens includes an optical imaging element 92 disposed in an optical lens barrel, and an optical zoom lens 93 and an objective lens 94 that constitute an optical lens group 98. Each lens can be composed of a plurality of optical lenses. The magnification is adjusted by driving the optical zoom lens 93 manually or electrically to adjust the distance between the lenses. In the case of electric driving, a motor for moving the position of the optical zoom lens 93 is provided, and the optical zoom magnification is adjusted by the rotation of the motor. In order to adjust such optical magnification, the optical system imaging unit 12 includes an optical magnification adjusting unit 95. Further, when the focal position is variable, an optical focus adjusting means 38 for adjusting the focal position may be provided. When the focus position is fixed, the optical focus adjustment means can be omitted. Furthermore, an illumination unit 96 for illuminating the sample SA3 placed on the sample stage 33 is arranged.

As the optical imaging element 92, a CCD, a CMOS, or the like can be used. The optical imaging device 92 forms an optical image by electrically reading reflected or transmitted light of light incident on the sample SA3 via the optical system for each pixel arranged two-dimensionally. . Image data electrically read by the optical imaging element 92 is sent to the information processing means 101 for processing.
(Optical imaging system)

  In the configuration of the magnification observation system 1000 shown in FIG. 1, a controller for controlling the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 is provided separately. Here, the electron microscope image means is controlled by the controller 1, and the optical imaging means 12 is controlled by the information processing means 101 incorporated in the display means 2. In the present embodiment, the controller 1 is configured to perform image processing such as image composition. However, in addition to a configuration in which a separate controller for controlling each observation unit is provided, a plurality of observation units may be controlled by a single controller. By using a common controller, necessary members can be reduced, and a user can control a plurality of observation means by operating only one controller. Furthermore, the operation of each observation means is further improved by providing a unified environment and user interface.

  FIG. 59B shows a block diagram of an optical imaging system in which the optical system imaging unit 12 is controlled by the information processing unit 101 of the display unit 2. The optical system imaging means 12 shown in this figure is mounted on the sample stage 33 from the light receiving element such as a CCD as an optical imaging element for imaging the sample SA3, a CCD control circuit 91 for driving and controlling the CCD, and the illumination unit 96. And an optical lens group 98 that forms an image of transmitted light and reflected light of the light irradiated on the sample SA3 on the CCD. The configuration shown in FIG. 59A can be used for the optical lens group 98. Further, as described with reference to FIG. 4 and the like, the sample table driving means 34 for driving the sample table 33 on which the sample SA3 is mounted includes a horizontal plane moving mechanism 74 and a height adjusting mechanism 80. Further, as the optical focus adjusting means, a mechanism for moving the optical lens group 98 in the optical axis direction is provided, or the height adjusting mechanism is also used as an optical focus adjusting means for adjusting the focal point by changing the relative distance in the optical axis direction. May be.

  On the other hand, the display means 2 is electrically read by a second storage means 103 (corresponding to the second storage means 132 in FIG. 133) such as a memory for storing image data electrically read by the image pickup element, and the image pickup element. A display unit 102 for displaying an image based on the image data, an operation unit 105 for performing input and other operations based on a screen displayed on the display unit 102 (corresponding to the operation unit 105c in FIG. 133, etc.), An information processing unit 101 that performs image processing and other various processes based on information input by the unit 105 and an interface 104 through which the information processing unit 101 exchanges information from the optical imaging unit 12 are provided. The display unit 102 is a monitor capable of high-resolution display, and a CRT, a liquid crystal panel, or the like is used.

  The second storage unit 103 stores focal length information regarding the relative distance in the optical axis direction between the sample stage 33 and the optical lens group 98 when the focal point is adjusted by, for example, the optical focal point adjusting unit in a plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction. It is stored together with the two-dimensional position information of the sample SA3. When an arbitrary point or region is set on the image displayed by the display unit 102 by the operation unit 105, the focal length stored in the second storage unit 103 relating to a part or all of the sample SA3 corresponding to the set region. Based on the information, the information processing unit 101 calculates the average height in the optical axis direction of the sample SA3 corresponding to the region. In this way, the magnifying observation apparatus electrically reads reflected light or transmitted light from the sample SA3 placed on the sample stage 33 entering through the optical lens group 98 with the imaging device, and puts it in the designated region. The average height or depth of the corresponding sample SA3 in the optical axis direction can be calculated. Further, the information processing unit 101 can also function as an image synthesis unit 116 that synthesizes an electron microscope image and an optical image, which will be described later.

  The operation means 105 is connected to the computer by wire or wirelessly, or is fixed to the computer. Examples of the general operation unit 105 include various pointing devices such as a mouse, a keyboard, a slide pad, a track point, a tablet, a joystick, a console, a jog dial, a digitizer, a light pen, a numeric keypad, a touch pad, and an accu point. These operation means 105 can be used not only for the operation of the magnification observation program but also for the operation of the magnification observation apparatus itself and its peripheral devices. Furthermore, using a touch screen or touch panel on the display itself that displays the interface screen, the user can directly input or operate the screen by hand, or use voice input or other existing input means, Or these can also be used together. In the example of FIG. 59B, the operation means 105 is configured by a pointing device such as a mouse.

Further, a computer 70 can be connected to the display means 2, and a magnified observation program can be separately installed in the computer 70 and the magnified observation apparatus can be operated from the computer 70 side. Alternatively, the display means itself can be realized by a computer. In this case, a monitor connected to the computer functions as a display unit of the display means.
(Pixel shifting means 99)

  Furthermore, the optical system imaging means 12 can be provided with a pixel shifting means 99 for obtaining a higher resolution than the resolution of the CCD by shifting the pixels. Pixel shift is to increase the resolution by combining an image taken by shifting the subject by half the pixel pitch and an image before shifting. As a typical image shifting mechanism, there are a CCD driving method for moving an image sensor, an LPF tilting method for tilting an LPF, a lens moving method for moving a lens, and the like. In FIG. 59B, the incident light path of reflected light or transmitted light incident on the CCD from the sample SA3 fixed on the sample stage 33 via the optical lens group 98 is set to at least one direction, and one pixel of the CCD in that direction. The optical path shift unit 14 that optically shifts by a distance smaller than the interval is provided. The mechanism and method for realizing pixel shifting are not limited to the above configuration, and a known method or a method developed in the future can be used as appropriate.

  The CCD can electrically read the amount of received light for each pixel arranged two-dimensionally in the x and y directions. The image of the sample SA3 formed on the CCD is converted into an electric signal according to the amount of received light at each pixel of the CCD, and further converted into digital data in the CCD control circuit 91. The information processing means 101 uses the digital data converted by the CCD control circuit 91 as light reception data, and the sample in a plane (x and y directions in FIG. 59B) substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction (z direction in FIG. 59B). The pixel storage information (x, y) as the two-dimensional position information of SA3 is stored in the second storage means 103. Here, the in-plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction does not need to be a plane that is exactly 90 ° with respect to the optical axis, and is such that the shape of the sample can be recognized in the resolution of the optical system and the image sensor. Any observation surface that is within the range of the inclination may be used.

As described above, in the configuration of the magnification observation system 1000 in FIG. 1, the optical imaging unit 12 is controlled by the information processing unit 101 incorporated in the display unit 2, while the electron beam imaging unit 11 is controlled by the controller. In other words, a controller is provided separately for each observation means. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and a plurality of observation means may be controlled by a single controller.
(Lighting part 96)

  The illumination unit 96 illustrated in FIG. 59B illustrates epi-illumination for irradiating the sample SA3 with epi-illumination light. In particular, when observing from the front without tilting the observation means 10, the viewpoint, that is, the optical axis of the observation means and the illumination can be substantially matched, and the brightest screen can be obtained. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and transmissive illumination for irradiating transmitted light can also be used. The illumination unit 96 is connected to the display unit 2 through the optical fiber 106. The display means 2 includes a connector for connecting the optical fiber 106 and incorporates a light source 107 for sending light to the optical fiber 106 via the connector. As the light source 107, a halogen lamp, a xenon lamp, an LED, or the like is used.

  The illumination part 96 is installed in the light source port 97 in the sample chamber 21, as shown in FIGS. The illumination unit 96 connected to the light source port 97 is set with the optical axis of the illumination light so that the illumination light is directed to the sample stage 33. The optical axis of the illumination light is set in a posture toward the rotation axis as in the case of each observation means 10. Thereby, even if each observation means 10 is tilted while fixing the sample stage 33 during tilt observation, the situation where the illumination light is hidden behind the shadow of the sample stage 33 can be reduced. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the illumination unit 96 is positioned on a surface different from the rotation surface provided with each observation means 10 and is set at an angle at which the optical axis intersects the rotation surface. By tilting the illumination light in this way, the direction in which the shadow is generated on the sample by the illumination light does not become parallel to the rotation surface, but intersects, so that an effect of reducing dark portions in tilt observation can be expected.

  Furthermore, the inner surface of the sample chamber 21 is preferably reflective. Thereby, the illumination light can be reflected as much as possible inside the sample chamber 21, and the effect of reducing the shadow of illumination by irregular reflection can be obtained. For example, the inner surface of the sample chamber 21 is covered with a highly reflective metal such as an Ag coat.

The light source port 97 is provided on the rotating part side. Accordingly, since the illumination unit 96 also rotates along with the rotation of the body unit 24, the positional relationship between the optical system imaging unit 12 and the illumination unit 96 can be maintained constant, and the radial direction can be maintained regardless of the position of the optical system imaging unit 12. As a result of continuing to irradiate the illumination at the same angle, an advantage that the illumination state does not change due to the rotation of the optical imaging means 12 can be obtained.
(Sample chamber observation means 13)

  Further, in the present embodiment, the sample chamber observation means 13 for observing the environment in the sample chamber 21 is provided as the third observation means. The sample chamber observation means 13 is an additional optical system imaging means, and at least a sample stage 33, an optical image including the sample placed on the sample stage 33 and the tip of the electron beam imaging means 11 in the field of view as a sample room image. It can be acquired. Thereby, the positional relationship among the sample, the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 in the sample chamber 21 can be easily grasped. In particular, it is advantageous for confirming the sample placement position. For example, in the configuration in which the sample stage 33 is pulled out from the sample chamber 21, the placement operation itself is easy. However, as shown in FIG. . On the other hand, by providing the sample chamber observation means 13, as shown in FIG. 60, the user confirms the sample chamber image, which is an optical image of the sample chamber observation means 13, in real time, and before evacuating the sample. Can be placed at a desired position on the sample stage 33. That is, there is an advantage that the sample can be placed while checking the placement place. Such a sample room observation means 13 can be constituted by an image sensor such as a CCD or a CMOS, and is also referred to as a chamber view camera (CVC) or the like.

  FIG. 60 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sample is positioned in the open state of the closing plate 28. As shown in this figure, the sample stage 33 is not moved in accordance with the opening and closing of the closing plate 28. By making the opening / closing operation of the plate 28 and the movement of the sample stage 33 independent, the mounting position of the sample on the sample stage 33 does not change before and after the closing plate 28 is opened and closed. For this reason, the sample stage 33 can be observed by the sample chamber observation means 13 while the sample chamber 21 is released, and the sample chamber image indicating the position and display state of the sample can be confirmed on the display means 2 or optimally mounted. An excellent advantage is that the position can be manually fine-tuned. Thus, using the sample chamber observing means 13 to confirm the mounting state in advance before closing the sample chamber 21 has the advantage that the sample positioning work can be greatly saved. That is, conventionally, the observation image cannot be confirmed unless the sample is set on the sample stage and the sample chamber is evacuated. After displaying the observation image, in order to further adjust the position, return the sample chamber to atmospheric pressure, open the sample chamber again, correct the position, and perform evacuation again for observation. Positioning was performed repeatedly, which was an extremely complicated operation. On the other hand, in the above configuration, the sample placement can be executed while confirming the optical image before evacuation. That is, since the optical image can be displayed with the sample chamber open, the position of the sample can be finely adjusted while checking the appearance on the optical image, so that the sample can be easily positioned at the intended position. In this way, it is possible to greatly save the work of positioning the sample, and it is possible to obtain an excellent advantage that the pretreatment time can be shortened by minimizing the number of times of evacuation. The observation in the sample chamber is not limited to the sample chamber observation means, and an optical system imaging means can also be used.

  The sample chamber observation means 13 preferably has its optical axis substantially parallel to the rotation axis. Thereby, the rotational movement of the trunk | drum 24 can be grasped | ascertained from upper direction, and it can become easy to grasp | ascertain a rotation state as an arc-shaped locus | trajectory. Further, the offset arrangement in which the optical axis is decentered so as to be parallel to the rotation axis makes it possible to include the rotation axis in the optical image, making it easier to grasp the rotation. The amount of eccentricity of the optical axis of the sample chamber observation means 13 is preferably about ± 10% of the cylindrical radius with the rotation axis of the body portion 24 as a reference. In the present specification, the term “sample stage 33 substantially coincides with the rotation axis” is used to include such an offset position. In addition, the term “parallel” is used in a sense including an angle difference up to about 20 ° with respect to the rotation axis. Further, when the sample chamber observation means 13 is eccentrically arranged, the optical axis is more preferably positioned above the rotation axis. As a result, the observation surface of the sample aligned with the rotation axis can also be included below the image in the sample chamber, and the positional relationship between the sample and the electron gun can be reliably grasped.

When the electron beam imaging means 11 is rotated together with the body portion 24, the sample chamber observation means 13 is rotated while confirming the presence or absence of interference with the sample stage 33 or the sample on the sample stage 33. For this purpose, it is desirable that the fixed part is not rotated.
(Reverse display function)

  Further, when the sample chamber observation means 13 is fixed to the fixed plate 23 on the fixed portion side, a reverse display function can be provided. Hereinafter, this state will be described with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 61 is a schematic diagram showing how the sample SA6 is seen when the sample chamber observation means is positioned on the back surface of the sample SA6, and FIG. 62 shows the moving direction of the sample SA6 as viewed from the user in FIG. 63 is a schematic diagram showing the moving direction of the sample SA6 as viewed from the sample chamber observation means in FIG. 61, and FIG. 64 is a schematic diagram showing how the sample chamber image is displayed with the reverse display function in FIG. FIG. 65 is a schematic side sectional view showing an example of the sample chamber observation means according to the modification, and FIG. 66 is a schematic side sectional view showing an example of the sample chamber observation means according to another modification.

  When the sample chamber observation means 13 is fixed to the fixing plate 23, as shown in FIG. 61, since the sample chamber observation means 13 is located on the back side of the sample SA6, the sample chamber observation means 13 is compared with the case viewed from the front side of the sample SA6. Since the moving directions of the sample SA6 and the observation means 10 are reversed on the left and right, the appearance is different. That is, since the user uses the magnifying observation apparatus usually in a state of observing from the front, when the sample SA6 is moved to the right as shown in FIG. 62, for example, the sample viewed from the sample chamber observation means 13 The room image appears to move to the left as shown in FIG. In this case, even if the sample chamber observation unit 13 observes the state in the sample chamber from the display unit 2, it is displayed so as to move in the direction opposite to the direction intended by the user. This is difficult to understand and may cause confusion to the user. In particular, it is necessary to keep the sample chamber in a dark room state on the premise of observation with an electron beam imaging means, and therefore a daylighting window or the like cannot be provided. On the other hand, in the magnifying observation apparatus that enables observation from various angles by moving and changing the relative position of the sample SA6 and the observation means 10, the sample SA6 and the observation means 10 may be in contact with each other. It is important to accurately grasp the positional relationship so as to avoid contact between the two. As a result, the user must adjust the positions of the sample stage 33 and the observation means 10 only by relying on the sample room image captured by the sample room observation means, and the display content of the sample room image becomes important.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, a reversing display function for reversing and displaying the sample room image as shown in FIG. 64 is provided, whereby the left and right moving directions of the sample SA6 and the observation means 10 and the display of the sample room image are displayed. So that the user can more easily understand the direction of movement. As a result, the sample room image can be displayed intuitively and easily, and the observation environment can be greatly improved. Such a reverse display function can be realized by the reverse display control means 228 shown in the block diagram of FIG. The reverse display control means 228 reverses the sample room image captured by the sample room observation means 13 from side to side and displays the image on the display means 2.

  Moreover, the sample chamber observation means 13 can also be provided in another fixed part. For example, in the above-described example, the lid portion 27 that closes the trunk portion 24 is a rotating portion that rotates integrally with the trunk portion 24. However, the lid portion can be a fixed portion as well as the fixed plate. That is, as shown in FIG. 65, both the lid portion 27G and the fixed plate 23G, which are end plate closing both end surfaces of the hollow cylindrical body portion 24G, can be used as fixed portions. In this example, the joint portion between the lid portion 27G and the trunk portion 24G is made to be rotatable while airtightly sealed, so that not only the rear surface side but also the front end plate is a fixed portion. With this configuration, by providing the sample chamber observation means 13 in the front lid portion 27G, even if the sample chamber image is displayed as it is, the left and right movement directions of the sample and the observation means are displayed in the sample chamber image. Can be made coincident with each other, and reverse display is unnecessary.

  Alternatively, a fixed portion different from the lid portion 27 and the fixed plate 23 may be provided as the fixed portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 66, by providing a sample chamber observation unit fixing unit 229 for fixing the sample chamber observation unit 13 apart from the lid unit 27, the sample chamber observation is performed regardless of the rotation of the lid unit 27. The means can be fixed, and the sample room image can be displayed stably without rotating, and the moving directions of the sample and the observation means to the left and right can be matched. In this example, the sample chamber observation section fixing means 229 is fixed to the structure that supports the sample stage 33, but it can also be fixed to other fixing portions such as the fixing plate 23 on the back surface.

However, it is also possible to provide the sample chamber observation means 13 on the rotating part side. In this case, a still image in which the rotational motion is canceled can be obtained by acquiring the rotation angle information of the body portion 24 with an angle sensor or the like and performing control for correcting the rotation of the image. For example, the controller 1 calculates the rotation amount of the rotation unit and the movement amount of the visual field, and performs image processing so that the display portion of the observation visual field is moved in the reverse direction by the movement of the visual field. As a result, the sample room image can be displayed as a rotation-corrected image corrected so as to cancel the tilt caused by the rotation of the body portion, so that the field of view of the image displayed on the display means 2 can be kept constant regardless of the rotation position.
(Virtual image display function)

  Further, the magnification observation apparatus has a virtual image display function for monitoring the tip of the electron beam imaging unit so that it does not come into contact with or interfere with the sample during imaging by the electron beam imaging unit. That is, conventionally, when an electron microscope image is picked up by the electron beam image pickup means, the illumination unit 96 for picking up the optical image has to be turned off. It was impossible to confirm in real time. This means that it is difficult to grasp the positional relationship between the observation means and the sample in real time when an electron microscope image is captured. For this reason, there has been a problem that there is no confirmation means for avoiding the observation means coming into contact with the sample. In particular, since the size and shape of the sample vary from sample to sample, grasping it becomes a problem.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, components different for each sample to be observed, such as the size and shape of the sample, are photographed in advance as a sample chamber reference image KG by the sample chamber observation means. On the other hand, the portion of the electron beam imaging means 11 having a predetermined size and shape, such as the tip and sample stage, is represented by a virtual image KI, and the current position is predicted based on the position information of each component. Then, the image is displayed so as to overlap with the corresponding position on the sample room reference image KG. Then, the position of the virtual image KI is sequentially updated and redrawn on the display unit 2 according to the rotation by the rotation unit 30, so that the contact of the inside of the vacuum chamber is taken into consideration while taking into account the size and shape of the sample itself. Since it is possible to determine whether or not it is possible, there is an advantage that an electron microscope image can be observed safely.

  Hereinafter, this function will be described with reference to FIGS. In these figures, FIG. 40 is a block diagram of a magnifying observation apparatus that realizes a virtual image display function, and FIG. 41 shows a sample room reference image KG in the vacuum chamber 24x when the electron beam imaging means 11 has an inclination angle of 0 °. 42 is an image diagram showing a sample room reference image KG in the vacuum chamber 24x in which the electron beam imaging means 11 of FIG. 41 has an inclination angle of 60 °, and FIG. 43 shows an electron sample in the sample room reference image KG of FIG. 44 is an image diagram showing a virtual real-time image KR on which the virtual image KI of the tip of the line imaging unit 11 is superimposed, FIG. 44 is a schematic diagram showing a rotation lock state of the rotation lock unit 210, and FIG. FIG. 46 is a block diagram showing a magnifying observation apparatus provided with the rotation lock means 210, and FIG. 47 is observing an electron microscope image. 48 is an image diagram showing a display example, FIG. 48 is an image diagram showing a display example in a state where the electron beam imaging means 11 is inclined at an inclination angle of 45 ° from the state of FIG. 47, and FIG. FIG. 50 is an image diagram showing an example of a warning in a halfway state of the rotation lock unit 210, and FIG. 51 is tilted in the rotation lock state. FIG. 52 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the rotation restricting means 214, FIG. 53 is a cross-sectional view of the trunk portion 24 provided with other rotation restricting means 214, and FIG. 55 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the body 24 shown in FIG. 53 is tilted 60 ° to the left, and FIG. 56 is a view showing the body 24 shown in FIG. 55 inclined 90 ° to the left. An enlarged view showing the state, FIG. Schematic diagram showing another example of FIG. 58, a schematic diagram showing an inclined range of the electron-ray imaging means 11, respectively. As shown in FIG. 40, the magnification observation apparatus includes a body portion 24 that constitutes a sample chamber, an illumination unit 96 for irradiating the sample chamber with illumination light, a sample chamber observation unit, an electron beam imaging unit 11, and the like. , A rotating means 30 for rotating the body 24 or the sample stage 33, a position information acquiring means 204 for acquiring information on a rotation position by the rotating means 30, and a sample chamber for acquiring a sample room reference image KG. Reference image acquisition means 202 and virtual image generation means 206 for sequentially generating virtual images KI and displaying them as a virtual real-time image KR superimposed on the sample room reference image KG are provided.

As described above, the inside of the body 24 is provided with the sample chamber observation means for observing the inside of the vacuum chamber and the illumination unit. This sample room observing means is an image pickup means of an optical system, and an optical image in the vacuum chamber can be picked up as a sample room image as shown in FIGS. 41 and 42 with the illumination unit turned on. In these figures, the working distance adjustment block is placed on the sample stage 33 instead of the sample. In particular, since the optical axis of the sample chamber observation means is substantially coincident with the rotation axis direction of the electron beam imaging means 11 rotated by the rotation means 30, the rotating component, here the tip of the electron beam imaging means 11 is used. The state of rotation of the part can be clearly grasped from the sample room image. Furthermore, the sample placed on the sample stage 33 is also included in the sample room image. For this reason, the positional relationship between the sample and the tip can be clearly grasped from the sample room image, and while the user is careful not to contact them, the rotation amount of the rotation means 30, that is, the inclination angle of the electron beam imaging means 11, The XYZ position of the sample stage 33 can be adjusted. For example, when the electron beam imaging means 11 is tilted from an inclination angle of 0 ° as shown in FIG. 41 to an inclination angle of 60 ° as shown in FIG. Can be caught. As described above, since the live image in the sample chamber can be confirmed using the sample chamber observation means, for example, when observing with the optical system imaging means 12, the live image of the sample chamber image is simultaneously displayed on the display means 2 (for example, upper left of the screen In this state, the optical observation can be performed while adjusting the tilt angle. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 47, when imaging using an electron beam imaging means is performed, it is necessary to turn off the illumination unit, so that the sample room image cannot be observed in real time. For this reason, the sample room reference image KG is acquired in advance using the sample room reference image acquisition means 202, and the position of the tip is virtually reproduced according to the position of the rotation means, etc. It is possible to grasp the positional relationship.
(Sample room reference image acquisition means 202)

The sample room reference image acquisition unit 202 determines the timing for acquiring the sample room reference image KG. This sample room reference image acquisition means 202 is triggered by a predetermined operation for starting observation of the sample using the electron beam imaging means before observing the sample using the electron beam imaging means. The sample room image including the sample at this time point is acquired as the sample room reference image KG using the sample room observation means. Here, the sample chamber reference image acquisition means 202 takes an image of the state inside the vacuum chamber immediately before starting observation with the electron microscope, that is, immediately before turning off the illumination light of the illumination unit 96, by the sample chamber observation means, Stored as an indoor reference image KG.
(Position information acquisition means 204)

  The position information acquisition unit 204 sequentially acquires position information about the rotational position of the tip of the electron beam imaging unit 11 or the sample stage 33 at least while the sample is observed by the electron beam imaging unit 11. For example, among the components inside the vacuum chamber, among the XY stage, the Z stage, which is a rotating part, the tilt of the column of the sample stage 33 or the electron beam imaging means 11, the protrusion of various detectors into the vacuum chamber, etc. Position information acquisition means 204 for obtaining the position information can be provided in whole or in part. In this example, as the position information acquisition unit 204, a rotation position detection unit 264 configured by an angle sensor that detects an inclination angle is mounted on the rotation axis of the body 24 that inclines the electron beam imaging unit 11. In this case, the rotation position detected by the rotation position detection unit 264 is the inclination angle of the electron beam imaging unit 11. The position information acquisition unit 204 acquires the current position information of the tip, that is, the inclination angle when the sample is observed using the electron beam imaging unit 11. Then, when observing the sample using the electron beam imaging means 11, the current rotation position of the tip is displayed on the reference image KG displayed on the display means 2 on the basis of this position information. The generation unit 206 displays the images in an overlapping manner. Needless to say, the tilt angle of the optical imaging means may be used as the rotation position.

  Note that the two observation means are fixed to the body portion 24 so as to have an optical axis passing through the rotation center of the rotation means 30 at any rotation position that can be provided by the rotation means 30. . Then, by using the rotating means 30, the position of one observation means (for example, the electron beam imaging means 11) is rotated and fixed to a position desired by the observer, so that the sample stage 33 can be viewed from a specific viewing direction. Magnified observation of a specific part of the sample placed on the substrate becomes possible.

  Here, “substantially the same observation position” in the present embodiment means an image of a specific portion of the sample placed on the sample stage 33 by one observation means positioned by the method described above. Then, the other observation means (for example, the optical system imaging means 12) is rotated and fixed to the rotation position where the one observation means is located, so that the sample can be obtained from substantially the same specific visual field direction. This means a position where one and the other observation means are positioned when performing a magnified observation of a specific portion of the sample placed on the stage 33.

  Further, in the case where substantially the same observation position is provided to the two observation means and the two observation means acquire images at substantially the same magnification, the premise is that the position of the sample stage 33 and the sample Since the position of the sample with respect to the sample stage 33 placed on the stage 33 is substantially the same, the magnification of the image acquired by each observation means and an image of a specific part of the sample can be obtained. Needless to say, the comparative observation of two images is better.

In other words, the observation field range of the sample when the sample is observed from one specific observation direction at a specific magnification, and the other observation means allows the sample to be observed from the same direction as the specific visual field direction. In addition, after the body 24 is rotated by the rotation means 30, the observation field range of the sample when the sample is observed from the same direction as the specific visual field direction at the specific magnification and the same magnification by the other observation means is substantially the same. Means the same. Needless to say, the substantially identical observation position mentioned here may not be completely the same observation position due to the mechanical error of the rotating means 30.
(Virtual image generation means 206)

Based on the position information acquired from the position information acquisition unit 204, the virtual image generation unit 206 sequentially generates the posture at the rotation position of the tip as a virtual image KI, and observes the sample with the electron beam imaging unit 11. The sample chamber reference image KG acquired by the sample chamber reference image acquisition unit 202 is displayed in a superimposed manner. Specifically, when the position information acquisition unit 204 detects that the electron beam imaging unit 11 is rotated during observation by the electron beam imaging unit 11, the current position of the rotation part is detected based on the position information. The position of the electron beam imaging means 11 is calculated. Then, as shown in FIG. 43, the virtual image KI is superimposed on the current position of the tip on the sample room reference image KG of the sample room observation means taken in advance, and displayed on the display means 2 as a virtual real-time image KR. Let Here, the virtual image KI is a graphic image of the tip portion constituted by a diagram. In this state, the user can confirm from the virtual real-time image KR whether the components inside the vacuum chamber do not collide while observing with an electron microscope. That is, since the position of the movable component is relatively reproduced on the sample room reference image KG, the positional relationship between the sample and the tip can be grasped. At this time, the user ignores the rotation portion of the sample room reference image KG included in the virtual real-time image KR, in the example of FIG. 43, the position of the tip of the electron beam imaging means displayed as an optical image, and instead uses it as a virtual image KI. The current position of the tip can be grasped with the reproduced diagram of the tip. As a result, an optical image (sample room image) that would otherwise not be confirmed during operation of the electron beam imaging means is superimposed on the sample room reference image KG as a virtual image KI so that a pseudo real time image in the sample room is obtained. It can be constructed, and the user can safely observe the tilt while avoiding the collision. For example, when the electron beam imaging means is tilted from 0 ° to 60 °, the display is as shown in FIG. 43. Therefore, as in the example of FIG. It is possible to grasp the positional relationship between
(Sample room reference image KG)

The sample room reference image KG is automatically acquired by the sample room reference image acquisition unit 202. Since it is sufficient that the sample room reference image KG is acquired before the observation by the electron beam imaging unit is performed, the timing at which the sample room reference image acquisition unit 202 acquires the sample room reference image KG is the observation of the electron beam imaging unit. It is preferable to make it relate to some operation for starting. For example, an operation for switching the display on the display unit 2 from the sample chamber observation unit to the electron beam imaging unit, an operation for turning off the illumination unit, an operation for starting the decompression in the sample chamber, and an electron beam emitted from the electron beam imaging unit An operation, an operation for rotating the rotation means 30, specifically an operation for rotating the sample stage 33, an operation for moving the sample stage 33 up and down, or an operation for turning off the observation by the optical imaging means 12 Can do. In this way, it is also possible to appropriately select an operation related to observation with the electron beam imaging means, and to set the sample chamber reference image to be acquired with the sample chamber observation means triggered by such a predetermined operation. In addition, by automatically acquiring the sample room reference image KG, the user can grasp the positional relationship using the sample room image before observation with an electron microscope without requiring extra operations and labor. In addition to the above, the user may be configured to capture the sample room reference image at an arbitrary timing.
(Virtual image KI)

  In the examples of FIGS. 43, 48, 49, etc., the virtual image KI of the tip is displayed as a line drawing. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and various modes that can specify the position of the tip can be used. For example, the virtual image KI is displayed with only the contour line or the interior of the contour line being filled, or the photograph at the tip is changed in color, icon-shaped, or translucently displayed. As long as the position of the portion of the tip that may come into contact with the sample can be determined, such as displaying the tip in a different manner from the tip shown in the image, or reproducing the tip with a computer graphics image It ’s enough.

