JPH08339776A - Electron beam microanalyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate recognition of an analytical position by storing a surface shape image of a secondary electron image, X-ray image, or the like of a sample as an image data, and sight-displaying coordinate position information and a comment correlated. CONSTITUTION: A CPU20 reads a surface shape image of a sample 4 detected by a secondary electron from a frame memory 14, to store an image data, displayed in a display device 22 to determine an analytical position, in an outside memory device 23, also to store a coordinate position data from a stage control part 7 and from a beam control part 8 and a comment input from an input device 21, in a coordinate position part. This operation is performed in a plurality of analytical positions, to prepare an analytical position table. Next from analytical position information, the analytical point is selected, to be stored in a memory device 24, and to from an analytic condition table for continuous analysis. The analysis is processed by successively reading respectively an analytical data, analytic point and a coordinate position, positioned, processed and stored in the memory device 23, and in the case of evaluating, it is performed by simultaneously displaying the analytical point and analytical data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electron beam microanalyzer, and more particularly to storage and display of information representing an analysis position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a sample is analyzed by an apparatus using an electron beam such as an electron beam microanalyzer or a scanning electron microscope, it is necessary to store and display the analysis position information in order to specify the analysis position. In the conventional apparatus, the X, Y, and Z axis coordinates of the sample stage to which the sample is attached and the comment added as necessary are used as the analysis position information. Then, this analysis position information is displayed as a list display of X, Y, and Z axis coordinates and their comments, and by referring to the list display, analysis position conditions for performing analysis such as qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis are set. ing. Further, a configuration is also known in which the analysis position information is referred to together with the analysis data by adding the analysis position information to the analysis data.

[0003]

However, the conventional electron beam microanalyzer has a problem that it is difficult to easily recognize the analysis position. When performing sample analysis with an electron beam microanalyzer, it is necessary to determine the analysis position. In determining the analysis position, it is necessary to observe a surface shape image such as a secondary electron image or an optical microscope image. Further, there are cases where analysis is performed continuously at a plurality of analysis points. In such a continuous analysis,
The secondary electron image or the optical microscope image is observed to determine and store the analysis position in advance, and then the analysis is sequentially performed based on the stored analysis position.

In such a continuous analysis of a plurality of analysis points by an electron beam microanalyzer, there is a case where a long-time continuous analysis is not performed all day and night, and in that case, the number of analysis points increases to several tens to several hundreds. Become. With respect to such a huge number of analysis points, it is not easy to operate and it takes a long time to specify the analysis points by using only the X, Y, Z coordinates and information such as a comment as in a conventional electron beam microanalyzer. become. Further, when analyzing analytical data such as qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis obtained by the analysis, the analytical position information included in the conventional analytical data is insufficient, and an accurate analytical position cannot be recognized. Therefore, it is necessary to separately store an image of a surface shape image such as a secondary electron image and display this image separately from the analysis position information included in the analysis data. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional electron beam microanalyzer and to provide an electron beam microanalyzer capable of easily recognizing an analysis position.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an electron beam microanalyzer for analyzing a sample by irradiating the sample with an electron beam, and image detecting means for detecting a surface shape image at an analysis position, and the detected surface shape. Storage means for storing the image of the image as an analysis position index indicating the analysis position;
The above object is achieved by including a display unit for displaying an image of the surface shape image. The image detecting means included in the electron microanalyzer of the present invention is a means for detecting the surface shape image of the sample surface as an image, and, for example, a secondary electron detector for detecting a secondary electron image or a backscattered electron image. A backscattered electron detector for detection and an optical microscope for obtaining an optical image can be applied.

The electron beam microanalyzer of the present invention can represent an analysis position by position information indicating various analysis positions, and the two-dimensional image detected by the image detecting means is one of the analysis position information. It can be used as an index indicating the position. As other analysis position information, for example,
It is possible to use X, Y, Z coordinates indicating the analysis position of the analysis point and a comment serving as an index indicating the analysis position. The storage means of the present invention is means for storing position information and analysis data of an analysis position, and stores an image of a surface shape image as an analysis position index indicating the analysis position. By displaying the image of the surface shape image together with other analysis position information, it is possible to easily confirm the analysis position.

Further, by displaying the image of the surface shape image together with the analysis data, the analysis of the sample analysis can be facilitated. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the display means displays other analysis position information and analysis data together with the image of the surface shape image in the form of a list display, thereby facilitating the recognition of the analysis position, In addition, the information related to the analysis points can be confirmed in a list. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the display means performs image compression of the image data of the surface shape image stored in the storage means and displays it, whereby the number of displays can be increased. In the third embodiment of the present invention, coordinate data obtained from a control signal of an electron beam scanning controller of an X, Y, Z stage supporting a sample as X, Y, Z coordinates indicating an analysis position of an analysis point. Is used, whereby the analysis position of the analysis point can be obtained as numerical data.

