JPH0142135B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sample holding device that is particularly effective for use in an electron beam exposure apparatus.

In electron beam exposure equipment, if the position of the sample surface changes each time the sample is loaded onto the moving body, the size of the figure drawn on the sample changes, making it impossible to draw a highly accurate figure. . Therefore, recent efforts have been made to keep the position of the sample surface constant by providing a receiving surface on the moving body as a reference, and by pressing and fixing the sample holder holding the sample on the receiving surface via several springs. What has been achieved is put into practical use. Here, since the moving body moves at high speed or stops instantaneously, unless the pressing force of the several springs is very strong, there is a risk that the sample holder will come off the receiving surface that is the reference of the moving body. . However, if the pressing force of these several springs is increased, an excessive load will be applied to the moving mechanism when replacing the sample holder, causing twisting in the moving mechanism and reducing exposure accuracy.

The present invention aims to solve such inconveniences, and will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure and FIG. 3 are enlarged sectional views taken along lines AA and BB in FIG. 1, and 1 is a sample chamber of an electron beam exposure apparatus. 2 has several balls 3a at the bottom of the sample chamber 1,
A movable body is mounted horizontally movably via the movable body, and a cutout portion 4 is formed in the center of the movable body. 5a and 5b are receiving plates fixed to opposite ends of the movable body 2 so as to face each other, each of the receiving plates protrudes above the cutout portion 4, and the bottom surface of each of the receiving plates is It is machined into a mirror surface and placed in the same plane perpendicular to the electron beam optical axis. Reference numeral 6 denotes a sample holder for holding the sample 7, and the sample holder is connected to the moving body 2 by a sample exchange mechanism (not shown).
It is inserted into the cutout 4 from the right direction in FIG.
8a and 8b are push bodies for pressing and stably fixing the sample holder 6 inserted into the notch 4 against the receiving plates 5a and 5b, and each push body is connected to the moving body through support shafts 9a and 9b. 2, and protrusions 10a and 10b are formed at one end of each pusher body to engage with the bottom surface of the sample holder 6, and the protrusions are pushed upward (toward the receiving plate side). Springs 11a and 11b are installed for this purpose. Further, cavities 12a and 12b are formed in the bottom surface of the other end of each of the pushing bodies 8a and 8b, and each cavity is filled with a bottomed and expandable container (for example, a bellows) fixed to the movable body 2. ) 13a and 13b are inserted. Inside each of the containers 13a and 13b are passages (or pipes) 14a formed in the moving body 2,
14b, a connecting fitting 15, and a pipe 16 penetrating the side wall of the sample chamber 1 to connect to a vacuum pump 17 and a gas cylinder 18 containing an inert gas or the like. As is clear from FIG. 2, the connecting fitting 15 is connected to the moving body 2 via bellows 19a, 19b.
A hole 20 is formed in a portion of the connecting fitting that faces the pipe 16. Reference numeral 21 denotes a rod for pressing the connecting fitting 15 against the pipe 16, and a drive section 22 equipped with a pneumatic mechanism, etc.
is connected to. Reference numeral 23 denotes an O-ring packing provided at the connecting portion between the connecting fitting 15 and the pipe 16. 24a and 24b are the containers 13;
a, 13b, vacuum pump 17 and gas cylinder 18
This is a valve for shutting off both.

The operation of such a device will now be described. First, during exposure, the connection fitting 15 and the pipe 16 are separated, so the inside of the containers 13a, 13b communicates with the inside of the sample chamber 1 through the hole 20 of the connection fitting 15.
Therefore, the pressures on the inside and outside of each container 13a, 13b are equal and balanced, so no force is applied to each container, and the container is in a contracted state. As a result, each pushing body 8a and 8b has a spring 11a and 11b.
1, the sample holder 6 is pressed against the receiving plates 5a, 5b via the protrusions 10a, 10b, and is stably fixed to the movable body 2.