  In addition, it is not necessary for the components to be converted into graphics by the virtual image generation means 206 to be all rotating parts, and it is possible to sufficiently confirm the presence or absence of a collision simply by displaying only a component with a large amount of movement as a virtual image KI. The effect that can be obtained. In the example of FIG. 43, only the electron microscope lens, which is the tip of the electron beam imaging means 11 that moves greatly, is converted into graphics. In other words, the sample stage 33 moving in the XYZθ direction is not graphicsd. However, it goes without saying that these can be converted into graphics. For example, the upper and lower positions of the Z stage are also detected by the position sensor and converted into graphics. In addition, the XY stage and the R stage can be made into graphics. However, the change in the moving object in the depth direction of the sample room image observed by the sample room observation means is difficult to discern even when viewing the actual optical image, and the user confirms the change even if expressed in graphics. Since the amount of change due to movement is significant, it is easy to confirm, and specifically, the tip of the electron beam imaging means 11 is made into graphics.

Furthermore, the virtual real-time image KR is not limited to the example in which the virtual image KI is moved. For example, the relative positional relationship can be expressed by fixing the virtual image side and rotating the sample room reference image side. Anti-collision effect can be obtained.
(Modification)

In the above example, the example in which the sample stage 33 side is fixed and the electron beam imaging unit 11 side is inclined has been described. However, the virtual image display function is not limited to this example, and the sample stage side is not the electron beam imaging unit side. It can also be used in a configuration in which the angle is inclined. That is, as shown in FIG. 68A, FIG. 68B, and the like, even in the magnification observation apparatus that realizes relative tilt observation by fixing the electron beam imaging means 11 side and swinging the sample stage 33, the sample stage 33 is also provided. Since there is a possibility of contact between the sample placed on the top of the observation means and the tip of the observation means, in order to avoid this, a virtual image KI of the tip that is virtually reproduced, and a reference room reference image KG Can be displayed as a virtual real-time image KR, whereby the relative positional relationship can be grasped in real time. In this case, if the sample stage side is made into a graphic, the sample placed on the sample stage needs to be made into a graphic, and the processing becomes cumbersome. To do. Then, according to FIG. 40, the position information acquisition unit 204 detects the position of the rotation unit or the like, and the virtual image is rotated so that the sample chamber reference image acquired by the sample chamber reference image acquisition unit is rotated according to the movement amount. It is processed by the generation means and displayed on the display means 2 as a virtual real-time image KR. As described above, in the configuration where the electron beam imaging means side is inclined, the virtual image of the tip is moved to fix the reference image in the sample room, and conversely, in the configuration where the sample stage is inclined, the virtual image of the tip is fixed. By moving the sample room reference image, the actual movement state can be reproduced, and the user can easily grasp the positional relationship. However, if the relative positional relationship can be grasped, it is possible to confirm the presence / absence of contact itself. For example, even in a configuration in which the sample stage is tilted, a sample room reference image that should have been tilted is supposed to be used. Collision prevention can also be achieved by relatively tilting the virtual image side of the tip portion that is originally fixed while fixing.
(Display switching of virtual real-time image KR)

Further, such a virtual real-time image KR in which graphics are superimposed on the sample room observation means image may be displayed only when the sample stage, the body part, or the like can be moved, in addition to the constant display. Furthermore, when the stop state continues, the virtual image display may be automatically switched to OFF, or the virtual real-time image KR itself may be switched to non-display on the display means (FIG. 47). Alternatively, the virtual real-time image KR may be displayed when the rotation lock unit 210 (details will be described later) for rotating the rotation unit is released. In this example, when the rotation lock means 210 of the rotation shaft is released to tilt the electron microscope lens, a virtual real-time image KR in which the virtual image KI is superimposed on the sample chamber reference image KG is displayed. Since the display area on the display means is limited, if the virtual real-time image KR is always displayed, the display of the electron microscope image is partially blocked, so that it can be efficiently displayed only when necessary. Display can be switched easily.
(Virtual real-time image display area 218)

As described above, when observing with an electron microscope using the electron beam imaging means 11, the virtual real-time image KR in which the virtual image KI is superimposed on the sample room reference image KG is displayed on the same screen as shown in FIG. In addition, the positional relationship between the tip of the electron beam imaging means 11 and the sample, which has been difficult to confirm in the past, can be grasped in real time, and safe tilt observation can be realized. In the example of FIG. 48, the virtual real-time image display area 218 for displaying the virtual real-time image KR is configured as a separate window and is displayed superimposed on the upper left of the display means 2. However, the display example is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that the same window can be divided and the electron microscope image and the virtual real-time image KR can be displayed on the same screen. The size of the display area of the virtual real-time image display area 218 can also be changed. In the examples shown in FIGS. 41, 42, 43, 48, and 49, the display size of the virtual real-time image KR can be changed to 640 × 480 dots or 320 × 240 dots with a radio button.
(Rotation lock means 210)

  The magnifying observation apparatus further includes a rotation lock unit 210 that can switch between a rotation lock state in which the rotation of the body portion 24 is stopped and a release state of the rotation lock state. This rotation lock means 210 is biased so as to be in a rotation lock state so that the body 24 does not rotate due to its own weight or the like in a normal state. An example of such a rotation lock means 210 is shown in FIGS. The rotation lock means 210 is a tilt lock, and includes a tilt lever 220 that protrudes downward from the side surface of the magnification observation apparatus, as shown in the external view of FIG. 2B. The user can switch the rotation lock state and the release state by operating the tilt lever 220. Specifically, FIG. 44 shows the rotation lock state of the tilt lock, and FIG. 45 shows the lock release state. The tilt lever 220 is in the lock position and the lock release position, respectively. This tilt lock includes an elastic brake pad 222 that presses the surface of an annular rotating ring 221 provided at the end of the body portion 24 on the back side. The brake pad 222 is fixed to a plate-like pad plate 223, and the pad plate 223 can move in a horizontal plane via a long hole and a fulcrum 224. By the movement of the pad plate 223, the brake pad 222 is switched between the pressing position and the release position with respect to the rotating ring 221, and thereby the brake pad 222 acts on the rotating ring 221 like a disc brake. That is, by pressing the brake pad 222 against the rotating ring 221, the rotation of the body portion 24 fixed to the rotating ring 221 is locked, and by releasing the brake pad 222 from the rotating ring 221, the rotation lock is released. Specifically, when the tilt lock is switched to the lock position as shown in FIG. 44, the tilt lever 220 is tilted to the left as indicated by an arrow. As a result, the lever gear 225 connected to the tilt lever 220 is rotated in the reverse direction, the transmission gear 226 that meshes with the lever gear 225 is rotated forward, and the gear shaft 227 of the transmission gear 226 moves to the back side. As a result, the pad plate 223 to which the brake pad 222 is fixed is pushed by the gear shaft 227. As a result, the pad plate 223 rotates, and the brake pad 222 fixed to the pad plate 223 is pressed against the rotating ring 221. 24 becomes a rotation lock state.

  On the contrary, to release the rotation lock state, as shown in FIG. 45, the tilt lever 220 is tilted to the right and the lever gear 225 is rotated forward to reversely rotate the transmission gear 226. As a result, the gear shaft 227 moves to the near side, and the pad plate 223 is pulled by the gear shaft 227 and rotates around the fulcrum 224. Therefore, the brake pad 222 is separated from the rotating ring 221 and the locked state is released. .

Thus, in the tilt lock, when rotating the body portion 24, the user manually moves the tilt lever 220 to the unlock position as shown in FIG. 45 to release the rotation lock state. Then, with the tilt angle determined, the tilt lever 220 is moved to the lock position as shown in FIG. 44 to return to the rotation lock state again. In this way, each time the body 24 is rotated, the rotation lock unit 210 is manually operated to switch between the rotation lock state and the release state.
(Unlock display means 212)

  Further, the lock release display means 212 may be provided so as to prompt the user to perform such an operation by the rotation lock means 210, particularly an operation to return the rotation lock state after rotating the body portion 24. In general, the operation for releasing the rotation lock state is that the body 24 does not rotate unless the rotation lock unit 210 is operated, so it is difficult for the user to forget to operate, and if the rotation lock unit 210 is not operated, A considerable amount of force is required to rotate the torso 24, and at this point, the user notices that he has forgotten the operation. On the other hand, since the operation | work which operates the rotation lock means 210 in order to return to a rotation lock state once after rotating the trunk | drum 24 can be observed without performing this, it can be said that it is easy for a user to forget. . If such a release state is continued, for example, the body 24 may gradually rotate due to the weight of the body 24 or the observation means, and the tip of the observation means may come into contact with the sample. Therefore, while the rotation lock state is released, the lock release display means 212 displays a message to that effect on the display means 2. Therefore, the unlock display means 212 detects the unlocked state of the rotation lock means 210 and displays the unlock display on the display means 2 as shown in the block diagram of FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 48, “tilt lock released” or the like is displayed in red at the lower left of the screen. As a result, the user is informed that the rotation lock unit 210 is in the released state, and after the inclination angle is determined, the user is immediately prompted to return the rotation lock unit 210 to the rotation lock state and forget to lock. Can be prevented.

  In the above example, when the rotation lock unit 210 of the rotating shaft is released, that is, at the timing when the electron beam imaging unit 11 is about to be tilted, an electron microscope is displayed on the upper left of the display unit 2 as shown in FIG. An image of the sample room reference image KG is displayed over the image display area 117. At the same time, forgetting to lock can be avoided by displaying the unlock display message 230 on the lower left of the screen only while the rotation lock means 210 of the rotating shaft is being released.

  As another advantage, it can be expected that the sample room image is noted when tilting. That is, even if the sample room image is displayed, it is necessary for the user to understand what purpose the image is displayed for, and where to pay attention to the sample room image. For this reason, during the rotational movement, a message is displayed so as to prompt confirmation that the structure inside the vacuum chamber does not collide. In this example, when the possibility of a collision is relatively small, for example, when the tilt angle is less than ± 60 ° from the vertical posture, as shown in FIG. I am letting.

On the other hand, when the inclination angle increases and the possibility of a collision increases, the message can be changed to further prompt the user for attention. For example, in the example of Fig. 49, in the high-tilt observation of ± 60 ° or more, “The tilt lock is being released. The lens is tilted greatly. There is a risk of collision between the sample and the lens. Please be careful. "Or the like, a warning message 231 can be displayed.
(Lock confirmation message 232)

In addition to this, the lock release display unit 212 detects that the rotation lock state of the rotation lock unit 210 is incomplete or insufficient, and displays a lock confirmation message 232 informing the fact. it can. For example, when the lever of the rotation lock unit 210 is not completely returned to the locked position, the elastic body to be pressed against the cylindrical side surface of the body 24 cannot exert a sufficient pressing force, and is worn or damaged. There is a risk. For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 50, a lock confirmation message 232 such as “Tilt lock state is indefinite. The user can be warned. The user receives the lock confirmation message 232 and is prompted to set the rotation lock means 210 to the fully locked position, so that an advantage of avoiding such breakage can be obtained. Such an unlock message can be displayed, for example, by the unlock display means 212 shown in FIG. 46 described above.
(Unlock message 233)

  Alternatively, it can be considered that the user forgets to release the rotation lock state and forcibly rotates the body 24 and the like. In such a case, the lock release display means 212 may detect that the tilt angle has changed even though the rotation lock means 210 is in the rotation lock state, and the lock release message 233 may be displayed. it can. For example, as shown in FIG. 51, an unlock message 233 is displayed at the center of the screen to prompt the user to release the rotation lock state.

In the above example, the rotation lock unit 210 is manually switched between the lock position and the release position. However, it may be switched automatically or semi-automatically. For example, if the rotation means can be rotated only while the switch provided on the handle portion of the handle for rotating the trunk is pressed, the lock position can be released by pressing the switch, and the finger can be released from the switch. The rotation lock means can be switched to the release position. Alternatively, the rotation lock unit may be automatically released when the body portion is rotated, and the rotation lock unit may be automatically switched to the rotation lock state when the rotation is stopped.
(Rotation restricting means 214)

  Further, the magnifying observation apparatus may include a rotation restricting means 214 for preventing the rotation of the rotation means 30 exceeding a predetermined rotation range restriction value as a hardware collision prevention measure when the inclination angle becomes high. it can. A block diagram of such a magnification observation apparatus is shown in FIG. As an example of the rotation restricting means 214, an inclination stopper that suppresses the rotation range of the rotation means 30 within a certain range and prevents it from rotating beyond the rotation range restriction value can be used. Further, the rotation range regulation value is set to a range where the possibility of contact with the sample increases as the inclination angle of the observation means increases, for example, ± 60 °. For example, if you want to observe the side of the sample, it is necessary to increase the tilt angle. To increase the tilt angle, for example, the sample stage is temporarily lowered to bring the sample into contact with the tip of the observation means. You need to be careful not to. Therefore, the effect of prompting the user to pay attention and preparation can be expected by temporarily stopping the rotation of the body portion 24 using such a rotation restricting means 214.

  As an example of the rotation restricting means 214, the tilt stopper is configured such that a tilt stopper fixedly arranged around the trunk portion 24 is brought into contact with a protrusion protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the trunk portion 24 or a notch formed on the outer circumferential surface. By engaging, the rotation of the body part 24 beyond a certain level is prevented. For example, as shown in FIG. 52, an inclination stopper 235 fixed around the trunk portion 24 is brought into contact with a protrusion 234 protruding from the outer periphery of the trunk portion 24 to prevent the barrel portion 24 from rotating beyond a certain level. . By adjusting the positions where the notches, protrusions, and tilt stoppers are provided, the body portion 24 can be restricted from rotating beyond the turning range restriction value. Further, the tilt stopper can be made movable and retracted from the contact position, so that the contact state with the projection can be released, and further rotation of the body portion 24 can be allowed. For example, in the inclined stopper 238 shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the tip end portion of the stopper handle 239 protruding from the magnifying observation device is formed in a disc shape, so that the user can easily grasp and pull this portion. By pulling out the disc-shaped tip of the stopper handle 239, the inclined stopper 238 is retracted, the contact state is released, and the trunk portion 24 is allowed to rotate.

  Or you may comprise an inclination stopper so that rotation of a trunk | drum may be once stopped when a predetermined rotation range regulation value is reached. The tilt stopper temporarily stops the pivoting means when the tilt angle is gradually increased during tilt observation and reaches an angle at which the risk of collision becomes high, that is, a pivot range regulation value. And when it wants to incline more than this inclination angle, the further rotation of a trunk | drum is permitted by canceling | releasing the rotation lock state of an inclination stopper. For example, as shown in FIG. 57, a key-shaped protrusion 236 that protrudes in a key shape with respect to the rotation surface of the body portion 24 is provided, and a notch in which the key-shaped protrusion 236 is locked on the side surface of the body portion 24. 237 is formed. The key-like protrusions 236 and the notches 237 are formed in advance at positions corresponding to the rotation range restriction values, so that when the body 24 reaches the rotation range restriction values, the key-like protrusions 236 are notched 237. To the rotation locked state in which the rotation of the body portion 24 is prevented. From this state, the key-like protrusion 236 is retracted to release the engagement state with the notch 237, so that the rotation of the body portion 24 is allowed again, and the body portion 24 is further physically moved. Can be rotated to the maximum possible rotation angle.

  The appearance of the magnification observation apparatus provided with the tilt stopper 238 is shown in FIG. 2B. As shown in this figure, the inclination stopper 238 is provided on the side surface of the magnification observation apparatus. In this example, the common tilt stopper 238 restricts both the rotation of the rotating means 30 in the left direction (counterclockwise) and the rotation in the right direction (clockwise). However, the left rotation restricting means for restricting the left rotation and the right rotation restricting means for restricting the right rotation so as to individually regulate the rotation of the turning means in the left direction and the rotation in the right direction. Can also be provided.

  Further, the rotation range regulation value can be made to be different between the left and right in addition to making the angle equal between the rotation in the left direction and the rotation in the right direction. In particular, in the body 24 in which the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are fixed in an inclined posture with a certain offset angle, a range that can be rotated to the left and right is considered based on any one of the observation units. Depends on the presence or absence of the other observation means. Therefore, it is preferable that the appropriate rotation range regulation value is separately defined on the left and right in consideration of such an offset angle. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 58, the rotation of the body 24 with the electron beam imaging unit 11 as a reference and the vertical position of the electron beam imaging unit 11 as 0 ° is the offset angle of the optical system imaging unit 12 (this In the example, the left turn restriction value is defined as 60 degrees and the right turn restriction value is defined as 45 degrees. When these rotation regulation values are reached, the rotation is stopped by the tilt stopper 238. Further, by releasing the tilt stopper 238, the body portion 24 can be further rotated, and can be rotated to the maximum rotation range that is the limit of hardware rotation. In the example of FIG. 58, the maximum left rotation angle is set to 90 °, and the maximum right rotation angle is set to 60 °.

  Although the maximum rotation range is determined by hardware specifications, in general, from the viewpoint of observing a sample placed on the upper surface of the sample table, if the tilt angle exceeds ± 90 °, Since the observation cannot be performed unless the sample stage is transparent, the maximum rotation range is preferably set within ± 90 °.

Furthermore, in the above example, the rotation range restriction value restricted by the rotation restriction means 214 is a fixed value, but this range can also be made variable. For example, the rotation range regulation value can be adjusted according to the position of the tilt stopper by making the position where the tilt stopper is provided movable along the side surface of the body portion 24. Thereby, the user can obtain an advantage that the rotation range regulation value can be arbitrarily adjusted according to the size and shape of the sample.
(Inclined stopper 238)

  Specific examples of the tilt stopper 238 are shown in FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 53 is a cross-sectional view of the body portion 24 provided with the rotation restricting means 214 as viewed from the front. . As shown in this figure, two stopper projections 240 protruding from the side surface are provided on the side surface of the body portion 24. The stopper convex portion 240 has a left stopper convex portion 241 that restricts rotation in the left direction and a right stopper convex portion 242 that restricts rotation in the right direction. Further, a stopper projection 243 for contacting the stopper projection 240 is provided around the body portion 24. The stopper protrusion 243 is urged by an elastic body such as a spring so as to protrude toward the body 24 side. Each stopper convex portion 240 is provided with an abutting surface for abutting against the stopper projection 243. In this example, since the stopper protrusion 243 is shared by the left stopper protrusion 241 and the right stopper protrusion 242, the positions of the stopper protrusions 240 that are provided with the contact surfaces are reversed in the left-right direction.

For example, when the barrel portion 24 is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 53 to the position shown in FIG. 55 so that the stopper protrusion 240 is opposed to the stopper protrusion 243, the stopper protrusion 243 comes into contact with the stopper protrusion 240, and beyond. The rotation of the body portion 24 is prevented. The stopper protrusion 243 is connected to a stopper handle 239 protruding outward from the body portion 24. When the user grips the stopper handle 239 by hand and pulls it out against the urging force, the stopper protrusion 243 is The contact state is released by retreating, and further rotation of the body portion 24 is allowed. Thereby, it becomes possible to rotate the trunk | drum 24 more than the rotation range regulation value regulated by the inclination stopper 238. FIG. The stopper protrusion 243 does not necessarily have to be urged, and may be configured to advance and retract, for example, in a screw manner.
(Limit stopper 245)

  Further, in this example, even if the body 24 is rotated beyond the rotation range regulation value, the rotation of the body 24 reaches the maximum rotation range. In order to restrict the rotation of the body portion 24 within this maximum rotation range, a limit stopper 245 is provided. The limit stopper 245 includes a limit convex portion 246 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 24 and a limit protrusion 247 fixedly disposed around the body portion 24 so as to come into contact with the limit convex portion 246. Similarly to the stopper convex portion 240, the limit convex portion 246 is also provided at two locations according to the left and right rotational directions. Unlike the stopper projection 243, the limit projection 247 is fixed and cannot be manually released from the contact state. Therefore, any further rotation of the body portion 24 is prevented, and as a result, the rotation range of the body portion 24 is within the maximum rotation range defined by the limit stopper 245. For example, when the inclination stopper 238 is released from the state shown in FIG. 55 and the body portion 24 is further rotated, the limit convex portion 246 advances along the rotation, and finally comes into contact with the limit protrusion 247 as shown in FIG. . Thereby, the maximum rotation range of the trunk portion 24 can be appropriately defined. In the examples of FIGS. 53 to 56, the tilt stopper 238 is located at a position where the electron beam imaging means 11 is 60 degrees leftward with respect to the horizontal posture, and the limit stopper 245 is located at a position 90 degrees leftward. Is provided.

The inclined stopper 238 and the limit stopper 245 are preferably provided at positions that do not intersect each other. If they are arranged on the same line, there is a possibility that the non-corresponding convex part and the projection come into contact with each other. In the example of FIG. 54, the stopper convex portion 240 and the limit convex portion 246 are provided in parallel on the circumference of the trunk portion 24, and are arranged so that their rotation surfaces do not intersect with each other, thereby avoiding a malfunction. ing.
(Rotation regulation value arrival notification means 216)

  In addition, by providing the rotation range regulation value as described above, a hardware-like collision prevention measure when the tilt angle becomes high is provided, and rotation that notifies the user that the rotation range regulation value has been reached Restriction value arrival notification means 216 may be provided. An example of a block diagram of such a magnification observation apparatus is shown in FIG. For example, if the rotation regulation value is reached due to either left or right tilt, the user is told, “The lens is tilted greatly. There is a risk of collision between the sample and the lens. The tilt stopper must be released to tilt further. "Is displayed. In particular, when used together with the above-described lock release display means 212, the message content changes from the content indicating that the lock mechanism is being released (FIG. 48) to the above content when the tilt angle increases, or It will be added (FIG. 49), and the user is alerted.

  67A and 67B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the relative movement of the sample stage 33 and the observation means 10 in the sample chamber 21. FIG. As described above, the sample stage 33 is only moved up and down by the height adjusting mechanism 80 while maintaining a horizontal posture, and is not allowed to tilt or swing to tilt the mounting surface of the sample stage 33. In order to realize tilt observation with this structure, the observation means 10 side is tilted. In this way, by fixing the sample side and inclining the observation means 10 side, the user can easily grasp the positional relationship of the inclination posture in the observation image captured by the observation means 10 and displayed on the display means 2. Benefits are gained. In other words, in the conventional structure in which the camera side is fixed and the sample stage 33 is tilted, that is, the eucentric structure as shown in FIGS. 68A and 68B, the tilt angle of tilted observation in the image currently being observed. When changing the angle, it is not easy to grasp the positional relationship in which direction the inclination is adjusted to obtain a desired image. On the other hand, by fixing the sample side to be observed and moving the observation means 10 side as the observation viewpoint, that is, the line of sight itself, the same line of sight as when the user actually observes the sample is obtained. The positional relationship can be grasped as if it were moved, and as a result, the advantage that the direction in which the angle should be adjusted can be grasped quickly is obtained.

  Further, by not tilting the sample stage 33, there is no possibility that the sample slides from the sample stage 33, a structure for fixing the sample to the sample stage 33, for example, fixing work using an adhesive tape is unnecessary, and the adhesive tape is peeled off. Thus, the workability and safety can be improved so that the possibility of damaging the sample during the process can be eliminated.

  Furthermore, in the conventional eucentric structure, if the height (Z axis) of the sample stage 33 is changed while the sample stage 33 is tilted, the sample stage 33 moves from the black-colored position shown in FIG. 68B to the position shown by hatching. As a result, the optical axis of the optical imaging means 12 fixed in an inclined posture relatively moves on the sample stage 33, and there is a problem that the observation visual field moves unintentionally. In particular, in the case of a fixed focus type in which the optical image pickup means 12 is not provided with an optical focus adjustment means for adjusting the focus position, it is necessary to change the working distance only by adjusting the height of the sample stage 33, depending on the focus position. May not match the observation field of view with the electron microscope.

  Further, when the angle between the observation unit 10 and the sample is changed, the focal distance between the observation unit 10 and the sample changes every time the angle is changed, and thus the focal position must be corrected. In addition, when it is desired to obtain tilt observation images with the same tilt angle with respect to the same sample by the two observation means 10, the angle used by one observation means 10 is stored and the other observation means 10 is stored. After moving the sample stage 33 to the side, it was necessary to reproduce the previous angle and to adjust the focal position.

  In contrast, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 67A and 67B, the observation field of view can be kept constant regardless of the height of the sample stage 33 by rotating the observation means 10 to the vertical position. Benefits are gained. In the present embodiment, the observation means 10 to be used is set in a vertical posture, in other words, the optical axis of the selected observation means 10 is substantially matched with the moving direction (Z axis) of the height adjustment means. The movement of the observation field by adjusting the height can be avoided. As a result, there is only one eucentric working distance. Thus, when the observation means 10 is observed in a vertical posture, the optical axis of the observation means 10 and the axis of vertical movement of the sample stage 33 coincide with each other, and the visual field does not move even if the working distance is adjusted. The advantage that it is easy to adjust is obtained.

  However, it goes without saying that the sample can be observed even when the observation means 10 is in an inclined posture. In this case, the observation field of view is moved by adjusting the height of the sample stage 33. However, this movement can be offset by image processing. For example, the controller 1 calculates the change in height and the amount of movement of the visual field by the controller 1, and the controller 1 moves the display part of the observation visual field (optical image or electron microscope image being displayed) in the reverse direction by the amount of movement of the visual field. Image processing. Thereby, the visual field of the image displayed on the display means 2 can be kept constant regardless of the movement of the height. As a result, it is possible to realize a magnification observation apparatus in which the observation field of view does not change even when the observation means 10 is switched regardless of the angle of the sample stage 33 and the observation position.

  In particular, in order to prioritize observation with an electron microscope, the design philosophy of limiting tilt observation has been adopted as a result of giving priority to the resolution (maximum magnification) of the electron microscope at the expense of observation with the optical imaging means 12. As a result, even if both the folding electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12 are provided, an environment in which both can be used to the maximum and the user can use optical images and tilt observation without limitation is realized. It was hard to say.

  Specifically, the resolution of the electron microscope improves as the working distance, which is the distance from the tip of the objective lens of the electron beam imaging means 11 to the sample, is shorter. However, when the sample is observed from an inclined angle, there is a problem that the sample comes into contact with the objective lens of the electron beam imaging means 11 if the working distance is too short. Therefore, conventionally, the working distance is set to the shortest distance that does not collide with the objective lens, which is determined by the sample size and the desired tilt angle. As a result, in a conventional electron microscope, observation is performed with a working distance determined by the size of the sample and the desired tilt angle. Thus, in order to observe comfortably in various working distances, it is desirable that the observation visual field does not change when the tilt angle of the sample stage 33 is changed in any working distance. From such a background, the conventional electron microscope has a configuration in which the visual field does not move even if the sample stage 33 is tilted at any working distance, that is, on the optical axis of the electron microscope as shown in FIG. 68B. Thus, a tilting mechanism of the sample stage 33 that is a eucentric type that does not shift the visual field regardless of the position of the Z axis of the sample stage 33 has been adopted.

  According to this structure, the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam are adjusted by only one operation of tilting and rotating the sample stage 33 by adjusting the sample surface in advance so that the sample surface is positioned at the black-painted position in FIGS. 68A and 68B. Observation with the same visual field and the same inclination angle is possible with the imaging means 11. However, although the visual field search and the position adjustment need to be performed by the optical system imaging unit 12 having a shallow depth of field, the field of view is shifted from the electron beam imaging unit 11 when the position adjustment is performed. There was a problem.

  In view of such a situation, as described above, the present embodiment employs a structure in which the sample stage 33 side is fixed and the observation means 10 side is inclined as shown in FIGS. 67A and 67B. As a result, since it is not the sample stage 33 but the observation means 10 side that is tilted, it is possible to easily switch to an image at the same observation position and tilt angle regardless of the height of the sample stage 33. As a result, it is possible to realize magnified observation that is more convenient than the prior art, in which both the electron microscope observation and the optical microscope observation are emphasized and the tilt observation is also emphasized.

  Further, in a conventional electron microscope, a Z stage is configured as a height adjustment mechanism 80 on a member to which an electron lens and an optical lens are attached, and a mechanism for tilting and rotating the sample stage 33 is configured on the Z stage. It was. Furthermore, the electronic lens and the optical lens were attached to the fixed side.

On the other hand, in the magnifying observation apparatus according to the present embodiment, a mechanism for rotating the sample stage 33 is configured on the member to which the electronic lens and the optical lens are attached, and further, the height adjusting mechanism 80 is provided thereon. It is configured. In other words, the rotating shaft mechanism and the Z-axis moving mechanism are opposite to the conventional one. Moreover, the electronic lens and the optical lens are attached to the rotation side.
(Matching of optical axis and moving direction of sample stage 33)

  In the magnifying observation apparatus according to the present embodiment, both the observation means 10 can be switched and arranged at one observation position by rotating the electron beam imaging means 11 and the optical system imaging means 12 by the rotation means 30. That is, by such switching, it is possible to perform imaging with the optical axes of the two observation means 10 matched. On the other hand, the sample stage 33 can be moved up and down, that is, in the vertical direction by the height adjusting mechanism 80 while maintaining the horizontal posture. As a result, it is possible to make the optical axis coincide with the moving direction of the sample stage 33 by positioning the observation means 10 in the vertical posture.