[0008]

The electron beam microanalyzer analyzes a sample by irradiating the sample with an electron beam and detecting characteristic X-rays emitted from the sample by this irradiation. Before performing this sample analysis, it is necessary to determine the analysis point on the sample. Therefore, a secondary electron image emitted by irradiating the sample with an electron beam, a backscattered electron image, or a surface shape image at the analysis position is obtained by an optical microscope, and this surface shape image is stored as image data in a storage means. To do. The storage means, in addition to the image data of the surface shape image, the X-, Y-, and Z-axis coordinate positions of the sample obtained from the control signal for controlling the sample stage supporting the sample and the electron beam scanning unit, and the analysis position. Store as information.

The display means displays a list of image data and analysis position information such as coordinate positions and comments stored in the storage means. When displaying the image data in this list display, the image data stored in the storage means can be image-compressed and displayed. This makes it possible to secure a certain number of display items in the limited display area. The analysis point on the sample is selected by referring to the surface shape images and comments listed. When performing continuous analysis of a plurality of analysis points, a plurality of analysis points are selected and set by this. After that, from the storage means, the coordinate position is sequentially read for this set analysis point, and the analysis position and the irradiation position of the electron beam are aligned,
Perform an analysis. The analysis data obtained by the analysis is stored in the storage means. In the storage of the analysis data in the storage means, the analysis data is stored in a storage portion in which analysis position information such as a surface shape image, coordinate position, and comment is stored, or is stored in association with the storage portion. by this,
It becomes possible to simultaneously display analysis data together with analysis position information.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. (Structure of Embodiment of the Present Invention) Next, a structure example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an embodiment of an electron beam microanalyzer of the present invention. The electron probe microanalyzer shown in FIG.
An electron gun 1, an electron beam scanning unit 4, a sample stage 5, a stage operating unit 6, a stage control unit 7, and an electron beam scanning control unit 8 are provided. By irradiating the sample 4 with the electron beam 2, Analyze. Here, the sample stage 5 is driven in the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinate axis directions by the stage operation unit 6 controlled by the control signal from the stage control unit 7, and the electron beam 2 is transmitted from the electron beam scanning control unit 8. Are scanned by the control signal.

As the detector for analyzing the sample, for example, an X-ray detector 10 for spectrally detecting the X-rays from the sample 4 and a secondary electron detector 12 for detecting secondary electrons are provided. be able to. The X-ray intensity detected by the X-ray detector 10 is signal-processed by the X-ray signal processing unit 11,
It is input to the CPU 20 as analysis data. Further, the data of the surface shape image detected by the secondary electron detector 12 and the like is subjected to signal processing by the secondary electron image processing unit 13 and then stored in the frame memory 14 as an image signal. further,
The frame memory 14 is connected to the CPU 20.

In addition to the stage controller 7, the electron beam scanning controller 8, the X-ray signal processor 11, and the frame memory 14, the CPU 20 includes an input device 21, a display device 22, an external storage device 23, and The storage device 24 is connected. The input device 21 designates an analysis position and commands various processing, and the display device 22 displays a list of analysis position information such as a surface shape image at the analysis point, coordinate positions, comments, and displays analysis data. Further, the external storage device 23 stores the surface shape image for displaying the list, the analysis position information such as the coordinate position and the comment, and the analysis data. The storage device 24 also stores analysis conditions such as selected analysis points and analysis order. This analysis condition can be stored in the form of an analysis condition table. The CPU 20 also controls commands and signals between the connected parts, and performs image compression processing when displaying a list of image data of surface shape images.

Next, the data structure of the data stored in the external storage device 23 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The data stored in the external storage device 23 includes analysis position information and analysis data, and the analysis position information includes data such as a surface shape image for displaying a list, coordinate positions, and comments. The data structure in the external storage device 23 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, configured with related data as a single file, and a file number is assigned to the file to specify the file, and a surface shape image is represented. Data contents are image data, X, Y, and Z coordinate position data for expressing coordinate positions, comments for expressing data contents, and analysis result data.

The image data is obtained by subjecting the surface shape image data obtained by the secondary electron detector 12 to image processing and, for example, for 500 × 500 pixels, 8 bits, 16 bits, 32 bits, etc., for each pixel. Can be stored in the form of data in the depth direction, whereby the surface shape image can be stored. Note that this image data is not limited to data from the secondary electron detector, and data obtained from a backscattered electron detector or an optical microscope can also be used.

The coordinate position can be obtained by obtaining position data for the sample 4 based on control signals from the stage controller 7 and the electron beam scanning controller 8.
The coordinate position can be obtained using only the X, Y, Z coordinates from the stage controller 7, or the X, Y, Z coordinates from the stage controller 7 and the X, Y from the electron beam scanning controller 8 can be obtained. It is also possible to obtain a more accurate coordinate position by combining it with the beam shift amount in the direction. The beam shift amount is a fine adjustment amount for aligning the sample.