Next, after the exposure is completed, when the movable body 2 is moved to a predetermined position (sample exchange position), the connecting fitting 15 is connected to the pipe 16 as shown in FIG.
At this time, a signal is sent to the drive unit 22 from a control unit (not shown) that controls the movement of the moving body 2, and the rod 21
moves upward and presses the connecting fitting 15 against the pipe 16 side. After that, when the valve 24a is opened, inert gas flows into the pipe 16, the hole 20, and the connecting fitting 1.
5. Bellows 19a, 19b and passages 14a, 1
4b into the containers 13a and 13b, each container is expanded by the introduced gas pressure.
As the containers 13a and 13b expand, the pushing bodies 8a and 8b rotate in the right direction in FIG. It will be canceled. In this state, the sample holder 6 is removed from the movable body 2 or loaded using a sample exchange mechanism (not shown). After loading the sample holder 6 into the movable body 2 again, the valve 24b is closed and the other valve 24b is opened, and the insides of the containers 13a and 13b, which are maintained at a predetermined gas pressure, are evacuated by the vacuum pump 17. When the pressure inside the containers 13a, 13b becomes approximately equal to the pressure inside the sample chamber 1 due to the evacuation, the sample holder 6 is pressed and fixed to the receiving plates 5a, 5b by the pressing force of the springs 11a, 11b. Thereafter, the drive unit 22 is activated to lower the rod 21 and release the pressing force on the connection fitting 15. As a result, the movable body 2 is moved to the exposure start position.

In this embodiment, the sample holder 6 is pressed against the moving body 2 by the two pushing bodies 8a and 8b, but
In reality, it goes without saying that three or four presses are provided so that the sample holder 6 is pressed at three or four points.

As detailed above, according to the present invention, when the movable body is placed at the sample exchange position, gas is introduced into the expandable bottomed bag to release the pressing force of the sample holder on the movable body. be able to. As a result, almost no force is applied to the moving mechanism during sample exchange, so that the moving mechanism is free from twisting and exposure accuracy can be improved. Further, since the connecting pipe connecting the bag and the gas supply means is not required, and the moving object does not have to move while dragging the connecting pipe, the moving object can be moved smoothly without any restrictions on movement of the moving object. can be done, etc.
It has great practical effects.

It should be noted that the above description is an illustration of the present invention, and many modifications may be made in implementing the present invention.

For example, the vacuum pump 17 is not necessarily required and may be omitted. In that case, when the rod 21 is lowered to disconnect the hole 20 and the pipe 16, the pipe 16 and the passages 14a, 14 of the moving body 2
b. The gas inside the containers 13a, 13b dissipates to the outside, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the containers 13a, 13b disappears, causing the containers to contract, and thus the sample holder 6 is pressed against the moving body.

Further, although each operation of the drive unit 22 and the valves 24a and 24b was performed manually, it is also possible to perform these operations automatically.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure and FIG. 3 are enlarged sectional views taken along lines AA and BB in FIG. In the figure, 1 is a sample chamber, 2 is a moving body, 4 is a cutout, 5a and 5b are receiving plates, 6 is a sample holder,
7 is a sample, 8a and 8b are pushers, 9a and 9b are spindles, 10a and 10b are protrusions, 11a and 11
b is a spring, 12a and 12b are cavities, 13
a and 13b are containers, 14a and 14b are passages,
15 is a connecting fitting, 16 is a pipe, 17 is a vacuum pump, 18 is a gas cylinder, 19a and 19b are bellows, 20 is a hole, 21 is a pusher body, 22 is a drive unit, 2
3 is an O-ring packing, and 24a and 24b are valves.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A moving body placed in a sample chamber kept in vacuum and having a cutout and a receiving surface arranged to protrude above the cutout, and a sample loaded into the cutout of the moving body. A push body using an elastic body provided at the bottom of the notch for pressing the sample holder toward the receiving surface and pressing and fixing the top surface of the sample holder to the receiving surface; An expandable bottomed container for moving a body against the elastic force of an elastic body, a flow path provided in the moving body for supplying gas to the container, and a flow path connected to the outside. a communication port provided in the flow path for communication;
gas introduction means having a supply port provided on the wall of the sample chamber and connectable to the communication port, and the supply port of the gas introduction means is connected to the communication port when the movable body is moved to the sample exchange position. When the movable body is placed at the sample exchange position and the communication port of the movable body is connected to the supply port of the gas introduction means, gas is introduced into the container. The container expands due to the pressure difference inside and outside the container, and the pressing force pressing the sample holder against the receiving surface is released, and the movable body is removed from the sample exchange position and the communication port of the movable body and the supply port of the gas introduction means are removed. 1. A sample holding device for an electron beam exposure apparatus, etc., characterized in that when the two are separated, a communicating port is opened to a vacuum so that the pressing force that presses the sample holder against the receiving surface is not released.