Accordingly, the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12 rotated along the cylindrical side surface can be tilted, and placed on the rotation axis and the height direction of the sample stage 33, that is, on the sample stage 33. By making the height of the observation surface of the obtained sample coincide with each other, it is possible to observe without changing the visual field. In addition, observation images with substantially the same field of view, approximately the same inclination angle, and approximately the same magnification, in which the optical axes of the respective observation means 10 are matched, can be acquired, and the two acquired observation images can be compared and observed.
(Rotation axis within the variable range of focus)

  The height adjusting means is set so that the rotation axis of the rotating means 30 is included in the height movable range in which the height can be adjusted. Thereby, even if the sample stage 33 is positioned at the center of the rotation axis and the observation unit 10 is rotated along the rotation axis, the distance from the observation unit 10 to the sample stage 33 at each position can be maintained constant. Once the focal length is adjusted, the in-focus distance can be maintained even if the observation means 10 is moved, and the viewing angle can be always changed in the in-focus state, which is extremely advantageous for tilt observation.

  More precisely, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 69 showing such a setback, the height of the sample is adjusted so that the observation position on the surface of the sample, that is, the observation surface that is the upper surface of the sample coincides with the rotation axis. The holding state of the working distance can be achieved by lowering the sample stage 33 from the rotation axis by that amount. For this reason, the height adjustment mechanism 80 can be lowered below a desired range from the position where the sample stage 33 is aligned with the rotation axis. As a result, the sample stage 33 can be lowered according to the height of the observation surface, and the observation surface can be accurately aligned with the rotation axis.

For this reason, in the movement of the sample stage 33 in the Z-axis direction, the upper end stroke position of the sample stage 33 can be raised to a position including at least the rotation axis, and is further set to be movable at least from the rotation axis to a lower position. .
(Adjustment of setback)

To align the sample surface with the rotation axis, an optical lens having a shallower depth of field than the electron lens is used. The mounting position of the optical lens is adjusted in advance so that the focal position coincides with the rotation axis. The body 24 is rotated so that the optical axis of the optical lens and the sample placement surface of the sample stage 33 are vertical, and the Z-axis position of the sample stage 33 is adjusted so that the image of the optical lens is in focus. . At this time, only the distance between the optical lens and the sample changes, and the field of view does not move, so that adjustment is easy. Next, focus adjustment of the electron lens is performed in the same procedure as described above. Thereby, no matter how the body portion 24 is rotated and inclined, the fields of view of the electron microscope and the optical microscope are not shifted.
(With or without focus adjustment means Fixed focus type)

Further, when the focal length of the observation means 10 is fixed, the working distance can be accurately adjusted to the focal position by adjusting the height of the sample stage 33 with this configuration. Or when the observation means 10 is provided with a focus adjustment means, it sets so that the rotating shaft of the rotation means 30 may be included in the focal distance range which can be adjusted by this. For example, the electron beam imaging unit 11 is often provided with a microscope focal point adjustment unit 37 that can adjust the focal length along the optical axis. In this case, as shown in FIG. The axis is set so as to include the axis, and the focal length is adjusted by the microscope focus adjustment means 37 so that the focal position of the electron lens coincides with the position of the rotation axis. Similarly, when the optical system imaging unit 12 includes an optical focus adjustment unit 38 capable of adjusting the focal length along the optical axis, a rotation axis is included in the variable range of the focus position as shown in FIG. Thus, the optical focus adjusting means 38 is adjusted so that the focal position coincides with the rotation axis.
(Embodiment 2)

In the above-described example, the example in which the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are combined has been described. However, not only the configuration in which these are always used together, but also the configuration in which they are added as necessary can be used. Not too long. For example, as described above, by adopting a configuration in which the optical system imaging unit 12 is attached and detached via the mount 39, a magnified observation system as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 27 can be configured. In this way, it is possible to add and remove options according to the observation application, and it is possible to add and remove options according to the observation purpose, by using the electron microscope imaging and adding the optical system imaging means 12 as necessary. The advantage is that a magnified observation system with excellent characteristics can be constructed.
(Magnification conversion function)

  Further, the magnification observation apparatus has a magnification conversion function for displaying the magnifications at a unified magnification or automatically adjusting the magnifications when different determination means have different magnification criteria. Generally, when observing with a magnifying observation apparatus, the degree of magnification is often indicated by a magnification. However, since the definition of the magnification changes depending on the size of the display range, the magnification is often different for each observation means. In general, the magnification is defined or calculated by the following equation.

  Magnification = Display range of observation image / Viewing field range

In the above equation, the display range is a parameter determined by the designer of the observation means and is not determined by the user. On the other hand, the observation visual field range is to arbitrarily select the visual field range desired by the user from the settable visual field ranges determined by the ability of the observation means. Hereinafter, the magnification determination method will be described based on FIG. 72 showing the visual field range and display range of the electron beam imaging means 11 and FIG. 73 showing the visual field range and display range of the optical system imaging means 12.
(Electron microscope magnification)

For example, in the electron beam imaging unit 11 constituting the scanning electron microscope, the display range is generally the size of the photograph PH (for example, 124 mm × 94 mm) as shown in FIG. The observation visual field range is an actual dimension in a range in which an electron beam irradiated on the sample from an electron gun or an electron lens scans on the sample.
(Optical magnification)

  On the other hand, in the optical system imaging means 12 such as a digital microscope, as shown in FIG. 73, the reflected light from the sample SA illuminated by the illumination light passes through the optical lens and the optical imaging such as CCD or CMOS. The structure forms an image on the element. The display range is generally the monitor size of the display unit 102 (for example, a 15-inch monitor screen size). The monitor size also changes depending on whether the display unit 102 is an LCD or a CRT. Furthermore, the observation visual field range is (effective imaging range of the optical imaging device) / (optical magnification of the optical lens). Thus, the optical magnification is an enlargement ratio with respect to the size of the object.

  The method for determining the magnification is not limited to the above. As a special example, for example, it is conceivable to display a part of the image data acquired from the observation visual field range instead of displaying all of the image data in the display range. In such a method, for example, when blurring or distortion is seen around the image, it is conceivable to cut and display these portions. Alternatively, although the resolution is coarse, the apparent magnification may be increased by so-called digital zoom. In such a case, the magnification increases.

  On the other hand, the observation visual field range may be moved in the vertical and horizontal directions or the XY directions to acquire a plurality of image data, and these may be connected to display a wide visual field range in the display range. For example, an image that is lower than the lowest observable magnification may be obtained, or a high-resolution image may be obtained for later digital zooming. In such a case, the magnification decreases.

  As described above, when it is desired to acquire an observation image in the same observation visual field range with two or more types of observation means, if the definition of the magnification of each observation means is different, images are acquired with the same “magnification”. However, it was inconvenient because it was impossible to obtain observation images in the same observation visual field range as desired. That is, even if the same visual field range is magnified, the magnification of the magnification observation apparatus displaying on a large screen is high, and the magnification of the magnification observation apparatus displaying on a small display screen is low. As a result, when only the magnification is used as a reference, the size actually displayed by the observation means is not constant, which is not preferable when performing comparative observation or the like.

  Because of this situation, conventionally, as a countermeasure, a method of performing a calibration work in advance to confirm the magnification definition of each observation means by observing a sample whose dimensions are known in advance or a difference in the magnification definition Considering this, the method by which the user manually calculates the magnification at which the same observation field range can be observed, and the method using a separate electron microscope and optical digital microscope, not within the same magnification observation device, etc. However, all of them have the problem of taking time and effort.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, a uniform magnification is defined so that both observation means have the same display size for the same observation visual field range. In other words, a value obtained by dividing the same display range by the observation visual field range is defined as a magnification. In this way, even with different observation means, the designer defines the same display range and has a magnification conversion function, so that the user can use the same defined magnification even with different observation means. Available. Thus, when the magnification is set by any one of the observation means, a value converted into the magnification of the other observation means is displayed together with the magnification. Alternatively, the magnification display of the other observation means may be changed and converted to the magnification of one observation means for display or writing together.

In addition, the reference | standard of magnification can also be converted into the magnification of the 3rd reference | standard different from the magnification of any observation means other than converting the conversion magnification converted into any one observation means with a magnification conversion means. In this case, the optical image and the electron microscope image are displayed at the same standard magnification.
(Magnification conversion function)

  FIG. 74 shows a block diagram of a magnification observation apparatus having a magnification conversion function. The magnification observation apparatus shown in this figure includes an optical imaging unit 12, an electron beam imaging unit 11, a controller 1, a display unit 2, and an operation unit 105B. The controller 1 includes an operation unit such as an MPU, and functions as a magnification conversion unit 111 that converts the magnification of another observation unit according to a standard defined by one observation unit, and a mode selection unit 110 that selects an observation mode. . In this example, the display mode 2 includes a comparison mode in which the electron microscope image and the optical image can be compared and observed, and a composite mode in which a composite image obtained by combining the electron microscope image and the optical image can be displayed. The mode is selected by the mode selection means 110. Note that the synthesis mode is not always essential, and only the comparison mode can be implemented. In this case, mode selection means for selecting a mode is not essential.

The operation means 105B is composed of an input device, and the user operates this to set the electron microscope magnification. Thereby, the operation of the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 for setting and adjusting the electron microscope magnification can be performed. The operation means 105B is connected to the controller 1 in the example of FIG. 74, but can be shared with the operation means 105 and the console CS connected to the display means 2.
(Magnification conversion means 111)

The display unit 102 of the display unit 2 includes a conversion magnification display unit 123, a magnification range display unit 126, a scheduled magnification display unit 124, a determination notification unit 125, a status display unit 121, and a non-selection display as will be described later. It functions as the means 122. The conversion magnification display means 123 obtains the magnification of the image acquired by one observation means and displayed on the display means 2, and determines whether the other observation means can be set to the conversion magnification converted by the magnification conversion means. Then, when the setting is possible, the conversion magnification is displayed on the display means 2, and when the setting is impossible, the magnification closest to the conversion magnification is displayed on the display means 2. The magnification range display means 126 converts the electron microscope magnification range in which the electron microscope image can be adjusted and the optical magnification range in which the optical image can be adjusted into a one-dimensional display on the display means 2 by converting them into the same reference magnification. To do. The magnification range display means 126 can indicate an overlapping range between the optical microscope magnification range and the electron microscope magnification range. The scheduled magnification display unit 124 displays the conversion magnification for acquiring the image by the other observation unit with the same display size as the image acquired by the one observation unit. If it is determined that the magnification of the other observation unit cannot be set to the conversion magnification converted by the magnification conversion unit, the determination notification unit 125 displays that it cannot be set. The state display unit 121 performs state display for distinguishing between moving image display and still image display.
(Optical magnification adjusting means 95)

  74 includes an optical magnification adjusting unit 95 and an optical magnification reading unit 112. The optical magnification adjusting means 95 is provided in a ring shape that is rotatable on the side surface of the optical lens barrel, and adjusts the magnification by the amount of rotation of the ring. In the example of FIG. 74, an image of an optical lens barrel incorporating an optical zoom lens is shown, and an optical magnification adjustment means 95 provided on the outer periphery of the optical lens barrel and an optical magnification reading for reading the set magnification. Means 112 are provided. The optical magnification reading unit 112 is electrically connected to the calculation unit, and sends its output to the magnification conversion unit 111 of the calculation unit.

  With this configuration, the user adjusts the magnification of the electron beam imaging unit 11 from the operation unit 105 </ b> B, while adjusting the optical magnification of the optical microscope with the optical magnification adjustment unit 95. When the user operates the optical magnification adjustment unit 95 to adjust the optical magnification, the optical magnification is read by the optical magnification reading unit 112 and sent to the magnification conversion unit 111. The magnification conversion unit 111 converts the optical magnification into an electron microscope magnification corresponding to the optical magnification, and displays it on the display unit 2. The user operates the operating means 105B according to the conversion magnification, and sets conditions such as the electron beam polarization scanner 58 so that an electron microscope image at the conversion magnification can be obtained. In addition, the display of the conversion magnification converted by the magnification conversion unit 111 may be configured to be switched between display and non-display in addition to being always displayed on the display unit 2.

  On the other hand, the magnification conversion means 111 may send the conversion magnification to the electron beam imaging means 11 and set an electron beam scanning, a deflector or the like so as to automatically adjust the electron microscope magnification. In this case, the user does not need to manually adjust the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68, and convenience is improved. For example, when the user switches the image to be displayed on the display unit 2 from the optical image to the electron microscope image, the optical magnification reading unit 112 automatically reads the optical magnification of the optical image being displayed, and the magnification conversion unit 111 performs the corresponding operation. Convert to the electron microscope magnification of the electron microscope image. Then, an electron microscope image of this electron microscope magnification is acquired and automatically displayed on the display means 2. For example, in order to enlarge / reduce an imaged electron microscope image to generate an electron microscope image at the electron microscope magnification, or to newly image an electron microscope image at the electron microscope magnification, the electron beam imaging means 11 It is also possible to send necessary setting information. In this way, an electron microscope image having the same size corresponding to the optical image can be displayed on the display means 2. Moreover, the automatic interlocking function of the magnification by switching the observation means can be switched on / off. For example, when the magnification interlock function is turned off, when switching from an optical image to an electron microscope image, the image is displayed at the magnification used in the previous observation with the electron beam imaging means, and when the magnification interlock function is turned on. When the optical image is switched to the electron microscope image, the electron microscope image at the corresponding magnification can be automatically displayed.

  In the example of FIG. 74, the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 is realized by the operating means 105B. However, as shown in FIG. You can also. In this way, by providing the electron beam imaging unit 11 with the same magnification adjustment unit as the optical magnification adjustment unit 95, it is possible to obtain a uniform operation feeling and improve the usability of the user.

  The magnification of the optical zoom lens varies depending on the position of the lens group that determines the optical magnification in the optical lens system in the optical lens barrel. In order to move the lens group, the optical lens barrel is provided with a zoom ring that is rotatable along the side surface of the optical lens barrel as the optical magnification adjusting means 95. The user can adjust the optical magnification by rotating the zoom ring along the side surface of the optical lens barrel to move the optical lens inside the optical lens barrel. For this reason, it is preferable to display the magnification as a numerical value or a scale on the zoom ring so that the magnification determined by the rotational position can be grasped. For example, an arrow is displayed on the optical zoom lens side, and a magnification is displayed on the optical lens barrel side by marking or printing, and the user adjusts the rotation position so that the arrow matches the desired magnification. Needless to say, the arrangement of the arrows and the numerical values may be reversed between the optical zoom lens and the optical lens barrel.

Further, the optical magnification adjusting means 95 may be operated by being rotated manually by the user, or may be a mechanism that is rotated electrically. The adjusted magnification is detected by the optical magnification reading means 112. In addition, when a mechanism for automatically adjusting the optical magnification adjustment means by electric power or the like is provided instead of manually, the magnification of the electron microscope image is acquired by the electron microscope magnification reading means or the like, and the corresponding optical image is reversed. It is also possible to automatically adjust the imaging magnification of the optical imaging means by sending the information to the optical magnification adjusting means so as to obtain the converted magnification.
(Optical magnification reading means 112)

  The optical magnification reading means 112 can be constituted by an optical zoom magnification reading device or the like installed in the optical lens barrel. The optical magnification reading unit 112 electrically detects the rotational position of the zoom ring 113 and thereby recognizes the magnification. Accordingly, for example, the magnification of the optical zoom lens set manually by the user can be recognized on the magnification observation apparatus side, and processing such as magnification conversion corresponding to the magnification can be smoothly performed.

  An example of such an optical magnification reading unit 112 is shown in a sectional view of FIG. This figure is a transverse sectional view of the optical lens barrel of the optical system imaging means 12, and a zoom ring 113 is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the optical lens barrel. A spherical protruding electrode 114 is provided on the outer periphery of the optical lens barrel so as to protrude elastically. A plurality of magnification output electrodes 115 for outputting an optical magnification corresponding to the position of the zoom ring 113 are provided on the inner peripheral side of the zoom ring 113 so as to be separated from each other along the circumference. Each magnification output electrode 115 comes into contact with the protruding electrode 114 and outputs information on the corresponding optical magnification as, for example, a voltage signal generated in a resistor. In this way, by operating each magnification output electrode 115 as a switch, it is detected that a magnification corresponding to the position of the magnification output electrode 115 has been selected. That is, the optical magnification reading unit 112 recognizes the current optical magnification by turning on / off the switch, and sends this to the calculation unit. Further, by forming a concave surface for receiving the protruding electrode 114 on the inner surface of the zoom ring 113, it is possible to achieve a positioning function for holding the zoom ring 113 at a predetermined magnification. Furthermore, by displaying the numerical value and scale of the magnification at the position of each electrode, the magnification adjustment work by the user can be easily performed. However, when a magnification display is performed on the display means, such a physical magnification display is not necessarily required.

  Further, the optical magnification reading unit 112 is not limited to position detection by such electrode contact. For example, non-contact can be performed by providing a photo interrupter at the interface between the zoom ring and the optical lens barrel. Alternatively, it goes without saying that in addition to discrete magnification detection at a fixed position, the magnification may be read continuously using a rotary encoder or the like.

  In the example of FIG. 74, the optical imaging unit 12 includes the optical magnification adjusting unit 95 and the optical magnification reading unit 112, but the optical magnification reading unit may be omitted. In this case, the user can know the rough optical magnification by reading the scale displayed on the zoom ring or the like. Further, it is possible to set a fixed magnification without providing the optical magnification adjusting means. In this case, the optical magnification can be changed by replacing the optical imaging device with a different magnification by making the optical imaging device detachable.

Note that the visual field range can be shown instead of or in addition to displaying the magnification as a numerical value on the display unit 102. For example, a display form such as “display field range 4 mm × 3 mm” can be used instead of “100 magnification”.
(Display of conversion magnification)

  The magnification conversion unit 111 recognizes the magnification of the image acquired by either the electron beam imaging unit 11 or the optical system imaging unit 12 as described above, and converts the image having the same display size as the other image. The magnification for obtaining by the observation means is converted into the magnification based on the reference of the other observation means.

  In general electron microscope observation, the optical field imaging unit 12 is used to determine the field of view of the sample at a low magnification, and then the electron beam imaging unit 11 acquires a high magnification image. For this reason, when the optical image acquired by the optical system imaging unit 12 is first displayed on the display unit 2, the optical magnification of the optical image is displayed, and the conversion magnification converted into the electron microscope magnification is also shown. Therefore, if a user operates the electron beam imaging means 11 and acquires the electron microscope image of conversion magnification, it can image an electron microscope image with the same display size. As a result, the optical image and the electron microscope image can be displayed on the display means 2 with the same display size, and comparative observation can be easily performed. In particular, it is possible to easily switch between the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 in the same field of view by using the configuration of the sample chamber 21 (FIG. 26) provided with the above-described rotational movement mechanism. In combination, there is an advantage that comparative observation can be performed more easily.

  The conversion magnification is not limited to the case where the optical magnification is converted into the electron microscope magnification, and conversely, the conversion magnification obtained by converting the electron microscope magnification into the optical magnification may be used. In particular, it is suitable when acquiring an optical image after acquiring an electron microscope image first. Or you may comprise so that the magnification display of an optical image and an electron microscope image may be performed according to the magnification unified by one standard, without using together the magnification of different standards.

In addition to simply displaying the conversion magnification on the display unit 2, it is possible to automate the magnification setting of the observation unit 10 according to the conversion magnification as described above. For example, the electron microscope magnification obtained by converting the magnification based on the optical magnification of the acquired optical image may be automatically set in the electron microscope magnification adjusting unit 68 of the electron beam imaging unit 11. Alternatively, the imaging condition parameters are automatically set so that an image with the electron microscope magnification can be acquired. According to this, an electron microscope image having the same display size as the image acquired by the optical system imaging unit 12 can be acquired almost automatically. Further, the imaging condition parameter setting screen may be displayed on the display means without performing the acquisition, and the user may be able to make fine adjustments.
(Automatic change to proximity magnification)

In addition, when it is difficult or impossible to acquire an image at the conversion magnification, a magnification close to the conversion magnification can be selected to display the magnification on the display unit 2, or image acquisition, image display, or the like can be performed. That is, since the range of magnifications that can be set differs between the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12, there are magnifications that can be set by one observation unit but cannot be set by the other observation unit. Even in such a case, it is possible to select a magnification as close as possible from the settable range and display the magnification, acquire an image, or display an image.
(Magnification range display means 126)

  FIG. 76 shows a display example showing an overlapping range of the optical microscope magnification range and the electron microscope magnification range by the magnification range display means 126. By displaying such a magnification range display means 126 on the display means 2, it is possible to visually grasp the magnification range of each observation means, and if the current magnification is outside the overlapping range, how much and in what direction You can check if you need to zoom in and out. In particular, the electron microscope magnification range changes depending on conditions such as acceleration voltage and working distance.By enabling the user to visually grasp the overlapping range under the current observation conditions, the user can quickly determine the necessary magnification setting index. Obtainable.

  In this example, the magnification range of the electron beam imaging means 11 that can be adjusted by the electron microscope magnification adjustment means 68 and the magnification range of the optical imaging means 12 that can be adjusted by the optical magnification adjustment means 95 are the magnification conversion means 111. In the conversion magnification converted in (1), at least partly overlaps. Thereby, an electron microscope image and an optical image can be acquired with the same size, which is advantageous for comparative observation.

  In the example of FIG. 76, the optical microscope magnification range and the electron microscope magnification range are arranged on the same reference conversion magnification axis and displayed in a one-dimensional overlapping gauge type. However, it is not necessary to determine the overlapping magnification range based only on the value of the observable magnification of each observation means, and the target magnification range that can be used for comparative observation and synthesis processing can also be regarded as the overlapping magnification.

  For example, when synthesizing images, it is preferable to synthesize images of the same size, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, considering an example in which color information of an optical image is added to an electron microscope image and colorization is performed, if an optical image having the same magnification as that of the electron microscope image cannot be obtained by converting the magnification, the optical imaging unit 12 An optical image having the closest obtainable magnification can be acquired, and color information can be acquired from the optical image. As described above, the observable magnification of each observation unit also changes depending on the image observation conditions of each observation unit, and accordingly, the presence or absence of the overlapping magnification can be captured. For example, in SEM, the lower the acceleration voltage, the lower the magnification can be observed. In SEM, if the working distance, which is the distance between the lens and the sample, is long, it is possible to observe up to a lower magnification.

  When the magnifications do not overlap, the closest magnification is inevitably the maximum or minimum magnification that can be set, but it is not necessarily limited to only the maximum and minimum magnifications. Needless to say, similar effects can be obtained even at close magnifications. Therefore, the closest magnification in the present invention does not mean only a single magnification, but also includes a magnification (for example, an error range) substantially equal to the magnification.

  Furthermore, since the observable magnification of each observation means changes depending on the image observation conditions of each observation means, it is more preferable to change the overlap of magnification ranges accordingly. For example, with the electron beam imaging means 11, the lower the acceleration voltage, the lower the magnification can be observed. In the electron beam imaging means 11, if the working distance between the electron lens and the sample is long, it becomes possible to observe up to a lower magnification. On the other hand, the optical system imaging means 12 can be changed so that the settable range of the optical magnification can be changed.

When the observation means is switched under the condition that the magnification ranges do not overlap, the magnification conversion means 111 calculates the other closest magnification and sets it as the magnification after switching. Alternatively, it is also possible to store the last magnification that was observed before switching the observation means and set the magnification as the magnification after switching.
(Mode selection means 110)

In this magnification observation apparatus, a plurality of observation modes can be selected by the mode selection means 110. Examples of the observation mode include a comparison mode and a synthesis mode. When the electron microscope image acquired by the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical image acquired by the optical system imaging unit 12 are comparatively observed or synthesized, the images acquired by the two observation units 10 are the same observation. An image in the field of view is desirable. It is also desirable to approximate the display magnification.
(Composite mode)

  In the combination mode, a combined image obtained by combining the electron microscope image and the optical image is generated and displayed on the display unit 102. For example, two images of the electron microscope image EI as shown in FIG. 77 and the optical image OI as shown in FIG. Composite to image data. In particular, a high-definition color image can be obtained by combining the luminance information of the electron microscope image EI and the color information of the optical image OI into the color composite image GI. In addition, when there is a lens aberration such as distortion or a positional deviation between two images in each image before synthesis, it is preferable to perform distortion correction, positional deviation correction, and the like before the synthesis process.

Such image composition is performed by color image composition means 116B shown in FIG. By synthesizing the color synthesized image GI by the color image synthesizing unit 116B and displaying it on the display unit 2, the relationship between the form of the sample surface and the color becomes clear, and the recognition of the image is remarkably improved. Further, when various measurements are performed on the image displayed on the display means 2, the convenience is improved by using such a color image.
(Color composite image generation function)

  Conventionally, a method for synthesizing color information obtained from an optical image and luminance information obtained from an electron microscope image has been mainly employed as a method for generating a synthesized image. In this method, basically, the luminance information of the electron microscope image is used, and the color information obtained from the optical image is superimposed on this, so the definition of the image itself is basically the electron microscope image. As such, it is an original color image obtained by coloring a monochrome electron microscope image. For this reason, there is a problem that the relationship between light and dark is different from the state observed with the naked eye, resulting in an unnatural color image. For example, when the electron microscope image EI2 shown in FIG. 80 and the optical image OI2 shown in FIG. 81 are combined, a color composite image GI2 as shown in FIG. 82 is obtained. The image in FIG. 82 is considerably different from the original color image, that is, the appearance represented by the optical image OI2 shown in FIG. In particular, the lightness and darkness has hardly been reproduced, and it has been reversed.

  Therefore, in order to obtain a composite image closer to an optical image, that is, an image observed with the naked eye, in the present embodiment, luminance information of the optical image, which has been conventionally discarded during image synthesis, is also used. By providing the ratio adjusting means 250 for adjusting the combination ratio of the luminance information at the time of combining with the image, as shown in FIG. 83, a color combined image GI3 taking into account the luminance information of the optical image OI2 is generated. ing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 84, it succeeded in obtaining a color composite image closer to reality as compared with the conventional color composite image GI2. Details of such a color composite image generation function will be described below with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 85 is a block diagram of a magnifying observation apparatus having a color composite image generation function, FIG. 86 is a block diagram showing a procedure for generating a color composite image, and FIG. 87 is an image diagram showing an example of display parameter adjustment means 258. FIG. 88 is an image diagram showing another example of the display parameter adjusting means 258B. As shown in FIG. 85, the magnification observation apparatus includes an electron beam imaging unit 11, an optical system imaging unit 12, and a color separation unit 255 that separates color information from an optical image OI2 acquired by the optical system imaging unit 12. And extraction means 256 for extracting luminance information from the electron microscope image EI2 and the optical image OI2, respectively, a ratio adjustment means 250 for adjusting the synthesis ratio of the luminance information of the electron microscope image EI2 and the luminance information of the optical image OI2, Based on the combination ratio adjusted by the ratio adjustment unit 250, luminance combining unit 257 that combines the luminance information of the electron microscope image EI2 and the optical image OI2, and the combined luminance information combined by the luminance combining unit 257, A color image composition unit 116B for generating a color composite image GI3 by adding the color information separated by the separation unit 255; And a display unit 2 for displaying an image GI3.

  When this magnification observation apparatus creates a color composite image GI3 by synthesizing a monochrome electron microscope image EI2 and a color optical image OI2 obtained by photographing the same sample, luminance information (texture components and rough formation from the respective images). Min) and color information are extracted, and the size and composition ratio of each component can be adjusted by the user. As a result, when generating a color composite image from an electron microscope image and an optical image, the luminance information of the optical image that was previously discarded can be used, and the composition ratio when combining with the luminance information of the electron microscope image can be adjusted. As a result, a color composite image generation function capable of obtaining a desired color composite image according to the application is realized. In particular, it is possible to obtain a texture that represents the fine shape of the surface with high-definition from an electron microscope image, and to obtain color information that cannot be obtained with an electron microscope from an optical image, and colors that are close to light and dark when viewed with the naked eye A composite image can be acquired.

As a pre-stage for performing image composition, it is necessary to prepare a monochrome electron microscope image EI2 and a color optical image OI2 obtained by photographing the same sample. For this reason, the electron microscope image EI2 and the optical image are obtained in advance by using the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12 at substantially the same observation direction and substantially the same imaging magnification at an arbitrary observation position of the observation target sample. An image OI2 is captured. Needless to say, an electron microscope image or an optical image captured in the past and stored as image data can be read out and used.
(Color separation means 255)

  The color separation unit 255 separates luminance information and color information from the optical image. A texture component is further extracted by the extracting unit 256 for the luminance information obtained by separating the color information from the optical image by the color separating unit 255. As a result, the texture component can be extracted by the extracting unit 256 with respect to the luminance information obtained by separating the color information from the optical image, so that more accurate image synthesis can be performed.

Here, the texture component is information representing the surface shape of the image, and mainly includes a high frequency component of luminance of the image data. The approximate formation is information indicating the appearance shape of the image, and mainly includes a low frequency component of luminance of the image data.
(Extracting means 256)

The extraction unit 256 extracts luminance information from the image. Further, the extraction unit 256 can extract a texture component representing the surface shape of the image and a rough formation representing the appearance shape of the image from the luminance information of the electron microscope image and the optical image. As such extraction means 256, filter means for performing filter processing can be suitably used. As described above, the texture component and the roughly formed component can be distinguished by the frequency component. Therefore, by using the frequency filter, it is possible to separate the texture component and the roughly formed portion. As such a filter, for example, a band limiting filter such as a Gaussian filter or Anisotropic Diffusion can be used. Hereinafter, an example of a filter process for separating the texture component and the approximate formation from the image will be described. First, the optical image is once converted into a gray image. Since the electron microscope image is originally a gray or black and white image, this process is not necessary. Then, after converting the gray image into a logarithmic image, the logarithmic image is separated into a texture image and a schematic image. Specifically, the frequency component of the luminance signal included in the logarithmic image is separated from the distribution of the frequency component of the luminance signal into a texture component related to a fine pattern and a rough formation indicating the overall outline using a frequency filter. Here, the texture image has image characteristics over a wide dynamic range. In addition, the outline image has features of fine pattern portions. Further, gradation change processing can be performed on the texture image and the outline image as necessary. Thereby, effects such as relatively emphasizing minute uneven portions can be obtained.
(Ratio adjustment means 250)

  The ratio adjusting unit 250 is a unit for adjusting the synthesis ratio of the luminance information of the electron microscope image extracted by the extracting unit 256 and the luminance information of the optical image. Here, the ratio adjusting unit 250 can adjust the combination ratio of the texture component and the approximate formation when the luminance combining unit 257 combines the luminance information of the electron microscope image and the optical image.

