Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:a preparatory evacuation chamber into which the sample is conveyed, and which is preliminarily evacuated;an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in said preparatory evacuation chamber, and which irradiates a surface of the sample conveyed into said preparatory evacuation chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period; anda sample chamber into which the sample is conveyed from said preparatory evacuation chamber with a gate valve between said preparatory evacuation chamber and said sample chamber opened in the preliminarily evacuated state of said preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and from which the sample is conveyed into said preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation;wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in said preparatory evacuation chamber by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed before the conveyance of the sample into said sample chamber, or/and after the conveyance thereof from said sample chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample. 2. A charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:a preparatory evacuation chamber into which the sample is conveyed, and which is preliminarily evacuated;an intermediate chamber into which the sample is conveyed before or/and after the conveyance of the sample into said preparatory evacuation chamber;an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in said intermediate chamber, and which irradiates a surface of the sample conveyed into said intermediate chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period; anda sample chamber into which the sample is conveyed from said preparatory evacuation chamber with a gate valve between said preparatory evacuation chamber and said sample chamber opened in the preliminarily evacuated state of said preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and from which the sample is conveyed into said preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation;wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in said intermediate chamber by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed before the conveyance of the sample into said preparatory evacuation chamber, or/and after the conveyance thereof from said preparatory evacuation chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample. 3. A contamination removal method for a charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:a first step of conveying the sample into a preparatory evacuation chamber, and preliminarily evacuating the preparatory evacuation chamber;a second step of conveying the sample into a sample chamber in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and then conveying the sample from the sample chamber into the preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation; anda third step of irradiating a surface of the sample conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period by an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in the preparatory evacuation chamber;said third step being performed before the conveyance of the sample into the sample chamber, or/and after the conveyance thereof from the sample chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample. 4. A contamination removal method for a charged particle beam apparatus wherein an image is generated by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam and detecting secondary charged particles emitted from the sample, comprising:a first step of conveying the sample into the preparatory evacuation chamber, and preliminarily evacuating the preparatory evacuation chamber;a second step of conveying the sample into an intermediate chamber before or/and after the conveyance of the sample into the preparatory evacuation chamber;a third step of conveying the sample into a sample chamber in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber in order to observe the image, and then conveying the sample from the sample chamber into the preparatory evacuation chamber after the image observation; anda fourth step of irradiating a surface of the sample conveyed into the intermediate chamber, with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period by an ultraviolet irradiation unit which is disposed in the intermediate chamber;said fourth step being performed before the conveyance of the sample into the preparatory evacuation chamber, or/and after the conveyance thereof from the preparatory evacuation chamber, thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample. 5. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in at least one of said preparatory evacuation chamber and said intermediate chamber by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed by introducing either of oxygen and ozone into the corresponding chamber. 6. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in at least one of said preparatory evacuation chamber and said intermediate chamber by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed under either of a reduced internal pressure and a raised internal pressure of the corresponding chamber. 7. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed in interlocking with the conveyance of the sample. 8. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein a whole area of the surface of the sample is irradiated with the ultraviolet rays. 9. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said ultraviolet irradiation unit includes an excimer lamp. 10. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in at least one of said preparatory evacuation chamber and said intermediate chamber by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed by introducing either of oxygen and ozone into the corresponding chamber. 11. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in at least one of said preparatory evacuation chamber and said intermediate chamber by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed under either of a reduced internal pressure and a raised internal pressure of the corresponding chamber. 12. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample by said ultraviolet irradiation unit is performed in interlocking with the conveyance of the sample. 13. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein a whole area of the surface of the sample is irradiated with the ultraviolet rays. 14. A charged particle beam apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said ultraviolet irradiation unit includes an excimer lamp.