The comment can store information relating to analysis such as the type of sample and the type of analysis such as quantitative analysis or qualitative analysis. The surface shape image, coordinate position,
Also, the portion of the comment indicating the analysis position information can be divided as an analysis position table. Further, the analysis data is analysis data obtained by the X-ray detector 10 or the like, and the analysis data can be stored in the area of the file data shown in FIG. Can be stored in another data area. Next, a display example of the list display displayed by the electron beam microanalyzer of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The electron beam microanalyzer of the present invention displays the analysis position information in the form of a list for selecting the analysis points of the sample and the like. FIG. 3 is a display example of this list display. Data relating to the analysis position information can be read from the external storage device 23 from the data having the data structure shown in FIG. 2 and displayed on the display device 22. Display device 2
In the display part of 2, for a plurality of analysis points, for example,
Along with the file number that specifies the analysis point, an image representing the surface shape image, coordinate positions, and comments are displayed in a list. The image displayed in this list display is shown in FIG.
The image data inside is compressed and displayed. For example, 500 × 500 pixel data is image-compressed into 100 × 100 pixel data and displayed. In this way, a certain amount of displayed items is secured. At this time, the image can be compressed and displayed in the depth direction.

Further, on this image, the analysis point can be displayed by a mark "x". (Operation of the Embodiment of the Present Invention) Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 for explaining the operation of the electron beam microanalyzer of the present invention. Note that FIG.
In FIG. 7, only the parts necessary for explanation are extracted and shown from the configuration shown in FIG. (A) Formation of analysis position table: First, an analysis position table for displaying a list of analysis position information is formed. In FIG. 4, the CPU 20 reads the surface shape image data from the frame memory 14 storing the secondary electron image and displays it on the display device 22 (see a in FIG. 4). The analysis position is determined by referring to the displayed surface shape image (see d in FIG. 4), and the frame memory 14
Image data is stored in the image portion of the external storage device 23 (see b in FIG. 4), and the coordinate position data from the stage control unit 7 and the electron beam scanning control unit 8 is stored in the external storage device 23. It is stored in the portion (see c in FIG. 4), and further, the comment is stored from the input device 21 to the coordinate position portion in the external storage device 23 (see d in FIG. 4). This processing is performed for a plurality of analysis points to form an analysis position table.

(B) Formation of analysis condition table: Next, an analysis condition table for performing continuous analysis of analysis points is formed. In FIG. 5, the CPU 20 has an external storage device 23.
The analysis position information is read from the analysis position table stored in the table, and a list is displayed on the display device 22. At this time, the image is displayed after being compressed.
(See e in the above). The analysis point to be analyzed is selected by referring to the list displayed on the display device 22, and the analysis point is stored in the storage device 24 to form the analysis condition table (FIG. 5).
(See f).

(C) Formation of analysis data: Next, analysis data is formed by continuous analysis of analysis points. In FIG.
The CPU 20 sequentially reads the analysis points from the analysis condition table of the storage device 24 (see g in FIG. 6), reads the coordinate position of the read analysis point from the analysis position table, and the coordinate position is read by the stage controller 7 and the electron beam scanning. It is sent to the control unit 8 (see h in FIG. 6). As a result, the analysis point on the sample is positioned, and then the analysis process is performed. The analysis data obtained by the analysis is stored in the external storage device 23 to form the analysis data (see i in FIG. 6).

(D) Evaluation of analytical data: Next, the obtained analytical data is evaluated. In FIG. 7, the input device 21
Specify an analysis point to the external storage device 23 (see j in FIG. 7), and display a list of the analysis points and analysis data on the display device 22 at the same time (see k in FIG. 7). Evaluate. (Effect of Embodiment) A two-dimensional image as analysis position information can be displayed in a list together with analysis data. And
In this list display, the number of display items can be increased by performing image compression. Further, by storing the analysis data and the analysis position information in one file, or by storing them in association with each other, it is possible to simultaneously display the analysis data and the analysis position information.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention,
An electron beam microanalyzer capable of easily recognizing an analysis position can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of an electron beam microanalyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of data stored in an external storage device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a display example of a list display of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating formation of an analysis position table according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating formation of an analysis condition table of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating formation of analysis data according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating evaluation of analysis data according to the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] 1 ... Electron gun, 2 ... Electron beam, 3 ... Electron beam scanning unit,
4 ... Sample, 5 ... Sample stage, 6 ... Stage operation unit, 7
... Stage control unit, 8 ... Electron beam scanning control unit 10 ... X
Line detector, 11 ... X-ray signal processing unit, 12 ... Secondary electron detector, 13 ... Secondary electron image processing unit, 14 ... Frame memory,
20 ... CPU, 21 ... Input device, 22 ... Display device, 23
... external storage device, 24 ... storage device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electron beam micro-analyzer for analyzing a sample by irradiating the sample with an electron beam, the image detecting means for detecting a surface shape image at an analysis position, and an image of the surface shape image representing an analysis position. An electron beam microanalyzer, comprising: storage means for storing as an analysis position index; and display means for displaying an image of the surface shape image.