Further, the adjustable items are not limited to the composition ratio, and other parameters (display parameters) related to the image composition by the color image composition unit 116B can be adjusted. For example, the intensity of the entire texture component of the electron microscope image and the optical microscope and the intensity of the color information can be adjusted. The setting of these display parameters is not only automatically set on the magnification observation apparatus side but also can be manually adjusted by the user. In particular, by adjusting these display parameters, the appearance of the color composite image can be adjusted, so that the user can easily obtain a desired color composite image according to the purpose by trial and error. For example, by allowing the user to operate the display parameter adjusting unit 258 so that desired items of display parameters can be arbitrarily set, the user can further display parameters while referring to the obtained color composite image. Can be set or fine tuned. As a result, for example, the texture component of the optical image can be emphasized to make a natural color composite image, or conversely, the texture component of the optical image can be weakened to make a color composite image taking advantage of the characteristics of the electron microscope image. .
(Display parameter adjusting means 258)

  As a specific example of the ratio adjusting unit 250 for adjusting the composition ratio, a GUI screen of the display parameter adjusting unit 258 is shown in FIG. The display parameter adjusting means 258 shown in this figure comprises the ratio adjusting means 250 as a slider-like “balance” slider, and the user can continuously adjust the ratio by moving the slider to an arbitrary position. Depending on the position of the “balance” slider, the composition ratio of the rough formation and the texture component is preset so that the color composition image obtained by the color image composition means 116B can be used to change the color and definition. Can be changed. In this example, the numerical value is set to be higher (for example, 100%) as the slider is moved to the right and lower (for example, 0%) as the slider is moved to the left. The same applies to the following examples. Also, in this example, the currently set ratio is displayed as a numerical value at the top of each slider so that the user can easily grasp the accurate value.

  In the “balance” slider, the composition ratio of the roughly formed parts and the composition ratio of the texture components are adjusted at the same time, but they can be configured to be adjusted individually. An example of this is shown in FIG. In the display parameter adjusting means 258B shown in this figure, the ratio adjusting means 250 is composed of two parts: a rough shape adjusting means 251 (“outline balance” slider) and a texture ratio adjusting means 252 (“texture balance” slider). ing. These are each configured in a slider shape, and the user can adjust each composition ratio continuously and individually by moving the slider to an arbitrary position. This makes it possible to independently adjust the composition ratio of the approximate formation and the texture component, and to obtain a color composite image tuned to a more optimal image quality. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 87 described above, the outline ratio adjusting unit 251 and the texture ratio adjusting unit 252 are integrated into one ratio adjusting unit 250, and the composition ratio of the approximate formation and the texture component is set. By enabling the adjustment in conjunction with each other, there is an advantage that the adjustment relating to the image quality of the color composite image can be performed with only one ratio adjusting unit 250. Note that the method of adjusting the composition ratio of the approximate formation and the texture component with one ratio adjusting unit 250 is, for example, changed so that the approximate formation and the texture component are increased or decreased at the same time, or the composition ratio of either one is increased. It is set as appropriate according to the required image quality of the color composite image, such as decreasing the other composition ratio while it is being set, or increasing or decreasing only one of the approximate formation and texture component within a certain range. The

Furthermore, the display parameters that can be adjusted are not limited to the synthesis ratio of the texture component and the approximate formation, and other display parameters can be adjusted as described above. Also, a plurality of display parameters can be adjusted from the display parameter adjusting means 258, 258B. In the examples of FIGS. 87 and 88, the “texture strength” slider is used as the texture strength adjusting unit 253 for adjusting the strength of the entire texture component, and the “color” slider is used as the color strength adjusting unit 254 for adjusting the strength of the color information. , Each has.
(Texture strength adjusting means 253)

The texture intensity adjusting unit 253 adjusts the intensity of the electron microscope image extracted by the extracting unit 256 and the entire texture component of the optical microscope. In this example, as the “texture intensity” slider is moved to the left, the gain of the texture component is increased and the amplitude of the texture component is increased. As a result, the texture in the color composite image is emphasized, and is decreased as it is moved to the left. In this way, the overall strength of the texture representing the surface shape of the color composite image can be adjusted.
(Color intensity adjusting means 254)

The color intensity adjusting unit 254 adjusts the intensity of the color information separated by the color separating unit 255. In this example, the color information gain can be adjusted by moving the “color” slider, and the overall color intensity of the color composite image can be adjusted. Note that these display parameter adjusting means 258 and 258B are merely examples, and it is needless to say that other configurations such as adding, deleting, or integrating the types of display parameters that can be adjusted can be employed as appropriate.
(Luminance synthesis means 257)

The luminance combining unit 257 combines the luminance information of the electron microscope image and the luminance information of the optical image based on the combination ratio adjusted by the ratio adjusting unit 250 as described above.
(Color image synthesizing means 116B)

  Further, the color image synthesizing unit 116B generates a color synthesized image by adding the color information separated by the color separating unit 255 to the synthesized luminance information synthesized by the luminance synthesizing unit 257. The color image synthesizing unit 116B has the same function of synthesizing a plurality of images as the image synthesizing unit 116 described later, and basically has the same specifications, hardware configuration, and software configuration as the image synthesizing unit 116. Etc. The difference is that, when generating a color composite image, the luminance information of the optical image that was conventionally discarded is also used, and the luminance information at that time can be adjusted in the composition ratio. Here, an example of a calculation formula for the luminance synthesis unit 257 and the color image synthesis unit 116B to synthesize luminance information and color information will be described according to the display parameter adjustment unit 258B of FIG. In FIG. 88, the “outline balance” slider is the composite ratio w1 of the approximate formation, the “texture balance” slider is the composite ratio w2 of the texture component, the “texture strength” slider is the strength k of the entire texture component, and the “color” slider is the color. It is assumed that the information strength s is shown. Here, assuming that the approximate formation of the optical image OI2 shown in FIG. 86 is Oa, the texture component is Ta, the approximate formation of the electron microscope image EI2 is Ob, and the texture component is Tb, the output luminance information output L is It can be expressed by the following formula.

  L = w1 * Oa + (1-w1) * Ob + k * {w2 * Ta + (1-w2) * Tb}

  If the color information of the optical image OI2 is Ca, the color information output C of the output color composite image can be expressed by the following equation.

  C = s * Ca

In this way, the luminance information output and the color information output are combined by the color image combining unit 116B based on the adjusted display parameter, and a color combined image is generated and output on the display unit 2.
(Color composite image generation procedure)

  Next, an example of a processing procedure for generating the color composite image GI3 in FIG. 83 from the electron microscope image EI2 in FIG. 80 and the optical image OI2 in FIG. 81 will be described based on the block diagram in FIG. First, the optical image OI2 is separated into color information Ca and luminance information by the color separation means 255. Here, it is decomposed into a format such as YUV, HSV, etc. that can be separated into luminance information and color information.

  Next, the extraction means 256 separates the luminance information of the optical image OI2 and the electron microscope image EI2 into texture components and approximate formations. Further, the ratio adjustment unit 250 adjusts the optical image, the roughly formed portion of the electron microscope image, and the texture component. Here, composition by weighted sum by display parameters designated by the user is possible, and intensity and tone curve correction can be performed for each component. In this way, the luminance information separated into the roughly formed portion and the texture component from the optical image and the electron microscope image are synthesized by the luminance synthesizing unit 257 and output as luminance information output.

  On the other hand, regarding the color information, since the electron microscope image EI2 has no color information, the color information of the optical image OI2 is used as the color information of the color composite image. As described above, the color information Ca extracted from the optical image OI2 is input to the color intensity adjusting unit 254. Here, the saturation, hue, etc. are adjusted and output as the color information output C. Then, the output color information output C and luminance information output L are input to the color image composition means 116B, and a color composite image GI3 shown in FIG. 83 is obtained.

  Here, in the electron microscopic image, the texture component showing the fine shape of the surface can be acquired with high definition. In one optical image, it is possible to acquire color information that is not obtained with an electron microscope image, particularly a light-dark relationship that is close when observed with the naked eye. Therefore, when combining the two images, the texture component obtained in the electron microscope image is added to the texture component of the optical image, leaving the light and dark relationship and color that are close to each other when observed with the naked eye, and the electron microscope image. It is possible to display the fine texture component obtained in (1). Furthermore, by emphasizing and displaying the texture component, it is possible to observe even a slight change in shading that has been difficult to visualize in an electron microscope image.

  Examples of the color composite image obtained in this way are shown in FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 80 is an image diagram of an electron microscope image EI2 that is a source of a color composite image, FIG. 81 is an image diagram of an optical image OI2 that is a source of a color composite image, and FIG. FIG. 83 is an image diagram showing a color composite image GI3 obtained by combining FIG. 80 and FIG. 81 by the method according to the embodiment, and FIG. 84 is an image of FIGS. It is the expansion image figure which expanded partially and contrasted. The color composite image GI2 in FIG. 82 is obtained by combining only the color information from the optical image OI2 in FIG. 81 with the electron microscope image EI2 in FIG. 80, and is different in brightness from the original optical image OI2. On the other hand, the color composite image GI3 shown in FIG. 83 uses an electron microscope component only for the texture component and an optical microscope component for the approximate formation. As shown in this figure, a texture that cannot be observed with an optical microscope is visualized while maintaining a close light-dark relationship when observed with the naked eye. In this method, since the user can arbitrarily adjust the display parameters at the time of image composition as described above, a color composite image having a color as shown in FIG. 82 can be obtained by adjusting the display parameters. In this way, the user can freely generate a color composite image in accordance with the purpose of viewing, preference, and the like.

  In addition to a general 8-bit gradation color image, an optical image that is the basis of image composition is a 16-bit image such as a high dynamic range image (hereinafter referred to as “HDR image”). Multi-tone images can also be used. Furthermore, it is also possible to perform image composition using a focus composite image obtained by combining and extracting only the image of the in-focus portion from a plurality of optical images. Here, the HDR image is a high gradation image obtained by combining a plurality of low gradation images captured by changing the dynamic range of the luminance region. An HDR image is a composite of a plurality of images with different exposures on the same subject, and has a wide dynamic range from the darkest shadow (black) to an extremely bright highlight (white). For example, a high gradation HDR image such as 16 bits or 32 bits is generated by combining a plurality of 8-bit images and stored. As a result, it is possible to clearly express a portion of the original image that is overexposed and underexposed. In addition, not only an optical image but also an electron microscope image may be used as an HDR image. For example, a plurality of electron microscope images can be captured while controlling the gain, and a combined HDR image can be used as an electron microscope image used in a color composite image.

In this way, the composite image obtained by the color composite image generation function does not simply combine the color information obtained from the optical image and the luminance information obtained from the electron microscope image as in the conventional case, but also from the optical image. By obtaining information, that is, texture components and approximate formation, and further enabling adjustment of the composition ratio, an optimal color composite image can be generated according to the observation purpose.
(Positioning function)

  Further, in such image synthesis, the alignment operation between the electron microscope image obtained by imaging the same sample with the same field of view and the same magnification and the optical image is automatically performed by the automatic alignment means 324 or the like by a calculation process. It is also possible for the user to adjust manually. In particular, since image characteristics such as distortion due to lens aberration are greatly different between an electron microscope image and an optical image, automatic alignment using template matching or the like is not always easy. For this reason, when a user performs alignment manually, the positional shift between images can be reduced and a higher-definition and high-quality synthesized image can be obtained. Specifically, in a state where the optical image and the electron microscope image are displayed on the display means 2, the user designates corresponding points to correct the positional deviation. Further, by displaying the corrected composite image together on the display means 2, the user can add or change corresponding points while visually confirming whether or not a desired result is obtained. Furthermore, when designating corresponding points, both images are displayed in a superimposed manner so that the user can visually recognize the detailed positional relationship between the corresponding points.

  Such alignment work will be described with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 89 is a schematic block diagram showing a hardware configuration for performing alignment work, FIG. 90 is an image diagram showing a state in which alignment is performed in the first display area and the second display area of the display means 2, and FIG. Is an image diagram of a GUI of a magnification observation program having a corresponding point editing function, FIG. 92 is an image diagram showing a state before and after correction of a composite image by alignment, and FIG. 93 is a flowchart showing a correction procedure by corresponding points. ing.

As shown in FIG. 89, the magnifying observation apparatus having the alignment function includes a first storage unit 131 that holds an electron microscope image and a second storage unit 132 that holds an optical image (the details are based on FIG. 133). The controller 1 includes an image synthesizing unit 116, an automatic alignment unit 324 for automatically performing image alignment, and a correction parameter calculation unit 181. The operation means includes a corresponding point designation means 180. Further, as shown in FIGS. 89 and 90, the display means 2 includes a first display area for displaying an electron microscope image (in this example, an electron microscope image display area 117) and a second display area for displaying an optical image (this display area). In the example, an optical image display area 118) and a third display area 108 for displaying a composite image are provided.
(Corresponding point designation means 180)

  Corresponding point designating means 180 designates the first corresponding point and the second corresponding point in the electron microscope image and the optical image. As the corresponding point designating unit 180, a pointing device such as a mouse can be preferably used. FIG. 90 shows a state in which the pointing device is used as the corresponding point specifying unit 180 in the magnification observation program and the corresponding point is specified. Specifically, first, an arbitrary point is selected in the optical image displayed in the second display area to determine the first corresponding point. Next, the second corresponding point corresponding to the first corresponding point is designated in the electron microscope image displayed in the first display area. That is, the user specifies the same position corresponding to the first corresponding point designated on the optical image from the electron microscope image and determines it as the second corresponding point. The corresponding point is preferably a characteristic position of the observation object. For example, the corners and contours of the sample.

  Here, in the first display area and the second display area, an electron microscope image and an optical image acquired at substantially the same viewing direction and substantially the same magnification are displayed, respectively. As a combination of an electron microscope image and an optical image that are the basis of image composition, an image that is set to the same magnification at almost the same viewing angle even if the image can be superposed, that is, cannot be completely matched, is obtained by the electron beam imaging means 11. And the optical system imaging means 12 respectively, a highly accurate composite image can be obtained.

  Note that substantially the same viewing direction does not necessarily require images having the same viewing range. In other words, it is sufficient that the viewing directions coincide with each other so that the images can be superimposed. For example, even if the image is slightly tilted or rotated, or the field of view itself is narrow, images that are common enough to be superimposed are included. Then, image synthesis is possible in this overlapping region.

  It is preferable to specify a plurality of pairs of first corresponding points and second corresponding points, that is, corresponding point groups. As the number of corresponding points increases, the amount of information in alignment described later increases, and more accurate alignment can be expected. In addition, when designating a plurality of corresponding points, it is not limited to the method of alternately designating the first corresponding point and the second corresponding point, and after specifying a plurality of first corresponding points collectively, A corresponding second corresponding point may be designated.

  When a plurality of corresponding point groups are designated in this way, the correction parameter calculation means 181 corrects at least one of the images so that the sets of the first corresponding points and the second corresponding points substantially coincide with each other. The correction parameter is calculated. Examples of the correction parameter include parallel movement, enlargement / reduction, rotation, and depth movement of the image so that the first corresponding point of one image overlaps the second corresponding point of the other image. These corrections can be selected depending on the number of corresponding points. For example, when there is one corresponding point group, the images are translated so that the corresponding points coincide with each other.

  When there are two corresponding points, the magnification can be adjusted in addition to the parallel movement. The line segment distance between the two first corresponding points and the line segment distance between the second corresponding points are respectively obtained, and one image is enlarged and reduced so that these line segments coincide with each other, thereby taking the magnification into consideration. Superimposition of images can be realized.

  Furthermore, when there are three corresponding point groups, in addition to these parallel movement and magnification adjustment, rotational movement is also possible. That is, the magnification adjustment and rotation can be performed using affine transformation or the like so that the triangle constituted by the three first corresponding points and the triangle constituted by the three second corresponding points are completely coincident with each other. It becomes possible.

  In addition, when there are four corresponding point groups, depth can be moved in addition to these. That is, in addition to the two-dimensional image planar matching, it is possible to deform the image in consideration of the depth, and more accurate correction can be expected. In the case of 5 points or more, although no further correction parameters are added, since the corresponding points are deformed so as to coincide with each other, the error of each corresponding point is averaged and more accurate positioning can be expected. Each corresponding point does not need to be completely matched, and is corrected so as to allow a certain amount of error. For example, the error from the matching position at each corresponding point is reduced or minimized according to a known algorithm such as a least square method.

  In addition, it is not necessary to specify all corresponding points at once, and once a certain number of corresponding points are specified to correct the composite image, additional corresponding points can be added to correct the composite image again. . Furthermore, at this time, not only the corresponding points are simply added, but also the positions of the designated corresponding points may be changed, or specific corresponding points may be deleted. The user interface screen of the magnification observation program shown in FIG. 91 shows corresponding point editing means for realizing such a corresponding point editing function. Specifically, when the Add button 182 is pressed, a corresponding point can be added. Further, when the Remove button 183 is pressed, it is possible to delete the designated corresponding points. For example, a corresponding point to be deleted is selected in advance with a mouse or the like, and the Remove button 183 is pressed to delete both the corresponding point and the corresponding point paired with the corresponding point. Further, if the Modify button 184 is pressed, the position of the corresponding point that has been designated can be corrected. For example, when a corresponding point to be corrected is selected in advance with a mouse or the like and the Modify button 184 is pressed, the corresponding point can be moved by a mouse operation. In addition, regardless of the button operation, for example, a desired corresponding point is double-clicked with the mouse to shift to a movable state, or the corresponding point is selected with the mouse and a delete button (not shown) on the keyboard is selected. ) Or by calling delete from a shortcut menu such as right-clicking, the corresponding points may be edited. Further, the screen of FIG. 91 also includes a zoom slider 185 for zooming the screen, and a transparency slider that constitutes a transparency adjustment unit 186 for adjusting the transparency of a semi-transparent image at the time of superimposed display described later.

  When the correction parameter calculation unit 181 calculates the correction parameter as described above, the image synthesis unit 116 performs image synthesis based on the correction parameter, or corrects the already performed image synthesis to generate a new synthesized image. To do. The synthesized image synthesized by the image synthesizing unit 116 is displayed in the third display area 108. In the example of FIG. 90, the display means 2 displays the first display area and the second display area side by side, and the third display area 108 is arranged in the lower stage. In this example, the sizes of the display areas are substantially the same, and the electron microscope image, the optical image, and the synthesized image after synthesis can be confirmed and compared on one screen at the same scale.

  At this time, the composite image is displayed on the third display area 108 in real time whenever an additional corresponding point is specified by the corresponding point specifying unit 180. As a result, each time you specify or add corresponding points on the same screen, the composite image is updated, and the user can check the composite image that reflects the results of sequentially specifying the corresponding points. Etc. can be easily performed.

The composite image already obtained as described above can be corrected, and a new composite image can be generated and displayed in the third display area 108. For example, in the example of FIG. 92, the composite image shown in FIG. 92A is corrected to obtain a new composite image shown in FIG. By such correction, the image can be corrected to a clear composite image with reduced blur and distortion in the image before correction.
(Initial composite image)

Note that the alignment operation in the image composition can be performed manually by the user or used in combination with automation. For example, it is conceivable to first perform alignment automatically by the automatic alignment means 324, and then further perform manual adjustment. In this method, the user confirms the automatically generated image composition by default, and the procedure for adding the alignment adjustment work as necessary is necessary. Since the user only needs to perform fine adjustment in the performed state, it is preferable from the viewpoint of labor saving. Specifically, the correction parameter calculation unit 181 or the image synthesis unit 116 analyzes the electron microscope image and the optical image, and automatically calculates initial parameters for image synthesis so as to match them. Image synthesis is performed based on the parameters, and an initial synthesized image is displayed on the third display area 108 of the display means 2. If the user sees the initial composite image and determines that further adjustment is necessary, the corresponding point is added by the corresponding point specifying unit 180 as described above, and the correction parameter calculating unit 181 newly calculates the correction parameter. Based on this, the image composition unit 116 corrects the initial composite image, and displays the corrected composite image on the third display area 108. If this method is used, initial image synthesis is automatically performed, and if the initial synthesized image is sufficient, the user does not need to perform alignment work, labor saving is achieved, and fine adjustment of the image is performed as necessary. In addition, a composite image corresponding to the observation purpose can be obtained with less effort.
(Corresponding point correction procedure)

Next, the procedure for correcting corresponding points using the corresponding point editing function will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S931, the correction parameter calculation unit 181 calculates a correction parameter from the corresponding point group that has already been specified. As described above, the correction parameters include image parallel movement, enlargement / reduction, rotation, depth movement, and the like. In step S932, the synthesized image synthesized by the image synthesizing unit 116 according to the correction parameter is displayed in the third display area 108, and it is determined whether or not the correction result is appropriate. Here, the user visually determines whether or not a desired composite image has been obtained. If it is determined to be correct, the correction result is output and the process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the correction result is not valid, the process advances to step S933 to determine whether or not to add a corresponding point. When adding, it progresses to step S934-1, and the corresponding point A is designated on one image, and then the corresponding point B corresponding to the corresponding point A is designated on the other image in step S935. In step S936, the corresponding point group is updated, and the process returns to step S931 to repeat the process of calculating the correction parameter again. On the other hand, if no corresponding point is added in step S933, the process proceeds to step S934-2 to perform processing for changing or deleting the already specified corresponding point, so that the corresponding corresponding point is specified. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S936, and the same processing is performed thereafter. In this way, the user uses the corresponding point editing function to correct the image misalignment through trial and error by repeatedly adding and editing corresponding points while confirming the composite image, and finally corrects the image misalignment. Can obtain a desired composite image.
(Corresponding point display function)

  The corresponding point group has a corresponding point display function so as to indicate which first corresponding point corresponds to the second corresponding point. For example, specific corresponding point information is assigned to the corresponding point group, and corresponding point display is performed according to the corresponding point information. As corresponding point information, for example, serial numbers and IDs are assigned to each corresponding point group in the specified order. In the example of FIG. 90, three first corresponding points 1 to 3 are designated on the optical image displayed in the second display area on the left side in the drawing, and each first corresponding point indicates its position. In the vicinity of the mark X, numbers assigned in the order designated as corresponding point information are displayed. In addition, on the electron microscope image displayed in the first display area on the right side in the figure, the second corresponding points 1 to 3 designated corresponding to these three first corresponding points 1 to 3 are similarly marked with X. Is displayed together with a number as corresponding point information. By such a correspondence relationship, the user can easily distinguish which first corresponding point corresponds to which second corresponding point. In addition, examples of corresponding point display are not limited to numerals, and English letters and symbols can be used alone or in combination. In addition, visually distinguishable decorations such as color and line type patterns, hatching, and thickness can be used as appropriate.

Further, each corresponding point can be displayed by distinguishing the designated corresponding point from the currently selected corresponding point. In the example of FIG. 90, the designated corresponding points are displayed in green, and the selected corresponding points are displayed in red. That is, FIG. 90 shows a state where a second corresponding point corresponding to the first corresponding point displayed in red is being designated. Needless to say, the manner of distinguishing the corresponding points is not limited to the difference in color, and known display modes such as patterns, blinking display, and grayout display can be used as appropriate. In this way, the user can visually distinguish the designated corresponding point from the designated corresponding point, and can avoid confusion with existing corresponding points when specifying a new corresponding point.
(Superimposed display function)

  Furthermore, when a corresponding point is designated, the user can visually recognize the detailed positional relationship between corresponding points by providing a superimposed display function for displaying both images in a superimposed manner. Specifically, the corresponding point designating unit 180 displays a position designation pointer for designating the corresponding point on the display unit 2. For example, a mouse cursor or pointer can be used as the position designation pointer. Then, after the first corresponding point is designated on one image by the corresponding point designating unit 180, until the second corresponding point is designated on the other image, the one image is made translucent. The image is displayed following the position designation pointer. In the example of FIG. 90, when the second corresponding point corresponding to the fourth first corresponding point 4 specified on the optical image as described above is specified on the electron microscope image, the translucent image of the optical image is Overlaid on the second display area. This translucent image is displayed such that the designated first corresponding point is located at the tip of the position designation pointer. Then, when the position of the position designation pointer is moved by the corresponding point designating unit 180, the translucent image is also moved in real time. As a result, on the electron microscope image of the second display area, when the position designation pointer is positioned at the same position as the first corresponding point, the translucent image that moves according to the position designation pointer is The image is displayed so as to overlap with the electron microscope image at a position overlapping the point. In other words, since the semi-transparent optical image is displayed on the electron microscope image in a substantially matching posture, the user is required to designate the second corresponding point at a position where both images match as much as possible. Can be adjusted. By doing in this way, the user can perform the work of accurately positioning the second corresponding point at the position corresponding to the first corresponding point while confirming the overlapping condition in real time. The advantage is that it is convenient and easy to perform.

  In addition, when the second corresponding point is designated, the user can immediately confirm whether or not the position designation of the second corresponding point is appropriate by updating the composite image on the third display area 108 accordingly. Also in this respect, a positioning environment that is excellent in immediacy and easy to operate is realized.

Note that the transparency of the translucent image may be adjustable by the user. Thereby, according to the state of the image to be observed, for example, the complexity and color of the surface pattern, the transparency can be adjusted so that it is easy to see, and it is easy to check the overlapping state of the images. The adjustment of the transparency can be performed by adjusting the transparency slider of the transparency adjusting means 186 using a dialog shown in FIG. 91, for example. Further, the adjustment is not limited to such software, and adjustment can be performed by a hardware operation knob such as assignment to a scroll button of a mouse.
(Warning function for inappropriate points)

  Furthermore, when an inappropriate position is specified as a corresponding point, specifically, a position where image synthesis cannot be performed is specified, the fact is notified to the user so that image composition is not performed, or an inappropriate point as a corresponding point is detected. When it is attempted to be specified, a warning can be issued so that the corresponding point itself cannot be specified. Such a warning function for inappropriate points is, for example, that a warning dialog is displayed on the display means 2, a warning sound is sounded, a guidance such as "cannot be set at that position" is given by voice, or a position designation pointer. A mode in which the user is alerted by visual or audio means such as changing the color of the corresponding point display to red can be used as appropriate. Further, the determination as to whether or not the point is an inappropriate correspondence point can be performed by the correction parameter calculation unit 181 and the image synthesis unit 116. This warning function prompts the user to reset correct corresponding points, so that failure of image composition can be avoided.

  As shown in FIG. 90, the first display area, the second display area, and the third display area 108 are simultaneously displayed on one screen. However, it is also possible to switch the display by displaying each display area on a separate screen or by displaying it in a separate window. Also, the layout of the first display area, the second display area, and the third display area 108 is not limited to the example in FIG. 90, and three display areas are arranged vertically and horizontally, or the third display area 108 is made smaller. It is also possible to make it.

  In the above example, the example in which the second corresponding point is specified after the first corresponding point is specified has been described. Conversely, the second corresponding point is specified first, and then the first corresponding point is specified. You can also. For example, as shown in FIG. 125, which will be described later, after designating the first corresponding point on the optical image, designating the second corresponding point on the electron microscope image, and subsequently designating the corresponding point on the electron microscope image, the optical The order of specifying corresponding points on the image may be used. In addition, when selecting the corresponding points to be specified later, the translucent image is displayed in an overlapping manner. Therefore, if the corresponding points are specified on the electron microscope image first, the electron microscope image is displayed when the corresponding points are specified on the optical image. The semi-transparent image will be displayed.

  Note that the manual alignment function described above is not limited to the generation of a color composite image using the luminance information of the optical image described above, but can also be used in conventional image synthesis, contrast observation, and the like. That is, as a conventional image synthesis, for example, a method of synthesizing color information obtained from an optical image and luminance information obtained from an electron microscope image for each pixel of each coordinate, or an image outline from an electron microscope image It can also be used in a method of extracting information, superimposing optical images, extracting a representative color in the contour from the optical image, and filling a range in the contour with the representative color. This method cannot reproduce the color faithfully microscopically, but if the observation object does not completely match due to errors in the two original images, the color can be synthesized without protruding from the outline of the observation object. Also, a color image can be synthesized by a method in which a user manually or automatically colors an image based on an optical image on an electron microscope image that is a grayscale image as a reference. In this case, the color information of the part on the optical image corresponding to the part to be colored in the electron microscope image is obtained and colored in this color. In addition, when the user manually designates, for example, a position including a color in a dropper shape on the optical image can be designated to obtain the color information. Alternatively, as described in, for example, Patent Document 3, the image synthesizing unit separates the electron microscope image into a contrast information image and a brightness information image, extracts only the contrast information image, and further contrasts the color optical image. By separating the information image and the color information image, only the color information image is extracted, and the electron microscope image composed of the extracted contrast information image and the optical image composed of the color information image can be synthesized. Alternatively, the method published on page 153 of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Electron Microscopy Society of Japan can be used.

  In image synthesis, it is desirable to set the magnification of the electron microscope image and the magnification of two (or more) optical images to be the same. In this case, since the maximum magnification of the optical imaging unit 12 is generally lower than the maximum magnification of the electron beam imaging unit 11, the magnification range in which the composite image can be obtained is limited to the optical magnification range. However, image composition can be used even if the magnification is not necessarily the same. For example, by magnifying the optical image virtually at a high magnification by digital zoom or the like, or reducing the electron microscope image to the magnification of the optical image, both magnifications can be made substantially equal. In this way, from the viewpoint of adding color information to an electron microscope image, any optical image having such a clear degree that color information of a corresponding part on the electron microscope image can be acquired can be used. Of course, the closer the display size, the better for creating a clearer and higher-definition composite image, which is preferable.

  Here, the optical image is not limited to an image captured at the same time as the microscope image, and an image file of an optical image acquired in advance at different timings can be read and used for the coloring process.

