Ion milling device

Abstract

An ion milling device of the present invention is provided with a tilt stage ( 8 ) which is disposed in a vacuum chamber ( 15 ) and has a tilt axis parallel to a first axis orthogonal to an ion beam, a drive mechanism ( 9, 51 ) which has a rotation axis and a tilt axis parallel to a second axis orthogonal to the first axis and rotates or tilts a sample ( 3 ), and a switching unit which enables switching between a state in which the ion beam is applied while the sample is rotated or swung while the tilt stage is tilted, and a state in which the ion beams is applied while the tilt stage is brought into an untilted state and the sample is swung. Consequently, the ion milling device capable of performing cross-section processing and flat processing of the sample in the same vacuum chamber is implemented.

1 . An ion milling device including:
 an ion source for irradiating a sample with an ion beam; and   a tilt stage disposed inside a vacuum chamber and having a tilt axis parallel with a first axis orthogonal to the ion beam, characterized in that   the ion milling device comprises:   a support table, disposed on the tilt stage, for supporting a sample holding member for holding the sample;   a drive mechanism for rotating or tilting the support table, the drive mechanism having a rotation axis and a tilt axis which are parallel with a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; and   a switching unit for switching a state of the ion milling device between a state where the ion beam is irradiated while the tilt stage is tilted and the support table is rotated or swung and a state where the ion beam is irradiated while the tilt stage is not tilted and the support table is swung.   
     
     
         2 . The ion milling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ion milling device comprises a mechanism to displace the axis of the ion beam and the rotation axis of the support table from each other. 
     
     
         3 . The ion milling device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the sample holding member includes a shielding part for blocking part of the ion beam and having a surface positioned in parallel with the second axis, and   the sample holding member is configured to be attachable and detachable to and from the support table.   
     
     
         4 . The ion milling device according to  claim 2 , wherein the ion milling device comprises a control device for switching the state of the ion milling device between the state where the ion beam is irradiated with the tilt stage being tilted and the support table being rotated or swung and the state where the ion beam is irradiated with the tilt stage not being tilted and the support table being swung, in accordance with the switching of the switching unit. 
     
     
         5 . The ion milling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum chamber is provided with an observation window. 
     
     
         6 . The ion milling device according to  claim 5 , wherein the observation window is provided in a ceiling surface of the vacuum chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The ion milling device according to  claim 6 , wherein the ion source is placed in a surface different from the ceiling surface of the vacuum chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The ion milling device according to  claim 5 , wherein a shutter movable to a space between an ion beam irradiation position for the sample and the observation window is provided. 
     
     
         9 . The ion milling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum chamber is provided with an optical microscope or electron microscope. 
     
     
         10 . The ion milling device according to  claim 9 , wherein the optical microscope or electron microscope is provided in a ceiling surface of the vacuum chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The ion milling device according to  claim 10 , wherein the ion source is placed in a surface different from the ceiling surface of the vacuum chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The ion milling device according to  claim 9 , wherein a shutter movable to a space between an ion beam irradiation position for the sample and the optical microscope or electron microscope. 
     
     
         13 . An ion milling device including:
 an ion source, attached to a vacuum chamber, for irradiating a sample with an ion beam; and   a tilt stage having a tilt axis in a direction perpendicular to an irradiation direction of an ion beam emitted from the ion source, wherein   the ion milling device comprises:   a rotor placed on the sample stage and having a rotation tilt axis orthogonal to the tilt axis; and   an opening for processing observation provided in a wall surface of the vacuum chamber in a direction orthogonal to a plane formed by the tilt axis and an irradiation path of the ion beam.   
     
     
         14 . The ion milling device according to  claim 13 , wherein the ion milling device comprises a center displacing mechanism for displacing a center of a position of the sample on the sample stage. 
     
     
         15 . The ion milling device according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the ion milling device comprises a sample-mask unit on the rotor, and   the sample-mask unit has a shielding part having an ion-beam shielding surface parallel with the rotation tilt axis.   
     
     
         16 . The ion milling device according to  claim 13 , wherein a mode of the device is switched between cross-section milling and flat surface milling depending on a distance between the ion beam source and the sample. 
     
     
         17 . The ion milling device according to  claim 13 , wherein an optical microscope is disposed on an upper portion of the opening for processing observation. 
     
     
         18 . The ion milling device according to  claim 13 , wherein a column of an electron microscope is disposed on a portion of the opening for processing observation.