Note that the file formats of the comparison mode and the synthesis mode are the bitmap format, jpg, etc. for both the optical image file acquired by the optical system imaging unit 12, the electron microscope image file acquired by the electron beam imaging unit 11, and the image file after synthesis. A general-purpose image file format can be suitably used.
(Comparison mode)

  On the other hand, the comparison mode is an observation mode for comparative observation, and the display means 2 displays the electron microscope image and the optical image simultaneously or by switching. Therefore, the display unit 102 of the display unit 2 may be divided into two screens, and an electron microscope image display area 117 and an optical image display area 118 may be provided. FIG. 94 shows a display example of the display means 2. In this figure, the display means 2 is divided into left and right parts, an optical image is displayed on the left side, and an electron microscope image is displayed on the right side. In the upper left of each image, a unique magnification according to each criterion is displayed.

  In the present embodiment, an apparatus having two observation means, that is, an electron beam imaging means 11 such as an SEM and an optical imaging means 12 such as a digital microscope, it is easy to observe the same visual field range with both observation means. The magnification is defined so that both observation means have the same magnification and the same visual field range. For example, the display unit 2 displays a conversion magnification converted to the magnification of the other observation unit so that the user can set the magnification when the observation image of one observation unit is captured or stored by the other observation unit. . Alternatively, the observation means may be controlled to automatically set the magnification of the other observation means to the same reference magnification. Note that the unification of magnifications may be performed in accordance with any one of the observation means, or a magnification newly defined based on a different standard may be used.

  Next, the flow of operations for acquiring images in the same visual field range from the same position and the same inclination angle by the electron beam imaging means 11 and the optical system imaging means 12 will be described. First, in the optical system imaging means 12, an observation visual field range is set with an optical zoom lens. Specifically, the user adjusts the optical magnification by rotating the zoom ring 113 which is an optical zoom magnification adjusting mechanism mounted on the optical zoom lens. Next, an optical image is picked up by the optical imaging means 12.

  On the other hand, the optical magnification reading means 112 reads the rotational position of the zoom ring 113 of the optical zoom lens. By sending the read rotation position to the magnification conversion unit 111, the corresponding optical magnification is calculated by the magnification conversion unit 111.

  Here, the imaging unit is switched from the optical system imaging unit 12 to the electron beam imaging unit 11. Specifically, the rotating lens 30 moves the electron lens barrel of the electron beam imaging means 11 to the position of the optical zoom lens barrel of the optical imaging means 12. Further, the display switching means 36 is operated as necessary to switch the display contents and the operation system.

  Next, in an example in which the magnification observation apparatus internally recognizes the magnification of one observation means and automatically controls the magnification of the other observation means, the electron microscope magnification adjustment means 68 is an electron beam deflection scanning means control unit. The amount of deflection sent to 55 is automatically calculated. Further, the same visual field range as that of the optical imaging unit 12 is automatically observed with the electron lens barrel.

  On the other hand, a case where the user himself / herself sets the magnification of the other observation means by looking at the magnification of one observation means displayed on the display means 2 such as not including an optical magnification reading means will be described. First, the magnification of the optical system imaging unit 12 displayed on the display unit 2 is confirmed. Then, by looking at the displayed magnification, the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 sets the electron microscope magnification. The electron microscope magnification adjusting unit 68 calculates the deflection amount to be sent to the electron beam deflection scanning unit control unit 55. Thereby, the same visual field range as that of the optical imaging unit 12 can be observed by the electron beam imaging unit 11.

  As described above, an optical image and an electron microscope image having the same display size can be acquired. Note that in the above example, the electron microscope image is captured after the optical image is captured first. This is because the optical imaging unit 12 can obtain a color image, but since the maximum magnification is generally lower than that of the electron beam imaging unit 11, the observation field of view is first determined at a low magnification, and then the electron beam imaging unit 11 with a higher magnification is used. This is for switching to acquire an enlarged image. However, the order of use of the observation means is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the present invention can also be used in a procedure for acquiring an electron microscope image first and then acquiring an optical image later. Next, an example of such a procedure will be described.

  First, an observation visual field range is set with an electron lens barrel. Specifically, the magnification is set by the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 and an electron microscope image is taken. On the other hand, the electron microscope magnification reading means calculates the electron microscope magnification of the captured electron microscope image.

  Next, the observation image is switched from the electron beam imaging unit 11 to the optical system imaging unit 12. Specifically, the optical zoom lens is moved by the rotating means 30 to the position of the electronic lens barrel.

  Here, when the magnification observation apparatus recognizes the magnification of one observation means internally and automatically controls the magnification of the other observation means, the magnification conversion means 111 of the controller 1 has the same display size. The conversion magnification of the optical image is calculated. For example, when the optical system imaging unit 12 includes an electric optical magnification reading unit 112, a rotation signal to be sent to the optical magnification adjustment unit 95 is calculated. Accordingly, the same visual field range as that of the electron beam imaging unit 11 can be observed by the optical imaging unit 12.

  On the other hand, in the example in which the user himself / herself sets the magnification of the other observation means by looking at the magnification of one observation means displayed on the display means 2, the electron microscope magnification displayed on the display means 2 is confirmed. To do. Next, the magnification of the optical zoom lens is set by the zoom ring 113 so as to obtain the displayed magnification. Further, the same visual field range as that of the optical imaging means 12 is observed with the electron lens barrel.

Note that only one of the optical magnification and the electron microscope magnification displayed on the display means 2 may be displayed, or both magnifications may be displayed. In addition to always displaying these magnifications, they may be displayed only at a necessary timing such as when an image is taken or when the magnification is changed.
(Real time observation)

  Furthermore, this magnified observation device can easily acquire an image in real time by the observation means, and can perform real-time observation (also referred to as a live image or a moving image) in which the images displayed on the display means 2 are sequentially updated. It is possible to switch between imaging (also referred to as a still image) for capturing a fine image and displaying the obtained high-definition image.

The magnifying observation apparatus simply acquires an image in real time by the observation unit, and sequentially updates the image displayed on the display unit 2. In this state, the display content of the display means 2 changes according to changes in the field of view and image observation conditions, and is therefore referred to as moving image display for convenience. When the user picks up a high-definition image by adjusting to a desired field of view and image observation conditions, the obtained high-definition image is displayed on the display means 2. In this state, the display content of the display means 2 is a still image display that is not updated. The moving image display and the still image display can be switched as appropriate.
(Simple image)

In addition, when sequentially updating the image displayed on the display unit 2 in real-time observation, in order to shorten the time required for image acquisition, a simple image that is simply captured is acquired and displayed. In order to obtain a simple image, for example, the frame rate at the time of imaging can be increased. Usually, in order to draw a high-definition image by the electron beam imaging means 11, it takes 30 seconds to 1 minute per image. Furthermore, since one image has a poor S / N ratio, at the time of normal imaging, 10 images or more are acquired at a frame rate of about 1/4 second per image, and the average is displayed. Therefore, it takes 2 seconds or more to obtain one image. A detailed observation image for printing may take 30 seconds or more. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the frame rate is increased by processing such as reducing the number of averages to 8 or 4, limiting the scanning range of the electron beam with respect to the sample, or thinning the scanning. Thus, the time until image acquisition is shortened.
(Status display means 121)

  Further, on the display unit 2, a state display unit 121 for distinguishing between the moving image display and the still image display may be provided. For example, when switching from moving image display to still image display, the user can easily visually distinguish whether the current state is moving image display or still image display by blinking the magnification. As shown in FIG. 95, “moving image”, “still image”, etc. may be displayed in text display. With this method, even a novice user who is not familiar with the operation of the magnification observation apparatus can determine the state without confusion.

  In addition, regardless of whether a high-definition image is captured, an image acquired by the currently selected observation unit can be displayed as a moving image, and a non-selected observation unit can be displayed as a still image. As an image displayed as a still image, an image acquired when the observation unit is turned off or switched, that is, an image acquired last by the observation unit or the like can be held and displayed in a memory. This configuration is suitable when a plurality of observation means cannot be used simultaneously and only one of the selected observation means can be operated. In particular, when displaying images acquired by a plurality of observation means simultaneously on one screen, the image displayed as a moving image is currently selected, and the image displayed as a still image is currently unselected, Can be grasped. For example, in the example of FIG. 94, the optical image displayed on the left side of the display unit 2 is displayed as a moving image, and the electron microscope image displayed on the right side is displayed as a still image. For this reason, it is possible to quickly grasp which observation means is currently operable.

In addition, you may display the image of both an optical system imaging means and an electron beam imaging means simultaneously as a moving image. In this case, when the magnification of either the optical system imaging unit or the electron beam imaging unit is changed, the magnification of the other electron beam imaging unit or the optical system imaging unit is changed in conjunction with the change in the magnification. You can also.
(Non-selection display means 122)

  As for the non-selection observation unit, a non-selection display unit 122 that indicates that the image displayed on the display unit 2 cannot be selected may be provided. For example, an image relating to the non-selected observation means is grayed out on the display means 2 or is displayed with shading, an icon or a mark such as a key is displayed, and the like is displayed to the user. Can be shown visually. Such non-selection display is automatically canceled by switching the observation means to the selected state. Thereby, in the aspect which can operate only any one observation means, since it can notify that a user is not confused by not being able to operate the image regarding a non-selection observation means, operativity improves.

In addition, when an image is captured by one observation unit and then switched to the other observation unit, the image captured by the original observation unit may be continuously displayed as a still image, or the display may be turned off. In the present embodiment, the screen of the display means 2 is divided into two, and when one is under observation (moving image), the other image is configured to display a still image at the time when the observation means is switched. Yes. Thereby, the observation means can be switched to reduce the load of image data processing and the like and to operate efficiently. However, it goes without saying that both images may be continuously displayed as moving images.
(Conversion magnification display means 123)

On the display means 2, the magnification of the currently displayed image is displayed. In the moving image display, the real-time magnification of the image currently displayed is displayed, and in the still image display, the magnification of the still image being displayed is displayed. Further, the converted magnification display means 123 can display a magnification converted into a magnification when an image is acquired by an observation means different from the observation means that acquired the image, in accordance with the magnification determination standard of the image being displayed. Further, the magnification may be converted according to the magnification determination standard of the other observation means, or the magnification may be determined using another standard. That is, images acquired by different observation means are displayed at a uniform magnification. The conversion magnification display means 123 can also display the specific magnification and the conversion magnification together. Further, when one observation unit cannot be set as the conversion magnification, the conversion magnification display unit 123 can display a magnification closest to the conversion magnification among the settable magnifications.
(Schedule magnification display means 124)

  Further, in addition to the magnification display of the image currently being displayed, planned magnification display means 124 for displaying a magnification to be applied in the future may be provided. For example, in comparative observation, it is necessary to acquire images having the same display size by different observation means. For this reason, on the display means 2, the target magnification for obtaining the image of the other observation means manually or automatically at the same conversion magnification as the magnification set for one image is set as the scheduled magnification. To display. This example will be described with reference to FIG.

In this figure, as in FIG. 94, the display means 2 is divided into left and right parts, an optical image is displayed as a moving image in the left optical image display area 118, and an electron microscope image is displayed as a still image in the right electron microscope image display area 117. Are displayed together with their own magnifications. In the example of FIG. 95, the planned magnification display means 124 is further added to the electron microscope image that is a still image. In other words, the magnification of the optical image displayed as a moving image (800 in FIG. 95) and the same conversion magnification (800) are set as the planned magnification and displayed on the planned magnification display means 124 provided at the upper right of the electron microscope image display area 117. is doing. After switching the observation unit 10 from the optical system imaging unit 12 to the electron beam imaging unit 11, the user sets the imaging condition of the electron microscope image and performs imaging so that the planned magnification is obtained. Alternatively, as described later, the imaging conditions can be automatically set, and further, imaging, display, storage, and the like can be automatically automated.
(Magnification determination means 119)

Furthermore, the magnification observation apparatus can include a magnification determination unit 119 that determines whether the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 can be set to the same conversion magnification. The magnification determination unit 119 is realized by the magnification conversion unit 111, for example. In the present embodiment, the MPU constituting the magnification conversion unit 111 also functions as the magnification determination unit 119. For example, when the optical magnification range that can be adjusted by the optical magnification adjusting means 95 and the electron microscope magnification range that can be adjusted by the electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 are overlapped in the conversion magnification, they can be displayed in the same display size. This is advantageous for comparative observation. In this case, the magnification determination means 119 determines whether the other observation means can be set with the conversion magnification to the magnification set for the currently observed image in the moving image display, and the determination result is notified by the determination notification means 125. To do.
(Judgment notification means 125)

  For example, when setting is possible with the other observation means, characters, symbols, etc. such as “OK” and “◯” are displayed in the display area of the other observation means, or the planned magnification display means 124 is shown in FIG. The frame is displayed with a thick line, the double frame, highlight, blinking display, etc. are used alone or in combination, or the magnification is displayed in blue in the display area of one movie, or the magnification background is blue Can be colored. As a result, the user can easily grasp that the observation with the same display size is possible, and thus the setting operation or the like can be advanced so that the observation with the magnification can be performed after switching the observation means.

Further, the determination notifying means 125 indicates that the setting cannot be made when it is determined that the magnification of the other observation means cannot be set to the conversion magnification having the same display size during observation by one observation means. A warning function to display can also be provided. Specifically, when the determination result by the magnification determination unit 119 indicates that the magnification cannot be set, the conversion magnification display unit 123 is displayed in red in the display area of the other observation unit, or “×” Characters and symbols such as “−” and “magnification cannot be set” are displayed, a warning sound is generated, the display area itself is displayed in grayout or shaded, and selection is impossible. In this way, even if the user changes the magnification, even if the overlapping range of the optical microscope magnification range and the electron microscope magnification range is deviated, it is impossible to observe with the same display size. Since it can be recognized, it is possible to take measures such as changing to another magnification so as to obtain a settable determination result. As described above, the determination notification unit 125 can appropriately use various decoration methods that can be distinguished from other displays according to the determination result of the magnification determination unit 119. Further, it is more preferable to use in combination with the gauge-shaped magnification range display means 126 shown in FIG.
(Guidance means 120)

  Furthermore, when it is determined that it is impossible to set the other observation means to the conversion magnification, a guidance means 120 that prompts the user to change to a settable magnification can be provided. For example, using a message display or voice guidance, the user is prompted to change the magnification to a magnification that can be set by both observation means. In addition, the contents to be guided can be instructed up to operations and parameter settings necessary for setting the magnification in addition to simply displaying the magnification. This method is particularly effective for a novice user who is unfamiliar with the operation for setting the magnification.

  In addition, when it is determined by the magnification determination unit 119 that the magnification cannot be set, a magnification closest to the conversion magnification among the settable magnifications can be displayed on the conversion magnification display unit 123. In this case, the conversion magnification display unit 123 displays the conversion magnification as it is when it is determined that it can be set, and displays the closest magnification that can be set when it is determined that it cannot be set. Furthermore, it is configured not only to simply display the magnification, but also to set the magnification adjustment means of the observation means to the conversion magnification displayed by the conversion magnification display means 123, or to automatically acquire, save, etc. the image. Also good. For example, magnification setting is executed using this as a trigger at the timing of switching the observation means. By such automation, it is possible to realize an easy-to-use magnifying observation apparatus that saves the user's setting work during comparative observation and image synthesis.

  In the above example, the conversion magnification display means displays the conversion magnification on the display means. However, the conversion magnification display can be switched between ON / OFF, that is, a display state and a non-display state. Even when the conversion magnification is not displayed, it can be automatically displayed as the closest magnification that can be set.

  The planned magnification display means 124 always displays a magnification that is applied or should be applied when the observation means is switched. In the example of FIG. 95, the planned magnification display means 124 is provided only in the display area where still images are displayed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the planned magnification display means may also be provided in the display area where videos are displayed. . In this case, the same magnification as the conversion magnification display means is displayed on the scheduled magnification display means.

It is preferable to use the standard of the observation means used previously to determine which magnification standard to match. In general, as described above, in many cases, first, a target is set from a wide field of view using an optical image, and fine information is obtained with an electron microscope image. For this reason, by uniformly displaying the magnification according to the reference of the optical image, the user can acquire an image of the same display size with a unified magnification display without any confusion. Of course, it goes without saying that it is possible to use the standard of the observation means designated by the user or other standards.
(Timing when the judgment notification means 125 issues a warning)

  Further, the timing at which the determination notification unit 125 issues a warning or confirmation to the user is not limited to being performed at all times during observation, that is, when the image magnification is out of the overlapping range, and can also be issued at a necessary timing.

For example, if you change the magnification during observation and are out of the overlapping range, not only immediately notify, but also warn you with the meaning of confirmation only in important situations such as when acquiring or saving images Can be configured. Alternatively, the timing may be changed when the observation unit is switched or when the magnification is set by the magnification adjustment unit. Moreover, it is not restricted to any one timing, The determination notification means 125 may be configured to issue a notification at a plurality of timings.
(Content of warning by judgment notification means 125)

  Further, as an example of the warning issued by the determination notification means 125, for example, the magnification is out of the overlapping range, so that the other observation means cannot be observed with the same conversion magnification, or the current magnification is Displaying a dialog that prompts the user to decide whether to continue or cancel the process, although the overlap magnification is not satisfied. Alternatively, the currently set magnification is out of the overlapping range, but the magnification when switching to the other observation means is set to (A) the closest possible magnification, or (B) the previous time A dialog prompting selection of whether to use the magnification set in the observation of (C) or to cancel the processing may be displayed. Alternatively, although the current magnification is out of the overlapping range, the magnification at the time of switching to the other observation means is set to (A) the closest settable magnification, or (B) the processing is stopped, A dialog for selecting may be displayed. Furthermore, although the current magnification is out of the overlapping range, it is confirmed whether the magnification when switching to the other observation means is set to (A) the previous observation magnification or (B) the processing is stopped. A dialog to be selected can also be displayed.

  On the other hand, as a method of giving such a warning, for example, a dialog screen is displayed on a magnification observation apparatus operation program that is installed in the computer of FIG. A method for prompting, a method in which a dedicated message area or comment area is provided in advance as the determination notification means 125 on the program displayed on the display means 2, and a message corresponding to this part is displayed and notified. Is available.

  Further, even when the magnification under observation is within the overlapping range as a result of the user changing the magnification according to the above notification, the determination notification means 125 can notify the fact. As the notification timing, for example, the notification is promptly made when the magnification is switched from outside the overlapping range to within the range. Further, as described above, the notification may be made at the timing such as when one image is captured, stored, or when the observation means is switched. As a notification method, for example, the format of the conversion magnification display means 123 is changed when the magnification is within the overlapping range. Specifically, the magnification display color or background color is changed from red to blue, or shading or grayout is canceled. Alternatively, the shooting button and the save button on the program are returned to an active state in which an operation such as selection or pressing can be performed by canceling the selection prohibited state or grayout. Alternatively, a message indicating that it is possible to capture images at the same magnification within the overlapping range is displayed in a dialog or a dedicated comment area. In this way, the determination notifying unit 125 can notify the user that the image has been switched to a state where imaging with the same display size is possible, so that the user can quickly grasp whether comparative observation is possible. An excellent operating environment can be obtained.

  As described above, the magnification observation apparatus includes a sample chamber that can be decompressed in the internal space, an electron beam imaging unit 11 for acquiring an electron microscope image in the sample chamber, and the electron beam imaging unit 11 as a first observation unit. Electron microscope magnification adjusting means for adjusting the electron microscope magnification of the acquired electron microscope image, optical system imaging means 12 capable of acquiring an optical image in the sample chamber as the second observation means, and this optical system imaging means 12 is an optical magnification obtained by the optical magnification adjustment means for adjusting the optical magnification determined by a reference different from the magnification of the electron microscope, and the electron microscope image obtained by the electron beam imaging means 11 and the optical image. The display means 2 for switching or simultaneously displaying the optical image acquired by the system imaging means 12 and the observation means can be used for comparative observation of the electron microscope image and the optical image as the observation mode. A mode selection unit 110 capable of selecting a combination mode capable of displaying a comparison mode, a combined image obtained by combining an electron microscope image and an optical image, and the electron beam imaging unit 11 or the optical system imaging unit 12 Magnification conversion means 111 for recognizing the magnification of the obtained image and converting the magnification for obtaining an image having a display size substantially the same as the image with the other observation means to the magnification based on the reference of the other observation means In the comparison mode or the synthesis mode, the image acquired by either the electron beam imaging unit 11 or the optical system imaging unit 12 is displayed on the display unit 2, and the other image having the same size as the image is displayed. When the magnification for obtaining an image by the observation means is converted by the magnification conversion means 111 and the conversion magnification or the conversion magnification cannot be set, the conversion magnification and the maximum magnification are set out of the settable magnifications. Is capable of displaying close magnification on the display means 2. As a result, images can be displayed at a uniform magnification regardless of the observation means used, so that images with the same display size can be acquired for comparative observations that compare images with the same display size and for a composite mode that combines images. Easy to do.

In the comparison mode, it is preferable to match the magnifications of the electron microscope image and the optical image to the same. Therefore, an image acquired by either the electron beam imaging unit 11 or the optical system imaging unit 12 by the magnification conversion unit. Is converted into a magnification when acquired by the other observation means. However, the contrast observation does not necessarily have to be completely matched to the same magnification and field of view, and is appropriately selected by the user according to the purpose and purpose of observation. Similarly, in the synthesis mode, it is not always essential to match the magnifications of the electron microscope image and the optical image, and image synthesis is possible even at different magnifications. Especially when the electron microscope image has a high magnification and the optical image has a low magnification, the color information of the corresponding region is extracted from the optical image with a wide field of view to the luminance information and contour information of the electron microscope image with a narrow field of view, When combined by enlarging or stretching, the color information is slightly blurred, but it can be used practically without any problem. As described above, even if the image quality to be synthesized does not match and some image quality degradation occurs, it is possible to perform image synthesis at a level that can be used without any problem. For this reason, not only is it determined whether or not the optical imaging unit 12 can be set to the conversion magnification corresponding to the magnification of the electron microscope image converted by the magnification conversion unit, but the magnification determination unit is based on this conversion magnification. It can also be determined whether or not the optical imaging means 12 can be set to a magnification within a predetermined range that can be combined. Here, the magnification within a predetermined range that can be combined depends on the accuracy of the required composite image. For example, if the difference in magnification is 20 times or less, a composite image having no problem in practice can be obtained. In contrast to the above, it is theoretically possible to synthesize a high-magnification optical image and a low-magnification electron microscope image. However, in this case, the quality of the synthesized image is reduced, and as described above. It is preferable to apply image synthesis between images whose magnifications do not match when the electron microscope image has a higher magnification than the optical image.
(Tilt observation)

Furthermore, the magnification observation apparatus can easily perform tilt observation by tilting the observation means fixed to the trunk portion 24 with respect to the sample by turning the barrel portion 24 side as described above. In particular, the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12 are fixed in an inclined posture with a constant offset angle as described above, and the body 24 can be rotated in an angle range equal to or greater than the offset angle. By arranging the optical axes so as to intersect each other at one point on the rotation axis of the body portion 24, tilt observation at the same tilt angle is possible by rotating the respective observation means to each other position.
(Inclination angle conversion function)

  In addition, in order to facilitate the adjustment operation of the tilt angle when performing the tilt observation at the same tilt angle in a state where the optical image and the electron microscope image are simultaneously displayed on one screen of the display means 2, each observation is performed. An inclination angle conversion function capable of converting and displaying the inclination angle of the means is provided. In general, since there is only one angle sensor for detecting the tilt angle, since a plurality of observation means are fixed at different angles, one of the observation means requires calculation for determining the tilt angle. Conventionally, such work has been performed manually by the user. For example, the inclination angle when the image is picked up by the optical system image pickup means is recorded, and then the electron beam image pickup means is switched. Conversion was performed so as to coincide with the inclination angle of the imaging means. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 98, 99, and 100. FIG. Here, as shown in FIG. 98, the observation means (electron beam imaging means 11 in FIG. 98) positioned in the vertical direction with respect to the sample stage 33 maintained in the horizontal posture is set at an inclination angle of 0 °. For example, if an electron microscope image is to be imaged at the same inclination angle as the optical imaging unit 12 shown in FIG. 99, the electron beam imaging unit 11 is moved to a position at an inclination angle of 60 ° of the optical imaging unit 12 in FIG. It is necessary to let That is, it is necessary to rotate the body 24 from the position shown in FIG. 99 to the position shown in FIG. In the state of FIG. 99, the rotation angle of the body portion 24 is 15 ° with reference to the state of FIG. 98. To rotate from this position to the position of FIG. 100, the body portion 24 corresponds to the offset angle clockwise. It is only necessary to rotate 45 °. For this reason, the user makes a note of the rotation angle 15 ° of the body 24 in the state of FIG. 99 and stores it, and adds the offset angle to this to obtain 15 ° + 45 ° = 60 °. Is rotated so that the rotation angle becomes this value. In this method, it is necessary for the user to store the offset angle as well as the original rotation angle in advance, and the calculation of the angle is also required, which makes the operation complicated.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, by displaying such an angle display at a target rotation angle, the user does not calculate the angle in the memo or the head, but according to the displayed target inclination angle. It is sufficient to rotate it, and the tilt angles can be matched very easily. Specifically, when switching the observation means to be operated, the inclination angle of the observation image on the display means 2 is held (held display) and displayed as the target inclination angle. Furthermore, by switching the display of the tilt angle of the observed observation means to the same standard as the display of the tilt angle of the original observation image, the tilt angle is displayed with a uniform standard, so the user is updated in real time. The torso 24 may be rotated so that the tilt angle of the live image to be matched with the target tilt angle simply held and displayed.

  Hereinafter, this state will be described with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 101 is a block diagram of a magnifying observation apparatus having a tilt angle conversion function, FIG. 102 is an image diagram showing a state of observation with the optical system imaging means 12, and FIG. 103 is an electron beam imaging means from the state of FIG. FIG. 104 is an image diagram showing a state in which observation is performed by switching to 11, FIG. 104 is an image diagram showing a state in which the electron beam imaging means 11 is set at the same inclination angle as the optical system imaging means 12 from the state of FIG. 103, and FIG. FIG. 106 is an image diagram showing an example in which an optical image and an electron microscope image are displayed by dividing the display means 2 into left and right parts, and FIG. FIG. 108 is an image showing an example in which an optical image and an electron microscope image are displayed in a window, and FIG. 108 is an image showing a state in which the visual field deviation correction tab 276 is selected. Di view, FIG. 109, image diagram showing a state of executing the visual field deviation correction from the state of FIG. 108, a conceptual diagram showing an example in which the holding indication in FIG. 110 button operation, respectively. As shown in FIG. 101, the magnification observation apparatus includes an electron beam imaging unit 11 and an optical system imaging unit 12 as an observation unit, and a sample stage 33 disposed therein, and the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12. The body 24 fixed at an offset angle, the turning means 30 for rotating the body 24 or the sample stage 33, the turning position detecting means 264 for detecting the turning position of the turning means 30, A storage unit 265, a display control unit 260, a display unit 2, and an operation unit are provided. The display control means 260 is for controlling the contents displayed on the display means 2 and implements functions such as the tilt angle conversion means 261 and the display method selection means 262.

In this magnifying observation apparatus, the electron beam imaging means 11 and the optical system imaging means 12 are switched by the display switching means 36 to acquire an electron microscope image and an optical image, respectively, and these are simultaneously displayed on the display means 2 (see FIG. 103, FIG. 104), or only one can be displayed (FIG. 102). Further, in order to observe the optical image and the electron microscope image in the same visual field, the optical axis of the observation means is tilted by the rotation means 30. Here, the body 24 side is rotated by the rotation means 30. Moreover, although the trunk | drum 24 is rotated manually, you may comprise so that rotation may be controlled electrically. For example, an inclination angle instruction value is set from the operation means 105C, and the rotation means 30 is inclined. Further, parameters necessary for imaging by the electron beam imaging unit 11 are set from the operation unit 105C.
(Storage means 265)

The storage unit 265 stores the still image storage unit 266 that stores the still image acquired by the observation unit and the position information based on the rotation position of the rotation unit 30 when the still image is acquired, on the first rotation. Rotation position storage means 267 for storing as position information is provided. Such still image storage means 266 and rotation position storage means 267 may be provided individually or may be integrated as one storage means. As the storage means, a memory, a hard disk, or the like can be used.
(Rotation position detection means 264)

The rotation position of the rotation unit 30 is detected by the rotation position detection unit 264. As the rotation position detecting means 264, an angle sensor, a rotary encoder, or the like can be used. Since only one rotation position detection means 264 is provided in the rotation means 30, if the inclination angle is directly detected, only the inclination angle of either the electron beam imaging means 11 or the optical system imaging means 12 can be detected. It cannot be detected. In other words, the inclination angle of the other observation means must be converted. Therefore, in order to save such trouble, the inclination angle conversion means 261 automatically converts the inclination angle.
(Inclination angle conversion means 261)

As described above, the display unit 2 displays the observation image captured by one observation unit and the observation image being observed by the other observation unit. At this time, the observation image picked up by one observation means is displayed as a still image, and the observation image being observed by the other observation means is displayed as a live image for updating display contents in real time. Here, the tilt angle conversion unit 261 displays the tilt angle of the still image on the display unit 2 as the first rotation position information and the tilt angle of the live image as the second rotation position information. At this time, the inclination angle conversion means 261 converts the inclination angle of the rotational position information. That is, the first rotation position information and the second rotation position information are converted as the inclination angles of the respective observation means with respect to the sample stage 33, respectively. Specifically, the rotation position detection unit 264 detects the inclination angle of one of the observation units (for example, the electron beam imaging unit 11) and displays it as first rotation position information. The still image and the first rotation position information are displayed on hold, and the display is not updated even if it is rotated after that, and is kept constant. On the other hand, the tilt angle conversion means 261 subtracts the offset angle (for example, 45 °) from the current rotational position, thereby calculating the tilt angle of the other observation means (for example, the optical system imaging means 12), and the second rotation. Display as location information. The live image and the second rotation position information are updated as needed. Thereby, based on the value detected by the common rotation position detection means 264, the inclination angle of the observation means can be directly displayed on the display means 2. As a result, even if the user remembers the offset angle or does not perform manual calculation, the tilt angle when already acquired by the observation means is retained and displayed, and the current tilt angle is displayed in real time, It suffices to incline so as to match this value, and the operation of acquiring images with the same inclination angle by a plurality of observation means can be extremely facilitated.
(Information display area 270)

Next, as a specific example for realizing the tilt angle display function, an example of the user interface screen of the magnification observation program displayed on the display unit 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. In these figures, most of the left side of the screen is an image display area for displaying an observation image, and an information display area 270 for performing various operations and information display is provided at the right end thereof. In the example of FIGS. 102 to 104, the image display area is divided into right and left, and the optical image display area 118 is arranged on the left side, and the electron microscope image display area 117 is arranged on the right side. On the other hand, the information display area 270 can be switched between an operation menu 271 of the optical system imaging means 12 and an operation menu 272 of the electron beam imaging means 11. In addition, operation buttons 273 for performing various operations are arranged in each operation menu, and by selecting a tab provided at the upper end, these optical system imaging unit operation menu 271, electron beam imaging unit Operation buttons 273 corresponding to the operation menu 272 are displayed. In the example of FIG. 102, an example in which the optical system imaging unit operation menu 271 is selected is shown, and in the example in FIG. 103, an example in which the electron beam imaging unit operation menu 272 is selected is shown. In this example, the operation buttons 273 are common to each operation menu, and in the selected operation menu, only operable buttons can be selected, and conversely, buttons that cannot be selected are grayed out. Notify the user that selection is not possible. The operation buttons 273 include a camera, video recording, measurement / comment, shooting setting, HDR, depth UP, album, image improvement, image connection, side album, division / display, dual view, option, function guide, end, etc. Includes buttons. Items corresponding to the button selected by the operation buttons 273 are displayed below the middle of the information display area 270. 102 to 107 show examples in which the dual view button 274 is pressed.
(Dual view tab 275)

When the dual view button 274 is selected, a dual view tab 275 and a visual field deviation correction tab 276 for performing comparative observation are displayed in a selective manner from the middle to the bottom of the information display area 270. 102 to 107 show a state in which the dual view tab 275 is selected. In the upper part of the dual view tab 275, a “display method selection” column 262B is provided as a display method selection unit 262 for changing the display mode of the electron microscope image and the optical image image on the display unit 2. In the “display method selection” column 262B, display methods of the electron microscope image display area 117 and the optical image display area 118 can be selected from a plurality of options by radio buttons. For example, when “left / right” 262b is selected, the display area is divided into right and left as shown in FIGS. 102 to 104, and the electron microscope image display area 117 and the optical image display area 118 are displayed simultaneously. When “upper and lower” 262c is selected, as shown in FIG. 105, the display area is divided into upper and lower parts, and the electron microscope image display area 117 and the optical image display area 118 are displayed on the same screen. When “reduction” 262d is further selected, as shown in FIG. 106, the display area is divided into upper and lower parts, and the upper area is divided into right and left parts, and an electron microscope image display area 117 and an optical image display area 118 are displayed. Are reduced and displayed on the same screen at about 1/4 size. In this example, when the display is divided into left and right parts, the display magnification is maintained, but a part of the field of view is displayed. On the other hand, the reduced display has an advantage that the display magnification is reduced but the field of view is not lost. Furthermore, when “2 window” 262e is selected, as shown in FIG. 107, an observation image picked up by the currently selected observation means is displayed over the entire display area, and in another window 277, observation means for non-selection is displayed. The observation image picked up by is displayed small. In the example of FIG. 107, the separate window 277 is displayed at the upper left, but it goes without saying that it can be moved to an arbitrary position. The separate window 277 is always displayed on the screen regardless of whether the separate window 277 is selected or not selected. Finally, when “OFF” 262a is selected, such multiple simultaneous display is turned off, and only the selected observation image is displayed in the entire display area.
(Inclination angle conversion display field 278)

Further, an inclination angle conversion display field 278 for displaying the inclination angle converted by the inclination angle conversion means 261 is provided below the display method selection means 262 in the middle of the dual view tab 275. In this example, the tilt angle conversion display field 278 is divided into right and left, the “color image” field 278a is provided as the tilt angle conversion display area of the optical image on the left side, and the tilt angle conversion display area of the electron microscope image is on the right side. As an example, an “ultra-deep image” column 278b is provided. In each column, the magnification is displayed in the upper row, and the inclination angle is displayed in the lower row. For example, in the example of FIG. 103, the “color image” column 278a displays that the magnification is 50 times and that the tilt angle is 30 ° as the first rotation position information. The “ultra-deep image” field 278b displays that the magnification is 50 times, and that the tilt angle is −10 ° as the second rotation position information. The inclination angle is acquired from an angle sensor that constitutes the rotation position detection means 264. Here, as the inclination angle, the incident angle of the optical axis of the observation means with respect to the vertical line with respect to the observation surface of the sample is displayed. Thus, by calculating the inclination angle individually for each observation means based on the observation surface of the sample, that is, the sample stage 33, instead of the index based on the body portion 24, the user can A display system that can easily understand the rotation position of the optical imaging unit 12 on a common scale can be realized.
(Field shift correction tab 276)

  On the other hand, when the visual field deviation correction tab 276 is selected in the information display area 270, a screen configuring the visual field deviation correction function is displayed as shown in FIGS. By using this screen as a field deviation correction means 323 (details will be described later), the field position of the optical image and the electron microscope image obtained by imaging the same sample with the same magnification and inclination angle can be corrected to correct the field deviation. . For example, when switching from the dual view tab 275 to the visual field deviation correction tab 276 in a state where an optical image and an electron microscope image are captured in the dual view tab 275, the screen is switched to a screen configuring the visual field deviation correction function, and is necessary for visual field deviation correction. Can be adjusted. In this example, in the information display area 270, in the display content of the field deviation correction tab 276, the upper stage explains the purpose as “correct the field deviation between the color image and the ultra-deep image”. Explains what kind of setting is for the tab. Furthermore, the visual field deviation correction tab 276 is provided with a guidance display that sequentially explains the procedures necessary for visual field deviation correction in text, and the user can complete the visual field deviation correction by sequentially performing operations according to the contents of the instructions. Thus, even if the user does not understand the meaning of the visual field deviation correction or is unfamiliar with the operation of the magnification observation apparatus by providing the visual field deviation correction guidance function for guiding the user to the work necessary for the visual field deviation correction. By following the instructions, the field of view can be easily corrected, and even a beginner can realize an environment where adjustment work is easy.

  The visual field shift correction operation will be described below with reference to FIGS. 108 and 109. First, an optical image and an electron microscope image are displayed in an optical image display area and an electron microscope image display area, respectively, as shown in FIG. In this state, the optical image and the electron microscope image are displayed with the field of view shifted. From this state, the position of one of the images is adjusted so that both fields of view coincide. Here, an example of adjusting the position of the electron microscope image will be described. First, as Step 1, the information display area 270 explains, “Please display the basic color image at the eucentric position and display the ultra-deep image as a moving image in another window.” According to the instruction here, the user captures the electron microscope image and the optical image as described above, further selects the electron beam imaging means 11 with the display switching means 36, the electron microscope image is a moving image, the optical image is a still image, Display each one. Next, according to the guidance display in Step 2, “Please select an ultra-deep image so that it has the same magnification and tilt angle as the color image.” The magnification and tilt angles of the electron microscope image are displayed as still images. Adjust to match those of the optical image. Here, each value is displayed side by side so that the enlargement magnification and the inclination angle of the electron microscope image are easily matched with those of the optical image. Then, click the “Specify a point” button in Step 3 and click the point you want to correspond in the order of color image → ultra-deep image. The visual field position correction point for correcting the visual field shift is designated in accordance with the guidance display and illustration. Specifically, when the “designate point” button 285 is pressed from the screen of FIG. 108, the visual field position correction point can be designated on the image display area. First, the user designates a position suitable for correction of visual field deviation as the first visual field position correction point SH1 in the optical image. Next, similarly in the electron microscope image, the second visual field position correction point SH2 corresponding to the designated first visual field position correction point SH1 in the optical image is designated. Then, the visual field shift correction means 323 shown in the block diagram of FIG. 111 automatically adjusts the visual field position so that the first visual field position correction point SH1 and the second visual field position correction point SH2 coincide. Here, by automatically changing the scanning range of the electron beam imaging means 11, the field of view position of the electron microscope image is moved downward in FIG. 109 to coincide with the optical image. According to this method, the field-of-view correction can be executed electrically or by software by automatically adjusting the parameters of the electron beam imaging means 11. In other words, it is possible to eliminate the need for hardware adjustment work and to obtain an advantage that the field of view correction can be performed very easily.

In this example, the configuration for adjusting the field of view of the electron microscope image to match the optical image has been described, but conversely, the field of view can be corrected similarly by adjusting the optical image side to match the electron microscope image. Realized. In order to adjust the position of the optical image, for example, the XY direction of the sample stage 33 is adjusted by operating the XY stage. In addition, it is also possible to electrically correct a field shift in an optical image by a method such as image shift.
(Setting field 279)

  Further, a setting field 279 for performing other settings is provided below the tilt angle conversion display field 278. In the example of FIGS. 102 to 104, a “cancel release when changing lens” check box 279 a is provided in order from the top, and the still image being displayed on the display unit 2 when the optical lens of the optical system imaging unit 12 is replaced. You can set whether is cleared. Below that, a “display position switching” button 279b is provided, and the display position of the electron microscope image and the optical image can be switched by pressing this button. Further, when the “restore still image” button 279c is pressed, the previously displayed still image can be read again. In this example, in the initial setting, that is, in the state where the “cancel at lens change” check box 279a is ON, the still image of the observation image that has been displayed on the display unit 2 until then is saved by switching the observation unit. Without being destroyed. In such a specification, when a user accidentally switches the observation means, a necessary still image may be discarded. Therefore, a “restoration of still image” button 279c is provided as a restoration function for restoring a still image that has disappeared when the observation means is switched. In this example, if the “cancel still when changing lens” check box 279a is turned OFF, the still image display state is maintained even after the observation means is switched. To cancel the still image display, the still button 281 provided at the lower left of the lowermost stage of the information display area 270 is pressed to release the pressed state. Furthermore, the “multi-save” button 279d is a button for realizing a multi-save function to be described later. In addition, the “color composition with display image” button 279e is a button for performing color composition by performing color composition on the currently displayed electron microscope image and optical image.

Further, below the setting column 279, a status display column 280 for displaying information on the currently selected observation image is provided. For example, the screen size, tilt angle, shooting scan speed, and the like are displayed. Further, at the bottom of the information display area 270, a live image is switched to a still image, or a still button 281 for switching a still image to a live image, a shooting button 282 for shooting and saving as a still image, printing is executed. A print button 283 is provided for each.
(Procedure for matching the tilt angles)

  Next, the procedure for actually matching the tilt angles will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, a procedure for imaging an electron microscope image by first imaging with the optical system imaging unit 12 and then adjusting the electron beam imaging unit 11 to the same inclination angle will be described. Conversely, an electron microscope image is captured first. Then, it goes without saying that it is also possible to take an optical image having the same inclination angle.

  First, an optical image is captured at a desired tilt angle using the optical system imaging unit 12. The captured optical image is held in the still image storage unit 266 as a still image. Further, the tilt angle at this time is detected by the rotation position detection means 264 and held in the rotation position storage means 267 as first rotation position information. Note that holding is not limited to saving as a data file, but also includes holding temporarily in a temporary storage area (eg, VRAM). In the example of FIG. 102, an optical image is displayed as a live image in the optical image display area 118 provided on the left side of the screen. Further, the magnification and the tilt angle at this time are displayed in the tilt angle conversion display field 278, and the values change in real time. In the example of FIG. 102, the magnification of the optical image is displayed as 50 times and the inclination angle is 30 degrees. Also, nothing is displayed in the electron microscope image display area 117 provided in the middle right side of the screen.

  Next, it switches to the electron beam imaging means 11 and images an electron microscope image. Here, when the tab of the electron beam imaging means operation menu 272 is clicked, the screen is switched to the electron beam imaging means operation menu 272 as shown in FIG. At this time, the optical image displayed in the optical image display area 118 is switched from the live image to the still image, and in the electron microscope image display area 117, the live image of the electron microscope image is displayed. Specifically, in FIG. 103, the optical image display area 118 displays a still image of the optical image acquired at the timing when the observation means is switched. Further, the magnification and tilt angle at this time are displayed in the tilt angle conversion display field 278, and in the example of FIG. 102, it is displayed that the magnification of the optical image is 50 times and the tilt angle is 30 °. . The display of the optical image and the first rotation position information is held and displayed together with the switching operation.

  On the other hand, in the electron microscope image display area 117, a live image of the electron microscope image at the current tilt angle is displayed. The current magnification is 50 times, and the tilt angle (second rotation position information) is −10 °. Is displayed in the “ultra-deep image” column 278b. That is, in this example, since the electron beam imaging unit 11 and the optical system imaging unit 12 are fixed in an inclined posture with an offset angle (here, 40 °), the inclination angle is inevitable when the observation unit is switched. Does not match. Therefore, it is necessary to rotate the body 24 so that the electron beam imaging unit 11 that is the switching observation unit matches the inclination angle of the optical system imaging unit 12. At this time, since the rotation position of the rotation means 30 detected by one rotation position detection means 264 is unique, the rotation position of the rotation means 30 is also unique. It is not known whether the value represents the tilt angle of the optical system imaging means or the tilt angle of the electron beam imaging means, and conversion is performed by adding or subtracting the offset angle. However, since it is troublesome to manually recalculate the sequentially changing angle values, here, the angle values of the respective observation means are automatically converted and displayed. Furthermore, since the hold display of the tilt angle changes to a real-time display at the time of switching the observation means, if the tilt angle has changed from the value at the time of holding at this time, of course, the tilt angle is a newly updated value. It will be rewritten.

  The live image displayed in the electron microscope image display area 117 and the second rotation position information displayed in the tilt angle conversion display field 278 change in real time by rotating the body portion 24. The user operates the electron beam imaging unit 11 so as to capture an electron microscope image at the same magnification, the same inclination, that is, the same inclination angle as the optical image. For example, the tilt angle is adjusted, and the body 24 is rotated so that the tilt angle displayed in the “ultra-deep image” column 278b is the same as the value displayed in the “color image” column 278a. As the body 24 rotates, the display in the tilt angle conversion display field 278 and the display in the electron microscope image display area 117 change from moment to moment. Therefore, the user can confirm in real time how much the angle is adjusted to obtain a desired electron microscope image. Then, as shown in FIG. 104, when the electron microscope image is matched with the enlargement magnification and the tilt angle of the optical image displayed in the tilt angle conversion display field 278, the body portion 24 is stopped to perform observation or imaging. It can be performed.

  Thereafter, when the display switching unit 36 switches to the optical imaging unit 12 again, the live image of the electron microscope image is set as a still image, while the still image of the optical image is switched to the live image and displayed. At the same time, the tilt angle and magnification of the electron microscope image are held and displayed, while the tilt angle and magnification of the optical image are switched from hold display to real-time display showing the current tilt angle and magnification. . At this time, unlike the above, the second rotation position information indicates the tilt angle of the optical image in real time, and the first rotation position information is switched to hold and display the tilt angle of the electron microscope image.

In this way, by observing the observation image displayed on the display unit 2 and the tilt angle in conjunction with each other, different electron microscope images can be easily compared and observed at the same tilt angle. In the above example, only one rotation position detection unit 264 is provided, but a rotation position detection unit may be provided for each observation unit and the value thereof may be displayed. In this case, the conversion step by the inclination angle conversion means can be eliminated.
(Countdown display)

  Further, in the above example, the inclination angle of each observation means is displayed as it is. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the second rotation position information is displayed as a difference with the first rotation position information as a target value. You may let them. In this case, the second rotation position information is displayed in a countdown manner, and the tilt angle may be adjusted so that the difference value becomes zero. Even in this method, the user can perform the operation of matching the tilt angle of the observation means. Easy to understand. In particular, in order to make the tilt angles of the observation means coincide with each other, the rotation amount is always an offset angle determined by the position where the observation means is provided. Easy to maintain.

  Furthermore, in the above example, an example in which a live image is switched to a still image has been described. Needless to say, for example, a still image can be stored in advance and can be read and used. . In this case as well, the stored tilt angle and magnification value stored in the read still image are read and displayed in the tilt angle conversion display field 278. By referring to these values, the same observation angle and magnification can be compared using the other observation means, and the same sample can be compared with the same posture and magnification by the other observation means. it can.

  Further, in the above example, the timing for holding the tilt angle and the enlargement magnification is not limited to when the observation means is switched, but can be set to an arbitrary timing. For example, as shown in FIG. 110, a “hold” button 284 for performing hold display is provided in the tilt angle conversion display field 278, and a still image, a tilt angle, and an enlargement magnification are held when the user presses this button 284. You may comprise.

In the above example, as shown in FIG. 98, FIG. 99, etc., the mode of rotating the body portion 24 to which the observation means is fixed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. However, the tilt angle conversion function can be preferably used. That is, as shown in FIG. 96, FIG. 97, etc., the tilt observation with the optical axis tilted relative to the observation means is also possible by tilting the sample stage 33Y side with the sample fixed to the sample stage 33Y. Is possible. At this time, the tilt angle conversion unit 261 automatically converts the display of the tilt angle of each observation unit so that the tilt angle of each observation unit is displayed on a unified scale based on the observation surface of the sample. In this example as well, the tilt angle displayed on the screen of the display means 2 is displayed on a uniform scale by using a common tilt angle calculation method for the observation means, and the user rotates the sample stage 33Y. There is an advantage that the angle can be easily adjusted. Furthermore, it is possible to employ a configuration in which both the body and the sample stage are rotatable. In this configuration, since the calculation of the tilt angle is further complicated, the usefulness of the tilt angle conversion function for automatically calculating and displaying these is more conspicuous.
(Field shift correction support function)

  Furthermore, in the comparison mode, when the same observation object is compared with different observation means such as an electron microscope image and an optical image, the field of view does not completely match even if the magnification and the inclination angle are set to be the same. It may shift. Such a visual field shift is caused by a difference in imaging characteristics and a structural error caused by using different observation means, and may be particularly noticeable in tilted observation. Therefore, in order to correct the visual field deviation, adjustment work for adjusting the position, such as fine adjustment of the XY direction of the sample stage, is necessary. To perform such adjustment work, an electron microscope image and It is necessary for the user to accurately grasp the positional relationship corresponding to the optical image. For this reason, normally, in a state in which an observation image (for example, a still image of an electron microscope image) captured in advance is displayed, it is switched to another observation unit (for example, the optical system imaging unit 12) and a live image is displayed while displaying a live image. In order to examine the corresponding position with the previous observation image in the image, the live image is once switched to a low magnification. In general, in magnified observation, since it is a partially magnified image, it is not easy to grasp the correspondence.For this reason, by switching to an observation image with a wider field of view once according to a low magnification, It is easy to grasp the corresponding positional relationship. In this case, it is necessary to temporarily switch the original observation image to the wide-area image. Conventionally, such work is extremely complicated. That is, once the observation means itself is switched to the original observation means, imaging is performed with the magnification of the observation means set to a low magnification, and switching to another observation means is performed again to adjust the magnification to the low magnification. If the fields of view of the wide area images do not match, it is necessary to switch the observation means again, move to another field of view, take an image, and return to the original observation means. In particular, when contrast observation is performed between the electron beam imaging unit and the optical system imaging unit, it is necessary to evacuate the sample chamber in order to use the wire imaging unit, and the optical system imaging unit must turn off the necessary illumination. I must. On the other hand, when switching to imaging by the optical system imaging means, illumination ON / OFF work is required. Such an operation is extremely complicated, and if the corresponding positional relationship is to be grasped through trial and error, it is necessary to repeat the same operation over and over, which increases the burden on the user. In order to release the user from such stress and provide an environment in which the corresponding positional relationship between the electron microscope image and the optical image can be easily grasped, in this embodiment, the visual field deviation that facilitates the visual field deviation correction work. A correction support function is provided. Specifically, when acquiring one observation image, a low-magnification image is automatically acquired in advance. Next, when acquiring the other observation image, the magnification is temporarily reduced to match the observation position, and the whole image is overlooked to correct the field deviation and then returned to the original magnification again. At this time, by displaying the display magnification of the low-magnification image acquired previously in conjunction with the display magnification of the current observation image, it becomes possible to automatically match the display magnification of the displayed observation image, Also, switching of observation means can be unnecessary. Hereinafter, such a visual field deviation correction support function will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. This magnification observation apparatus includes an optical system imaging unit 12, an electron beam imaging unit 11, a storage unit 131G as an image data recording area for storing a captured observation image, a sample stage 33, a body unit 24, and the body unit. Rotating means 30 for rotating the unit 24, display means 2, wide area image acquiring means 320 for acquiring a wide area image, wide area image storing means 321 for storing the acquired wide area image, and visual magnification image generating means 322. A visual field deviation correction unit 323, a color image synthesis unit 116B, an automatic alignment unit 324, and a setting guidance unit 325. In this example, the first observation means for acquiring the first observation image is described as the electron beam imaging means 11, and the second observation means for acquiring the second observation image is described as the optical imaging means 12. However, it goes without saying that these may be interchanged.

In this magnification observation apparatus, an electron microscope image and an optical image are respectively picked up by the electron beam image pickup means 11 and the optical system image pickup means 12, and these are simultaneously displayed by the display means 2 or only one of them is displayed. In order to observe the two observation images in the same field of view, for example, the rotation means 30 tilts the optical axis of the optical imaging means 12 and the optical axis of the electron beam imaging means 11. Note that the sample stage side may be rotated instead of rotating the body provided with the optical system imaging means and the electron beam imaging means.
(Wide area image acquisition means 320)

The wide-area image acquisition unit 320 uses the first observation unit to acquire an observation image of the sample at an arbitrary observation position at the first magnification. To obtain a wide area image.
(Wide area image)

The wide-area image has a lower magnification than the first magnification and enables observation with a wider field of view. Since this wide area image is only used for visual field misalignment correction and is not used for original magnified observation, there is little significance in capturing and storing it as a fine image. Therefore, it is preferable that the wide-area image is a simple observation image that can complete imaging in a shorter time than normal imaging. For example, techniques such as lowering the frame rate at the time of imaging, or making the interlaced scanning low density can be employed. For example, considering a case where a simple observation image is taken with an electron beam imaging means, it takes 30 seconds to 1 minute per image to draw a high-definition image with a normal SEM. Furthermore, since one image has a poor S / N ratio, at the time of normal imaging, 10 images or more are acquired at a frame rate of about 1/4 second per image, and the average is displayed. Therefore, it takes 2 seconds or more to obtain one image. A detailed observation image for printing may take 30 seconds or more. Therefore, as a simple observation image, the frame rate is set by processing such as reducing the average number of images to 8 or 4, limiting the scanning range of the electron beam with respect to the sample, or thinning the scanning. The time until the image is acquired can be shortened.
(Viewing magnification image generating means 322)

  The viewing magnification image generating unit 322 uses the second observation unit to display the second observation image observed at the viewing magnification for visually recognizing the relative position of the observation position on the sample in the second display area. In conjunction with the display, based on the wide area image acquired by the wide area image acquisition unit 320, the first observation unit acquires a viewing magnification image to be acquired at the same magnification as the viewing magnification, and the first display region To display.

The wide-area image acquisition unit 320 automatically determines the imaging magnification when capturing a plurality of wide-area images with different magnifications based on the first magnification. For example, imaging is performed at 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 times the first magnification. In this way, by setting the visual field range twice as large as the wide-area image as a reference, a plurality of wide-area images having a sufficient visual field range can be easily acquired. Alternatively, the viewing magnification image is generated based on the wide area image closest to the viewing magnification among the plurality of wide area images acquired by the wide area image acquisition unit 320. With this configuration, the viewing magnification image generating unit 322 can acquire a high-definition viewing magnification image. Alternatively, the viewing magnification image generation unit 322 is a plurality of wide area images acquired by the wide area image acquisition unit 320, and among the wide area images captured at a magnification lower than the viewing magnification, the wide area image closest to the viewing magnification. The visual magnification image may be generated based on the above. Accordingly, by using a wide-area image having a magnification lower than the visual magnification at all times, an advantage that a visual magnification image that includes all the visual fields included in the visual recognition magnification and has no visual field defect can be obtained. Furthermore, when the wide-area image is the same-magnification image, the visual-magnification image generation unit 322 displays the wide-area image as it is as the visual-magnification image. You may comprise so that a magnification image may be produced | generated. As described above, the wide area image acquisition unit 320 can determine the imaging magnification of the viewing magnification image by various methods.
(Field shift correction means 323)

The visual field deviation correcting unit 323 is a unit for correcting the visual field position of the second observation image displayed in the second display area in a state where the viewing magnification image is displayed in the first display area. Specifically, the visual field position is corrected based on the optical image with the same magnification while referring to the electron microscope image. In the example of FIGS. 108 and 109 described above, the “designate point” button 285 corresponds to the visual field deviation correction unit 323, and the visual field deviation correction function is executed by pressing the “designate point” button 285. Is done. As a specific example of such visual field deviation correction, a mechanism for physically moving the sample stage and the observation means is applicable. For example, the sample stage 33 is moved in the XY direction, the Z direction, or the R direction. Alternatively, a method of changing the scanning range of the electron beam such as the above-described image shift can be used.
(Procedure for correcting visual field deviation)

  Hereinafter, the procedure for correcting the visual field deviation will be described with reference to FIGS. In these figures, FIG. 112 is a flowchart showing a procedure for correcting visual field deviation, FIG. 113 is an image showing an example of display in the image display area 286 immediately after switching from the first observation means to the second observation means, and FIG. An image diagram showing a display example in which the tilt angle of the two observation means is matched with that of the first observation image acquired by the first observation means, FIG. 115 is an image diagram showing a display example in which the viewing magnification of the second observation image is set to a low magnification, FIG. 116 is an image diagram showing a display example in which the viewing magnification of the second observation image is returned to a high magnification. In this example, an electron microscope image is first acquired by the electron beam imaging means 11 as the first observation means, and then the optical image is picked up by the optical system imaging means 12 as the second observation means to correct the field deviation. An example will be described. However, it goes without saying that the field of view correction can be performed in the reverse order.

First, in step S1121, an electron microscope image is acquired by the electron beam imaging means 11. At this time, the wide-area image acquisition unit 320 acquires a plurality of wide-area images obtained by changing the magnification of the electron beam imaging unit 11 several times lower than the magnification at the time of imaging. In step S1122, the observation unit is switched from the electron beam imaging unit 11 to the optical system imaging unit 12 by the display switching unit 36. At this time, as shown in FIG. 113, the display contents of the image display area 286 on the display means 2 are divided into an optical image display area 118 (left side in FIG. 113) and an electron microscope image display area 117 (right side in FIG. 113). A screen is displayed, each displaying an optical image and an electron microscope image. Here, since the observation means is immediately after switching from the electron beam imaging means 11 to the optical system imaging means 12, the inclination angles of both are inevitably different, and the optical image is inclined more than the electron microscope image by the offset angle. Yes. For this reason, in step S1123, the body 24 is rotated by the rotating unit 30 so that the inclination angle of the optical system imaging unit 12 matches that of the electron microscope image. As a result, a screen as shown in FIG. 114 is obtained. At this stage, the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 have the same tilt angle and enlargement magnification. As shown in FIG. 114, the field of view is shifted due to the difference in characteristics and errors. Therefore, it is necessary to finely adjust the position so as to correct the visual field shift. However, in a state where the magnification is enlarged as shown in FIG. 114, the correspondence relationship between the two observation images may be difficult to understand. Therefore, it is preferable to obtain a visual field deviation correction without any mistakes after confirming the correspondence relationship after setting the viewing magnification of the observation image being displayed to a low magnification once so that the visual field can be confirmed in a wide range. It can be said. At this time, the original observation image needs to be similarly changed to a low magnification. In the conventional case, it is necessary to switch the observation means once, re-capture the image with a low magnification image, and further switch the observation means. It was complicated. On the other hand, by providing a magnification interlocking function that automatically matches the display magnification of the electron microscope image and the optical image, it is possible to greatly reduce the labor and easily identify the field of view for adjusting the misalignment. The advantages that can be achieved. In step S1124, when the viewing magnification of the optical image is set to a low magnification as shown in FIG. 115, the viewing magnification image generating unit 322 automatically performs optical processing based on the wide-area image of the electron microscope image previously captured in step S1121. An electron microscope image having the same visual magnification as the image is generated. As a result, the user does not return to the electron beam imaging unit and captures a desired low-magnification image, but performs adjustment work for field-of-view correction while comparing both observation images at the desired visual magnification in step S1125. It can be carried out. Here, the XY direction of the sample stage 33 is adjusted, but the method of adjusting the optical axis side can also be adopted as described above. Then, as shown in step S1126, the viewing magnification is returned to the original high magnification, and the field positions of the optical image and the electron microscope image are matched as shown in FIG. For example, by pressing the “designate point” button 285 from the screen of FIG. 108, the corresponding visual field position correction point is designated by the optical image and the electron microscope image, and the optical image or the electron microscope image is set so as to match them. Adjust the visual field position. Needless to say, the visual field shift correction can be performed again at this stage as needed. In this way, the visual field deviation can be easily corrected, and thus the user can perform desired observation, for example, comparative observation, color image synthesis, and the like in step S1127.
(Field shift correction guidance function)

It should be noted that the magnified observation program may be provided with a visual field deviation correction guidance function that sequentially guides the user with necessary procedures for performing visual field deviation correction so that the user can easily perform the above visual field deviation correction. 108 and 109, the visual field deviation correction tab 276 implements this visual field deviation correction guidance function. In other words, the procedure for correcting the visual field deviation is explained in the information display area 270 in the order of guidance display of text and the like, and even if the user is not familiar with the operation by guiding the user so that the work can be sequentially performed along this It is easy to correct the field of view.
(Color composite image generation program)

Next, a procedure for generating a color composite image using the magnification observation program will be described based on the user interface screens shown in FIGS. 117 to 128. In these drawings, FIG. 117 is an image diagram showing a state where an electron microscope image is acquired by a magnification observation program for generating a color composite image, and FIG. 118 is an image diagram showing a state in which an optical image is displayed from the state of FIG. 119 is an image diagram of the state in which the tilt angle of the optical system imaging unit 12 is matched with the electron microscope image from the state of FIG. 118, and FIG. 120 is the magnification of the optical system imaging unit 12 from the state of FIG. 121 is an image diagram illustrating a state where an optical image is to be captured from the state of FIG. 120, FIG. 122 is an image diagram of a state in which imaging of the optical image is terminated from the state of FIG. 121, and FIG. 123 is a diagram. FIG. 124 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a state in which the alignment of the optical image and the electron microscope image is performed from the state of 122, and FIG. 124 is from the state of FIG. 123. 125 is an image diagram in a state where the manual adjustment is selected, FIG. 125 is an image diagram in which the second corresponding point corresponding to the first corresponding point is selected from the state in FIG. 124, and FIG. 126 is a state in which the corresponding point is specified from the state in FIG. 127 is an image diagram in a state where more corresponding points are designated from the state of FIG. 126, and FIG. 128 is an image diagram of a state in which a color composite image is generated from the state of FIG.
(Color composite image generation guidance function)

The magnified observation program includes a color composite image generation guidance function for guiding the user to the color composite image generation procedure. Therefore, in the following description, the color composite image generation procedure will be described according to the color composite image generation guidance function. This color composite image generation guidance function is executed by pressing a “color composite” button 269 provided on the operation buttons 273 on the user interface screen of the magnification observation program shown in FIGS. The screen shown in FIG. 123 can also be called and executed by pressing a “color composition with display image” button 279e provided in the setting field 279. The color composite image generation guidance function is realized by the setting guide unit 325 and the like in FIG.
(Synthesis flow display field 290)

These user interface screens are displayed on the display means 2, and an image display area 286 is provided on the left side from the center of the screen, and an information display area 270 is provided on the right side. During execution of the color composite image generation guidance function, a composite flow display field 290 is provided in the upper part of the information display area 270. The composite flow display field 290 displays a composite flow indicating each procedure necessary for generating a color composite image. Further, a procedure display column 292 for displaying details of each procedure is provided below the composite flow display column 290. The procedure display field 292 is provided with a text explanation field 293 in which a procedure to be performed by the user is explained by text guidance display, and a detailed setting field 294 indicating specific items.
(Reduced image display field 295)

Further, a reduced image display field 295 is provided below the procedure display field 292, and a reduced image SG obtained by reducing an optical image and an electron microscope image acquired to generate a color composite image is displayed. Also, below the reduced image display field 295, a “multi-save” button 279d for realizing a multi-save function to be described later is provided. Further below that, there are provided a “next” button 296 for proceeding to the next procedure, a “return” button 297 for returning to the previous procedure, and an “end” button 298 for terminating the color composite image generation. ing. Furthermore, a stationary button 281, a shooting button 282, and a print button 283 are provided at the bottom of the information display area 270, as in FIGS. 102 to 104.
("Ultra-deep image capture" procedure)

  Hereinafter, the color composite image generation guidance function will be described in order. First, when the color composite image generation guidance function is executed (specifically, when the “color composite” button 269 provided on the operation buttons 273 is pressed on the screens of FIGS. 103 to 107), the screen of FIG. 117 is displayed. . Here, the procedure of “capture ultra-deep image” is guided. In accordance with this procedure, the user sequentially performs settings necessary for capturing an electron microscope image. In the synthesis flow display column 290, only the “ultra-deep image capture” procedure which is the current procedure in the synthesis flow is highlighted, and the text description column 293 of the procedure display column 292 indicates the procedure to be performed by the user. Explained. In the example shown in Fig. 117, "Step 1: Capture ultra-deep image captures an ultra-deep image. Adjust the image and click the" Import "button. Is described. Moreover, you may add description, such as a moving image explaining audio | voice guidance and a procedure by animation as needed. Further, in the detailed setting column 294, the magnification factor and the inclination angle of the electron beam imaging unit 11 currently set are displayed in the magnification angle display column 299. In addition, a scanning speed setting field 301 for designating the scanning speed is provided. In the scanning speed setting field 301, the radio button can be used to select any one of “standard”, “fast”, “beautiful”, and “integrated” as “imaging scanning” so that the user can easily grasp the imaging result based on the scanning speed. Further, in order to perform more detailed setting, for example, designation of acceleration voltage, the “image quality adjustment” button 302 is pressed to call a setting screen that allows detailed setting. As described above, when the setting necessary for imaging the electron microscope image is completed, the “capture” button 303 can be pressed to perform imaging. When the imaging is finished and the electron microscope image is captured as a still image, a reduced image SG of the acquired electron microscope image is displayed in the reduced image display field 295. In this example, as displayed in the magnification angle display field 299, an electron microscope image with an inclination angle of -3 ° is captured at an enlargement magnification at the time of imaging, that is, a first magnification of 200 times.

At this time, acquisition of a wide area image is also executed. That is, a plurality of wide area images having a magnification lower than the enlargement magnification displayed in the detailed setting field 294 are acquired and stored in the wide area image storage unit 321. As described above, the wide-area image acquisition unit 320 acquires a plurality of wide-area images by automatically specifying an enlargement magnification. Here, a total of three wide-area images of 100 times, 50 times, and 25 times are taken with the first magnification of 200 times as a reference. This imaging is performed in the background, and the user is not made aware that a wide area image is additionally captured.
("Field of view / magnification adjustment" procedure)

  When the “ultra-deep image capturing” procedure is completed as described above, the “next” button 296 is pressed, and the procedure proceeds to the “field / magnification adjustment” procedure shown in FIG. Here, settings for capturing an optical image with the same magnification and the same posture as the electron microscope image are performed. In this screen, the image display area 286 is divided into right and left, the still image of the electron microscope image already captured in the right electron microscope image display area 117, and the left optical image display area 118 currently being observed. Live images of the optical images are respectively displayed. In addition, a cross-shaped grid is superimposed on each display area.

In the composite flow display column 290, the highlight display of the composite flow is changed from the “super-deep image capture” procedure to the “field / magnification adjustment” procedure, indicating that the procedure has shifted. In the text description field 293 of the procedure display field 292, as a procedure to be performed by the user, “Step 2: Adjustment of the field of view / magnification angle of the optical lens so that the object can be seen at the same position / size in the left and right images, Please adjust the magnification. " Further, in the detailed setting column 294, the magnification and the tilt angle are displayed in comparison with those of the imaged electron microscope image and those of the optical image currently being observed. At this time, by displaying each value as the current value and the target value, the user can clarify the items to be set and can match the required set values without confusion. In this example, the enlargement magnification of the target electron microscope image is 200 times (first magnification) with respect to the enlargement magnification 50 times (viewing magnification) of the current optical image, and the inclination angle of the current optical image It is displayed that the tilt angle of the target electron microscope image is −3 ° with respect to 37 °. Therefore, the user adjusts the magnification and the tilt angle of the optical imaging unit 12 so that the current value becomes the target value.
(Magnification interlock function)
(View magnification image generation function)

  At this time, by turning on the magnification interlocking function for matching the display magnifications of the electron microscope image and the optical image, it is possible to easily grasp the correspondence between the two observation images. Specifically, by turning on the “display by matching the magnification of the super-depth image with the magnification of the color image” check box 304, the magnification interlocking function works, and the electron microscope image is displayed regardless of the magnification at the time of imaging. The optical image is displayed in the electron microscope image display area 117 as a viewing magnification image that is automatically enlarged / reduced so as to coincide with the currently set viewing magnification. With this function, in FIG. 118, although the target magnification of the electron microscope image is 200 times, the electron microscope image display region 117 is displayed at 50 times as the viewing magnification. This magnification interlocking function is realized by the visual recognition magnification image generation means 322. That is, a visual magnification image is generated by the visual magnification image generation unit 322 based on a wide-area image captured in advance, and is displayed in the electron microscope image display area 117. Then, when the user changes the viewing magnification of the optical image, the viewing magnification image of the viewing magnification after the change is generated, and the electron microscope image displayed in the display area is also updated. As a result, the electron microscope image can be displayed at the same magnification as the live image of the optical image displayed in the optical image display area 118, so that the user can switch to the electron beam imaging means as in the conventional case and switch to the low magnification wide area. It is possible to save the trouble of re-imaging the image, and it becomes very easy to grasp the correspondence between the observation images. In addition, since the original electron microscope image captured for generating the color composite image is displayed in the reduced image display field 295, the user does not lose sight of the image that is originally desired to be captured.

  Then, as described above, the tilt angle and magnification of the optical image are made to coincide with those of the electron microscope image. For example, in the state of FIG. 118, the inclination angle is made to coincide with the target value of −3 ° from the current 37 °. Then, since the tilt angle is different in the example of FIG. 118, what the observation image looks different is matched with the same inclination angle as shown in FIG. Can do. At this time, the current value of the tilt angle displayed in the detailed setting field 294 is changed from black to green. Thus, by changing the display of the current value, it is possible to visually notify the user that the target value has been matched. The display change is not limited to the color, and a display form distinguishable from others, such as blinking display and highlight display, can be used as appropriate.

Further, when the enlargement magnification is adjusted from 50 times the current value shown in FIG. 119 to 200 times the target value as shown in FIG. 120, the current value display of the enlargement magnification displayed in the detailed setting field 294 is similarly changed. Since the magnification is changed from black to green and the magnification of the optical image in the image display area 286 is matched with the original electron microscope image, the viewing magnification image displayed in the electron microscope image display area 117 is originally captured. Returning to the electron microscope image, it matches the reduced image SG of the electron microscope image in the reduced image display area. In this way, the user can set conditions for taking an optical image very easily and smoothly according to the guidance. Furthermore, the above-described visual field deviation correction can also be performed here.
("Color image capture" procedure)

When the “Next” button 296 is pressed from the state shown in FIG. 120, the screen is changed to the screen shown in FIG. On this screen, an optical image is actually captured. Here, in the text description field 293 of the procedure display field 292, “Step 3: Acquire color image Acquires a color image as a procedure to be performed by the user. Adjust the image and click the“ Import ”button. Is described. Further, in the detailed setting field 294, as in the screen of FIG. 117, the currently set enlargement magnification and inclination angle of the optical system imaging means 12 are displayed, and the “image quality adjustment” button 302B and the “quick depth composition” button are displayed. 305, “Import” button 303B is displayed. When the “image quality adjustment” button 302B is pressed, a detailed setting screen is displayed on which more detailed settings relating to optical image capture can be made. In particular, on this screen, the display of the electron microscope image display area 117 from the image display area 286 is not displayed, and only the optical image display area 118 is displayed, so that it is easy to confirm detailed settings for capturing an optical image. .
("Quick Depth Composite" button 305)

  When the “Quick Depth Composite” button 305 is pressed, a plurality of optical images are picked up by changing the focus position, and a quick depth composite is performed in which a focused portion is extracted and combined. Can be displayed. This quick-depth synthesized image can be focused in a wider range than a normal optical image, so it has higher definition. By using this image and further synthesizing a color image with an electron microscope image, a more detailed color synthesis is possible. An image can be obtained.

When the “capture” button 303B is pressed, an optical image is captured, and the captured optical image is displayed in the optical image display area 118 as shown in FIG. In the reduced image display area, a reduced image SG of the captured optical image is also displayed. When the “next” button 296 is pressed in this state, the screen advances to the screen of FIG. 123, and the “image alignment” procedure is displayed.
("Image alignment" procedure)

In the “image alignment” procedure shown in FIG. 123, the imaged electron microscope image and the optical image are aligned. In the text description field 293 of the procedure display field 292, the procedure to be performed by the user is “Step 4: Image alignment. Is the composite position of the image the position displayed in the lower row? Click“ Next ”if you want. please. If you want to adjust the composite position manually, click “Manual Adjustment”. Is described. On this screen, it is possible to select whether the position alignment is used as it is automatically adjusted or whether the user manually adjusts the position. In the upper part of the image display area 286, which is divided into two parts in the vertical direction, an optical image that has been further divided into two parts in the left and right direction and has been imaged in the left optical image display area 118 is also imaged in the right electron microscope image display area 117. The electron microscope images are respectively displayed. Further, a third display area 108 is provided in the lower stage, and in this state, a color composite image is not yet generated, and is simply displayed in a superimposed state so that the optical image and the electron microscope image coincide with each other. . The automatic alignment operation is performed by the automatic alignment means 324. Here, a known position such as pattern matching is used to calculate the corresponding position between the optical image and the electron microscope image, and based on this result, the two observation images are displayed so as to coincide with each other. In the example of FIG. 123, an electron microscope image is used as a reference, and the optical image is moved, rotated, enlarged / reduced, etc. in a posture that matches the optical image as much as possible, and then displayed in an overlapping manner. The user confirms the overlay state displayed in the composite image display area, and if it is acceptable, presses the “Next” button 296 and proceeds to FIG. 128 corresponding to the “display color composite image” procedure.
("Display color composite image" procedure)

When the “Next” button 296 is pressed on the screen of FIG. 127, color image composition is executed according to the conditions set in the previous procedure, and the generated color composition image is displayed in the image display area as shown in FIG. Is displayed. If the obtained color composite image is insufficient, the condition is further changed and a color composite image is generated again. Therefore, the “return” button 267 is pressed from the screen of FIG. 128 to return to the previous procedure. Adjust the settings again. For example, when it is considered that the alignment between the optical image and the electron microscope image is insufficient, the “manual adjustment” button 306 is pressed from the screen of FIG. 123 to switch to the manual adjustment screen of FIG.
(Manual adjustment screen)

  On the manual adjustment screen, the text explanation field 293 of the procedure display field 292 displays “Step 4: Click on a characteristic point on the color image and then on the ultra-deep image as shown in FIGS. 123 to 124. Click on the corresponding point in the screen, and the state of specifying the corresponding point on each observation image will be explained with a picture. In the detailed setting field 294, an “add” button 182B, a “move” button 184B, and a “delete” button are provided as a corresponding point designation button group 180B corresponding to the corresponding point designation means 180 for designating and correcting corresponding points. 183B, an “Auto” button 307, and a “Reset” button 308 are provided. Further, below the corresponding point designation button group 180B, in order to realize a function for supporting the corresponding point designation operation, a check box 185B for “enlarged display when adding / moving points” check box 185B, Are displayed "check box 309 and transparency slider 186B. These corresponding point designation buttons also correspond to a corresponding point editing function for editing corresponding points. Specifically, the Add button 182 in the corresponding point editing means shown in FIG. 91 corresponds to the “Add” button 182B, the Remove button 183 corresponds to the “Delete” button 183B, and the Modify button 184 becomes the “Move” button 184B. Correspond. Further, the zoom means 185 corresponds to the “enlarged display when a point is added / moved” check box 185B, and the transparency adjustment means 186 corresponds to the transparency slider 186B. When the “Display enlarged when adding / moving point” check box 185B is turned ON, the image display in the image display area 286 is automatically switched to enlarged display when adding or moving the corresponding point to facilitate detailed positioning. . Further, by adjusting the transparency slider 186B, the transmissivity of the translucent image can be continuously adjusted, and the user can adjust the visibility at the time of superimposed display according to the state of the sample. The “auto” button 307 is a button for executing automatic alignment by the automatic alignment means 324, and the “reset” button 308 is a button for deleting all the corresponding points that have been specified and returning them to the initial state. is there.

  When the “Add” button 182B is pressed from the screen of FIG. 124 having such a function, the first corresponding point is set on the optical image in the optical image display area 118 using the pointing device mouse cursor or the like as a position specifying pointer. specify. The designated first corresponding point is displayed in red as shown in FIG. 125 in the state where the second corresponding point is not designated, and when the second corresponding point is designated and the correspondence is established. As shown in FIG. 126, the display changes to green. Each corresponding point is displayed with a numerical value as corresponding point information. In this value, numerical values are sequentially added in ascending order in order of designation of corresponding points. Further, the superposition display function for superimposing and displaying the optical image and the electron microscope image when designating corresponding points makes it easy for the user to easily perform accurate position adjustment especially when designating the second corresponding points. Specifically, when the “Display overlapping images when specifying corresponding points” check box 309 is turned on, as shown in FIG. 125, the second corresponding points are displayed on the electron microscope image in the electron microscope image display area. When designating, the optical image is displayed as a translucent image following the movement of the position designation pointer. As a result, since the electron microscope image and the optical image are superimposed and displayed in the electron microscope image display area 117, the user can match the two images by placing the optical image on the electron microscope image. It is possible to specify the second corresponding point while actually confirming the overlapping state. When the second corresponding point is designated, the correction parameter calculating unit 181 calculates the correction parameter so that the first corresponding point and the second corresponding point coincide with each other, and the automatic alignment unit 324 again corrects the alignment. And the superimposed display of the optical image and the electron microscope image in the composite image display area is updated in a state of being superimposed at the corrected position. When the second corresponding point is determined, the superimposed display in the electron microscope image display region 117 is turned off as shown in FIG. 127, the semitransparent image of the optical image disappears, and the electron microscope in which the second corresponding point is designated. Return to the image only display.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 126 and 127, when a plurality of corresponding points are sequentially specified, the correction parameter calculation means 181 further calculates the correction parameters in detail according to these corresponding points, and the automatic alignment means 324 is obtained. Performs more detailed alignment. In this way, more precise alignment can be realized by the user performing fine adjustment manually from the automatically aligned state. When the “image alignment” procedure ends, the “next” button 296 is clicked, and the procedure proceeds to the “display color composite image” procedure. Here, a color composite image is generated by the image combining means, and the generated color composite image is displayed in the image display area 286. FIG. 128 shows an example of a screen for performing various operations related to the generated color composite image. In this screen, a display parameter adjusting unit 258 for adjusting the composition ratio of the electron microscope image and the optical image, a display switching unit 36 for switching the display content of the image display area 286, and a “print” button 311B for printing and saving the image, A “save” button 312 is provided. The display switching means 36 includes a “color” button 313 for displaying an optical image before composition, a “super depth” button 314 for displaying an electron microscope image, a “default” button 315 for returning to display of a color composite image, and detailed settings. A “detail” button 316 for calling up the screen, a “display on observation screen” button 317, and the like are provided. When the “display on observation screen” button 317 is pressed, the color composite image is displayed in the image display area, and the screen returns to the main observation screen. For example, a user who wants to perform measurement or the like on a color composite image selects this.

In the screen of FIG. 128, the display parameters can be adjusted using the display parameter adjusting means 258 described above with reference to FIG. Specifically, from the screen of FIG. 128, the “balance” slider 250B constituting the ratio adjusting unit 250 is operated to continuously adjust the composite ratio of the luminance information of the electron microscope image and the luminance information of the optical image. it can. Further, the “texture strength” slider 253B constituting the texture strength adjusting means 253 can be adjusted to adjust the strength of the electron microscope image and the entire texture component of the optical microscope. Furthermore, the intensity of the color information can be adjusted by adjusting the “color” slider 254B constituting the color intensity adjusting means 254. In this way, the user finely adjusts the display parameters for the obtained color composite image, determines the optimum display parameter while confirming the adjustment result in the image display area 286, and finally determines the desired color. A composite image can be acquired.
(Multi-save function)

  In addition, when saving these observation images as image data files with a plurality of observation images being displayed, in addition to the method of individually specifying the file name for each observation image and saving it, the observation image being displayed is displayed. It is also possible to save all at once. By providing such a multi-storing function for storing a plurality of images, the user can be freed from the troublesome work of sequentially storing the image data by individually specifying a file name for each image data, thereby improving usability.

  In contrast observation and image synthesis, observation images obtained by imaging the same sample with different observation means are often displayed. In this case, for example, images obtained by imaging the same sample at the same magnification from the same viewing angle can be said to exhibit their true value by displaying them in contrast. For this reason, conventionally, when saving an optical image and an electron microscope image of the same specimen to be observed, the user writes down the file name and storage location by hand, and these images are reproduced and displayed at a later date. When doing so, each image is opened individually according to this memo to reproduce the original observation state. In this method, it is necessary to make a note of the file name and storage location of the image data file captured by each observation means, and it is necessary to manage the memo, which is extremely troublesome. In particular, there is a risk of memos being lost, and it is not easy to find out which observations are recorded in which memos, even if they are not lost.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when a plurality of image data files are stored in a multi-format, related information of the sample imaged at the time of observation can be recorded as common identification information. A part of the file name is preferably specified as the common identification information. Further, as the individual identification information, for example, information such as the type of the observation means that captured the observation image and the type of the observation image, for example, an electron microscope image or an optical image can be recorded. Thus, the user can easily determine which image file is related to each other from the file name, which image file is an electron microscope image, and which image file is an optical image.

Hereinafter, such a multi-save function will be described with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 129 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a magnification observation apparatus having a multi-save function, and FIG. 130 is an image diagram showing a state where observation images taken by a plurality of different observation means are displayed on the display means 2. 131 shows image diagrams of user interface screens when the image data file is saved by the file saving means. As shown in FIG. 129, this magnified observation apparatus includes, as different observation means, an electron beam imaging means 11, an optical system imaging means 12, and an observation image picked up by these observation means and displayed on the display means 2. A file storage unit 190 for storing each as an image data file, a storage unit 131G as an image data recording area for storing the image data file, and a plurality of image data temporarily stored in the storage unit 131G by the file storage unit 190 A file display selection means 197 for selecting a desired image data file from the files and displaying it on the display means 2 and a display means 2 are provided. Here, as shown in FIG. 130, an optical image captured by the optical system imaging unit 12, an electron microscope image captured by the electron beam imaging unit 11, and a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing these are displayed in the second display area of the display unit 2. Suppose that each observation image is stored as an image data file while being displayed in the first display area and the third display area 108, respectively. Each observation image can be stored individually or collectively. In order to perform such multi-save, for example, when the “multi-save” button 279d is pressed from the screen shown in FIGS. 117 to 127, the file storage unit 190 is executed and the dialog box shown in FIG. 131 is displayed. .
(File storage means 190)

The file storage unit 190 stores the plurality of observation images displayed on the display unit 2 as image data files in the storage unit 131G. At this time, the file storage unit 190 gives common identification information common to the optical image and the electron microscope image to each image data file. The dialog box shown in FIG. 131 includes an image storage location designation unit 191, a common character string designation unit 192, and a file name example column 193. The user designates the save destination of the image data file from the image save location specifying means 191. The common character string designating unit 192 designates a common character string that constitutes a part of the file name as common identification information. Further, the file name example column 193 exemplifies to the user how the file name of each image data file is given according to the common character string being input to the common character string designating unit 192.
(Image storage location specifying means 191)

The image storage location designation means 191 is a column for designating the storage destination of the image data file. The user directly inputs the storage location or presses the “Browse” button to designate a desired directory or folder. . In the example of FIG. 131, the storage location of the image data file is uniformly the location specified by the image storage location specifying means 191, and all the image data files are stored in this location. However, the file storage unit 190 may automatically arrange and store the storage destination folder according to the type of the observation image. For example, by default, storage destinations for optical images, electron microscope images, and composite images are designated in advance, and each image data file is set to be stored in these locations. Alternatively, a plurality of image storage location specifying means 191 are provided for each type of observation image, and storage destinations can be specified for optical images, electron microscope images, and composite images, and each image data file is specified by the user. It is good also as a structure preserve | saved in a position.
(Common identification information)

As the common identification information indicating the relationship between the image data files, the image data file name can be preferably used. In the example of FIG. 131, the file storage unit 190 prompts the user to input a common character string 194 constituting a part of the image data file name as common identification information from the screen of FIG. The user specifies an arbitrary character string as the file name. For example, the name of the sample to be observed, the purpose of observation, the date and time of observation, and the like are specified from the common character string specifying means 192 as a file name. Further, this common identification information is used at the time of multi-reproduction by the file display selection means 197 described later, and there is an advantage that related image data files can be displayed together.
(Common character string 194)

  An arbitrary character string can be designated as the common character string 194 indicating the common identification information. Preferably, it is preferable to use a file name that allows the user to easily determine the contents later. For example, “sample A on January 1, 2010”, “circuit x after processing”, “sample1”, and the like can be used. The character string may include numbers, English letters, symbols, such as parentheses, periods, spaces, and blanks. Alternatively, the common character string designating means can be left blank. In this specification, the character string includes one character and a space (no input).

When the user designates the common character string 194 from the common character string designation unit 192 and presses the OK button, the file name for each observation image is automatically given and the image data file is saved. Therefore, the user only needs to specify a common file name in order to save a plurality of observation images individually. For example, to save three images, an optical image, an electron microscope image, and a composite image of these images, select each image and repeat the operation of specifying the save destination and file name for each image three times. In other words, all image data files can be saved in one operation, and the complicated work can be simplified. Here, the rule when the file storage unit 190 automatically assigns a file name is performed by adding an individual character string 196 designated in advance to the common character string 194 designated by the user.
(Individual character string 196)

  The individual character string 196 indicates the type of observation means that acquired the observation image and the type of observation image. For example, when the image data file is an optical image, the individual character string 196 indicates that the image data file is acquired by the optical system imaging unit 12 or is an optical image. Similarly, when the image data file is an electron microscope image, an individual character string 196 indicates that the image data file is acquired by the electron beam imaging means 11 or is an electron microscope image. In the example of FIG. 131, the letter A is added as an individual character string 196 to the optical image, B to the electron microscope image, and C to the composite image. It is desirable that the character strings to be added have a common length. As a result, the file name lengths of the files generated at the same time are matched, and visibility is improved.

The individual character string 196 is preferably added after the common character string 194. As a result, since the common character string 194 is located at the beginning of the file name, by sorting by the file name on the file selection screen, the related image data files are arranged so that the user can visually recognize the file when selecting the file. Improved.
(Delimiter string 195)

  Further, a delimiter character string 195 can be interposed between the common character string 194 and the individual character string 196. By arranging such a delimiter, the user can easily read the common character string 194 and the individual character string 196. For such a delimiter character string 195, an underbar, hyphen, space, slash, backslash, equal, vertical bar, period, comma, semicolon, ampersand, pound (well digit), tilde, parenthesis, and the like can be used. Of course, it goes without saying that an appropriate character string is selected in accordance with the use environment of the computer, OS, program, etc. to be used. For example, depending on the OS, commas, slashes, and the like may not be used in the file name. Other than these characters, double-byte characters with no usage restrictions are used.

  By adding such a delimiter character string 195, the configuration of the file name follows the common character string 194, and the contents of the individual identification information such as the observation means and the type of image continues through the delimiter character string 195. There is an advantage that the user can easily grasp the contents of the individual identification information.

  Note that the delimiter character string 195 and the individual character string 196 are both automatically assigned by the file storage unit 190, so that these character strings are not particularly distinguished. It can also be understood as including. That is, it goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained by adding a character string corresponding to such a delimiter character string to the head of an individual character string.

The delimiter string 195 may be one or more characters. Further, the individual character string 196 and the delimiter string 195 may be configured so that the user designates and changes a desired character string as an individual character string in addition to preliminarily defining a predetermined character string on the magnification observation apparatus side. .
(File name example column 193)

Further, the common character string designating unit 192 is provided with a file name example column 193 exemplifying a rule for assigning a file name. In this example, the character string “_A.jpg” is added to the optical image after the common character string 194, and the character string “_B.jpg” is added to the electron microscope image after the common character string 194. Is added to these composite images, and the character string “_C.jpg” is added to the common character string 194, and such an example is shown in the file name example column 193. ing. Thereby, the user can visually confirm that the file name is automatically given according to the rules exemplified in the file name example column 193.
(Storage unit 131G)

  A storage element such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory can be used as the storage unit 131G for storing the image data file by the file storage unit 190. The storage unit 131G may include the first storage unit 131 that stores the electron microscope image and the second storage unit 132 that stores the optical image. Further, without distinguishing between the storage means or storage area for storing such an electron microscope image and an optical image, the electron microscope image and the optical image, and further, a composite image thereof are collected in a common storage means. Needless to say, it can also be memorized.

  As the file format of the stored image data file, a standardized existing file format or a dedicated format can be used. In particular, a standardized file format can be read by general-purpose image browsing software, and thus can be said to be highly versatile and preferable. For example, jpeg, tiff, png, bmp, gif, jpeg2000, fpx, pict, hdp (wdp), etc. can be used. Also, a specific application file format such as PDF or PSD may be used.

  In this manner, the image data file name of each observation image is automatically given by the file storage unit 190 for the observation image being displayed on the display unit 2. In the above example, each image data file is stored as an individual file, but may be stored as an image data file in which a plurality of images are integrated. For example, at the same time when the file storage unit 190 stores individual image data files, a multi-tiff file or PDF file in which a plurality of image files are combined into one file is generated. Alternatively, the three images shown in FIG. 130 are displayed on one screen, and the display example is stored as it is, that is, an image file in which an optical image, an electron microscope image, and a composite image are displayed in one image is stored together. You can also

  In the above example, the common identification information is given to each image data file, but the common identification information may be given only to one of the image data files. For example, the common identification information is given only to the optical image, and the common identification information is not given to the electron microscope image. In this case, when an optical image is selected by the file display selection means, if an electron microscope image and a composite image corresponding to the optical image are created, the composite image is displayed together with the optical image. When an image is selected, such image data file is not read simultaneously. Alternatively, if common identification information is given only to the composite image, when this composite image is selected, the optical image and the electron microscope image that are the basis of the composite image are displayed together.

  Furthermore, it is not essential to save the composite image. That is, if the multi-save function is executed when a composite image is not generated, only the optical image and the electron microscope image are saved.

On the other hand, a function of automatically saving the image data file can be provided. For example, the date and time at the time of image capture and storage can be automatically acquired as common identification information, the above-described individual identification information can be added to the file, the file name can be specified, and the image data file can be stored. In addition, such automatic image saving is temporary, for example, temporarily stored in a work area or the like, and when the user performs a saving operation by specifying a file name, the temporarily saved image It can also be configured to delete data files.
(Multi playback function)

When the multi-saved image data file is reproduced and displayed as described above, a function for reproducing and displaying the image data file associated with the common identification information can also be added. Such a multi-playback function will be described based on an image diagram of a user interface screen when an image data file is selected by the file display selection means 197 shown in FIG.
(File display selection means 197)

  The file display selection unit 197 is a unit for selecting a desired image data file to be displayed on the display unit 2 from a plurality of image data files stored by the file storage unit 190. The dialog box shown in FIG. 132 includes a file selection field 198 for designating the location and file name of an image data file, and a file preview field 199 for displaying the contents of the image data file selected in the file selection field 198. . The file selection field 198 designates a storage location of the image data file stored by the file storage unit 190. When one of the image data files is clicked in the file selection field 198, the contents of the selected image data file are temporarily displayed in the file preview field 199. At this time, the file display selection means 197 automatically determines whether or not there are multi-saved related image data files, and if they exist, also extracts these related image data files, and automatically It is displayed in the preview column 199. When the user confirms whether or not the desired observation image is displayed in the file preview field 199 and presses the OK button after determination, all the corresponding image data files are read and displayed on the display means 2 as in FIG. Is displayed.

  The file display selection means 197 may change the icon display of the image data file in the file selection field 198 based on the individual identification information. For example, by displaying the image of the optical system imaging means for the optical image and the image of the electron beam imaging means for the electron microscope image, respectively, as an icon of the image data file, the user can view the observation image without opening the image data file. The type can be visually discriminated. Alternatively, the content of the image data file itself can be reduced and displayed instead of the icon display.

  In this way, the user can specify the common character string 194 by instructing multi-save while the different types of observation images are displayed on the display unit 2. Further, by adding a regular suffix to the end of the file name as the individual character string 196 via the delimiter character string 195, the file name can be automatically generated and each observation image can be saved at once. Thereby, a plurality of related image data files can be saved by one operation.

When a saved image data file is played back and displayed, if one of the image data files is opened, the image data files that differ only in the suffix are recognized as related files. Automatically display simultaneously. As a result, it is possible to save labor for individual storage at the time of storage and labor for searching for a plurality of related files at the time of reproduction with respect to related files, thereby reducing the burden on the user. Especially in this example, the file name is a clue, the file names of multiple image data files are automatically assigned when saving, and the image data file including these file names is automatically extracted and read during playback. Although it is a configuration, it can greatly simplify the troublesome task of repeatedly saving the file and specifying the read file, and the user can also select the corresponding file from the file selection screen. , Files having a common file name can be easily discriminated visually. In addition, since the file name is used for simple configuration, special work such as embedding tags and link information for associating files is not necessary, and a special purpose for reading such special information is required. There is no need for a program, it is extremely versatile, and its convenience is extremely high.
(Measurement function)

  Further, the magnifying observation apparatus has a measurement function capable of measuring a distance between two designated points, an area in a designated region, and the like on an image displayed on the display unit 2. In the measurement function, either an electron microscope image, an optical image, or a composite image is displayed on the display unit 2, and an arbitrary point on the image is instructed by a pointing device such as a mouse to perform measurement. For the point specification, the snap function that uses the position specified by the user as a measurement point as it is, and detects edge information close to the specified position from the image, and uses the edge position as the measurement point can be suitably used. .

  Any image can be used for the measurement function, but an electron microscope image or a composite image is preferably used. The optical image has color information and luminance information for each pixel, but the boundary line between the color information and luminance information tends to be unclear. In particular, when measuring at a high magnification, the resolution tends to be insufficient in an optical image, and the contour and edge of the sample that is the object to be measured become blurred. This is because it becomes difficult. On the other hand, the electron microscope image has luminance information for each pixel, but does not have color information. On the other hand, the boundary line of luminance information is clear, and the edge of the structure can be observed relatively clearly even at high magnification. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to intuitively recognize the measurement object to be obtained because it is not a natural appearance with color information but a black and white contrast image depending on the electron generation efficiency of the sample. Therefore, a composite image having high definition and color information is most easily used.

  For example, the combined image combines the color information of the optical image and the luminance information of the electron microscope image. However, since the two original images before composition have their own coordinate systems, the reference position and reference length as shown in FIG. 78 do not exactly match. Even if these are corrected by some method, the error cannot be completely eliminated. For this reason, the two original images do not have exactly the same magnification and observation position, and both the magnification and the observation position include some errors. When measurement is performed using such a composite image, there is a problem in that measurement accuracy decreases due to errors in coordinate positions and magnification. For example, when measuring the distance between two points, an error occurs when designating each position. Therefore, the error is accumulated in the measurement designating two points.

  In contrast, in the present embodiment, when measurement is performed from a composite image, measurement is performed using position information of an electron microscope image that is an original image. That is, to accurately specify the boundary line of the measurement object by eliminating errors caused by synthesis such as the positional information of the optical image that is the original image, the magnification that occurs during image synthesis, and the cumulative error of the observation position Is possible.

  FIG. 133 shows a block diagram of a magnification observation apparatus having a measurement function for such a composite image. The magnification observation apparatus shown in this figure includes an electron beam imaging unit 11 for acquiring an electron microscope image, an optical system imaging unit 12 for acquiring an optical image, an operation unit 105C, a controller 1, and a display unit 2. With.

  The operating means 105C includes an electron microscope magnification adjusting means 68 for setting the display magnification of the electron microscope image, an optical magnification adjusting means 95 for setting the display magnification of the optical image, and a composite image displayed on the display means 2. On the other hand, it functions as a measurement point specifying means 130 for specifying a measurement point on the screen of the display means 2.

  The controller 1 also includes a first storage unit 131 that holds an electron microscope image, a second storage unit 132 that holds an optical image, a third storage unit 133 that stores position information related to a composite image, and a display switching unit 36 that switches between image displays. , An image composition unit 116 for generating a composite image, a magnification conversion unit 111, a mode selection unit 110, a magnification determination unit 119, a guidance unit 120, and a measurement unit 134. The display switching unit 36 switches the image display on the display unit 2 from the display by the optical imaging unit 12 to the display by the electron beam imaging unit 11. Such a controller 1 can be composed of a computer, a CPU, an LSI, or the like. However, you may comprise so that each function may be implement | achieved by an individual member. For example, an observation condition setting unit and an optical magnification reading unit can be provided separately from the operation unit. Further, the display unit 2 functions as the conversion magnification display unit 123, the magnification range display unit 126, the scheduled magnification display unit 124, the determination notification unit 125, and the state display unit 121 as described above.

  The operation unit 105C functions as an observation condition setting unit for setting the image observation condition of the electron beam imaging unit 11. The user operates the observation condition setting unit to set the image observation condition when the electron beam imaging unit 11 captures an electron microscope image. In the case of an electron microscope, the image observation conditions include an acceleration voltage, a spot size (diameter of incident electron beam bundle), a detector type, a degree of vacuum, and the like. The conditions according to the electron beam imaging means 11 to be used are the observation conditions. Set by setting means. The image observation conditions set by the observation condition setting means are sent to the electron beam imaging means 11 via the controller 1. Similarly, the imaging conditions of the optical system imaging unit 12 are also set. The controller 1 acquires an electron microscope image from the electron beam imaging unit 11 and an optical image from the optical system imaging unit 12, and holds them in the first storage unit 131 and the second storage unit 132, respectively. When the synthesis mode is selected by the mode selection unit 110, the image synthesis unit 116, based on the information stored in the first storage unit 131 and the second storage unit 132, the position information of the electron microscope image and the optical image. A synthesized image is generated by combining the color information and displayed on the display means 2. Further, the third storage unit 133 holds the position information of the synthesized image or the correspondence information indicating the correspondence relationship between the position information of the synthesized image and the position information of the electron microscope image before the synthesis.

  In order to perform measurement based on the composite image in this state, the user first operates the measurement point specifying unit 130 to specify the measurement point on the screen for the composite image displayed on the display unit 2. . In addition, the measuring unit 134 performs designated measurement. For example, a distance between two points, an altitude difference, an inclination angle, or an area calculation of a designated closed region. Here, in the measurement, the positional information of the electron microscope image that is the source of the composite image is used. For this reason, the first storage means 131 stores the position information of the electron microscope image when the electron microscope image is held in advance. The position information is information indicating the structure of the sample to be observed, such as a coordinate position and a contour of the shape. By using this information, it is possible to acquire an accurate position corresponding to the measurement point designated on the image.

When the shape of the composite image exactly matches the original electron microscope image, the position information on the composite image can be used for measurement as it is. On the other hand, if the shape of the composite image does not exactly match the original electron microscope image, the coordinate position on the electron microscope image corresponding to the coordinate position on the composite image is acquired with reference to the third storage unit 133. Then, measurement using the electron microscope image coordinates is performed. As a result, even when there is a deviation in shape or coordinate position due to image synthesis with an optical image, highly accurate measurement is performed by converting the coordinate position on an electron microscope image having more accurate coordinate position information. It becomes possible.
(Operating means 105C)

  Further, both the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are controlled by a common operation unit 105C, and information necessary for measuring images obtained by both observation units, for example, magnification, the optical axis of the observation unit, and the like. By collectively processing information such as the positional relationship of the sample by the control means, the measurement work of the color composite image can be greatly improved in convenience. For example, the common operation unit 105C can be operated by switching the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 with a single controller 1 by sharing the external controller 1. In addition, a configuration in which the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 can be switched and operated by an operation program for a magnification observation apparatus installed in a computer is also preferable. In addition, by switching the observation means as described above, both observation means can be easily switched and moved so that the same position of the sample can be observed. The advantage of simpler operation is also obtained.

  26 and 134, the body 24 is rotated in order to observe the same field of view from the same direction (inclination angle). In addition, as means for recognizing that the other observation means is located at the position where one observation means was originally installed, a rotational position detection means 264 such as a rotary encoder is further installed in the body portion 24, A method of electrically knowing the rotation angle or a method of knowing the rotation angle visually by attaching a scale and a mark on the body 24 and the fixed side, respectively, can be used.

  In the above example, the form of the sample chamber provided with the rotational movement mechanism as shown in FIGS. 26 and 134 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and a plurality of observation means are provided in one sample chamber. Various configurations with can be used. Modification examples of the configuration of the sample chamber 21 having the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are shown in FIGS. 135 to 138. In each example, the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are arranged so that each can image the same sample SA.

  In the example of FIG. 135, the observation means 10 is switched by a revolving revolver. In the example of FIG. 136, the observation means 10 is switched by parallel movement. Moreover, although the above is a structure which fixes the sample stand 33 and moves the observation means 10 side, it is good also as a structure which moves not only this but the observation means 10 side. For example, FIG. 137 shows a configuration for moving the sample stage 33 in parallel, and FIG. 138 shows a configuration for tilting the sample stage 33. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 139, the optical axis of the observation means 10 is selected by a half mirror. As described above, the present embodiment can be appropriately used in various forms including the plurality of observation units 10.

  In the example of FIG. 139, the optical axes of the optical system imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 are arranged coaxially, FIG. 137 is arranged in parallel, and FIG. 138 is arranged in a V shape. In particular, in the configuration of FIG. 139, the optical axis of the optical system imaging unit 12 and the optical axis of the electron beam imaging unit 11 are arranged so as to coincide with each other. Further, in this configuration, when the image signal of the optical system imaging unit 12 and the image signal of the electron beam imaging unit 11 are switched, it is not necessary to move the sample stage 33, so that switching can be performed quickly. Real-time observation and moving image observation can also be realized. In addition, since the optical system imaging unit 12 is installed in the sample chamber 21, the reduced pressure or vacuum state in the sample chamber 21 is maintained, so that a depressurization step is not required when the imaging system is switched by the display switching unit 36 or the like. And smooth switching can be realized. Such smooth switching of the imaging system realizes seamless display switching and can be an extremely convenient electron microscope. However, in the configuration of FIG. 139, the optical axis of the optical imaging unit 12 is placed on the optical axis of the electron imaging unit 11 in order to make the optical axes of the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 coaxial. There is a problem that it is necessary to arrange a mirror or the like for folding, and the configuration becomes complicated and expensive. Further, the complication of the apparatus due to the coaxial configuration reduces the degree of freedom in optical design of the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 and may affect the image performance.

On the other hand, in the configurations of FIGS. 136 to 138, such a mirror is unnecessary and can be realized at a relatively low cost. However, in the configuration of FIG. 137, it is necessary to translate the sample stage 33 at the time of switching, and to install the optical imaging means 12, etc., which requires time-consuming adjustments such as upper alignment and obstructs real-time observation. Is done. Further, when the optical system imaging unit 12 is installed in the atmosphere, it is necessary to depressurize the sample chamber 21 in which the electron beam imaging unit 11 is arranged to a vacuum, which takes time and labor. On the other hand, in the configuration of FIG. 138, since one optical axis is inclined, it is necessary to incline the sample stage 33 from the horizontal plane in order to obtain the same field of view. Also in this case, adjustment such as alignment is necessary, and real-time observation is impossible. As described above, it is difficult to switch between the optical imaging unit 12 and the electron beam imaging unit 11 in real time in any of the configurations of FIGS. 137 and 138. In order to solve this, an optical image is acquired as data by the optical imaging unit 12 in advance, and then the sample SA is moved to a position where it can be observed by the electron beam imaging unit 11 so that an electron microscope image can be displayed. It can be considered. When the optical image is displayed on the display unit 2 in this state and the field of view is searched for, the display switching unit 36 can quickly switch to the electron beam imaging unit 11, so the optical image can be detected in real time without changing the hardware configuration. Switching to an electron microscope image can be realized. Therefore, in this configuration, a memory unit for holding the optical image acquired by the optical system imaging unit 12 is used. As the memory unit, a semiconductor memory such as a RAM can be used.
(Configuration example with 2 heads attached to 1 controller)

  Furthermore, in the above example, an example in which a plurality of observation units are provided in the same sample chamber 21 or sample stage 33 has been described. However, the present embodiment can also be applied to a magnification observation apparatus that observes different samples. For example, in the example of FIG. 140, the controller 1B that controls these is shared by the optical microscope 12B and the electron microscope 11B that are separately configured. Thereby, on the controller 1B side, the magnification display of the optical image and the electron microscope image displayed on the display means 2 is converted into a uniform magnification and displayed, or the magnification of one image is changed to the conversion magnification and the other If it is not possible to set to the observation means, or the conversion magnification cannot be set, it is possible to set the magnification closest to the conversion magnification among the settable magnifications. In this case, different samples are observed: the sample SA4 placed on the sample stage 33D of the electron microscope 11B and the sample SA5 placed on the sample stage 33E of the optical microscope 12B. In the above example, two optical imaging means and electron beam imaging means are used as observation means, but it is needless to say that three or more observation means can be provided to be switchable.

  The magnified observation apparatus, magnified observation method, magnified observation program, and computer-readable recording medium of the present invention use, for example, an electron beam or ion beam that is a charged particle, and are used in characteristics evaluation and measurement processes of semiconductor elements. In an electron beam appearance inspection device, an electron beam length measurement device, a particle beam inspection device, and the like, it can be suitably applied to a function of performing enlarged / reduced display of a captured observation image. In addition to SEM, as a lens for electron beam imaging means, it can be used for scanning probe microscopes (SPM) such as TEM, scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), laser microscope and X-ray microscope. It is.

1000 ... magnifying observation system 100 ... magnifying observation apparatus 1, 1B ... controller 2 ... display means 10, 10X ... observing means 11 ... electron beam imaging means 12 ... optical system imaging means 11B ... electron microscope 12B ... optical microscope 13 ... observation in sample room Means 14 ... Chamber unit 15 ... Decompression unit 16 ... Decompression unit operation panel 17 ... Indicator lamps 21, 21B, 21C, 21F ... Sample chamber 22 ... Base 23, 23G ... Fixing plates 24, 24D, 24E, 24F, 24G, 24Y ... barrel 24x ... vacuum chamber 25 ... suction port 26 ... legs 27, 27B, 27C, 27E, 27G ... lid 28 ... closing plate 28x, 28y ... lid 29 ... lid opening / closing arm 30 ... rotating means 31 ... cross roller Bearings 32, 32x ... O-rings 33, 33C, 33D, 33E, 33X, 33Y, 33y ... Sample stage 34 ... Sample Drive means 35, 35B ... handle 35b ... handle part 36 ... display switching means 37 ... microscope focus adjustment means 38 ... optical focus adjustment means 39 ... mount 40 ... electron microscope control part 40A ... electrostatic lens control part 40B ... electromagnetic lens control part 41 ... first position 42 ... second position 43, 43A, 43B ... electron gun high voltage power supply 43a ... filament power supply 43b ... bias power supply 43c ... acceleration voltage power supply 43d ... emission ammeters 44, 44A, 44B, 44C, 44D ... Filament 45, 45A, 45B, 45C, 45D ... Wehnelt 46, 46A, 46B, 46C, 46D ... Anode 47, 47A, 47B ... Electron gun 49 ... Gun aligner 49C1 ... Upper aligner electrode; 49C2 ... Lower aligner electrode 49D ... Aligner coil 50 ... Optical axis adjuster 51 ... Focusing lens controller 51A 51B ... First lens control unit 52 ... Focusing lenses 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D ... First condenser lenses 52c, 52d ... First condenser diaphragms 53, 53C, 53D ... Objective diaphragm 54 ... Astigmatism corrector control unit 54A, 54B ... second lens control unit 55 ... electron beam deflection scanning means control unit 55A ... scanning electrode control unit 55B ... scanning coil control units 56, 56A, 56B ... objective lens control unit 57 ... astigmatism correctors 57A, 57B, 57C 57D, second condenser lenses 57c, 57d, second condenser diaphragm 58, electron beam deflection scanning means 58A, scanning electrode 58B, scanning coils 58C1, 58D1, first deflection sections 58C2, 58D2, second deflection sections 59, 59A,. 59B, 59C, 59D ... objective lens 60 ... central processing units 61, 61A, 61B ... secondary electron detector 62 ... reflection Electron detector 63 ... secondary electron detection amplification unit 64 ... backscattered electron detection amplification unit 65 ... A / D converter 66 ... A / D converter 67 ... image data generation unit 68 ... electron microscope magnification adjustment means 69 ... printer 70 ... Exhaust system pump 72 ... Exhaust controller 74 ... Horizontal plane moving mechanism 74X, 74X2 ... X-axis operation knob; 74Y, 74Y2 ... Y-axis operation knob; 74R, 74R2 ... R-axis operation knob 75 ... XY movement mechanism 76 ... R-axis rotation mechanism 80 ... Height adjustment mechanism 80Z, 80Z2 ... Z-axis operation knob 91 ... CCD control circuit 92 ... Optical imaging device 93 ... Optical zoom lens 94 ... Objective lens 95 ... Optical magnification adjustment means 96 ... Illumination unit 97 ... Light source port 98 ... Optical Lens group 99 ... Pixel shifting means 101 ... Information processing means 102 ... Display unit 103 ... Memory 104 ... Interfaces 105, 105B, 105C ... Operation Stage 106 ... Optical fiber 107 ... Light source 108 ... Third display area 110 ... Mode selection means 111 ... Magnification conversion means 112 ... Optical magnification reading means 113 ... Zoom ring 114 ... Projection electrode 115 ... Magnification output electrode 116 ... Image composition means 116B ... Color image synthesizing means 117 ... Electron microscope image display area 118 ... Optical image display area 119 ... Magnification determination means 120 ... Guiding means 121 ... State display means 122 ... Non-selection display means 123 ... Conversion magnification display means 124 ... Schedule magnification display means 125 ... notification notification means 126 ... magnification range display means 130 ... measurement point designation means 131G ... storage means 131 ... first storage means 132 ... second storage means 133 ... third storage means 134 ... measurement means 135 ... tensile springs 136, 136x ... Insertion groove 137 ... taper wall surface 138 ... hinge part 138x ... hinge part 139x ... Handle 140 ... Holding mechanism 142 ... Lid rotating shaft 143 ... Bearing recess 144 ... Inclined surface 145 ... Stopper 146 ... Coil spring 147 ... Tapered surface 180 ... Corresponding point designation means 180B ... Corresponding point designation button group 181 ... Correction parameter calculation means 182 ... Add button; 182B ... "Add" button 183 ... Remove button; 183B ... "Delete" button 184 ... Modify button; 184B ... "Move" button 185 ... Zoom means 185B ... "Enlarge display when adding / moving point" check box 186 ... Transparency adjustment means; 186B ... Transparency slider 187 ... Magnification control mode switching means 188 ... Parameter value set setting means 189 ... Parameter value set storage means 190 ... File storage means 191 ... Image storage location specification means 192 ... Common character string specification Means 193 ... File name example field 194 ... Common character string 195 ... Separation character string 196 ... Individual character string 197 ... File display selection means 198 ... File selection field 199 ... File preview field 202 ... Sample room reference image acquisition means 204 ... Position information acquisition means 206 ... Virtual image generation means 210 ... Rotation lock means 212 ... Unlock display means 214 ... Rotation restriction means 216 ... Rotation restriction value arrival notification means 218 ... Virtual real-time image display area 220 ... Tilt lever 221 ... Rotation ring 222 ... Brake Pad 223 ... Pad plate 224 ... fulcrum 225 ... lever gear 226 ... transmission gear 227 ... gear shaft 228 ... reverse display control means 229 ... sample chamber observation section fixing means 230 ... lock release display message 231 ... warning message 232 ... lock confirmation message 233 ... Unlock message 234 ... Protrusion 235 ... Inclination stopper 236 ... Key-like protrusion 237 ... Notch 238 ... Inclination stopper 239 ... Stopper handle 240 ... Stopper protrusion 241 ... Left stopper protrusion 242 ... Right stopper protrusion 243 ... Stopper protrusion 245 ... Limit Stopper 246 ... Limit convex portion 247 ... Limit protrusion 250 ... Ratio adjusting means; 250B ... "Balance" slider 251 ... Outline ratio adjusting means 252 ... Texture ratio adjusting means 253 ... Texture strength adjusting means; 253B ... "Texture strength" slider 254 ... color intensity adjustment means; 254B ... "color" slider 255 ... color separation means 256 ... extraction means 257 ... luminance synthesis means 258, 258B ... display parameter adjustment means 260 ... display control means 261 ... inclination angle conversion means 262 ... display method selection Means 262B ... "Selection of display method Column 262a ... "OFF"
262b ... "Left / Right"
262c ... "up and down"
262d ... "Reduction"
262e… “2 windows”
264 ... Rotation position detection means 266 ... Still image storage means 267 ... Rotation position storage means 269 ... "Color composition" button 270 ... Information display area 271 ... Optical system imaging means operation menu 272 ... Electron beam imaging means operation Menu 273 ... Operation buttons 274 ... Dual view button 275 ... Dual view tab 276 ... Field shift correction tab 277 ... Separate window 278 ... Tilt angle conversion display field; 278a ... "Color image"field; 278b ... "Ultra-deep image" field 279 ... Setting field; 279a ... "Release still when changing lens" check box; 279b ... "Change display position"button; 279c ... "Restore still image"button; 279d ... "Multi-save"button; Color composition "button 280 ... Status display field 281 ... Still button 282 ... Shooting button 283 ... Print button 284 ... "Hold" button 285 ... "Specify point" button 286 ... Image display area 290 ... Composite flow display field 292 ... Procedure display field 293 ... Text description field 294 ... Detailed setting field 295 ... Reduced image display Field 296 ... "Next" button 297 ... "Back" button 298 ... "End" button 299 ... Magnification angle display field 301 ... Scanning speed setting field 302, 302B ... "Adjust image quality" button 303, 303B ... "Import" button 304 ... “Display by matching the magnification of the ultra-deep image with the magnification of the color image” check box 305 ... “Quick depth composition” button 306 ... “Manual adjustment” button 307 ... “Auto” button 308 ... “Reset” button 309. Check box 311B for displaying overlapping images when designating corresponding points “Print” button 3 2 ... "Save" button 313 ... "Color" button 314 ... "Super depth" button 315 ... "Default" button 316 ... "Detail" button 317 ... "Display on observation screen" button 320 ... Wide area image acquisition means 321 ... Wide area image Storage means 322 ... Visual magnification image generation means 323 ... Visual field deviation correction means 324 ... Automatic alignment means 325 ... Setting guidance means PU ... Power supply unit VP ... Pressure reducing pump CS ... Console HU ... High acceleration voltage unit ST ... For digital microscope Stand SE1, SE2 ... Secondary electrons SA, SA1-6, SAx ... Sample EB, EB1, EB2 ... Electron beam PH ... Photo EI, EI2 ... Electron microscope image OI, OI2 ... Optical image GI, GI2, GI3 ... Color composite image KG ... In-sample reference image KI ... Virtual image KR ... Virtual real-time image SG ... Reduced image Images 1 to 3 ... first corresponding points 1 to 3 ... second corresponding points SH1 ... first visual field position correction point SH2 ... second visual field position correction point

Claims (13)

An electron beam imaging means for obtaining an electron microscope image of the observation object;
Optical system imaging means for acquiring an optical image of an observation object;
Image synthesizing means 116 for synthesizing the electron microscope image and the optical image to generate a synthesized image;
A first display area for displaying the electron microscope image;
A second display area for displaying the optical image;
A third display region for displaying a combined image obtained by combining the electron microscope image and the optical image with the image combining unit;
Display means capable of displaying at least the first display area and the second display area on the same screen;
A magnifying observation device comprising:
With respect to an arbitrary observation position of the observation object, an electron microscope image and an optical image acquired at substantially the same viewing direction and substantially the same magnification are displayed in the first display area and the second display area, respectively. Designating corresponding points for designating a first corresponding point at an arbitrary position on one of the images and designating a second corresponding point at a position corresponding to the first corresponding point on the other image Means,
At least one of the images is corrected so that the plurality of first corresponding points specified by the corresponding point specifying means and the plurality of second corresponding points corresponding to the plurality of first corresponding points respectively substantially coincide with each other. Correction parameter calculation means for calculating a correction parameter for
With
The image synthesizing unit is configured to generate a synthesized image by synthesizing the electron microscope image and the optical image based on the correction parameter calculated by the correction parameter calculating unit. Magnifying device. The magnification observation device according to claim 1,
The corresponding point designating means can delete the designated corresponding point or correct the position,
The magnification observation apparatus, wherein the image composition means updates the composite image according to the corresponding points corrected by the corresponding point designation means. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The display means can display the third display area on a screen substantially the same as the first display area and the second display area,
On the first display area and the second display area, based on the plurality of first corresponding points and second corresponding points specified by the corresponding point specifying means, the correction parameters calculated by the correction parameter calculating means Based on this, the composite image synthesized by the image synthesizing means is configured to be updated and displayed in real time whenever an additional corresponding point is designated by the corresponding point designating means on the third display area. A magnifying observation device characterized by The magnification observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The corresponding point designating means includes a position designation pointer for designating corresponding points in the first display area and the second display area of the display means;
After the first corresponding point is designated on one image by the corresponding point designating means, at least part of the one image is translucent until the second corresponding point is designated on the other image The semi-transparent image is displayed following the position designation pointer, and the translucent image is displayed in a manner in which the position designation pointer is located at the designated first corresponding point, The magnification observation apparatus, wherein the display on the display means is updated so that the translucent image is moved with the movement of the designated pointer. The magnification observation apparatus according to claim 4,
The magnified observation device, wherein the corresponding point designating means is configured to be capable of adjusting the transparency of the translucent image. A magnification observation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The corresponding point designating unit assigns individual corresponding point information indicating a corresponding relationship to the corresponding first corresponding point and the second corresponding point,
Based on the corresponding point information, for each first corresponding point and second corresponding point, a corresponding point display indicating the corresponding relationship is added to the first corresponding point and the second corresponding point in different display modes. Then, a magnification observation apparatus characterized by being displayed on the display means. The magnification observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
When the correction parameter calculation unit or the image synthesis unit determines that the correspondence relationship of the corresponding points designated by the corresponding point designation unit is inappropriate for performing image synthesis, the correction parameter calculation unit or the image synthesis unit is based on the corresponding points. A magnification observation apparatus configured to notify that image composition is impossible without performing image composition. The magnification observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The correction parameter calculation unit or the image synthesis unit calculates a correction parameter or performs image synthesis in such a manner that an alignment error is reduced when the corresponding points designated by the corresponding point designation unit are substantially matched. A magnifying observation apparatus characterized by being configured to perform. The magnification observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The correction parameter calculation unit or the image synthesis unit analyzes the electron microscope image and the optical image, automatically calculates initial parameters for image synthesis so that they match, and based on the initial parameters, the image In the state of performing the synthesis and displaying the initial synthesized image on the third display area of the display means,
Based on the correction parameter calculated by the correction parameter calculation unit according to the corresponding point specified by the corresponding point specifying unit, the initial composite image is corrected, and the corrected composite image is displayed on the third display area. Magnification observation apparatus characterized by being made to do.
A magnification observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The correction of at least one of the images based on the correction parameter calculated by the correction parameter calculating means includes at least one of parallel movement, enlargement / reduction, rotation, and depth movement of the image based on the position information of the corresponding point. A magnifying observation device. A magnified observation method in which an electron microscope image obtained by imaging an observation object and an optical image obtained by imaging the same observation object are combined to generate a composite image and displayed on a display means,
In the first display area for displaying the electron microscope image and in the second display area for displaying the optical image, a step of individually specifying a plurality of corresponding points by corresponding point specifying means,
A step of calculating a correction parameter for correcting at least one of the images such that the correction parameter calculating means substantially matches each corresponding corresponding point based on the corresponding relationship of the specified corresponding point;
Based on the calculated correction parameter, the image synthesizing unit generates a synthesized image and displays it on the display unit;
A magnified observation method comprising: A magnified observation program that combines an electron microscope image obtained by imaging an observation object and an optical image obtained by imaging the same observation object to generate a composite image, and displays it on a display means,
In the first display area for displaying the electron microscope image and the second display area for displaying the optical image, a function for individually specifying a plurality of corresponding points by corresponding point specifying means at corresponding positions;
A function for calculating a correction parameter for correcting at least one of the images such that the correction parameter calculating means substantially matches each corresponding corresponding point based on the corresponding relationship between the specified corresponding points;
Based on the calculated correction parameter, the image synthesizing unit generates a synthesized image and displays it on the display unit;
Corresponding point editing function for changing the position of the specified corresponding point, deleting the corresponding point, or adding a new corresponding point;
A program for magnifying observation characterized in that a computer is realized.   A computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 12.